redstormrising:
If you do your initial cpc you can do your c and c+e aged 18
Really?
Yes really. If you look at the link you yourself posted a few posts back up you will see that the age for C/C+E is 21 but then there is a note under it that says that it is 18 if you have passed your test and done your initial driver cpc qualification:
** You can drive these vehicles at age 18 if one of the following apply:
you have passed your driving test and Driver CPC initial qualification
That said you will be very lucky to get a job at 18. I know two under 21s that drive artics for a living but in both cases it is working for the family business. Most places won’t touch you until you’re 25 for insurance reasons.
You will still need to do the initial driver cpc to be allowed to drive a LGV C1 (7.5 tonner) commercially so you might as well go for the LGV C
As other have said, being under age 25 and not having any experience is going to be a huge barrier in finding a LGV job of any sort but not impossible
My advice is to get the licences if you can afford to do so but look for other types of work as well as trying to get a foot in the door for LGV work which may mean signing up with many agencies and getting an odd shift here and there when they get desperate
If there are companies near you that use warehouse workers and also run trucks then see if they have a warehouse job and let them know you have the LGV licence(s)
As i have posted before we have a lad that works for us who started at 18 he drives a artic bulk tipper very well.His wages are the same as everyone elses so he isnt working for nothing.
There are a lot of old hands out there looking for work but they expect to come it to the job and get a new top of the range motor and top wages straight away.I have to say it dont work that way now so be you 18,28,38,48 etc if you can and want to do the job just go for it
Good luck getting into the industry pal had my c&e since 2005 and only just managed to getinto the industry im still a rookie at the gane and im 32 lol, the only advice i could give is look for haulage firms that have there own driving schools as some set on drivers who do well during lessons and test,other than that i dont know what to suggest as i didnt pay for my licence i got it free through my old job ar the council
Lewis, my advice would be to not worry about getting all the license entitlements just yet. Get a job driving a van… parcel companies, news wholesalers etc etc, if you have got your 7.5t license then jobs driving them are even better (but might be harder to get). Another thing you could look into is being a drivers mate, I know a company near me that put drivers mates through their class 2 after a while. The money will be crap, but even at the very top this generally isn’t a well paying industry anyway.
At under 21 although you might get lucky you will struggle to get work driving lgvs, insurance being the main factor. This is a fact. When you do get a sniff at some work, you will be in a far better position if you can say that you have already been on the road for a while. Better than being a complete newbie to the transport game.
worksopboy:
Good luck getting into the industry pal had my c&e since 2005 and only just managed to getinto the industry
Perharps he’ll try harder than you.
rob22888:
Lewis, my advice would be to not worry about getting all the license entitlements just yet.
With abit of luck he’ll disregard your advice.
I agree with Saaamon!
There’s no law saying you won’t/can’t get a job. Get what you legally need to drive what you want, and then start working towards finding a job. There’s jobs available for those that knock on the right doors at the right time. That said, I’d start with courier and parcel delivery companies. It won’t be easy, but then getting any job these days isn’t easy!
worksopboy:
Good luck getting into the industry pal had my c&e since 2005 and only just managed to getinto the industry
Perharps he’ll try harder than you.
rob22888:
Lewis, my advice would be to not worry about getting all the license entitlements just yet.
With abit of luck he’ll disregard your advice.
I agree with Saaamon!
There’s no law saying you won’t/can’t get a job. Get what you legally need to drive what you want, and then start working towards finding a job. There’s jobs available for those that knock on the right doors at the right time. That said, I’d start with courier and parcel delivery companies. It won’t be easy, but then getting any job these days isn’t easy!
Good luck!
Thank you atleast someone is supporting him. Im young and havnt had any issues finding work, taking the ■■■■, working like ■■■■, running with that load to scotland on sunday morning because the seasoned drivers refuse to work weekends goes a bloody long way and its this approach to work that will prove to your govnor that your serious! I started on rigids then did my class 1 couple of months later, i begged and begged to drive the artic then finally got a chance. Aim high and you can achieve anything you want, it mite be hard but if it was easy it wouldnt be worth doing.
if u can afford to do it get it if u have to wait to find a job then u have to wait least u will have the licence when a job comes up nowt stopping u looking for a driving job i.e vans or 7.5t etc
the way i read the info linked to above from the dvla is that you can take a test for anything up to c+e at 18 years old. You only need the dcpc to then drive comercially on the road
My son passed his C+E & DCPC in July 2012, a month before his 19th birthday. Within two weeks he was double manned with “one of the old boys” at a well known Norfolk haulage company in a red DAF CF artic. Two weeks after that he’s tramping on his own. Happy days…
To give you a bit of hope on the hgv front for younger drivers. I was told a little while back that a boss of a well known firm in Yorkshire is looking into new ways in which to bring in young/new blood into the haulage industry with the transport manager looking into apprenticeships. It’s not definite but if it does go through it means us young lads do have a fighting chance to gain jobs in this industry. So don’t be thinking it’s not possible and opportunities aren’t there because they are, more than likely they come when you least expect them. I should know I’ve got a few options once I pass my test/finish my current apprenticeship! So if it’s your dream keep on plugging away for it, not hurting nothing/nobody for trying. Better to say I tried than what if
i got my start from a local recovery outfit. only had experience of driving trannys before that. already had my 7.5 licence. i had a day out with one of the experienced lads who reported back to management if he thought i was safe in something that big, and then they sent me out in a brand spanking new merc atego 818. everything else i had seen at the time was insisting on minimum 3 years experience for “insurance reasons”. they also would take drivers with more or less any convictions (boss had just come of a DD ban, so they had insurance to cope with anything apart from death by dangerous)
pick up the phone, make some calls and sell yourself.
i didnt mean owt bad towards the lad in my past post just stating how long it took for me to get vehind the wheel,like i said good luck and chase your dream,you wil get there
My tuppence worth is don’t give up all hope. I run a removal company so my field is slightly different to the mainstream on here but I have had youngsters join me straight from school and I have put them through their LGV at 18. Yes, it is unusual, but if you have the right attitude, are prepared to listen and learn, there are companies out their that will take a chance on you.
One of my best drivers joined me at 16 and at the interview made it obvious that he wanted to ultimately drive. However, it was more obvious that all he wanted was a job and a chance to learn. I took him on and he took to the job. He started at the bottom, did what was asked of him without complaint and gradually worked his way up to doing what he does today.
Yes, insurance can be an obstacle to overcome. I have a higher excess with him even now, but I made it clear to him before he started driving that this was the case and to please take a little bit more care when in tight situations. I would never dream of asking him to pay anything towards it as apparently some companies do, just the fact that I was sticking my neck out a bit has been enough for him to think about. The point being, insurance companies will reduce the barriers if they have to.
My advice, keep the enthusiasm, look at the smaller transpot companies and be prepared to do anything and expect to start at the bottom. Someone will give you a chance and when you get it, do not under any circumstances moan to anyone that doesn’t count, always have a smile on your face and listen to the old hands, if they like you, they will teach you untold skills. Good luck
kevin0410:
the way i read the info linked to above from the dvla is that you can take a test for anything up to c+e at 18 years old. You only need the dcpc to then drive comercially on the road
If age under 21 then initial dcpc is needed for private as well as commercial LGV driving in categories C and CE but not C1
Surprised no one has mentioned me on “Great93” yet.
If you haven’t come across my posts before Lewis, my Category C was funded by the job centre when I was 18, I just couldn’t afford to do it myself. I’m 19 now and driving Class 1 artics up and down the UK on fridge work, night trunks, you name it. I got a start after 4 months of solid searching day in day out on bin lorries with a local council, I worked there for about 3 months and while I was there I earned enough (and more!) to get my Class 1.
Everyone told me I wouldn’t get a job, no experience, too young nobody won’t touch you… and while they may of been right, if you search over and over you will get something eventually. They told me to start on vans, 7.5ters, shunters and all the rest of it but I wanted to drive the biggest and the best right away, why should I sit back and wait on my license? Some people even ludacrisly suggested that I should get my license and no nothing with it until I was 25 but I never listened.
I’m 19 now and like I said, driving Class 1 up and down the UK. It will be a very very tough journey but determination (if you have enough of it) will get you through it, otherwise you may as well save your money because nobody can demonstrate to you how hard it will be.
Here’s a pic from 0450 the other morning returning home.
