I have been a rigid tramper for almost a year now and I find the loneliness and being away from home very hard to deal so am exploring possible other options. Like a local driving job right on my doorstop, Hiab driving jobs come up from time to time.
Is there any Hiab drivers or ex drivers who could help me with some questions with relation to class c hiab driving work.
Does the job consist of a lot of residential deliveries, you know the ones with cars parked either side of the road, tight gaps to get through lots of stress?
Does the job involve blocking roads on busy high streets causing mayhem as you frantically try and off load building stuff without killing anyone?
Are a lot of the deliveries to people who have no idea how to deal with or help either as a banks man or with unloading without causing damage to property?
Are Hiab driver rushed and pressured to get lots of deliveries done to lots of places (which you don’t have time to plan and prepare for) before the builders merchant closes at say half five?
Is there any positive to the job apart from working reasonable hours and being home every night?
Are most of your deliveries to different places each time so no chance to get used to each drop and gain some stress reducing familiarity ?
All the above is what I dread it might be like.
Am I being a bit negative about what I think the reality of the job is or is the grass greener doing this kind of work? I mean could the above be like your worst day ever or is it a regular occurrence? if its like this at all.
I was a rigid tramper on plastics, went with tippers , which I now enjoy and the lads are into c.b. great fun when tarac works on for 6 lorries , same site.
dave_890:
I was a rigid tramper on plastics, went with tippers , which I now enjoy and the lads are into c.b. great fun when tarac works on for 6 lorries , same site.
I wouldn’t mind a go at driving tippers and using c.b. sounds fun.
It’s what you make it, I’m at Travis Perkins and wages are ■■■■■■ However I’m at a small rural branch so I do a lot out on the marshes or on the lower fells. Some customers can be awkward ,but you stand your ground (politely)and it can be awkward in housing estates. At the end of the day I go at my pace ,I’m not paid to teararse.it’s my licence,my pocket.
I’d imagine builders merchant deliveries would entail a fair bit of what you describe, but there are other Hiab type vehicles out there.
I work in the construction industry driving a beavertail plant lorry, with Hiab and my crane work is usually industrial / building site based rather than domestic properties. I’ve moved all sorts of building materials, containers and things you’d expect in the job and a few you’d never. WW2 flak gun, Aircraft parts, telephone box, Christmas trees being a few of the odd ones.
My work is mainly tracked / wheeled plant so self loading and no use for the crane but there is a massive amount of work for list and shift operations and no shortage of companies running vehicles on that work.
Experience is not always a must in these jobs and money can be very good. It’s worth investigating further.
8wheels:
I’d imagine builders merchant deliveries would entail a fair bit of what you describe, but there are other Hiab type vehicles out there.
I work in the construction industry driving a beavertail plant lorry, with Hiab and my crane work is usually industrial / building site based rather than domestic properties. I’ve moved all sorts of building materials, containers and things you’d expect in the job and a few you’d never. WW2 flak gun, Aircraft parts, telephone box, Christmas trees being a few of the odd ones.
My work is mainly tracked / wheeled plant so self loading and no use for the crane but there is a massive amount of work for list and shift operations and no shortage of companies running vehicles on that work.
Experience is not always a must in these jobs and money can be very good. It’s worth investigating further.
I would like to get into this type, I am not sure how I would go about it .
b] Is there any Hiab drivers or ex drivers who could help me with some questions with relation to class c hiab driving work.
Does the job consist of a lot of residential deliveries, you know the ones with cars parked either side of the road, tight gaps to get through lots of stress?
Does the job involve blocking roads on busy high streets causing mayhem as you frantically try and off load building stuff without killing anyone?
Are a lot of the deliveries to people who have no idea how to deal with or help either as a banks man or with unloading without causing damage to property?
Are Hiab driver rushed and pressured to get lots of deliveries done to lots of places (which you don’t have time to plan and prepare for) before the builders merchant closes at say half five?
Is there any positive to the job apart from working reasonable hours and being home every night?
Are most of your deliveries to different places each time so no chance to get used to each drop and gain some stress reducing familiarity ?
All the above is what I dread it might be like.
Am I being a bit negative about what I think the reality of the job is or is the grass greener doing this kind of work? I mean could the above be like your worst day ever or is it a regular occurrence? if its like this at all.
a] they do BUT no one offers the training and very few training providers with own equipment. Any advert you see will be with the Cert. That’s the problem… I know I tried to do HIAB before doing Class 1 because it pays more.
b] I worked for Buildbase as a driver for 3 months - regular guy had a health issue and couldn’t drive but did the HIAB.
1)2)3)5) Yes lots of that. Sometimes one just drops several bags of sand at a home but most of the time one is delivering to builders. Certainly lots of awkward places but I love that. Builders would help with being banksman whilst doing a 90 deg reverse into a driveway or whatever. Each day varied - could be several loads in a day to the same location - one load could be 10 drops round a housing area to homes. Mostly 3-5 drops per day and an 0800-1600/1700 job.
I enjoyed meeting folk when I started driving so i’d say you need to be a ‘people person’. Often the jobs were delivering to the same builder every couple of days. I was always impressed how the projects were coming along day by day. The challenge could be lifting the blocks over a joist and then twisting it sideways etc. If you enjoy an engineering challenge I’d say you’d enjoy it. What would you say to the parents who let the kids near the truck - there are ways of saying the necessary in a friendly entertaining manner!
negative - most certainly tbh. I was working in the Stamford area where builders are excellent - it’s a pleasure to see their work. One place the owner was an architect and they were building to his design about £1m. Good builders are proud of their skills and reasonably so - you would need to show interest in their work to strike up a good relationship. Need to be prepared to get muddy… goes without saying - then there is the addition of rain. Winter months quiet and summer fairly busy.
I’d say you need to be positive, friendly pro active type - from what you wrote you sounded like looking for an easy life… Doesn’t exist in my experience. You would be a ‘front man’ for the company - I assure you the builders order from the firm with a good driver-hiab guy whose likeable, efficient and a friendly personality shines.
Next step I’d say is visit Buildbase or whoever and ask if you could go out with the driver for a day to see what the job is like. I think I’ve given you a pretty good idea though.
8wheels:
I’d imagine builders merchant deliveries would entail a fair bit of what you describe, but there are other Hiab type vehicles out there.
I work in the construction industry driving a beavertail plant lorry, with Hiab and my crane work is usually industrial / building site based rather than domestic properties. I’ve moved all sorts of building materials, containers and things you’d expect in the job and a few you’d never. WW2 flak gun, Aircraft parts, telephone box, Christmas trees being a few of the odd ones.
My work is mainly tracked / wheeled plant so self loading and no use for the crane but there is a massive amount of work for list and shift operations and no shortage of companies running vehicles on that work.
Experience is not always a must in these jobs and money can be very good. It’s worth investigating further.
I would like to get into this type, I am not sure how I would go about it .
Keep your eyes open, there are general hauliers who have a mixed fleet with a hiab or two. Look at them for opportunities and see if you can get a start driving a non crane vehicle, they might then get you doing relief cover. Alternatively just go door knocking, there are places who will take drivers without the experience but have the right attitude. It’s easier to train someone who is willing to learn with the right attitude that remould an experienced driver with a bad attitude / work ethic.
Small general building firms, tool hire or even grab trucks are worth looking at to get some experience. Also worth mentioning is if you have any experience with operating or using hydraulic equipment as it shows some understanding of how they function.
There isn’t a hard and fast easy way, just leg work. You’ll probably have to actively hunt the job rather than wait for it to pop up on indeed or similar.
Best of luck.
8wheels:
I’d imagine builders merchant deliveries would entail a fair bit of what you describe, but there are other Hiab type vehicles out there.
I work in the construction industry driving a beavertail plant lorry, with Hiab and my crane work is usually industrial / building site based rather than domestic properties. I’ve moved all sorts of building materials, containers and things you’d expect in the job and a few you’d never. WW2 flak gun, Aircraft parts, telephone box, Christmas trees being a few of the odd ones.
My work is mainly tracked / wheeled plant so self loading and no use for the crane but there is a massive amount of work for list and shift operations and no shortage of companies running vehicles on that work.
Experience is not always a must in these jobs and money can be very good. It’s worth investigating further.
Tseal:
I would like to get into this type, I am not sure how I would go about it .
8wheels:
Keep your eyes open, there are general hauliers who have a mixed fleet with a hiab or two. Look at them for opportunities and see if you can get a start driving a non crane vehicle, they might then get you doing relief cover. Alternatively just go door knocking, there are places who will take drivers without the experience but have the right attitude. It’s easier to train someone who is willing to learn with the right attitude that remould an experienced driver with a bad attitude / work ethic.
Small general building firms, tool hire or even grab trucks are worth looking at to get some experience. Also worth mentioning is if you have any experience with operating or using hydraulic equipment as it shows some understanding of how they function.
There isn’t a hard and fast easy way, just leg work. You’ll probably have to actively hunt the job rather than wait for it to pop up on indeed or similar.
Best of luck.
Good advice I must say. For driving one certainly needs to knock on doors - I haven’t had much joy with Indeed. I didn’t have much luck but now with Class 1 and a steady job I will look for something with a bit more of a challenge sometime down the line.
8wheels:
I’d imagine builders merchant deliveries would entail a fair bit of what you describe, but there are other Hiab type vehicles out there.
I work in the construction industry driving a beavertail plant lorry, with Hiab and my crane work is usually industrial / building site based rather than domestic properties. I’ve moved all sorts of building materials, containers and things you’d expect in the job and a few you’d never. WW2 flak gun, Aircraft parts, telephone box, Christmas trees being a few of the odd ones.
My work is mainly tracked / wheeled plant so self loading and no use for the crane but there is a massive amount of work for list and shift operations and no shortage of companies running vehicles on that work.
Experience is not always a must in these jobs and money can be very good. It’s worth investigating further.
I would like to get into this type, I am not sure how I would go about it .
Keep your eyes open, there are general hauliers who have a mixed fleet with a hiab or two. Look at them for opportunities and see if you can get a start driving a non crane vehicle, they might then get you doing relief cover. Alternatively just go door knocking, there are places who will take drivers without the experience but have the right attitude. It’s easier to train someone who is willing to learn with the right attitude that remould an experienced driver with a bad attitude / work ethic.
Small general building firms, tool hire or even grab trucks are worth looking at to get some experience. Also worth mentioning is if you have any experience with operating or using hydraulic equipment as it shows some understanding of how they function.
There isn’t a hard and fast easy way, just leg work. You’ll probably have to actively hunt the job rather than wait for it to pop up on indeed or similar.
Best of luck.
b] Is there any Hiab drivers or ex drivers who could help me with some questions with relation to class c hiab driving work.
Does the job consist of a lot of residential deliveries, you know the ones with cars parked either side of the road, tight gaps to get through lots of stress?
Does the job involve blocking roads on busy high streets causing mayhem as you frantically try and off load building stuff without killing anyone?
Are a lot of the deliveries to people who have no idea how to deal with or help either as a banks man or with unloading without causing damage to property?
Are Hiab driver rushed and pressured to get lots of deliveries done to lots of places (which you don’t have time to plan and prepare for) before the builders merchant closes at say half five?
Is there any positive to the job apart from working reasonable hours and being home every night?
Are most of your deliveries to different places each time so no chance to get used to each drop and gain some stress reducing familiarity ?
All the above is what I dread it might be like.
Am I being a bit negative about what I think the reality of the job is or is the grass greener doing this kind of work? I mean could the above be like your worst day ever or is it a regular occurrence? if its like this at all.
a] they do BUT no one offers the training and very few training providers with own equipment. Any advert you see will be with the Cert. That’s the problem… I know I tried to do HIAB before doing Class 1 because it pays more.
b] I worked for Buildbase as a driver for 3 months - regular guy had a health issue and couldn’t drive but did the HIAB.
1)2)3)5) Yes lots of that. Sometimes one just drops several bags of sand at a home but most of the time one is delivering to builders. Certainly lots of awkward places but I love that. Builders would help with being banksman whilst doing a 90 deg reverse into a driveway or whatever. Each day varied - could be several loads in a day to the same location - one load could be 10 drops round a housing area to homes. Mostly 3-5 drops per day and an 0800-1600/1700 job.
I enjoyed meeting folk when I started driving so i’d say you need to be a ‘people person’. Often the jobs were delivering to the same builder every couple of days. I was always impressed how the projects were coming along day by day. The challenge could be lifting the blocks over a joist and then twisting it sideways etc. If you enjoy an engineering challenge I’d say you’d enjoy it. What would you say to the parents who let the kids near the truck - there are ways of saying the necessary in a friendly entertaining manner!
negative - most certainly tbh. I was working in the Stamford area where builders are excellent - it’s a pleasure to see their work. One place the owner was an architect and they were building to his design about £1m. Good builders are proud of their skills and reasonably so - you would need to show interest in their work to strike up a good relationship. Need to be prepared to get muddy… goes without saying - then there is the addition of rain. Winter months quiet and summer fairly busy.
I’d say you need to be positive, friendly pro active type - from what you wrote you sounded like looking for an easy life… Doesn’t exist in my experience. You would be a ‘front man’ for the company - I assure you the builders order from the firm with a good driver-hiab guy whose likeable, efficient and a friendly personality shines.
Next step I’d say is visit Buildbase or whoever and ask if you could go out with the driver for a day to see what the job is like. I think I’ve given you a pretty good idea though.
Thanks for advice, I think from what you are saying I may not like this sort of work.
What I do is get loaded up, driver a couple of hundred miles or so, do anything from three to six deliveries (usually the next day), park up for the night, then head back with a collection from somewhere. So a mixture of distance and multi drop style work chucked together.
BTW I have delivered to lots buildbases but not as a hiab driver. It might be worth me having a chat with a few of the drivers whenever I see them.