How am I meant to be able to get experience if every employer I call is asking for 1 or 2 years driving experience! Are there no employers out there that will give us new drivers a chance? just very frustrating calling round so many places and getting nothing, anyone got any advice?
Find your nearest food service operator and ring them up.
Where abouts you based mate?
I’m in Galashiels Scottish Borders
Have you gone to local employers especially early on a Monday morning with all the kit in your car 
ROG:
Have you gone to local employers especially early on a Monday morning with all the kit in your car
Not tried that but I’ll give it a go and hope they are short staffed!
Everyone rings, stand out by going in person so they can decide whether you’re worth keeping.
graemem106:
How am I meant to be able to get experience if every employer I call is asking for 1 or 2 years driving experience! Are there no employers out there that will give us new drivers a chance? just very frustrating calling round so many places and getting nothing, anyone got any advice?
Dont phone the companys go to them on person with your gear ready to roll.If you do that it makes you look better and shows your more willing to get working.
ROG:
Have you gone to local employers especially early on a Monday morning with all the kit in your car
Excellent advice! 
Robert
If jobs are scarce in your area, you have to show any prospective employer that you are as keen as mustard and prepared to go the extra mile for them. Ask yourself why they should pick you over any other prospective employee.
Best of luck! 
People will probably slam me for this, but try registering with agencies. Be prepared to do the crap jobs no-one else wants. Build your experience and reputation.
Keep visiting employers with your kit, and look like you’re worth employing of course.
Only the very lucky walk into a decent job, everyone else has to take the scenic route!
Good luck and don’t give up.
Cavey.
Captain Caveman 76:
People will probably slam me for this, but try registering with agencies. Be prepared to do the crap jobs no-one else wants. Build your experience and reputation.
Keep visiting employers with your kit, and look like you’re worth employing of course.
Only the very lucky walk into a decent job, everyone else has to take the scenic route!
Good luck and don’t give up.
Cavey.
I’m agency mate 
And I started on a crap gig doing chilled cage work to shops. I hated it with a passion! 
But before I could blink, I got another agency gig at another firm doing pallet multidrop, and I’m still there now as agency…
I’m even driving Class 1 for them now, and they gave me that shot knowing I’d only just passed my class 1!
So I definitely wouldn’t slam agencies, or say that it’s not a good way for Newbies to get experience…
Just show that you’re not a muppet and don’t bring the trucks back with bits hanging off em!
P.S. I know of another member on here (who is directly employed) who would swap places with me in a heartbeat…
I know the exact feeling as said above try agency to gain experience doesnt matter what the work is as you can use it to gain experience in the mean time as said visit any local small operators with youre kit in the car ready to start may also be worth speaking to youre driving school as they may have contacts of people who will take new passes but definately try small businesses aswell as big i struck extremely lucky in getting class1 tramping work for a small company through my driving instructor just shows there are companies out there willing to give youve inexperienced drivers good luck you will find something just dont be fussy get a year under youre belt that is what im doing
I’ve registered with a couple of agency’s today and I’m off to see someone at another agency in Falkirk tomorrow so here’s hoping I’ll get something soon.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice
I’m agency too, and I had a couple of lucky breaks finding placements with some of the few companies who will take inexperienced drivers via the agencies. As said earlier, as long as you’re a good driver, you can pass the assessments, and you’re not a muppet, there might be some openings through a local agency.
Be honest with them, most will be honest back and say their clients won’t take rookies so they can’t do anything for you. Eventually you should find one or two who have clients who will take the risk.
If my experience is anything to go by the first few months are definitely a dangerous time for a new driver. I’ve had my fair share of ■■■■■ and scrapes, stupid mistakes with lucky outcomes, and plenty of ‘learning opportunities’. I can understand why employers tend to avoid chumps like me, most of them choosing to leave it to someone else to take the hits.
Get on the phone now, a lot of companies will be desperate at this time of year. The window is closing though…
Well got registered with another agency today and they are sending me to do multidrop pallet delivery tomorrow, got no idea about the job what so ever so I’ll just need to wing it and ask some of the other drivers when I get there! Here’s hoping all go’s well
graemem106:
Well got registered with another agency today and they are sending me to do multidrop pallet delivery tomorrow, got no idea about the job what so ever so I’ll just need to wing it and ask some of the other drivers when I get there! Here’s hoping all go’s well
Number one rule of pallet work is NEVER EVER pull a pallet onto a tail-lift with the pallet truck. Always spin it in the back of the wagon and push it on, SLOWLY!!! - I say slow as you don’t want the pallet to run away from you and shoot off the end! (But that’s still better than you dragging it onto the tail-lift, you falling over the end, and the pallet then ending up on top of you!!! If you are on a slope, and struggling to stop it running away, drop it using the pallet truck release handle, and do this in tiny steps to stop you building up speed and momentum. Always go slow, as when you drop a pallet, it’s possible for the pallet to stop and the contents to slide straight off it!
Overall it doesn’t matter how long you take to get the job done.
It’s better to return late than it is to come back on time with damage to report! Best of luck…
P.S. Ask if the truck has adjustable suspension on the rear to help level you out on a slope. And if it has, ask for this to be demonstrated to you…
Evil8Beezle:
graemem106:
Well got registered with another agency today and they are sending me to do multidrop pallet delivery tomorrow, got no idea about the job what so ever so I’ll just need to wing it and ask some of the other drivers when I get there! Here’s hoping all go’s wellNumber one rule of pallet work is NEVER EVER pull a pallet onto a tail-lift with the pallet truck. Always spin it in the back of the wagon and push it on, SLOWLY!!! - I say slow as you don’t want the pallet to run away from you and shoot off the end! [emoji38] (But that’s still better than you dragging it onto the tail-lift, you falling over the end, and the pallet then ending up on top of you!!! If you are on a slope, and struggling to stop it running away, drop it using the pallet truck release handle, and do this in tiny steps to stop you building up speed and momentum. Always go slow, as when you drop a pallet, it’s possible for the pallet to stop and the contents to slide straight off it! [emoji38]
Overall it doesn’t matter how long you take to get the job done.
It’s better to return late than it is to come back on time with damage to report! Best of luck…P.S. Ask if the truck has adjustable suspension on the rear to help level you out on a slope. And if it has, ask for this to be demonstrated to you…
Thanks, I hadn’t even thought of the best ways to get the pallets on or off! But as you say I’ll just take it nice and easy and make sure I don’t drop anything.
Agency is just throwing me in at the deep end as they are short staffed, said they usually send the new guys out with someone for a day to get to grips with it, but sometimes the best way to learn is justto go for it. Should be an interesting first day as a driver!
Cheers
You cold ask
Evil8Beezle:
Number one rule of pallet work is NEVER EVER pull a pallet onto a tail-lift with the pallet truck. Always spin it in the back of the wagon and push it on, SLOWLY!!! - I say slow as you don’t want the pallet to run away from you and shoot off the end!
You might also be lucky and get one with a second lever, which operates the brakes. If you do, that is a better bet than dropping the pallet on the floor to stop it, although dropping the pallet can always be the “last resort” option if it’s running away.
Also, when pushing a pallet with a pump truck, do it with the handle vertical. I see so many people pushing pallets with the handle pulled down - basically, pushing the wheel of the pallet truck into the floor. Not only are they making it harder work to steer the pallet, they’re also using a significant proportion of their effort to lift themselves off the ground rather than push the pallet along.
And when you put the forks of the truck into the pallet, make sure the wheels at the front are actually on the ground, not on the slats of the pallet. Again, many pallets get destroyed by clueless pump truck users levering them apart rather than lifting them off the floor.