I thought I would post my thoughts for you newbie’s (I run 3 trucks, been in business over 30 years)
Big companies like Tesco etc may need to advertise for drivers but small companies shouldn’t
If a company is a good company, pays decent money, has decent work and decent trucks then they will have a waiting list of drivers, the drivers that work there will let their mates know if there’s a job going so rarely a need to advertise.
As a newbie if your keen and eager then just go knock on the door, choose a couple of companies you’d like to work for and just go knock the door every 6 weeks, be regular, people want people that want to work and whom are keen and eager and reliable.
Oh and don’t bull**it it won’t do you any good in the long run.
We advertised for our first driver not needed to since we have 5 drivers now and 2 waiting for jobs.
When you get the job don’t rush around trying to impress take your time don’t brake anything if need be lose an hours pay just take it steady and you’ll be in it for years.
Its nice to read a post that isnt completely negative for new drivers. Its still a bit worrying though.
I’ve just passed my theory for cat C+E and i’m about to stump up over £2000 to attend an 8 day training course with the practical test. My worry is that i’m seeing horribly low wages for lots of hours of work and now i’m seriously considering not bothering to do the course. Ive been keen to become an hgv driver for a number of years now but the though of doing over 50hrs a week for little over minimum wage is hardly inspiring.
I know i wont land a prime job straightaway but i am happy to tramp all over uk/europe when i eventually find someone to take me on but i wont do it for £30k a year!
I know I’ll have to take on some less than desirable work to start with but i want european experience asap.
I guess my question is am I utterly delusional or can a well paid (£50k +) a year be a reality in due course? I’ll work all the hours i can if the money is right and for a decent company
They are more more up to date threads here…Honest!
I will leave it to others to maybe point you to somewhere more relevant, but if you give an approximate area you live in, you might get some better pointers.
If you haven’t booked any driving courses etc yet, be sure to go with an actual school, not through a broker.
Hint!
Brokers have excellent web sites.
Driving Schools have vehicles and instructors.
Personally, I never earned 50k as a driver, you’d need to be in the right place at the right time for the right gig.
Also it will be location dependent, wages are higher down south (because living costs are higher). I don’t know too many people up north on 50k, and all of them have considerable experience
If you’re in any doubt about whether or not it is worthwhile, don’t do it, there are far too many HGV entitlement holders already, browsing through FB etc will show you how many are complaining they can’t get a chance of a job.
I have no idea about European work or how to get into it. however depending where you are 50k is achievable if you put in 12 hour shifts however from my limited experience they are the worst to work for. they use new kit and “high” wages to attract people yet there is still a high turn over.
There was a list of schools which had had at least some kind of review from people on here, I’m sure one of the mods/admins could retrieve it, but I suspect they still have their hands full, the migration from the old site is probably far from complete
European work is nowhere near as plentiful as it once was.
Some of it is decreased trade with the EU. Look at stats that give tonnages not at value for a better (but not perfect) idea of freight.
Some of it is increased use of the 45ft lift boxes. The load moves but the driver/truck isn’t wasting time.
Singling out Dover, because it is almost all accompanied, not dropped trailers,
2019 __ 2.4m freight vehicles
2022 __ 2.0m. ------"---------
It is an old saw that Euro work is “all flash, and no cash”.
There may be some truth in it, but loads of UK companies are just as bad.
Euro work is not for everyone, and some will leave quickly. But some do stay for years.
In a local pub where a few Eu drivers used to go with their boss, a driver chatted them up and asked for a job. OK they were generally in a good mood and discussing the good times not moaning about the bad, so a bit of misunderstanding is allowable.
Anyway he said he really fancied the idea of Italy, and he knew they did a lot of that work. Loads of UK experience etc. Keen.
But he had to home every Thursday for his darts team.
(Brian Fingers, Yacht Tavern)
EDIT And look at the EURO thread. Gidders put up a post a week ago, post before that? July '23. 8 months ago.
I’m sure some are still out there, but not as many as before, and the work being done is often different.
i would argue there is probably lots of stuff going out of the uk… no facts or figures to back it up just the assumption that all the European drivers cant be going back empty on a Friday.
What about sporting events and the like does any of that still go on?
local company here used to pull 36 loads of chips out of Belgium a day he had guys out there monday to friday just running to and fro to the docks
When Brexit happened the company I was working for started sending about half their trailers out empty. Previously that mostly only happened at Xmas time.
They started charging more to cover the costs and you are paying a bit more when you go shopping to cover it. They also started using more short-sea boxes with foreign subbies loading them in the EU.
Events stuff has been changed because of cabotage rules, and the 90day rules. #Fly By Night
If you want more on this look at the Brexit thread or ask a question there.
Unfortunately some don’t like being reminded of things in other threads and go all dizzy!
Try and keep this on subject.
