2022 Newbies

[driveress]

Jockforster:
Firstly Driveress…well done! I wanted to put on my first post and couldnt see how to do it lol
Went for my medical in November 2021, passed theory in January 2022, CPC in Feb 2022 and lessons and passed CatC in March 2022. Working via agencies doing class2 multidrop and loving it!!! Should have done it years ago. Plan to do Class1 after a year or so.

My question to the floor is what map is best to show bridge heights, weight restrictions etc? And if you know how I can post this as a topic so I get info from the auld hands that would be great

Thanks Jockforster Well done to you too and glad you are enjoying it. I did everything about a month behind you

What Franglais and Goff118 said re bridge heights and planning. I also found this low-bridge map, I think maybe on here somewhere, which might help:

truckingjobs.co.uk/2018/10/ … .html?m=1f

Definitely do a search first as the topic of bridges and restrictions and how sat navs deal with them comes up a lot but if you want to post your own thread, open up whichever forum you want to post in, click new topic at the top, and away you go.

[robert_harg]

Hi,

My first post on here after finding the site at the start of the week while bored at work while I wait for my final test. this will be a bit long winded but I’ll try and make it readable

So I’ve worked in warehouses and offices all my life and every time I saw a truck go by id wonder where it was going and what it must of felt like to have some sort of freedom on the daily. Mind you I was walking to work or using public transport for all these years.

So 2020 rolls around just before lockdown one month before I passed my driving test first time around, got myself a car and freedom I thought until I realised I was inventing reasons to go for a drive just to get out and explore.

Lockdown happens and I began to work from home for a living which zapped the fun of working in a office all together so I began to look for other jobs out there, driving jobs. most requiring more than a year or 2 of driving experience so I continued to work from home while looking into financing training of CLASS 1 myself when I got my lucky break, my stepdad who drives for HUNTAPAC a relatively small family owned fresh food company which is tucked away in a village in between Southport and Preston tells me they are looking for apprentice drivers for the first time.

So I apply, within a couple of days I’ve got an interview. interview went great expect with this all being the first time the company have done something like this it takes a long time for a decision 3 months almost but I got the gig. brilliant… wont be long now until am training and driving… So i send of for my provisional to be updated and my tacho card end of September, tacho comes back in days the provisional doesn’t get done for 2 months which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as could now go straight to class one.

So November comes around Huntapac decide to out source the training to RED ROSE Bolton, which is fine for me its local expect I’ve got to wait until 24th December for a assessment drive on class two?? which goes really well and in the mean time I wait to complete theory and hazard perception in January… passed first time Brilliant I thought now things can really start to move forward.

At this point Huntapac are starting to question why I am doing a class 2 when they only operate class 1s and with the new rules I could go straight to class one, so that is finally sorted and I go for a assessment drive in a class one with Red Rose and Pat my instructor and assessor for the day. that goes brilliantly and come March id have a 2 half Saturdays and one full week of lessons which would lead to my 3A Test Wednesday morning and 3B test on the Friday April 1st at Bredbury.

My lessons started simple on a Saturday afternoon in a quiet industrial estate just getting used to the size of the vehicle as i was coming straight from a small Corsa with just over 2 years of car driving experience. but it clicked really quickly and we was out on the open roads of Bolton within the hour all my lessons where 4.5 hours of which about an of each lesson was focused on the reverse and coupling. the first two lessons i did the reversing ok but nothing special then come Monday morning something clicked and it all came together really well.
My lessons where progressing really well my instructor was happy and my head was getting BIG.

Wednesday morning Test day for 3A at the end of my lessons. so we go for a drive and i am driving like, well an IDIOT! so much so that the instructor has me pull over step out the cab and stretch my legs.
Pat my instructor was brilliant to be fair to him told me how it was and what was needed didn’t sugar coat anything. we hoped back in the cab and the rest of the lesson was brilliant.

Back to the yard and ready for the 3A test after a couple of practices which went the same as they all had since Monday straight in no shunts perfect space either side and stopping distance, well test comes along and the nerves got me. Was inches from passing the yellow lines on the offside and required a shunt but it went in and after that the un couple and re couple went fine. so 3A passed…

That’s everything passed first time on to Friday and 3B test. we drive down to Bredbury for test and while am slightly nervous am also quietly confident.
The drive goes well despite some unexpected roadworks which led to the test being 15/20minutes longer than expected and my instructor back at the test centre starting to worry to say the least I pass with a few minors. YES!

so next up CPC which because of the confusion between Huntapac and Red rose is being done after ive done Modules 3A/B, Case study test comes up and that’s passed 1st time with little to no studying other than a couple hours the day before hand all that is left for me is Module 4 which is on Monday and i can finally drive for a living 10 months after attending the interview 7 months after being accepted for the job.

What stage are you at and how are you getting on?
Waiting on module 4 test date Monday 30th May.

Where are you located and where are you doing your training?
Southport/Preston, Red Rose handling training

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?
Freedom of the road

What kind of work do you want?
Bulking/Trunking along with some Fridge work is what i will be doing not sure on what shift pattern yet.

[driveress]

Congratulations on your C+E pass Robert Harg and great that you have work lined up. It’s been a long wait but you are so nearly there, you will be driving professionally in no time. Good luck for Monday - you can’t break your run of 1st time passes now Let us know how you get on.

[robert_harg]

Little bit late but I passed on Monday. Was nervous for no reason as it was a simple test to complete.

Went out today with my companies lead driver did all the admin work that was required. Couple of simple walk arounds and coupling and reversing into a bay which with a shunt or two I did even though I feel it was more luck than skill.

I can’t wait to jump in a begin learning the job properly now.

[rog]

Robert Harg:
Little bit late but I passed on Monday

[rearaxle]

driveress:

Jockforster:
Firstly Driveress…well done! I wanted to put on my first post and couldnt see how to do it lol
Went for my medical in November 2021, passed theory in January 2022, CPC in Feb 2022 and lessons and passed CatC in March 2022. Working via agencies doing class2 multidrop and loving it!!! Should have done it years ago. Plan to do Class1 after a year or so.

My question to the floor is what map is best to show bridge heights, weight restrictions etc? And if you know how I can post this as a topic so I get info from the auld hands that would be great [emoji38]

Thanks Jockforster Well done to you too and glad you are enjoying it. I did everything about a month behind you

What Franglais and Goff118 said re bridge heights and planning. I also found this low-bridge map, I think maybe on here somewhere, which might help:

truckingjobs.co.uk/2018/10/ … .html?m=1f

Definitely do a search first as the topic of bridges and restrictions and how sat navs deal with them comes up a lot but if you want to post your own thread, open up whichever forum you want to post in, click new topic at the top, and away you go.

If anybody doesn’t know, you can actually put them low bridge locations onto to Google maps

Sent from my SM-T976B using Tapatalk

[tsunn]

Hi all,

a little bit late to the party but I passed my C+E practical examination (3b) on the 2nd (yesterday). So with the fact I had already completed my mod 4 a few weeks back, I surrendered my licence to the examiner as he said, its more than likely I’ll get my new licence and DCPC card back faster that way.

I do have a question mind you. Can I start applying for C+E roles / new pass roles immediately or do I need to wait for my online licence check information to be updated, or even wait for the the fantastic plastic to arrive in the post?

I already have my Tacho card…I may be a bit eager.

Cheers all.

[stu675]

I would start applying. You have a pass certificate right? When did you last check online? Bet it’s updated already and you should get your license back on Monday/Tuesday, anyway well before a job offer turns into a start date. Good luck! Where are you looking and what are your preferences?

[rog]

Tsunn:
I passed my C+E practical examination (3b) on the 2nd (yesterday)

[tsunn]

stu675:
I would start applying. You have a pass certificate right? When did you last check online? Bet it’s updated already and you should get your license back on Monday/Tuesday, anyway well before a job offer turns into a start date. Good luck! Where are you looking and what are your preferences?

Thank you. I have looked at my online licence check. It hasn’t updated yet, probably due to the fact that Thursday and Friday were bank holidays.

I do have my 3a, 3b and 4 certificates though.

I am based in Cannock, South Staffs, so ideally looking for work around Fradley(Lichfield), Wolverhampton or Walsall. So there is definitely work around me.

DHL Fradley park on nights seems ideal for my home situation currently and with it being 4 on 3 off.

[driver-pea]

Hello all, hope all is well.

Here as i was doing a little research about the career and this site was helpful… so now joined up and here is my first and long post as to how and why im here.

Enjoy.

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

Class 2.

Started in February and gained my licence and CPC just a week before my 39th birthday at the end of May.

I found the Q&A part of the theory tests easy enough to pass but failed my hazard perception the 1st time, knew i would, then learnt the system and passed it 2nd time around.

Reverse test was also easy enough as was the driving test… nothing different to what i had done on lessons so no need to panic and have fear so passed 1st time.

Module 4 was a different story… i knew what i would need to answer but wasn’t expecting, due to misinformation, the examiner to expect me to do everything… happily i scored 75% failing because i never opened engine compartment or backdoors when checking the vehicle at border crossings.

Second attempt at Mod 4 i was very much prepared… i thought i had remembered every check and everything i needed to do, after each question the examiner would ask is there anything else which then made me feel like i was forgetting alot so i paniced and started taking stupid guesses at things… at one point he said… “OK, we’ll have to leave that there”. So thought i’d failed that section.

Happily i only missed one thing when checking the braking system… and so second time around i got my pass

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

I’m based in Liverpool and did my training with a training provider in Widness who i had no issues with at all, very quick and efficient.

Why do you want to be an HGV driver?

Been driving since i was 19 and always loved it.

Had a few driving jobs in the past and the thought had popped up that driving a truck one day may be fun… but it was never a serious thought.

My last job was inspecting and delivering cars up and down the country, alot of the time it was easier and of course cheaper to sleep in the cars rather than a hotel in the city for a few hours… so thats what i and many other drivers did…

then came a baby girl unexpectidely and 3 months early, naturally serious problems arouse and i had to quit work in order to be with my missus and baby before her life was taken from her shortly…

that was 10 years ago now, being out of work all that time, and to the doctors amazement that baby girl is shortly to have her 10th birthday and is very much doing well.

Anyway…

I was ready to get some part time work just before covid arrived… but during that time that baby girl had assesments and somethings changed for the better… and then the chance for free HGV training came about…

after much research about conditions, hours and speaking with the missus wether it would work for us in the long term, somewhat financially… i decided to go for it.

What kind of work do you want?

Short term… i would like flat bed/curtainsider were the job is a little varied compared to say your food delivery multidrops.

But i’ll take anything short term to get experience… who knows i may end up working for a small or large company i like and stick with them.

Long term… at least 2 years before i start looking at doing so… i would like to become a class 1 european tramper… or possibly just a class 1 tramper to France, i love the country and speak the language enough to get by comfortably.

[rog]

Driver-Pea:
gained my licence

C or CE

[driver-pea]

ROG:

Driver-Pea:
gained my licence

C or CE

Class 2… C

C+E would be CLass 1

[rog]

Driver-Pea:
Class 2… C

[clunkie66]

clunkie66:
Another long time lurker here. I have been self employed and run my own graphic design businesses for 20 years. Had enough of dealing with unprofessional clients/chasing invoices/quoting for jobs at unreasonable rates etc etc so at the ripe old age off 55 decided to go for my Cat C, maybe C+E.

During COVID I did a few months 3.5t multidrop work, as well as deliveries and collections for the RM. Love driving vans/cars and riding motorbikes so thought why not change career?

Has my medical before Christmas and applied for my provisional. Did my 35 hour CPC in Feb and booked a 4 hour 7.5t ‘refresher’ (actually never driven anything larger than 3.5t but have grandfather’s rights). Went well and have been doing deliveries via agency for well known high street store - ‘Never knowingly undersold’ [emoji16] 4 weeks in, hard graft but great driving experience.

I have my course booked for early April, 8 hours in a rigid and 16 hours in an artic. My instructor reckons I’ll be fine for C+E but we’ll see.

I’d be happy to do weekend trunking for experience (or nights, don’t mind). Ideally working 3 maybe 4 days a week without killing myself. It’s not so much about the money as work/life balance.

Sent from my EB2103 using Tapatalk

Pleased to say that I finally passed my C+E test yesterday at Gillingham. I did my training back in April and didn’t pass my first test as I simply didn’t have enough driving time and wasn’t ready (lane control and roundabouts especially). I booked some more training soon after, another 8 hours, took my second test and didn’t pass that - made some stupid mistakes so still not ready.

I changed jobs and have been driving 7.5t for Royal Mail via agency. So I took the plunge and booked another test. 2 hours pre test instruction, drove really well and passed.

There’s plenty of work at RM so I will see if I can get an assessment driving Class 2 or Class 1, I know the ropes and it’s good work.

Better late than never, I’m over the moon!

Sent from my EB2103 using Tapatalk

[rog]

clunkie66:
I finally passed my C+E test yesterday

[driveress]

Well done clunkie66, really pleased for you. Sounds like you are well positioned to gain work with RM.

[trevorking1964]

Congratulations

[peterbol]

Hi driveress,
can I ask how did you get on at trans plant, is it a decent training place, I’m considering doing my B to C+E training there.

[driveress]

Hi Peterbol

I did my C with them. I found the training to be good, but not excellent. I bonded well with my trainer. They are all former lorry drivers but not teachers. I think this is probably fairly typical.
The office were atrocious. I had to chase everything. They are disorganised and don’t appear to value their private clients. (They do a lot of apprenticeships/commercial work).
Because of that I couldn’t face doing my C+E with them. I did that somewhere else, in the same city, the office was very professional, the training very good, again, they are not teachers, but I didn’t bond with my trainer this time, so passing is my only good memory of that experience.
Good luck with whatever you decide and feel free to PM me if you want and further info.