Good day,
Probably this was already posted but all i found were year old topics.
Basically, as everyone at the beginning of their journey with HGV, i am struggling to find the first job.
I have passed class 2, in August last year with flying colours ( no minors ). I have emailed every company 25 miles radius from me (TN37). I have offered that i will pay the difference when it comes to insurance, I have offered that i will do it for free ( some sort of apprenticeship ) and also i have signed up to every local agency and literally no response:(
I know it’s lockdown, but yet i see lots of companies operating daily.
Any advice guys? Am i doing something wrong?
Thank you in advance for any tips
DO NOT OFFER TO PAY TO WORK!!
DO NOT OFFER TO WORK FOR FREE!!
It is a bad time to be looking for work, especially for a newbie, but be patient instead of desperate, and you will find work. Print out your CV, go knocking on doors, phone the agencies daily.
Look at doing van or warehouse work, then once you’ve got your foot in the door, seeing if there’s opportunities to progress
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
January is the worst month for getting a new lorry driving job. I never change jobs at this time of year. Employers don’t have enough work for the drivers that they already have on their books.
Get ready for Easter when things usually start to pick up. The best months for getting a new job are June to August when a lot of the drivers take their summer holidays. This is the time of year when the agencies are so short of drivers that they are willing to give new passes a chance.
I still have all this to look forward to, awaiting my resit, but from what I have found so far is that emails are pointless in this line of work, you need to get on the phone or go door knocking, look towards the multidrop/ pallet network type jobs since they are the least popular, easier to get a start with them.
Adrianhettich:
Good day,
Probably this was already posted but all i found were year old topics.
Basically, as everyone at the beginning of their journey with HGV, i am struggling to find the first job.
I have passed class 2, in August last year with flying colours ( no minors ). I have emailed every company 25 miles radius from me (TN37). I have offered that i will pay the difference when it comes to insurance, I have offered that i will do it for free ( some sort of apprenticeship ) and also i have signed up to every local agency and literally no response:(
I know it’s lockdown, but yet i see lots of companies operating daily.
Any advice guys? Am i doing something wrong?
Thank you in advance for any tips
Have you got yourself registered with several angencies? Don’t register with one, get on several agents books.
If you passed in August 2020 then you’ve reached the first milestone - 6 months. You will be more attractive to clients even though you don’t actually have any experience.
I’m wondering about your area and work? Did you manage to get work during November/December?
As a new pass I was inundated with job offers at £17, £18, £19 per hour over November/December obviously that’s all stopped now.
Did you put your CV up on Indeed, CV library, Total jobs, Reed etc etc?
You do know most firms (including the big players) go on the job websites and read your CV and contact you directly?
If you didn’t get a single job offer at Christmas then you’ve got to have a serious look at the work around you.
Maybe they didn’t know you existed because you didn’t have a CV online?
Get a good CV together and get on the job sites.
SquireT:
I still have all this to look forward to, awaiting my resit, but from what I have found so far is that emails are pointless in this line of work, you need to get on the phone or go door knocking, look towards the multidrop/ pallet network type jobs since they are the least popular, easier to get a start with them.
I haven’t knocked on a single door. I haven’t made a single phone call.
I put together a really good CV highlighting my skills and applied for jobs online.
Every job offer I’ve had has been the firm ringing me after receiving my CV to a job they advertised online.
In some cases, I didn’t even apply for a job but they saw my CV online and contacted me directly.
I know things may be very different in other parts of the country, but in the north west it’s not that hard to find work. Finding the work you want to do that suits you and hours that suit you is a bit harder.
Good to hear that works as well, have read on hear and chat to people about it and most of the time its always been the go door knocking or phone them up and all that online stuff is useless, but this is often from folk with a good few years driving behind them and or hate computers so likely a little bias.
CookieMonster:
DO NOT OFFER TO PAY TO WORK!!
DO NOT OFFER TO WORK FOR FREE!!
It is a bad time to be looking for work, especially for a newbie, but be patient instead of desperate, and you will find work. Print out your CV, go knocking on doors, phone the agencies daily.
Look at doing van or warehouse work, then once you’ve got your foot in the door, seeing if there’s opportunities to progressSent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
Hi CookieMonster,
I have tried my luck since August last year, with constant phone calls and emails, but the only thing i haven’t tried is what you have said “know on the every doors”
Thank you so much!
carlston49:
January is the worst month for getting a new lorry driving job. I never change jobs at this time of year. Employers don’t have enough work for the drivers that they already have on their books.Get ready for Easter when things usually start to pick up. The best months for getting a new job are June to August when a lot of the drivers take their summer holidays. This is the time of year when the agencies are so short of drivers that they are willing to give new passes a chance.
Hi Carlstone49,
Thank you for the tip, will wait patiently then 
Build5:
Adrianhettich:
Good day,
Probably this was already posted but all i found were year old topics.
Basically, as everyone at the beginning of their journey with HGV, i am struggling to find the first job.
I have passed class 2, in August last year with flying colours ( no minors ). I have emailed every company 25 miles radius from me (TN37). I have offered that i will pay the difference when it comes to insurance, I have offered that i will do it for free ( some sort of apprenticeship ) and also i have signed up to every local agency and literally no response:(
I know it’s lockdown, but yet i see lots of companies operating daily.
Any advice guys? Am i doing something wrong?
Thank you in advance for any tipsHave you got yourself registered with several angencies? Don’t register with one, get on several agents books.
If you passed in August 2020 then you’ve reached the first milestone - 6 months. You will be more attractive to clients even though you don’t actually have any experience.
I’m wondering about your area and work? Did you manage to get work during November/December?
As a new pass I was inundated with job offers at £17, £18, £19 per hour over November/December obviously that’s all stopped now.
Did you put your CV up on Indeed, CV library, Total jobs, Reed etc etc?
You do know most firms (including the big players) go on the job websites and read your CV and contact you directly?
If you didn’t get a single job offer at Christmas then you’ve got to have a serious look at the work around you.
Maybe they didn’t know you existed because you didn’t have a CV online?
Get a good CV together and get on the job sites.
Hi Build5,
I have CV on all online agencies (totaljobs, indeed, reed, nuevoo, beebee etc).
I have heard, that my area is quite poor when it comes to logistics and distribution, hence why i have increased my search radius to 30miles (im based in Hastings - South East)
Unfortunately, no driving offers during Christmas but maybe as you said, my CV needs some attention? i will change some stuff.
Thank you so much
There’s a dustcart/waste/recycling HGV Class 2 job going in St Leonards near Hastings.
indeed.co.uk/jobs?q=hgv%202 … 2200678010
Maybe only for drivers who are desperate for work, as it doesn’t sound easy. It sounds more like handling waste and recycling than actual driving. It doesn’t say in the ad, but they might not accept new drivers. Also, this type of environment might not be covid safe, as I expect you would be working alongside others all day.
Door knocking works,
My 19 year old son walked into a job in October despite not having got his HGV licence yet. He was booked for test mid November which was cancelled and rebooked for Feb (great)
He could prove that he wasn’t just talking about doing it but had commited to starting the process and had done medical theory and mod 4 or whatever that bit is.
They like him and could use his enthusiasm in the yard as a generl odd bodd / van driver and will put his HGV to work when he gets it with a 7.5t and covering on an 8w
You can’t afford to be snobby, skips and bins and things that are not very glamourous or otherwise hard work are not jobs that will have people queuing up to go and do. Getting a walk in, of someone who is keen and willing to graft will sometimes result in a job offer. A lot of it will be how you come across and just purely being in the right place at right time.
I’ve done it twice, both times I had some experience as a driver but not massively in the field of work approached. But both times I had just enough experience and in an area that was desirable and a willingness to work and learn to get offered a chance.
carlston49:
There’s a dustcart/waste/recycling HGV Class 2 job going in St Leonards near Hastings.
indeed.co.uk/jobs?q=hgv%202 … 2200678010Maybe only for drivers who are desperate for work, as it doesn’t sound easy. It sounds more like handling waste and recycling than actual driving. It doesn’t say in the ad, but they might not accept new drivers. Also, this type of environment might not be covid safe, as I expect you would be working alongside others all day.
Thank you Carlston49,
That Job goes for a months now on almost every online recruitment agencies. I thought, if they can’t find a driver for such long time, they’ll lean on new pass, so i have applied for this maybe 8 times but no response.
Yesterday, i have visited 5 companies with CV in my hand, but every time i was greeted with video-com at the front gate and the same answer "if we have any vacancies, they’ll be on our www.
Maybe, they don’t want to see outsiders, due to Covid.
Well, i’m not giving up so easily
Gutted to hear that, i was relying on dropping off cv in person etc to try and get first job!
Adrianhettich:
That Job goes for a months now on almost every online recruitment agencies. I thought, if they can’t find a driver for such long time, they’ll lean on new pass, so i have applied for this maybe 8 times but no response.
Yesterday, i have visited 5 companies with CV in my hand, but every time i was greeted with video-com at the front gate and the same answer "if we have any vacancies, they’ll be on our www.
Maybe, they don’t want to see outsiders, due to Covid.
Well, i’m not giving up so easily
You need to go to companies where the person you speak to does the hiring and firing, not a where a receptionist answers the call.
pig pen:
Adrianhettich:
That Job goes for a months now on almost every online recruitment agencies. I thought, if they can’t find a driver for such long time, they’ll lean on new pass, so i have applied for this maybe 8 times but no response.
Yesterday, i have visited 5 companies with CV in my hand, but every time i was greeted with video-com at the front gate and the same answer "if we have any vacancies, they’ll be on our www.
Maybe, they don’t want to see outsiders, due to Covid.
Well, i’m not giving up so easilyYou need to go to companies where the person you speak to does the hiring and firing, not a where a receptionist answers the call.
Thank you Pig Pen,
Good tip!
Most of the companies now have video-coms at the front gate and all i can do is buzz and chat with receptionist. Having your tip in mind i’m contemplating on “i won’t move until i speak to a transport manager”, but i might cross some line and end up in free ride to police station 
- Just kidding.
Yes, i have heard this is the way to go, to ask for a person actually managing the company - will update you guys on the outcome after todays ventures.
Adrianhettich:
pig pen:
Adrianhettich:
That Job goes for a months now on almost every online recruitment agencies. I thought, if they can’t find a driver for such long time, they’ll lean on new pass, so i have applied for this maybe 8 times but no response.
Yesterday, i have visited 5 companies with CV in my hand, but every time i was greeted with video-com at the front gate and the same answer "if we have any vacancies, they’ll be on our www.
Maybe, they don’t want to see outsiders, due to Covid.
Well, i’m not giving up so easilyYou need to go to companies where the person you speak to does the hiring and firing, not a where a receptionist answers the call.
Thank you Pig Pen,
Good tip!
Most of the companies now have video-coms at the front gate and all i can do is buzz and chat with receptionist. Having your tip in mind i’m contemplating on “i won’t move until i speak to a transport manager”, but i might cross some line and end up in free ride to police station
Yes, i have heard this is the way to go, to ask for a person actually managing the company - will update you guys on the outcome after todays ventures.
Any luck mate?
RoadRunner92:
Adrianhettich:
pig pen:
Adrianhettich:
That Job goes for a months now on almost every online recruitment agencies. I thought, if they can’t find a driver for such long time, they’ll lean on new pass, so i have applied for this maybe 8 times but no response.
Yesterday, i have visited 5 companies with CV in my hand, but every time i was greeted with video-com at the front gate and the same answer "if we have any vacancies, they’ll be on our www.
Maybe, they don’t want to see outsiders, due to Covid.
Well, i’m not giving up so easilyYou need to go to companies where the person you speak to does the hiring and firing, not a where a receptionist answers the call.
Thank you Pig Pen,
Good tip!
Most of the companies now have video-coms at the front gate and all i can do is buzz and chat with receptionist. Having your tip in mind i’m contemplating on “i won’t move until i speak to a transport manager”, but i might cross some line and end up in free ride to police station
Yes, i have heard this is the way to go, to ask for a person actually managing the company - will update you guys on the outcome after todays ventures.Any luck mate?
Good day everyone,
I’ve been back and forth with my CV, knocking on every door and metaphorically all i got was a middle finger.
One agency called asking “you have applied for a HGV position, do you even have licence”? so i thought my CV is a problem, but i’ve double checked so as other agencies (i called them with that specific question “you do see from my CV i have a licence right?” and all of them said " your CV is quite good with all the info we need ".
On the flip note, i have meet someone on Facebook (one of those UK HGV sites) and he gave me his company details, as they are looking for drivers ( not specifically rookies ), but worth a try.
I have spoken with the owner for few minutes, and he asked for my CV. I do not expect anything really from this, but the fact someone was interested in my CV after the chat, lift my chin a bit. Because for the past 7 months, nobody even wanted to speak with me.
Anyhow, i’ll update you guys as soon i know anything.
Keep trying.
Keep speaking to companies, especially smaller ones, and make the best impression you can. It`s quite a small community between small/smaller hauliers, most speak to each other, know if someone is looking for a driver, and who the serial job swappers are, and often talk to each other about unknown drivers.
At the start of this covid thing, someone rung me, out of the blue looking for work, unfortunately I didn’t have anything, but the bloke sold himself well over the phone so kept his number, a few weeks later speaking to an other local haulier we was looking for a driver, told him about the bloke on the phone, and then contacted the bloke to point him in that direction.
Someone who had done some seasonal work for me, rung me to ask if it would be OK to put me down as a reference, yes that fine, I told him of someone I had heard where looking for drivers.
I was talking to an other operator who had a job vacancy, suggested someone who had done some part time work here, he got the job, and the operator rung me back some weeks later thanking me, as it was working out well with his new driver.
Hi, have you tried your local Hermes depo ? Having passed my class 2 in October I got my first HGV job with them in November, most drivers there are new passes and there’s a mix of agency and full timers, the works not to bad to be fair I find it easy I also plumed for permanent nights again an advantage I feel over getting the position in the first place and also quiet roads which is better for a new pass, DFS also take new passes if lugging sofas around is your thing.