I just wanted to ask that I have recently passed my HGV test last December 23. I wanted a career change from manufacturing so decided to go ahead with truck driving. I was told and heard about the shortage of drivers so I assumed that plenty of work was available, correct work is available but struggling to find a place that excepts new drivers. Even gone through agencies and the only reply I get is that no company will take on new drivers due to the higher risk and Insurance premiums. Having experience is also essential which I understand but my question is how would you get the experience of companies are not willing to take you on. So in a nutshell could anyone please direct me in the best way to get on-board. I’m currently in the north west near Manchester any help would be highly appreciated. Many thanks in advance
It’s the age-old Catch-22 situation: “can’t get a job without experience, can’t get experience without a job”.
In every area someone will know the companies who take a chance on newbies, I’m in the north-east so I’ll leave that to those nearer to you.
Bear in mind that you’re up against it from the get-go, so many of those who have come into the industry recently have been abysmal; both incapable and irresponsible and with unrealistic expectations of large wages.
Passing “the attitude test” is all important; don’t rely on internet adverts, IMO many are totally bogus; there’s still a place in this industry for “knocking on doors”, just make sure you’re properly equipped when you do so.
Sorry mate, it is just your luck, or not. Never taken an HGV test in my life (with the exception of in France where, unused to a left h ooker on the right hand side I bounced the new boss off his seat by mounting the verge ), but I passed my car test one morning and started driving a lorry in the afternoon, then several jobs later the boss told me on a Friday that I was on an artic on Monday so take it home and practice over the weekend.
Just got to keep pushing away at it, and don’t bang into anything in his yard when you drive in in your car.
Apply for anything & everything & ignore the experience. That’s what I did & took the offer up from a low paying desperado helping a new desperado lol. It payed off as It gave me enough experience to pass an assessment elsewhere.
Here’s one for you, & as it’s a tramping roll the commute will not be an issue
The quickest way is also quite high risk. It would involve leaving your job and taking any driving work going on agency or otherwise, be it van, 7.5 tonne, class 2 etc. Without experience you are unlikely to get let loose on class 1.
If a full-time job is your aim, then this may be a few months down the line, unless you’re lucky. In terms of some of the better work, this may be 2-5 years off, depending on a number of factors, including your location and sheer luck.
Edit: The only other option may be from knowing someone or knocking on doors at local haulage firms. If you seem keen they may take you under their wing, but it may depend on how desperate they are for drivers.
If you’re willing to travel to Trafford Park give CSM a ring, ask for Anthony. I left about 18 month ago but they would give new passes a chance when I was there.
Can pm you his number but sure its on the website.
I can only speak from my short experience, as I have only been driving a couple of years, but what I did to minimise the risk was work every other Sunday, around my full time job.
This allowed me to gain valuable experience, whilst working out if the job was actually something I wanted to do long term.
A month after passing my Class 1 test in 2022 I managed to get an assessment with Tesco via their agency at the local depot (45 minute commute) and thankfully passed, even though my reversing wasn’t up to much at the time. The fortnightly shift was great in building experience and at the end of last year I decided to make the shift from full time employment in an office, to agency life with Tesco.
I now usually get 2-4 shifts per week, working around looking after our 2 year old (saving money on childcare) and financially I’m not much worse off than when I was working 5 days a week in an office. So far so good, and even with the uncertainty of the agency work, I may continue with it even once our child has gone to school.
This could be a possible way to get a start, whilst not risking losing your full time job.
I think goff118’s experience may be the exception rather than the rule. In my experience those types of assessment may involve 1 or more of the following:
a) a reverse onto a bay, with trailers on both sides and with possible limited space opposite
b) a similar reverse but between two trailers parked up and with less space either side and also limited space opposite
c) a mock-up situation like you are reversing at a location somewhere, possibly having to more or less jack-knife to get it in.
Sometimes drivers with 20-30 years experience fail assessments, so I just want to give you an idea rather than give false hope. It is harder than the reversing exercise (3a as it is now) and you only get one attempt.
One assessor said to me once he had seen one new pass manage a tight reverse between trailers in all his years, and the guy had worked on a farm dealing with trailers all his life.
I think it was around the time where there was actually a shortage and they were desperate to fill seats, hence the wage increases every few months around that time, so I was lucky in that regard.
For my assessment at Tesco’s b’stard relation I just had to reverse the trailer back where I hitched up to it. No bay, no between trailers etc and at Freightroute there was no assessment what so ever.
), but I passed my car test one morning and started driving a lorry in the afternoon, then several jobs later the boss told me on a Friday that I was on an artic on Monday so take it home and practice over the weekend.
