Haven’t got much to add other than I’m enjoying these updates, good to see you’re enjoying it, keep it up 
I personally dont believe anyone would be offered a class 1 job shortly after passing the test.
Well, you want to believe it. It’s happening all the time now. There’s simply not enough drivers out there to cover the work that needs doing. Read reputable trade press such as Commercial Motor. Week after week they are talking about the driver crisis.
Things haven’t been this good for a long, long time. True, it always peaks on the approach to Christmas and it will be interesting to see what happens in the new year. But the articles have been running since late summer… so let’s see.
OP, good read.
Pete 
Blacov89:
Sinclair,Do you believe that class 2 experience helped you a lot in this job? I am just starting my journey for class 1 and cant stop wondering is it better to go all the way to artics from nothing or get class 2 and try to build some experience and then move on. Some people say it is better to go all out and some prefer to climb the ladder step by step. I personally dont believe anyone would be offered a class 1 job shortly after passing the test. Even though a person would hold fresh cpc and digital tachograph. Once again you seem to be doing brill. Would love to see myself in similar place after completing my qualification.
I “climbed the ladder” as you put it, I was employed by a Gen Haulage company as a Class 2 driver and then decided to do my Class 1 off my own back (I’d always intended to, its just it wasn’t until then that I was in a position to do it)
Booked a weeks holiday did a 4 day course with test on the 5th, passed my test on the Friday and went straight into work and told my Boss, Monday morning I was in an Artic doing “locals while I get to grips with it” (locals being Birmingham, Coventry and Rugby - did I mention I was based near Swansea )
Its definitely the easiest way into a Class 1 job (assuming you can find a Class 2 job with a firm that runs both Rigids and Artics) and also the experience gained whilst driving a Class 2 goes a long way towards your driving a bendy one, they aren’t really that much different (other than the obvious)
Nice diary OP. Been enjoying it.
Peter Smythe:
I personally dont believe anyone would be offered a class 1 job shortly after passing the test.
Well, you want to believe it. It’s happening all the time now. There’s simply not enough drivers out there to cover the work that needs doing. Read reputable trade press such as Commercial Motor. Week after week they are talking about the driver crisis.
Things haven’t been this good for a long, long time. True, it always peaks on the approach to Christmas and it will be interesting to see what happens in the new year. But the articles have been running since late summer… so let’s see.
OP, good read.
Pete
funny enough, there was a bit on 5 Live on Friday asking about lack of drivers in transport.
htmldude:
Nice diary OP. Been enjoying it.
Thank you
Keep em coming, great read with a cuppa
Threads like this keep people up. I have also heard about staff shortages and I believe this is a good moment for all those with the love for the road to get qualifed and if people are motivated enough they will be picked somewhere, well sooner or later…
I really enjoyed the diary too. Will there be next parts or it was just initial 1st week?
sinclair89:
leegti6:
Sinclair89,Enjoying reading your daily write ups. Noticed on one of them though you said you changed your tacho over to a break and then ejected it?
was wondering why you did that?
Glad you’re liking the diary, thank you for reading
I stick my tacho onto rest before I eject it. usually leave it on a minute or so whilst I clear my stuff away so it registers I am on break/rest.
Just going to get a beer then will write up my final day
There’s no need to put tacho on rest before you eject it.
Travis Perkins !
Don’t you just love it when you pull up to the gates, on a busy junction with traffic lights & the ‘Stupid Sign’ says “Report to yard Forman before entering the yard”
I usually just pull in & get ready for the Abuse, because you’ve ignored the sign (hey ho !)
& building sites ! Great fun ! Park up & let them unload it, then whilst you wait in the cab, some Numpty tips 20 ton of topsoil/gravel/type one, directly behind you or in the access road making it near impossible to get out without ripping your sump out or swimming through that giant puddle that you managed to miss on the way in.
Great Diary by the way.
Blacov89:
Threads like this keep people up. I have also heard about staff shortages and I believe this is a good moment for all those with the love for the road to get qualifed and if people are motivated enough they will be picked somewhere, well sooner or later…I really enjoyed the diary too. Will there be next parts or it was just initial 1st week?
Thanks for reading , glad you enjoyed it. I intend to do Diaries each time I do some holiday cover.
regarding staff shortages, Travis Perkins are opening a MASSIVE warehouse on the M62 in the next few weeks. I’d be giving them a bell to see if any driving jobs are going there.
instantKarma:
Keep em coming, great read with a cuppa
Thanks 
martinviking:
Travis Perkins !
Don’t you just love it when you pull up to the gates, on a busy junction with traffic lights & the ‘Stupid Sign’ says “Report to yard Forman before entering the yard”
I usually just pull in & get ready for the Abuse, because you’ve ignored the sign (hey ho !)
& building sites ! Great fun ! Park up & let them unload it, then whilst you wait in the cab, some Numpty tips 20 ton of topsoil/gravel/type one, directly behind you or in the access road making it near impossible to get out without ripping your sump out or swimming through that giant puddle that you managed to miss on the way in.
Great Diary by the way.
I’ve only ever had one Travis Perkins site complain about me pulling in and that was in Leigh. moaning git was like “cant you read? any way our lads aren’t allowed to just pull into your yard”
Building sites urgh, I wish I took a photo of one of the sites in Liverpool. its a pig! But defo keeps things interesting!
Gald you enjoyed the Diary
Good on you - well done
Face:
Good on you - well done
Cheers fella