Hello,
I currently work as a PCV local driver bod, and considering future options.
However, I currently only work “later starts”, which usually means starting at 10am or after. This is because I struggle to sleep properly knowing I have an alarm set, and general mental performance is a lot slower in the early hours.
I’ve never had to take the matter to any medical need or anything drastic, as I’ve found employees willing to swap away “earlies” for “lates”.
It seems like most jobs here require you to wake up at times that I simply can’t sustain for more than the once off exception.
Before any crowds accuse me of being a softy, or weakling, I’m always happy to put 16 hour shifts in (Domestic hours) day after day. It’s just at this present time I cannot deal with grave yard starts, though I’m always happy working until 3am or so.
All things considered, are there many jobs in the HGV market that allow for later starts? Should I hold off to see if my situation improves over a few years, or should I try coaching which has less early pickups.
Cheers.
Pallet and parcel night trunking usually a 6pm ish or later start
Sent while in furlough
blue estate:
Pallet and parcel night trunking usually a 6pm ish or later start
Sent while in furlough
This does sound highly preferential to me. I know if that was a shift in bus driver land, most would do anything to get out of a shift like that.
Some nightshifts can start as early as 2pm and back in yard for midnight. Backturn as you call it on the buses. But depends where you work
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mark1284:
Some nightshifts can start as early as 2pm and back in yard for midnight. Backturn as you call it on the buses. But depends where you work
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Is it possible to understand which companies this is, from an outside perspective? Or is it best to fire off emails in bulk when I’m willing to commit to a job saying who has shifts in x pattern?
The industry is so varied that there is a shift pattern to cater for everyone. It’s just a matter of finding somewhere that suits your desired way of working 
.
As an example, I’m meant to be on a fixed 4 on 2 off pattern, but last week I did 6 straight through to swap with another driver who needed to be home for a delivery and a doctor appointment, then 1 off, 1.5 days in, came home lunchtime with the truck to take for repairs at a local place, 3 days off for the repairs to be completed, but been out at lunchtime today to collect it and will start from home at 5am tomorrow to work through to Sunday.
Will probably seem like a total [zb] about to most drivers but it suits me as I quickly get bored to tears doing the same fixed shifts week after week.
Being a small place and we only do our own product, we are left alone to organise it all between ourselves and the management simply don’t care what we do or how we do it so long as all the farms get collected before the cows need milking again, so I could start at any time really between 6am and 11am and it wouldn’t be a problem 
.
Jamie MP:
mark1284:
Some nightshifts can start as early as 2pm and back in yard for midnight. Backturn as you call it on the buses. But depends where you work
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is it possible to understand which companies this is, from an outside perspective? Or is it best to fire off emails in bulk when I’m willing to commit to a job saying who has shifts in x pattern?
You will struggle with that approach, imo. Especially with the job market in the dire state it’s currently in. You can get away with naming your days and start times when everyone is screaming for drivers, but those days have gone and aren’t likely to see a return for a long time. I would prepare for your emails to be filed in the round basket.
It can be easier to get starts at 3pm than 3am as many drivers like to finish by 3pm not 3am. It depends where you work.
R420:
Jamie MP:
mark1284:
Some nightshifts can start as early as 2pm and back in yard for midnight. Backturn as you call it on the buses. But depends where you work
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is it possible to understand which companies this is, from an outside perspective? Or is it best to fire off emails in bulk when I’m willing to commit to a job saying who has shifts in x pattern?
You will struggle with that approach, imo. Especially with the job market in the dire state it’s currently in. You can get away with naming your days and start times when everyone is screaming for drivers, but those days have gone and aren’t likely to see a return for a long time. I would prepare for your emails to be filed in the round basket.
Yeah, I fear as much. I understand the need for flexibility with reducing options. It seems more than an industry-wide issue though. I think I need some deeper considerations about exactly what it is I want to do. That is, if you don’t know where you’re doing, how do you know when you’ve got there?
Jamie MP:
Or is it best to fire off emails in bulk
They usually get binned without being read in most cases
Go in person with kit in car boot and hand CV personally to TM where you can have a quick chat
As rog said… go in person marra
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carlston49:
It can be easier to get starts at 3pm than 3am as many drivers like to finish by 3pm not 3am. It depends where you work.
This^^
The possibility of enhancements and an early finish are the reasons why.