Hi,I passed class1 last october,im been a self employed driving instructor for eight years,member of the IAM for four years,and I am struggling to get a foot in the door.Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.I have gone round all the local guys,and registered with a couple of agencies,but any tips would be a help.
Thanks!
Give us your location that might be helpfull.
You have to accept that the economy is in a poor state at present so not many new jobs .Keep an eye on your local council website as well as all agencies.
Why not try an add on the site for jobs just put your location and type of work you want, its free ! you never know…good luck.
billrob:
Hi,I passed class1 last october,im been a self employed driving instructor for eight years,member of the IAM for four years,and I am struggling to get a foot in the door.Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.I have gone round all the local guys,and registered with a couple of agencies,but any tips would be a help.
Thanks!
The only bit that matters to most employers is the bit in blue - the rest can be disregarded
Many employers look for the (up to) 2 years of holding the relevant category and your age (over 25) for insurance purposes
Hi,sorry,I am in Fife,and Im 47,thanks for the tips!,Ill just have to keep looking.I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.
thanks again for the help
Bill
billrob:
Hi,sorry,I am in Fife,and Im 47,thanks for the tips!,Ill just have to keep looking.I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.
thanks again for the help
Bill
After holding the category for 3 years you might get a job LGV instructing especially if your ADI qualification is still current - not much help for now but a possiblity for the future 
Hi Rog,thats my thinking but I need to fill 3 years,lol,I`ll keep looking and putting my face around the local ones,thanks for the help guys
Bill
billrob:
I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.
I can’t think of a single reason why being a car driving instructor would help you to get a job on the lorries 
Good luck with the job hunting anyway 
tachograph:
billrob:
I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.I can’t think of a single reason why being a car driving instructor would help you to get a job on the lorries
Good luck with the job hunting anyway
If I was choosing a driver I would pick the instructor who has been self employed,drives safely,and a member of the IAM,so he must take pride in his good safe driving,I may well be wrong of course,but I felt this gives me an edge over a guy who works in a factory and get a class1.
Bill
billrob:
tachograph:
billrob:
I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.I can’t think of a single reason why being a car driving instructor would help you to get a job on the lorries
Good luck with the job hunting anyway
If I was choosing a driver I would pick the instructor who has been self employed,drives safely,and a member of the IAM,so he must take pride in his good safe driving,I may well be wrong of course,but I felt this gives me an edge over a guy who works in a factory and get a class1.
Bill
Depending on the job I suppose it could give you an edge over a factory worker, but it’s not going to give you an edge over an experienced lorry driver, and there are thousands of experienced lorry drivers looking for work at the moment.
billrob:
Hi,I passed class1 last october,im been a self employed driving instructor for eight years,member of the IAM for four years,and I am struggling to get a foot in the door.Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.I have gone round all the local guys,and registered with a couple of agencies,but any tips would be a help.
Thanks!
Welcome billrob as you rightly say “new driver” I’m a qualified ADI over 10 years (silvercar on ADI forums). ADI counts for nothing and some ADI type thinking in HGV’s might hinder you. I currently trunk class 2, 26 tonne the magic 2 years for class 1 comes up in feb 13. I started in agency work mostly class 2 with the odd class 1 shift. Expect a big wage drop or long hrs for decent money involving nights.
Do vans for agency the main thing is to show a bit of “can do”, not long after you will get class 2, followed by "emergency can’t get anyone else class 1. I started doing fruit and veg at 5am, with the “in the know” chefs and hotels nicking all better quality produce. 
a potato and or tomato were all the same to me.
Prepare to swallow any ADI “superiority” (not saying you have any). Tell others you have just started don’t hide the fact to other drivers the decent drivers are all to willing to help and outnumber the knobs in my experience.
The ADI thing might be better kept to yourself among employee’s, I bumped a van parked in stupid place parking at the yard in the dark, the company have been good about it, but the ribbing and leg pulling was worse because of the ADI thing. My pride was dented more than the van I hit, p.s it’s bloody hard not hitting stuff in tight yards in the dark. 
tachograph:
billrob:
tachograph:
billrob:
I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.I can’t think of a single reason why being a car driving instructor would help you to get a job on the lorries
Good luck with the job hunting anyway
If I was choosing a driver I would pick the instructor who has been self employed,drives safely,and a member of the IAM,so he must take pride in his good safe driving,I may well be wrong of course,but I felt this gives me an edge over a guy who works in a factory and get a class1.
BillDepending on the job I suppose it could give you an edge over a factory worker, but it’s not going to give you an edge over an experienced lorry driver, and there are thousands of experienced lorry drivers looking for work at the moment.
Totally agree with this statement the only advantage over experienced drivers is that over many years and hours it is difficult to keep the license completely clean, that’s a fact of life in the professional driving game. I suggest getting a truck sat nav with bridges and speed camera’s on, not because you want to speed but as an ADI you knew your “home ground”. The speed limit and signs/scameras may not be as obvious in the dark in strange area’s when you are busy trying to figure how not to get lost . I have a snooper s7000 find it really handy.
billrob:
tachograph:
billrob:
I did think that being an instructor would give me an edge over other guys but apparently not.I can’t think of a single reason why being a car driving instructor would help you to get a job on the lorries
Good luck with the job hunting anyway
If I was choosing a driver I would pick the instructor who has been self employed,drives safely,and a member of the IAM,so he must take pride in his good safe driving,I may well be wrong of course,but I felt this gives me an edge over a guy who works in a factory and get a class1.
Bill
Having done your test you should know that driving a lorry is a completely different ball game to cars… The whole IAM, ADI, safe driving for life ■■■■, you can forget that because your gonna be expected to put your foot down… Unless you get on for the likes of dhl, tescos etc, your in for a shock…
Saaamon:
Having done your test you should know that driving a lorry is a completely different ball game to cars… The whole IAM, ADI, safe driving for life [zb], you can forget that because your gonna be expected to put your foot down… Unless you get on for the likes of dhl, tescos etc, your in for a shock…
30, 40, 50 and 55 mph! 
hourly paid 
don’t speed for anyone! 
if it aint legal! it ain’t worth doing! 
As you are in Fife if you are not to far from Glen Farg try Binn landfill site ,he takes on newbees…Another possibilty would be a tipper firm near Kirckaldy cant recall the name but they run blue and yellow motors.I think that there must be some work with the new Forth crossing.Remember as others say dont rush about and lose your shiny new license for some idiot of a gaffer,I hope that I dont sound too bitter.
Cheers guys,that is a lot of good sensible advice,Im not really an adi like driver,done a bit of rally stuff back in the Mk2 ■■■■■■ days,Im in a couple of agencies now so I`ll just need to keep plugging away,in the mean time if you guys know anyone looking for a good instructor call me on,lol,
Thanks again for the help,this is a good site,lots of good info!
Cheers,
Bill