Hey clunkie66
Lots of similarities with me. No regrets quitting self-employment so far then? None here either! All the best for your training next month.
First day working in a class one tomorrow! Just a day on Agency, has been class 2 up til now.
Wish me luck! 
stu675:
First day working in a class one tomorrow! Just a day on Agency, has been class 2 up til now.
Wish me luck!
Good luck!
stu675:
First day working in a class one tomorrow! Just a day on Agency, has been class 2 up til now.
Wish me luck!
All the best, let us know how it goes!
Milestone Have a good one stu675!
They’ve only gone and given me a double decker [emoji23]
At least it was empty for the run up to Brum. Getting loaded now
Lovely Hope it’s a nice run!
Hi all,
Looks like I’m another long time lurker here 
This post is a nice place to say „hello”.
What stage are you at and how are you getting on?
I’ve passed my Class 1 driving test at the end of March this year. Currently looking for a job on a contract with somebody that will give me a shot. So far I had two assesments, but even though they were „accepting new pass drivers” I haven’t been given a chance by them. Still I’ll have some assesments and interviews in yhe future so keep fingers crossed.
Where are you located and where are you doing your training? (If you want to say)
West Midlands, Nuneaton. I have done my both courses (Class 2 & 1) in ATT in Hinckley- decent school, but the equipment is quite outdated
Why do you want to be an HGV driver?
I don’t like to sit around in the office. I am not the best at customer service too 
but to be fair, I always liked to drive anything that was on the weels. Long or short distances. I’m aware that probably the real life of a HGV driver is much different than I expect, but recently I was driving a 21 plate mirorless Actros on one of the assesments, and was thrilled with it. That won’t be a complete career changeover, because I come from logistics background- forklift driving.
What kind of work do you want?
I would prefer trunking, but to be fair I am willing to try any type of work just to see what I prefer the most. Definitely mornigs, as I work on nights since february 2019, and it would be nice to see the sun
That’s all from me. Happy to introduce myself.
Roadkill_Badger:
I have done my both courses (Class 2 & 1) in ATT in Hinckley- decent school, but the equipment is quite outdated
I was an instructor there back in 2005 and your comment was relevant for that time
ROG:
Roadkill_Badger:
I have done my both courses (Class 2 & 1) in ATT in Hinckley- decent school, but the equipment is quite outdatedI was an instructor there back in 2005 and your comment was relevant for that time
At the moment they use Axor 1843 and Volvo FM from 2011 for Class 1 training. Hence the shock when I jumped into mirrorless 2021 Actros 25445
Congratulations! I was hoping to read you were close to me and I’d get you in where I work at Heathrow!
Roadkill_Badger:
, but the equipment is quite outdated
Isn’t that standard for schools that they use trucks that have finished their working life and now they’re put out to pasture with the newbies. Mine had a million km from 2007.
stu675:
Congratulations! I was hoping to read you were close to me and I’d get you in where I work at Heathrow!Roadkill_Badger:
, but the equipment is quite outdatedIsn’t that standard for schools that they use trucks that have finished their working life and now they’re put out to pasture with the newbies. Mine had a million km from 2007.
I think it all depends on the school. I’ve seen some newer trucks in different driving schools, my friends that are training now for Class 1, also driving a bit newer trucks. Anyway, it’s more a matter of who train you, not what you training on.
Mine Merc had the same milleage. At least we have a reference point when it comes to what is a decent kit and what is not 
I posted in this thread back on page 1 in January. From this Thursday 12/05 I start my 26 hours in class 1 until my final test next Friday 20/05.
Ex driving instructor, straight to class 1, passed every module first time up to now, whatever my result next Friday, I’ll try document everything (should I remember too) for other newbies in this thread/forum.
Location will be Hinckley start point, Leicester test location with J Coates.
Papaya:
I posted in this thread back on page 1 in January. From this Thursday 12/05 I start my 26 hours in class 1 until my final test next Friday 20/05.Ex driving instructor, straight to class 1, passed every module first time up to now, whatever my result next Friday, I’ll try document everything (should I remember too) for other newbies in this thread/forum.
Location will be Hinckley start point, Leicester test location with J Coates.
As I live in Leicester I shall make sure I am off the roads on Friday 20th 
Passed my C+E today 
jonathan_dyane:
Passed my C+E today
Fantastic! Well done
jonathan_dyane:
Passed my C+E today
Cheers guys:)
Hey Papaya
Hope you enjoyed your first two days training. Best of luck for Friday.
Nice to meet you Roadkill_Badger. Hope you have some success with job hunting soon.
So here’s an update from me. I posted elsewhere on the forum about my struggles passing Cat C and my eventual success. I’m still on a high. The achievement and the career change mean so much to me, passing was more than just passing if you know what I mean.
I should have been van driving for ages but, wondering when I would ever pass my Cat C, and armed with a nice sparkly new CV (I’ve been self employed so never needed one), I CV bombed agencies asking for van work while I’m waiting to pass my Cat C on the Monday. Signed up with 2 on the Tuesday, one of them offered me van work the following week. I asked if they could arrange for me to spend a day with a driver just for unpaid work experience, which they did. That was the Thursday. I had an awesome day as a passenger, driving around Cornwall in a Class 2 delivering pallets. I learned so much and met my first trucking buddy. On the Friday I passed my test.
After the bank holiday weekend I worked Tue-Sat delivering plumbing supplies around South and East Devon in a 3.5t van. Then I did a day collecting books from charity shops in Plymouth, then I did a day collecting plant and tools for a plant hire company, again in a 3.5t van. I have learned loads and I don’t know whether I have been lucky but all other drivers and most of the people I have delivered to have been so nice and helpful and patient. One of the things I learned is that I don’t really have the physique for moving 800kg of wine, or 10 radiators, on a manual pallet truck. I’m not afraid of hard work but I am aware of my limitations, and I don’t want to be that person who lets go of a pallet of wine. I think I forgot to mention that on agency no one has the time to train you on anything for any meaningful length of time.
I’ve also been getting my kit bag together and I am especially loving my thermos tumbler so I can sip tea all day. I have also become a morning person as my shortest commute is 45 mins (only downside so far for me) and the starts have been anything from 0600 to 0800.
So then the agency started talking about getting me onto a Class 2 job, they mentioned skips, and then tippers. Then they came back with an offer of tipper work all next week. I asked if I could go out with a tipper driver for the day again, unpaid, which I did on Thursday. Again, had another awesome day out, another driving buddy met. We shifted 18.5t of topsoil from a building site to a football pitch extension 8 times, up and down the A30.
So, I have my first gig in an HGV since passing my test two weeks ago, on Monday! I’ll be driving a Scania P410. It’s 32t gross weight, 4 axles and the front two are both drive axles. It’s quite punchy. I learned in an auto and this has a 4 over 4 so I’ll be spending the weekend watching videos on how to operate 4 over 4 gearboxes and Stoneridge tachos. I haven’t had to use my digi card yet.
My impressions of tipping are that it’s great for small framed girls like me as there is minimal load interaction. It’s also great for newbies as you only have to find two places in one day and you can build your confidence and nail the same stretch of road by the end of the day. There’s a bit of common sense, responsibility and concentration required to operate the hydrolics, so that’s good. You will also reverse multiple times a day. It’s also mostly driving. I think I’m going to love it! I’m definitely going to be Devon’s slowest tipper driver though, so I’ll be easy to spot.
I’ve also booked my C+E driver training for September.
I’ll come back and let you know how next week goes.
I hope everyone else reading this thread is getting on well and whatever you are doing next week, have a good one.
Sounds awesome @driveress !
Had a little search for P410s and found this interesting introduction, I don’t know how new your truck will be and it’s obviously not got the auto box as reviewed. I would suggest that you might possibly have got that wrong about the front 2 Axels being drive Axels? I think they will just be steering Axels. I searched for an 8x8 but could only get results for 8x4 (8 wheels X 4 driven)
Didn’t you put your card in slot 2 on Thursday? Just for the practice.