Suedehead:
deck21:
I have just passed my class 2 in the last couple of months and started a job in a truck then got offered a job in a van, same sort of money but van comes home with me, and no nights out. So would you swap the truck for the van if the money was the same ?
When you say “your truck” , i presume its a company vehicle and you are an employed driver?
If the money is right,yes.
I have never been a cab happy willy waver.
Yes employed by company. But would buy a van based car transporter if i had the dosh as i can not believe how much work there is out there UK and European.
trevHCS:
One thing I would be very wary of is the hours. If it’s an ordinary van (not 7.5T) then you’ve got no tacho and thus no restrictions on hours, so they could have you driving insane hours without breaks. I would defo be a bit suspicious unless the money for the HGV was very low as I’ve seen plenty of van jobs at £12 - 15K and would expect HGV 2 to be £20K+.
However, if it’s got a decent wage like £25 - 30K then do they need anyone else? 
The guy is a mate of mine and runs class 1 and 2 transporters doing UK and European work he has not had a van based transporter before so im a test pilot to see how it goes before he gets anymore on his fleet but my view from the work i did this week is get lots of them NOW as i did very few empty miles and done 2500 of them £1.00 a mile let say wages £550 fuel £400 and few other bits ware and tear feels like a no brainer
Dipper_Dave:
I feel your pain, I had 3 adventures with me backdoors yesterday.
What you do in your spare time is your business. I personally don’t go in for all that pain in the back door shenanigans but whatever floats your boat.
If it pays the same and you get to go home in the van… Yes. But I do Europe now and then and have class 1 and use sleeper Lutons, 12 & 18 tonne rigid, 42 tonne truck & trailer, and have had an idiot on euro tunnel train say is that all you can drive? (when I’m in the Luton) as we use what’s needed at the time for that job, but doesn’t bother me I get class 1 money what ever I’m in and is probably more than the idiot.
This class 1 snobbery ■■■■■■■■ gets on my ■■■■. I choose to drive vans, and they’re screaming for class 1 down here in Devon. I get more for the van than I do for the trucks down here. Forget that!
For Class 1 money I’d drive a milk float dressed as a nun. Who cares, it’s all about the cash.
Who cares what you drive as long as the money is right? I’ve been driving vans for the last 5 years for the same (per hour) as I could get for class1…8-1630 hours, no tacho bollox & can scream around the roads like a maniac 
15 hour days, nights in sh!tty, pee stinking laybyes sleeping in a tin box… stuff that.
deck21:
I have just passed my class 2 in the last couple of months and started a job in a truck then got offered a job in a van, same sort of money but van comes home with me, and no nights out. So would you swap the truck for the van if the money was the same ?
After a couple of retakes of my post I will say NO! ive been through 3 years of ■■■■■ to get where I am sat today , I’m only a year with my class 1 with ■■■■■ money but I’m proud as punch to be a class 1 driver and will never go back. The grass isn’t greener on the other side !
The van love’s alright but I’m not sure anyone stands on bridges photographing them or there’s a spotters club for them.
Own Account Driver:
The van love’s alright but I’m not sure anyone stands on bridges photographing them or there’s a spotters club for them.
Unless it has VW on the front and is a camper 
I’m a ‘driver’ as long as it’s legal and got an engine and wheels I’ll drive it as long as the pay is right
Seeing as I don’t have my truck licence back for a little while on medical grounds I am now doing One night a week in a van (it’s a one pallet single drop long distance run) to make me some beer and wine money and keep me sane. It’s got Leather seats , carpet , 8speaker sound, climate control , sports suspension on low profile tyres and its brand new and goes like hell , it’s a real boys toy …drives just like a car. Pleasant to drive long distance and the pay is absolutely excellent. I do miss the truck and European sunshine still , but I do not miss the crap that goes with it nowadays and As for wasting 35 hrs doing a dcpc and getting a digi card , stuff it the van will be my last driving job I think as being an agency driver on bigger stuff and getting crap work with some spotty faced planner annoying the ■■■■ out of me is not something I could stand at my age after 5 years off . The van has won !
Andrejs:
Van,7.5 tonne truck is hard,danger job .Bad seating position,small mirrors,manual gearbox,engine have not big power.
When was the last time you were in a van, you must be a Billy Big Rig.
Did exactly that around 86, jacked in artics got a job driving a van on nights, significant pay rise with shorter hours to boot.
Sometimes when things feel right in your gut you have to take a gamble, it paid off, that led within 12 months to one of the best paying jobs of the 80’s and my first real break out of the standard pay rates of the time, right time right place i had the licence so back on artics night trunking at the same place.
In pure mercenary terms, choice of driving a van or lorry, same money workload and hours, the van gets it every time.
Park where you like, when you like for as long as you like. Or try and squeeze into a crammed services/ laybye. Or along the Rhine like I did for 18 hrs last week?
bigvern1:
This class 1 snobbery ■■■■■■■■ gets on my ■■■■. I choose to drive vans, and they’re screaming for class 1 down here in Devon. I get more for the van than I do for the trucks down here. Forget that!
do not blame you big vern,no tachos,less rules and regs,70 to 80 mph[if you choose to do that]being able to choose different routes if the motorways are bxxxxxxxxd[ie small country lanes]off the motorways,nice
yes I would after 30 years driving class 2 tippers vac tanks etc I have come to think
its time to calm down and its about the money to a degree but also what makes you happy
I passed my Class 2 in January and joined an agency however I have been given van work only up to posting. I am new to the industry so I welcome the Van driving experience, but I want to get into Truck driving.
Should I stick with the agencies or keep persevering in trying to get a full time job Truck driving directly with a Company?
Yep without a doubt if the job and money was right.
