Hello everybody. I’m a 27 year old guy from Glasgow, passed my Cat C, 1st time, at the end of August and passed the Cat C+E, also 1st time, on friday there. Quite chuffed but wish I had done it sooner! My old man drove all his days and think that going along with him in the artic’s when I was young has sort of rubbed off on me, now I want to try and get some work.
I would like to get into some of the big firms but understand they wouldn’t touch you with no experience. Agencies mostly are the same, some want you to start off small which is understandable.
I’m in a full time job just now, so it limits me to the spare time I have to get myself out there and into the deep end.
Anyone any advice on what to do? I’d like to leave my job and make myself available to agencies as much as I can, so that I can get more experience but worried I will be stuck for work or won’t get enough work.
No easy answer to that one! Now is the time of year that is traditionally busy for agency drivers with the onset of Christmas. But this year isn’t typical because of the recession. To leave your existing job to make yourself available is very brave/risky given that the agency normally dries up during January until around end February. So you probably won’t work for around 7 weeks in the new year. BUT you may strike lucky. With limited time available to give the agencies, you’re stifling your own chances. So, mate, in a word - you’re stuck!
It really depends on whether you can afford to live on next to nothing for a while if it doesn’t work out straight away. If you can’t, stay where you are and play it safe. If you can afford it, jack it in and take your chances. It could pay off. Whatever you decide, best of luck
THE DRIVER SHORTAGE IS AN ADVERTISING MYTH - Generally more drivers than jobs in the UK However, many newbies on this site have recently secured permanent full time employment
John Thomson:
I’m in a full time job just now, so it limits me to the spare time I have to get myself out there and into the deep end.
My advice - stay in your full time job until the recession ends.
If you have a Mon to Fri job then you can only drive under EU regs for one day every other weekend.
If you drive under EU regs at anytime during the fixed week (Mon 0000 to sun 2400) then you must make an official record of the other work you did in that week. Most do this by using a seperate tacho card for each of those other work days and on each card you must put your name, date, start & finish time.
Thanks for the quick reply Peter. Yeah to be honest I am stuck. It’s a hard decision. The airport has been gradually paying off people due to the downturn in business so I’ll maybe stick where I am until it’s my turn to go. It’s a shame as there is probably a few keen, confident & youngish guys like myself wanting to get out there onto the roads. I suppose I’ll have to just wait my turn, which hopefully wont be that long.
John - take the good advice you’ve been given here and DO NOT leave a full time job to try agency driving.
There are loads of agencies in the west of Scotland (and UK wide) who will promise you the earth. That promise will be “5 to 6 days of constant work” particularly in the run up to Xmas.
Certainly up here in the Strathclyde/Lanarkshire area, that promise is a load of crap! It’s simply a ploy to get you registered with them. With most agencies the Recruitment Consultant you’re dealing with get’s a “sign on” bonus for every driver they register on their books.
And most agencies have three types of Class 1 & 2 drivers on their books;
The “full time agency driver” with many years experience doing a wide variety of work, who works exclusively for an agency and no one else. A driver like this is always available at short notice, to do any kind of job. This driver is at the top of the queue and will get the first call and rarely turns them down. For his “loyalty” this driver can expect at least 4-5 days work most weeks, when it’s busy. When it’s quiet his work will drop down to 3-4 days or less, but he’s still expected to be available all year round (and extremely flexible!).
The driver with at least 2-5 years (or more) experience who is “in between permanent driving jobs”. A driver like this is expected to be available at short notice. This driver will be promised at least 5 days a week, but unless it’s really busy he won’t get more than 2-4 days a week. Depending on his “loyalty” over a fair period of time, he can expect to get anything thrown at him at any time!
If he starts turning them down they’ll soon stop phoning him - unless they’re absolutely desperate.
The “Newbie” with no experience or very little experience. Some agencies won’t sign them up at all depending on their age, but most will.
After this driver is signed up he’ll be expected to take absolutely anything they give him - and a lot of the work will be vans and 7.5 tonners to Class 2, doing anything from a few drops to multi-drop (70+ a day).
As mentioned further up you’re best staying in your full time job and doing one day every other weekend. And if by chance you get a shot at Class 1 work - go for it!
Not everything I’m saying above is set in stone. Some guys and girls get lucky with a particular agency and get more work than others - but agency work should never be viewed as a full time permanent job, because it’s not and never has been.
Twenty years ago in the Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire area their were quite literally only a handful of agencies. Two or three in particular were really good - and they were agencies “for drivers run by drivers” (or ex-drivers).
Now there are upwards of at least 40 to 50 agencies in Scotland alone - and most of them are cowboy outfits. Even the agencies with a good or reasonable reputation (half a dozen if you’re lucky!) are now completely “Client/Customer orientated” due to the severe business competition out there.
It’s the way of the world now and as usual the driver comes second most of the time.
It’s not all gloom and doom - and as has been said many times on here - look on your licence as an investment for the future…especially when we come out of this recession - although god knows when that will be!
Wow! Thanks for your comments Rog and Dave. High praise indeed considering how much I enjoy reading the excellent and informative posts that you both write on this forum.
Thanks for the advice. Yeah I think I’ll just hang fire just now until something comes up. As you say it’s an investment, so I’ll always have it. I’ll start writing to the big firms just on the off chance they’d take me on as a new driver. Agencies, as you say, are just out to make money off you, so I would rather try and get something off of my own back. I’ll let you all know how I get on
Best of luck john, I think You’re probably doing the right thing.
I got my C two years ago, things around here still seemed to be reasonable at that point (plenty of work about) but like a muppet I stayed with the place I was working and had a miserable year in their 7.5t. Eventually I’d had enough and left to go on the agencies (actually, they were all relatively honest) just as I did that the recession struck. It’s been just over a year, I’ve done a few appauling jobs but turned many down and eventually got a good reputation when it comes to class 2 work and things have got much better over the last couple of months.
I think I’ve been lucky though and think you’d need to be in a very secure position financialy to risk leaving a job at the moment. Congrat’s on getting your licenses though
I’m in a similar position, passed C a few weeks ago, saving like mad for C + E. Already decided to stay put until I can afford my C + E or get something “permanent” on C. I have a steady job at the moment (although it’s not what I want to do) and tempting though it is at times to think about jacking it in on the off chance of some agency work, I think I’d be mad to whilst the recession carries on!
At the moment I’m a bus driver, so plenty of experience of driving large vehicles, but the big difference I suppose is that my load walks on and off the vehicle on its own!
So, whilst the job I’m in isn’t ideal, I view my C licence, and eventually my C + E as an investment in a better future. Just hope my patience holds out!
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deff stick wiv ur job im 22 passed c in december 08 and jus passed c+e in march this year.I have a job driving vans and class 2.i applied for so many jobs and signed on for 3 agencies. ive had 1call from an agency thats it.good news tho been taken on full time as an artic driver start on monday nevous but cant wait any first day advise
im in edinburgh and am in exactly the same situation, been offered a place with first buses see it as a way to gain some large vehicle experience not sure if same opening would be available in glasgow!?
Great post, i started off with agencies as soon as i passed my class 2, i had been driving 7.5 for a few years decided i needed a change quit my job then paid for training to Class C using my savings (The wrong way to do it i know). I could not get a job so signed on an agency, luckily i got on really well with them and was getting 5 days a week although averaging only 2 a week on the Class C and as time went more Class C than 7.5 In fact when i did finally get a full time Class C job they did not want me to go and said they would always guarantee me 5 days a week and if for any reason they could not then would still pay me 5 days, a great agency I had been with them for about a year then though and i never let them down and they treated me well.
Now i passed my C+E Yesterday with no chance of driving C+E in my current job im considering going back on the agency but im not sure, i think i will write to some of the bigger companys first and have a word with my old agency and see if they have anything temp - perm that looks good.
CONGRATULATIONS on passing your “C” and “C+E” tests 
I had been with them for about a year then though and i never let them down and they treated me well.