Not quite sure how to start so hi everyone hope you’re all ok.
I was looking for some advice on becoming a cat c+e driver. My wife is concerned that it will not be as financially stable as my current job.
Would a salary of 21k be achievable for a newly qualified driver? Ideally with weekends off. How long would it take to get my licence as I only have my car licence currently. I have had experience driving tractors with 7m trailers and having wide mowers behind.
Apologies for double post as I’m posting from m phone and ran out of room. Training-wise I have the money to pay for my licence but I am worried about the 2 year experience requirement for most jobs. Would it be safer to try and get a firm to pay for my licence in exchange for x years service.
Thanks in advance. I’m sure there’s more I need to ask and hopefully it will come to me.
Have trawled through the link in my signature below 
I’ve just done the same. Totally different career change, I only work 4 days a week and I cone home with 20,500 a year so if you were to work 5 days it’s achievable and I didn’t have any experience either. I’m not in the best paid job out there but I’m not in the worst either.
I average about 10/11 hours a day. Start between 7-9 and home every night.
Thanks Rog I’ll check that out tonight. And Jamie that sounds perfect considering I’m out 7-7 now and my top line is about 20k. I hope there will be less stress considering for most of the time I’ll be on my own driving.
LittleDrip:
Thanks Rog I’ll check that out tonight. And Jamie that sounds perfect considering I’m out 7-7 now and my top line is about 20k. I hope there will be less stress considering for most of the time I’ll be on my own driving.
That’s what i thought. But coming from a newbie it’s fairly stressful. Not as much as my last job but it certainly is. Other road users, road works, warehouse staff that dont speak English. I’m enjoying it though =)
Current job feel like I’m on eggshells from 7am to 7pm due to coworker so I can manage road works n other road users, always got access to Google translate lol
LittleDrip:
Current job feel like I’m on eggshells from 7am to 7pm due to coworker so I can manage road works n other road users, always got access to Google translate lol
Just remember you have to do c before C+e.Not like the good old days of going straight to class 1.Not sure if you were aware going by your opening post.
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Yeah found that out doing research the other day, confused me especially considering I was expecting c class 1 and 2 lol
LittleDrip:
Yeah found that out doing research the other day, confused me especially considering I was expecting c class 1 and 2 lol
Can get confusing if the old HGV technology which went out 25+ years ago regarding the classes is used instead of using the current LGV categories
I would say that the money is easily achievable, though weekends off may be hard for a start. As a new pass you will get offered the less attractive hours but any time on your card is a good start and look for Monday to Friday work in the future.
This may be location dependent but I passed my test, applied for 5 c and e jobs (no c experience) and got offered 3!
Go in with a good attitude and be clean, tidy and friendly and you will get a chance.
Have you tried calling some local firms and asking if they take on new passes? Would give an idea of your area then.
Just be careful that starting out now that you find yourself looking in January when its quiet and people aren’t taking on and you get downbeat because of that
You ask how long it’ll take to get your licence, maybe my experience can give you some idea.
I joined this forum May 16th 2017. from then till now I’ve had my medical, revised, booked and passed theory, hazard perception and cpc mod 2 case studies tests. Practical training, test and cpc mod 4 test all start the week starting 16th October. Assuming I pass I’ll have taken about 5 months to get my cat C licence. Obviously you might then be going back asap to get your C+E so it’ll be a bit longer.
With working full time and having a wife and young child at home plus life in general I doubt I could have achieved this much faster.
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IronEddie:
You ask how long it’ll take to get your licence, maybe my experience can give you some idea.I joined this forum May 16th 2017. from then till now I’ve had my medical, revised, booked and passed theory, hazard perception and cpc mod 2 case studies tests. Practical training, test and cpc mod 4 test all start the week starting 16th October. Assuming I pass I’ll have taken about 5 months to get my cat C licence. Obviously you might then be going back asap to get your C+E so it’ll be a bit longer.
With working full time and having a wife and young child at home plus life in general I doubt I could have achieved this much faster.
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Thats probably about the same timescales as it took me. Plus another 6 weeks to get the time off for c and e.
Also without trying to be negative, factor in time for possible retests. May have to wait a couple of weeks or more