Hi all.
After a month out of work and finding out yesterday that I cant go back to collage to further my engineering knowledge. I have decide that I going to start looking again at doing my HGV licence, But the only way I can see I can funds this is to sell my baby, something I really don't want to do.
Is the risk of loosing my baby worth the chance to get work in HGV driving?
CheeRs Dave

 

I dont think selling you son/daughter is the way to go

 

Wernt you selling you car a while back?

 

If i had kids I rather sell them than my car!

 

Nah I'v never thought about selling my car as it means to much to me, but the time maybe coming to do so, but it will break me heart to do so.

 

got to do what you got to do matey.
Only bother is, most employers dont take you on if you have no hgv experience ie just passed your test. However you cant be experienced if no one gives you the chance. Heard this alot recently.

 

if you do get it mate, go and work for an agency for a year. then go to work direct for someone, that way you have experience. most haulage firms will say 'go an smash someone elses lorries up before you come to me' but some will take you on.

 

I'm also sitting down and applying for every van driving job I can at the mo, cause at least that is kinda classed as driving experience.
Also does any know if having 6 points, two sets of speeding tickets. put a downer on HGV driving?

 

6 will be a maximum for most employers.

 

I've had worse, and had driving jobs, thru an agency tho. I'll be sticking to agencies when I get my class 2 for a while,

 

I signed for on the first time in August and asked if there was any training available. He asked what I had in mind and I said LGV test? Yep, he said and I'm going through it now...

 

yeap it sure will

Ive had a HGV since 99 ( ex Army ) now 28, with 6 points and 1 speeding offence and i cant get a job no where.

Not even agency's will take me on due to so many drivers being out of work that have got many more years experience and do not have fines, offences / points on the licence.

My points were - driving a vehicle with no bumper on 3 points Ł60 fine, and 3 points and another Ł60 fine for speeding on teh A55 through wales to hollyhead ferryport. damm welsh police.

U say u want to drive HGV ? which particular HGV do u want to drive ??

pending on when u got your license (pre 94 i think ) u can drive anything upto a 7n half tone truck. After that you will need your class c1, 18 Ton rigid truck,

C1E , which is your artic truck, tractor unit and trailors upto approx 50 ft. Also double decker trailors, 13m long with tri axle, which stand at approx 4.9 meters high, the average height as most rd bridges.

C+E , either a 7.5 ton or a 18 ton rigid with another trailor attached. driving these are pretty simple but reversing is a whole other ball game. this is where is parts the men & women from the idiots of drivers

new EU law states that u must now have a 7.5 tonn license for 2 years before u can progress onto a class C ( 18 tonn + ) license.

This is due to people getting a hgv, and going straight to class one where they have no experience wot so ever and then causing major accidents..

Personally, the only job now i would do would be to do shunting in a artic @ night. the money is good, the roads are alot less busy, there are alot less idiots on the road, there arent as many people on the road who dont actually think about oher road users whilst on the road.. By this i mean complete and utter retards who are in front of you, be it muppets who all of a sudden pull in front of u, muppets who dont indicate to pull off, muppets who think that they can come on the inside of u whilst ur turning.. etc etc etc... All these muppets on the road, cause u to stop possibly bringing 40+ tonn to a stand still as fast as possible without causing any accidents or ramming into the idiot whos jsut stoped dead in front of you !! Personally so many times ive felt not to hit the brakes and ram straight up the rear of the moron in front , but being a HGV driver you have to account for these muppets and take on board that they think they are the only people on the road and by not hitting the brakes, you will cause some major deaths, and yes its YOU that will get done not the idiot whos jsut stopped dead in front of u.

if u want to hgv then yeah go for it, but your looking at about Ł800 - Ł2k for your first license pending on how many lessons u have or require. Just dont think all because u can drive a car being it a 50 hp or a 1000 hp motor, can you drive a hgv truck!

Rules are always changing for the truckers within the uk. if u ask an old time trucker, he will tell you that there is so much stress with the job nowadays that sometimes the job isnt worth it. i.e on a artic, if u forget to hook up the saftey chain on the 5th wheel then you will automatically recieve a Ł1000 fine and 6 points, you may even loose your license.

another example - having a trailor or tracktor unit wheel arch missing will get u 6 points and a lovley fine. tail lights, that will also get u a fine, instable load, u might as well kiss ur license goodbye.

Dont forget, anything that you do in a truck also has a knock on effect on your normal car (B) license too.

in the end its upto u what u want to do Oh and Good luck

 

Im A trucker, have been since i was 18, 25 now.
And I coudent agree with more with the above, Wen u drive a truck u really do see the worst drivers. Mainly women i may add!!

As 4 examples i could go on all day, The best today was a women on the A42 I went to overtake here in outside lane there only 2 lanes, she speeded up as i was next to here, (56 mph limit) So tucked back behind her, went to go past again and overtaken here, 1 min later she cums back past in outside lane, then i had to overtake her again, and so on and so on!!!! Dont you just love it!!!!

PS Dnt you just Love the one were they sit right up ur arse as you put the hazzards on!!!

 

as above again pal,i drive for a living and will be giving up after the credit crunch is over,its not worth the hassle at all,i wouldnt recommend it to a stranger nevermind some 1 i know,i started work at 2.30am this morning,same tomoz,so no social live i.e a beer with me mates,and i live in mine 3-5 nights a week and its shit,honestly mate dont bother,theres loads of better jobs to do,if i could stand having no money id jack tomorrow.

 

+1 and a whole lot more myther

 

Bloke I worked with can't find any work, area dependent of course, but with 6 points they'll just go with one of the other 100 that have applied with a clean licence and experience.

 

wat you think paper work kosman, Like all defects sheets etc etc etc, How mutch paperwork do you fill out b4 u set off????

 

Bus driver????

 

If its owt like our place we could do with pulling pulp for all the fucking paperwork we have to do now

 

a defect sheet as big as your arm,and gaffer insists on the 10 min check and its got to show on our tachos before we set off,then fuel we used,where we went to use it,nights out,where we nighted out etc.

 

yep agree its so depressing driving trux

 

Where's that? If its job centre, you're lucky. They put me in touch with an outside company when I asked about it, got the offer of training now but got to have a job to go to before I can start. How do you get a class 2 driving job before you've got the licence?

 

there must be a few pissed off drivers there.. lol.