Hgv boot camp

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

robroy:

Uncleskid:

robroy:
If there actually is a shortage of guys wanting to become drivers, maybe there’s a message in there somewhere eh? :bulb:
Make the job attractive again, start by spending the money on the crap infrastructure instead,.then take a look at the ridiculously hours most are expected to work every week, and the crap t.s and c.s, sort it and there will be no need for any government funding.

You’ve been smoking illegal substances again Rob :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

:laughing:
Thing is though the reluctance of new driver candidates is a symptom, not the disease.

Ohhhhhhhhh I like that line robroy , I’ll pinch that if you don’t mind, quoting you of course.

22

^^^^^^:^
No need to credit me…You can have that one on me mate. :smiley:

23

My lad (now 50) would have liked to follow in my steps when i owned my own trucks.Unfortunately he developed an eyesight problem,from which he suffers to this day,which would have prevented him passing the medical.As a kid he used to travel all over with me.
He’s now a lighting engineer and has done alright.It could be him behind the cones on a motorway near you.Apparently he gets a lot of abuse from car drivers.

24

Gidders:
My lad (now 50) would have liked to follow in my steps when i owned my own trucks.Unfortunately he developed an eyesight problem,from which he suffers to this day,which would have prevented him passing the medical.As a kid he used to travel all over with me.
He’s now a lighting engineer and has done alright.It could be him behind the cones on a motorway near you.Apparently he gets a lot of abuse from car drivers.

Yep…my plan made in the 80s for when I retired was for the 2 lads to take the truck business over,.and the 2 girls in the office…and me live in my villa in Portugal.
But life bit me on the arse,.and at the same time Satan ■■■■■■ in my face, :laughing: …and things went ■■■■ up.
So plans went right down the khazi. :smiley:

I’d also made a couple of contingency plans (unbeknown to my Mrs ) one of the many was insisting calling my youngest lad with the same initials as me…to pay cheques to if things ever went dodgy,.which they did… #streetwise. :wink: :smiley:

25

16 weeks? Gadzooks!
It only took me 5 days to learn and pass the Class II what on earth are they doing for 16 whole weeks?

26

Falcon JSDF:
16 weeks? Gadzooks!
It only took me 5 days to learn and pass the Class II what on earth are they doing for 16 whole weeks?

Maybe that’s the answer to the present problem of inept, incompetent, inconsiderate f/wits that the training schools seem to be churning out in abundance.
The ones who should not be allowed within 10 feet of an artic, let alone being let loose on the road with one.

A full.4 month course,.teaching courtesy, empathy, and actual driving skills, not to mention common sense and initiative…instead of the present system of … just how to master your way around a designated test route. :bulb:

Btw 10 out of 10 for use of the word ‘‘Gadzooks’’. :laughing:

27

from what i understand you dont have to study for 16 straight weeks. You have 16 weeks to compleate x number of hours of classroom baised lessons. Some of which is baised on the cpc stuff (at least the bits i did were) and some were aimed at compleate novices to the industry and had never seen a pump truck or ratchet strap etc. The only module i found helpfull was coupleing and uncoupleing as it gave me some what ifs and things to look out for and therefore saved time when i came to my practical lessons

28

I passed my test 10 years ago with red rose. Bolton.
Back then they did a similar scheme. As I was out of work then they could "re educate me ".
And then got lessons for free.
So I went ok.
They say me in front of a pc did some questions and answers .
Can’t remember exactly now but basic maths English questions.
I got 95%
Was told can’t get accepted for funding as I’m already educated.
How ever they said if you want funding. Comeback in a few weeks re take the test and get below 50% .
Then you can do a 16 week unpaid course be “re educated” then they get govement funding.
All courses are done online so basically red rose were doing nothing. Just watching a class room full of people and providing tea and biscuits
All a joke really.
I declined and paid for course my self instead

29

yourhavingalarf:
My mate…

Actively encouraged his lad not to get into haulage.

After two years studying part time at college courses and work experience with his employer, he’s now a qualified accountant.

You can tell which car belongs to who on the drive when you walk up. Big expensive two year old German coupe next to his dad’s 8 year old Vauxhall Dullard.

Nuff said.

I’d rather have the 8 year old Vauxhall dullard than be an accountant, it would bore me to tears and ■■■■ the life out of me. There’s not much else I’d want to do than drive a truck, but only in the right job. If somebody asked me if they should get their licence to do a mundane job for one of the bum on a seat companies that treat their drivers like children and in doing so they act like children and need their arse wiping by the pointy shoes supposed manager then I’d say stay well clear, that side of the industry is the pits. You really are treat like turd on a shoe and the work is soul destroying. However if their world isn’t going to turn upside down if they have to think for themselves and be challenged then the job can be one of the best there is, think heavy haul, specialised ect. The pay tends to reflect too

30

New pass here, who actually went through one of these bootcamps. Funnily enough it was the one company which was in the news, as the government cut ties with them (qube learning) as they were shockingly awful.
The 16 weeks training, as said previously here, is the time you get to complete 4 online modules. And all it is, is reading a slideshow and sending an email off to say it’s done. You get to attend a few “seminars” where supposed experienced drivers give you some info on what to expect and ask any questions. Then they send you the next part.
However I got the feeling that the company didn’t know what they were doing, nor the people holding the seminars.
After them then booking my theory and passing I was referred to a training company, and their training site in alfreton which was about 85 mile round trip for me. But the government were paying so I thought what the heck. However after my first week of training in a Class 2, which went quite well, my instructor went on holiday and I was given a different one, for the next week which was class 1 training.
From the off I could tell he didn’t care one bit, and was more bothered about getting to the nearest bacon sarnie shop. To be honest, except 2 instructors I spoke to (who when I raised my concerns about the other trainers , essentially said ‘what can you do?’) the whole company were absolute trash and just kept saying, it doesn’t matter if you fail. You can pay for another re-test. Oh great attitude. Needless to say I failed.
They booked me a re test which was 12 weeks from my last one after not being behind the wheel at all during that time. I got a 50 mins warm up (instead of a promised 2 hours) and failed again.
I took it upon myself to ignore anything sent or recommend by the boot camp learning or the training company after that, and just go and pay for it myself. After waiting a few months, 16 hours training I passed 3rd time lucky, and then did my CPC the week after.

Anyway, TL:DR. The moral of the story is that these bootcamps are not all they are cracked up to be, often misguided and full of greedy companies and trainers who just want your money but don’t actually teach you anything. However, when you sign up, you have no choice who they send you with or where. And I feel it’s a bit of a sham.

I hope all the bootcamps aren’t this bad, but just thought I’d share my experience, so anyone wanting to go for it knows what they might be getting into.

31

Rikk0rz:
New pass here, who actually went through one of these bootcamps. Funnily enough it was the one company which was in the news, as the government cut ties with them (qube learning) as they were shockingly awful.
The 16 weeks training, as said previously here, is the time you get to complete 4 online modules. And all it is, is reading a slideshow and sending an email off to say it’s done. You get to attend a few “seminars” where supposed experienced drivers give you some info on what to expect and ask any questions. Then they send you the next part.
However I got the feeling that the company didn’t know what they were doing, nor the people holding the seminars.
After them then booking my theory and passing I was referred to a training company, and their training site in alfreton which was about 85 mile round trip for me. But the government were paying so I thought what the heck. However after my first week of training in a Class 2, which went quite well, my instructor went on holiday and I was given a different one, for the next week which was class 1 training.
From the off I could tell he didn’t care one bit, and was more bothered about getting to the nearest bacon sarnie shop. To be honest, except 2 instructors I spoke to (who when I raised my concerns about the other trainers , essentially said ‘what can you do?’) the whole company were absolute trash and just kept saying, it doesn’t matter if you fail. You can pay for another re-test. Oh great attitude. Needless to say I failed.
They booked me a re test which was 12 weeks from my last one after not being behind the wheel at all during that time. I got a 50 mins warm up (instead of a promised 2 hours) and failed again.
I took it upon myself to ignore anything sent or recommend by the boot camp learning or the training company after that, and just go and pay for it myself. After waiting a few months, 16 hours training I passed 3rd time lucky, and then did my CPC the week after.

Anyway, TL:DR. The moral of the story is that these bootcamps are not all they are cracked up to be, often misguided and full of greedy companies and trainers who just want your money but don’t actually teach you anything. However, when you sign up, you have no choice who they send you with or where. And I feel it’s a bit of a sham.

I hope all the bootcamps aren’t this bad, but just thought I’d share my experience, so anyone wanting to go for it knows what they might be getting into.

These boot camps seem like another nonsense in the haulage sector. Thank f*** I paid myself for 5 days training and passed on first attempt.

32

^^^^^^^^^^The whole industry is plagued with schemes that are only there purely to be seen to be ‘‘doing the right thing’’ , but in reality have no actual substance.

To name a few…Dcpc, wtd, poa, strapping loads of the type where there is no actual ‘need’, box ticking in transport firms,.ridiculous h&s rules that actually outnumber the genuine necessary ones,.basically arse covering exercises, and the list goes on.

The whole job and industry bears no resemblance to the one that I started all those years ago. :unamused:

33

yourhavingalarf:
You can tell which car belongs to who on the drive when you walk up. Big expensive two year old German coupe next to his dad’s 8 year old Vauxhall Dullard.

Nuff said.

Ehh at our place of work we have warehouse pickers driving £80k brand new electric cars while most hgv drivers (including me) drive 15+ year old hand me downs. Doesn’t mean squat. Not that the difference in pay per hour between warehouse staff and drivers is that big but still.

34

I’ve went through the said bootcamp that went bust, the Government paid for me to complete my HGV training. I passed my class 1 test yesterday. I’m trying to decide which path to go down, either agency or employer. :smiley:

35

TheWidowMaker40:
I’ve went through the said bootcamp that went bust, the Government paid for me to complete my HGV training. I passed my class 1 test yesterday. I’m trying to decide which path to go down, either agency or employer. :smiley:

if you decide to go with an agency dont get suckered in with the umbrella pay scheem

36

Driving as a second job isn’t bad, so rightly said by some to discourage it as a career, but as a backup is excellent, as industry is packed with agencies and casual work.

Also realised years ago, how just one mistake outside of work, could mean legally out of work for a period that for everyone else wouldnt be as damaging, luckily used that period to go back and study, that lead to a career less prone to a heavy right-footed 23yr old, got my licence for free in Leconfield, and my examiner read the Sunday sport whilst driving round lol, but long time ago, and enough time driving, as the instructors put you forward once ready or RTU’d you.

This industry have bounced in and out over the years, and its great for a time out, but again as many have said, the environment ■■■■■, treated like crap etc, and now the amount of ways to take your money, from fines to courses, where as other jobs, dont fine you, do watch you on cameras, dont analyse your every move, and judge you on it…

Second job its great, and for quick weekly pay its good, but the salaries are only high for the hours, and if an basic office bod did the same hours they’d be on similar…

What I am noticing is how hourly rates are working their way back to usual levels compared to minimum wage… and this push for drivers, is likely goverments way to say helping bring costs of food supply down to bigwigs of supermarkets, by flooding more drivers in, and making it possible to drop average wage again and in turn costs… as noticed news was all about ASDA driver on 40k+ etc…lol… big old con…

37

If one has a crap job, with a crap firm, where one is treated like crap, and paid crap…

Get another job :bulb: :bulb: :unamused:

It is astonishing that some drivers, who have decades of experience, and are by their own admission good drivers, stay in such crap jobs, rather than finding a better job.
The Donkey is reminded of the great Keen Rodent’s words " grow a spine."

(And before the excuses start, it’s not about “only 5 minutes from home”, or “there is no other job in the area”, or “but I get paid a bit more than the really bad job”, It’s about showing companies that you won’t put up with being treated like crap. If all good drivers leave, and only the dross is left, a company will have to take note, and make changes.)

38

You all gone very quiet…

39

This has been mentioned before. People, namely young people can work from home in their under pants. They can earn a living from the comfort of their own home.

Why would people want to graft their bits off driving around the country in often less than glamorous conditions?

40

the nodding donkey:
If one has a crap job, with a crap firm, where one is treated like crap, and paid crap…

Get another job :bulb: :bulb: :unamused:

It is astonishing that some drivers, who have decades of experience, and are by their own admission good drivers, stay in such crap jobs, rather than finding a better job.
The Donkey is reminded of the great Keen Rodent’s words " grow a spine."

(And before the excuses start, it’s not about “only 5 minutes from home”, or “there is no other job in the area”, or “but I get paid a bit more than the really bad job”, It’s about showing companies that you won’t put up with being treated like crap. If all good drivers leave, and only the dross is left, a company will have to take note, and make changes.)

It’s usually because it’s all bull st. Some only know how to moan. Every job I’ve ever had from the worst to the best has the same group of old moaners.