2022 Newbies

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hello fellow Truck Net newbies

This is my first post having been a long-time lurker. I have found this forum to be a great resource for learning about the industry. The only thing that has put me off so far is the probability of seeing rats at Beaconsfield!

There seem to be quite a few newbies and as we will be going through similar experiences, I thought it would be good to have a thread where we can post our progress and support each other.

So…

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?

Where are you located and where are you doing your training? (If you want to say)

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?

What kind of work do you want?

I’ll start:

What stage: I did my medical on 7th December, got my provisional license back just before Christmas and I’ve got my theory booked for 1st February. I’m getting on quite well with the theory revision - I’m using drivingtheory4all.co.uk and finding it good. I’m clicking too early on the hazard perception and often getting 0/5, so I am working on that.

Where: I live in North Devon and am doing my training with Trans Plant Master Train in Exeter. I’m going to do Class 2 followed by Class 1. I’m really looking forward to my assessment drive next week.

Why: This is a complete career change for me. For most of my working life so far I have been self-employed with my other half in the hospitality sector. I’ve done a good job but it’s not and never has been for me and I finally have an opportunity to leave the running of the businesses to him and do something that I want to do. People say “do what you love” - well, I can’t make a living out of watching box sets, but ever since I got behind the wheel of a car 31 years ago, I have loved driving. I love travelling, I love journeys, I love maps and planning, I’m attracted by actually learning a skill and becoming a professional driver. It’s an itch I’ve got to scratch, so I’m going to give it a go and I’m doing it for me.

What work: I’ve already done the long hours, blood, sweat and tears being self-employed, so while I am committed and hard working, I want part-time work which will fit around my life. I would like to experience a variety of work. I like camping, so I think I can cope with nights away. I don’t want to work with the public and I don’t want to do multi-drops in town centers delivering to the hospitality trade. At the moment, I want escape, which means driving non-stop for 4.5 hours, having a 45 minute break - repeat!

What about you?

2

Passed my 3a (Reversing/Coupling/Uncoupling) today! :laughing:

3

Well done! What a great feeling that must be. What’s next for you?
For me it’s theory/hazard/case studies on 1/2/22
I had an assessment drive today in a 17.5t automatic MAN and it was awesome. :sunglasses: A quick pootle around the yard then out onto the road. I can’t stop smiling. :smiley: I am under no illusions about how much I have to learn but I really bonded with the trainer so will try and get him for my actual training.

4

So, I stupidly replied before checking you out and I see you are probably winding me up, unless you are actually doing your class 1 atm but I appreciate you replying to my post! :slight_smile: I was going to change the post into a training diary as clearly none of the newbies want to chat shrug.

5

Whadda ya mean? You checked me out and think I’m winding you up?
No, I’m not winding you up. I started my practical training on Monday. I was sorry to see your thread didn’t get a reply hence why I chose to put my news here.
I don’t know if it was just too many questions all at once, I thought about replying on Sunday, but ran out of time for a full answer so posted nothing.

6

First post as I’ve been lurking a long time, I start my class 2 training next week with Ritchies in Glasgow. I arranged, sat and passed the theory, hazard and module 2 tests myself so managed to get in at short notice for the actual driver training, bit nervous but it’s now or never.

I’ve been in an NHS stores job for 20 years but would like to try and get a daytime driving job with £400-£500 weekly. Might be asking for too much but I’ve got a few leads to follow up if I pass hopefully. Quite a few companies are looking for drivers but the lack of experience will be a problem for me so I might also try some agency work at the weekends to gain some.

7

jimmea:
…I start my class 2 training next week …

What made you decide to go for C and not go direct to CE :question:

8

ROG:

jimmea:
…I start my class 2 training next week …

What made you decide to go for C and not go direct to CE :question:

Just didn’t fancy driving the bigger trucks and most of the jobs are for tramping and being away from home for a few day’s which I don’t want to do. I realise that there’s possibly more money driving them but quality of life and all that.

Class 2 is mainly multi drop but at least I can finish at a reasonable time of day and a lot of the drivers I speak to when they deliver to me seem quite happy with their lot, Brakes, Bidfood, Palletline etc

9

stu675:
Whadda ya mean? You checked me out and think I’m winding you up?
No, I’m not winding you up. I started my practical training on Monday. I was sorry to see your thread didn’t get a reply hence why I chose to put my news here.
I don’t know if it was just too many questions all at once, I thought about replying on Sunday, but ran out of time for a full answer so posted nothing.

:blush: sorry, judging by the cheeky humour of some of the guys on here and the fact that you’ve obviously got your class C, and the fact that no one had replied I thought it might be a tease. :blush:

So, how’s it going then? Hope you have a good day’s training today, or is it test day?

All the best

10

jimmea:
First post as I’ve been lurking a long time, I start my class 2 training next week with Ritchies in Glasgow. I arranged, sat and passed the theory, hazard and module 2 tests myself so managed to get in at short notice for the actual driver training, bit nervous but it’s now or never.

I’ve been in an NHS stores job for 20 years but would like to try and get a daytime driving job with £400-£500 weekly. Might be asking for too much but I’ve got a few leads to follow up if I pass hopefully. Quite a few companies are looking for drivers but the lack of experience will be a problem for me so I might also try some agency work at the weekends to gain some.

Good luck for Monday - let us know how your first day goes!

11

driveress:
Hello fellow Truck Net newbies

This is my first post having been a long-time lurker. I have found this forum to be a great resource for learning about the industry. The only thing that has put me off so far is the probability of seeing rats at Beaconsfield!

There seem to be quite a few newbies and as we will be going through similar experiences, I thought it would be good to have a thread where we can post our progress and support each other.

So…

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?

Where are you located and where are you doing your training? (If you want to say)

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?

What kind of work do you want?

I’ll start:

What stage: I did my medical on 7th December, got my provisional license back just before Christmas and I’ve got my theory booked for 1st February. I’m getting on quite well with the theory revision - I’m using drivingtheory4all.co.uk and finding it good. I’m clicking too early on the hazard perception and often getting 0/5, so I am working on that.

Where: I live in North Devon and am doing my training with Trans Plant Master Train in Exeter. I’m going to do Class 2 followed by Class 1. I’m really looking forward to my assessment drive next week.

Why: This is a complete career change for me. For most of my working life so far I have been self-employed with my other half in the hospitality sector. I’ve done a good job but it’s not and never has been for me and I finally have an opportunity to leave the running of the businesses to him and do something that I want to do. People say “do what you love” - well, I can’t make a living out of watching box sets, but ever since I got behind the wheel of a car 31 years ago, I have loved driving. I love travelling, I love journeys, I love maps and planning, I’m attracted by actually learning a skill and becoming a professional driver. It’s an itch I’ve got to scratch, so I’m going to give it a go and I’m doing it for me.

What work: I’ve already done the long hours, blood, sweat and tears being self-employed, so while I am committed and hard working, I want part-time work which will fit around my life. I would like to experience a variety of work. I like camping, so I think I can cope with nights away. I don’t want to work with the public and I don’t want to do multi-drops in town centers delivering to the hospitality trade. At the moment, I want escape, which means driving non-stop for 4.5 hours, having a 45 minute break - repeat!

What about you?

I’m a bit late to the party on this one now, but here goes…

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?

I passed my class 1 test last Friday after a Monday-Thursday course at PSTT. I live in South Wales, but after finding this forum a few years ago, the reputation, reviews and competitive cost of PSTT made my mind up on where to train. I did my Class 2 training and test up there over the course of a weekend in August 2021, passing first time. After that, I was certain that I’d be going back up to do my Class 1. As I’ve already said in this forum, I would recommend them to anyone!

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?

It is always something I have been interested in, since going out in bakery vans and lorries with my father as a child. In 2019, I decided to try to make it happen by taking a van job on weekends for a brewery, in order to save up the money to cover Class 1 and 2, whilst doing a driving job to see if I actually enjoyed it. Carrying kegs of beer up/down stairs for less than £10 per hour isn’t the most pleasant thing to be doing on a Sunday morning, the rest of the job is ideal, and I’ve still got work with them if/when I want it, and it paid for the Class 1 and 2.

My full-time job is currently office-based, so not going to be out on the road full-time just yet, but I can now say I can legally drive artics! :smiley:

What kind of work do you want?

Currently, I’m just looking at weekend work to try to gain a bit of experience, so have signed up with a few agencies to see how that goes - ideally it’d be class 1 trunk runs or that sort of thing. Fingers crossed!

12

The best parts of the job are a very early morning start with no traffic and the sun is coming up with a scenic view or finding a new place you would have never gone to or knew about if it wasn’t going there in the truck or stumbling on a decent overnight parking place that has eatable food with no rats on the menu unless you are trucker in Cambodia or Vietnam and tourists say it tastes like chicken.

13

Hiya, just seen your post and thought I’d join in.

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?

I’ve passed my Theory and Hazard perception in December, 1st part of CPC test is on the 24th Jan and training and 2nd part of CPC booked for the beginning of March.

Where are you located and where are you doing your training? (If you want to say)

I live in County Durham but I’m doing my training with PSTT. Their reputation is really good and I thought unfamiliar roads would make me think and be a bit more aware of the differences. Plus I’ve had to take a week off work and I wouldn’t want anyone to see me training. My workplace are really funny about people leaving so I wanted it to be a done deal when I hand my notice in.

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?

I’m fed up with what I do, admin currently and not really a skill anymore, and how the company treats you so the thought of having a proper skill and being a bit more independent is spurring me on. Ngl but the thought of better wages is helping too, I’m only on a tiny bit above minimum wage.

What kind of work do you want?

I’d really like to start with night shifts and work my way gradually up to the bigger wagons and loads.

14

I am getting my C+E training through warehouse to wheels with the company I am with.
I have been doing the same job now for 34 years and felt like I needed a change because of conditions of the job that I am doing at the moment.
I paid for medical and module 1 myself and aquired my class C provisional in October .
The only problem I have had so far with the process is that there is 3 different companies dealing with the training , the company I will be working for who is paying for the training ,the company who is dealing with booking all the training modules and the training provider.
The company who is dealing with booking all the module training seams to be very slow in dealing with all parts of the training and when you try to contact them it normally takes them nearly 2 weeks to reply by email while the other 2 have been great answering questions on same day.
I will be starting my training also with Trans Plant Mastertrain , Exeter at end of February this year .
At the moment I have been booked to do my class C first but this may change because of changes that were put into place in November last year and am just waiting for response from people who are organising my training.

15

driveress:
:blush: sorry, judging by the cheeky humour of some of the guys on here and the fact that you’ve obviously got your class C, and the fact that no one had replied I thought it might be a tease. :blush:

So, how’s it going then? Hope you have a good day’s training today, or is it test day?

All the best

Don’t worry at all :smiley:

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?
I guess my decision to drive a lorry is clearly documented as the date I joined the forum on 4/9/21. I selected my training provider, deciding to go local instead of PSTT purely for family life while training. Got medical and Provisional received 2 weeks to the day of posting. Enrolled in the first available 35hrs CPC. Booked Cat C for the middle of Nov. Decided to get some experience with my Cat C1 entitlement (which I have found very useful getting used to tachos as well as a moderately large vehicle). Started work middle of October. When the announcement was made, and given I was already driving, I decided to change my booking from C to C+E, which I am doing this week & next.

Where are you located and where are you doing your training? (If you want to say)
Surrey, the best training provider in Surrey - I might say, once I pass with them :laughing:

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?
Always liked driving/riding motorbikes. The driver shortage pushed me to take the plunge.

What kind of work do you want?
9am starts, 4 on 4 off, £19ph. Please direct all offers to my inbox. :stuck_out_tongue:

16

See what you did there stu675? You brought the newbies out of hiding and got the thread going! Thanks for also posting jimmea, goff118, nikkiO, KevinK.

Congratulations on passing goff118 - you must still be feeling very pleased with yourself. :smiley: Have you decided when to quit your job?

Before I start work in this industry I either need to become a morning person or do nights. Anyone else? :laughing:

What work are you doing stu675? What’s your plan when you have passed your C+E?

I really must stop noseying around on TruckNet quite so much and focus on my theory :laughing: I have been down so many rabbit holes on here, but its so helpful, and funny. The only thing I didn’t like about my first time in a lorry was the bouncy seat. Does anyone know if all seats are bouncy. It kept clicking and making me think I had left my indicator on!

17

driveress:
Congratulations on passing goff118 - you must still be feeling very pleased with yourself. :smiley: Have you decided when to quit your job?

Thank you, yes, a great feeling to get it done!

I’m not in a rush to quit my current job. I’m at a good place, 15 minutes drive from home and decent money for the area I live in South Wales.

We have a 4 month old son also, so definitely not the time to be risking a comfortable job at the moment, but my plan is to try to get some weekend agency work to build experience (and contacts), then take it from there. If I really enjoy the weekend work, I’ll have some serious thinking to do! :smiley:

18

driveress:
See what you did there stu675? You brought the newbies out of hiding and got the thread going! Thanks for also posting jimmea, goff118, James Richards, nikkiO, KevinK.

Congratulations on passing goff118 - you must still be feeling very pleased with yourself. :smiley: Have you decided when to quit your job?

The best parts of the job are a very early morning start with no traffic and the sun is coming up with a scenic view

Before I start work in this industry I either need to become a morning person or do nights. Anyone else? [emoji38]

What work are you doing stu675? What’s your plan when you have passed your C+E?

I really must stop noseying around on TruckNet quite so much and focus on my theory [emoji38] I have been down so many rabbit holes on here, but its so helpful, and funny. The only thing I didn’t like about my first time in a lorry was the bouncy seat. Does anyone know if all seats are bouncy. It kept clicking and making me think I had left my indicator on!

Training is 7am - 3pm the early starts in the dark and freezing cold are killing me, maybe in the summer it might be easier?
Luckily work starts at 10:30. Except Saturdays are also 7 [emoji24]

19

Not all of us live on the forum! :smiley:

I start training imminently with PSTT. Class 2 then Class 1 to follow. All my theory/medical was done last year but for some reason I seem to have experienced a particular delay getting practical training! The paperwork side went pretty quickly, and I even got my provisional back within 3 weeks during the rough period in DVLA processing.

I want work I’ll enjoy as it is a radical departure from what I do now (software engineer). RDC, curtainsider, or container seem like the kind of work for me. Day or night work, and I’m still unsure of nights out/tramping. I’m assuming it will be unavoidable at some point.

20

With tramping you have no commuting costs and no wear and tear on your car, and a sleep on without loosing out on sleep for a commute.
Dedicated vehicle is a thorny issue and can be a long wait or dead man’s shoes until getting your own truck, if the truck is a day runner , it could be literally running for 24 hours with a day shift and a night shift .
If the night driver is late back or broken down, you get the old yard beast that nobody wants to drive and check for two year old discarded sandwiches and encrusted Y fronts or boxers .
If you do a 15 hours shift and legally can take 9 hours off and your commute is an hour each way, by the time you get to bed it is about a few hours sleep that is if you actually sleep.