Newbie VAN driver avenues... Hiab related

As a semi experienced Newbie, I thought I would add on to the theme f-reds kicked off with his great post/diary about oversized VAN driving here: :wink:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=136300

It shows that not all oversized VAN work is a desperately hard slog that you will hate. Yes there are the shop, catering, residential and other high volume multi-drop jobs that are a real hard balls ache, but there are other oversized van driver jobs about that a Newbie may not consider, or even know aboutā€¦ The most obvious is tippers, as that requires no additional licences. But as you can see with f-reds post and his moffitt forklift, there are gigs that you donā€™t have to break your balls doingā€¦

Even though Iā€™m a class 1 god (as Beaver calls himself, the deluded nut! :smiley:) Iā€™m currently driving an oversized van :grimacing: delivering and collecting modular scaffolding. I say modular as in laymanā€™s terms itā€™s a preset and sized framework that builds/interlocks together in sectional blocks, and consists of a set uniform and predefined list of components. As such, everything fits on a stillage or in a basket, which are either fork-lifted or hiabā€™ed, on and off the truck. Letā€™s make this easier, hereā€™s a pic!

The job basically consists of making a MAXIMUM of a couple of drops a day, especially if you are loading to the gunnels, as I have in this pic. Hope Iā€™m not overweight! :blush: And yes, Iā€™ll get it out of the way now, I would have liked a couple more straps over the front section to be 100% confident in debating my position with VOSA, whether that section is secured as well as it could be. But iā€™d used all the straps I had, and will be in the office Monday morning asking for a couple moreā€¦ But back to the job, as the other thing thatā€™s different, or good about this job, is that people generally donā€™t run away from me when I turn up, & when I do, I can normally park! :smiley: And while a building site is dusty and rough terrain, you get ā€œthe crackā€, and there is generally a good atmosphere and a bit of banterā€¦

There is physicality to the job, as you have to band up (put plastic banding around) scaffold boards and a few other things, you have to muck about sliding strops under or around things, you have strap up your load securely as itā€™s heavy and on show, and you have to re-stack some stuff (which depends on how thoughtful the scaffolder has been! :imp:) But thatā€™s not all a bad thing; itā€™s a bit of exercise/fitness, as well as dead easy when it comes to securing the load, as itā€™s all accessible! :grimacing:

Now youā€™re not going to earn the big bucks on this gig, as the hours are fairly short. (7:30am to 4pm for me). But for me at the moment while Iā€™m waiting on something else going on, itā€™s a sweet little low stress number, and I donā€™t even have a Hiab ticket! :open_mouth: So all my loads are forked off or taken off by tower craneā€¦

So if there are any Newbieā€™s looking at what they can do when they enter the industry, I hope this helps! :smiley:

Your turn Radar! :wink:

Beeze you are clearly an amateur mate. A proper scaffolding monkey would have only had 3 straps over the whole lot!

:wink:

Now in all seriousness, that gig looks pretty sound, especially as you donā€™t even have pull your boom out! Come on Radar, show us what they are missing out on pallet work wiseā€¦

PS Iā€™d kill for a 1600 finish. I run out of hours at 2045, and Iā€™m still the wrong side of the Dartford Crossing. Could this be an unplanned night out?? :stuck_out_tongue:

You guys want me to do a diary?

Cheers pal, but I still want those extra couple of straps, as every load is different and Iā€™d rather strap the crap out of it and have a clear conscience, as well as getting paid to do it! :wink:

Yeah Iā€™m only filling in on this gig to help out the agency, and only want a temp gig for a few weeksā€¦ But a full timer would have to get or have his/her hiab ticket to do this long term, as currently itā€™s dead weight on the truck with me. Talking of the truck, man is it underpowered! :laughing: Iā€™m down to 35 on steep hills fully loaded. :blush: Itā€™s a quality Hiab as well with remote control, but Iā€™m not interested as I have other plans, plus the cab looks like a vacuum cleanerā€™s dustbag, itā€™s got itā€™s own beach! :laughing:

Iā€™m contracted for a 4pm finish, and have left at 3:30 once when I askedā€¦ There has been a few later finishes, but nothing like 8:45! :open_mouth: I think the clue for you was that they gave you a sleeper cab! :wink: Best of luck in getting back thoughā€¦

Radar19:
You guys want me to do a diary?

No mate, more a job overviewā€¦

Evil8Beezle:

Radar19:
You guys want me to do a diary?

No mate, more a job overviewā€¦

You gotta be more specific, my days range from stupidly easy to downright stupid.

Radar19:

Evil8Beezle:

Radar19:
You guys want me to do a diary?

No mate, more a job overviewā€¦

You gotta be more specific, my days range from stupidly easy to downright stupid.

Well what Iā€™ve tried to show here is that Class 2 work is not all about the jobs that most Newbieā€™s end up in, which are the ones that no one else want to do.!!! Now Iā€™m under the assumption that you donā€™t hate your gig, and as such Iā€™d ask you just give a general overview of what the job entails, and the proā€™s and conā€™s of it. Keep company info out, and if needed iā€™ll edit your picā€™s to remove indicators, as thatā€™s no problem for me! :smiley:

You did do a Tacho vid! :wink:

Besides, Iā€™m sure a Newbie will pop up at some point and say thanks! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Let me see what pics I have kicking around.

Evil8Beezle:
Iā€™m contracted for a 4pm finish, and have left at 3:30 once when I askedā€¦ There has been a few later finishes, but nothing like 8:45! :open_mouth: I think the clue for you was that they gave you a sleeper cab! :wink: Best of luck in getting back thoughā€¦

Iā€™m allergic to nights outā€¦ Finished on 14:40 but that is a very rare occasion luckily. All a bit amatuerish on my behalf, a proper diver would have rung and asked for an extra collection :wink:

I think youā€™re right, too often on here its the story of ā€œwoe betide meā€¦ā€ Its nice to here some people have got jobs they donā€™t hate, and suit them hours wise!

F-reds:

Evil8Beezle:
Iā€™m contracted for a 4pm finish, and have left at 3:30 once when I askedā€¦ There has been a few later finishes, but nothing like 8:45! :open_mouth: I think the clue for you was that they gave you a sleeper cab! :wink: Best of luck in getting back thoughā€¦

Iā€™m allergic to nights outā€¦ Finished on 14:40 but that is a very rare occasion luckily. All a bit amatuerish on my behalf, a proper diver would have rung and asked for an extra collection :wink:

I think youā€™re right, too often on here its the story of ā€œwoe betide meā€¦ā€ Its nice to here some people have got jobs they donā€™t hate, and suit them hours wise!

Exactly pal! :smiley:
Not all oversized VAN work makes you miserable or is a balls ache, which is what is generally portayed! As Iā€™ve said before, Iā€™d driver a Belingo van if the effort was worth the reward! :smiley: So when I see a good gig, if you want to drive a VAN, I thought iā€™d post about it for a bit of contrastā€¦

Plus although the firm is part of a bigger group, the guys are sound as a regional branch, and do their jobs well!
As long as I get my extra straps within the week, Iā€™ve not a single thing to wibble about! :laughing:

That actually looks like a fair sized van mate ile give you that :slight_smile:. But on a serious note great post it shows newbies there is a different side to class 2 work that isnā€™t just multi drop and working your ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  off!

ash 001:
That actually looks like a fair sized van mate ile give you that :slight_smile:. But on a serious note great post it shows newbies there is a different side to class 2 work that isnā€™t just multi drop and working your ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  off!

+1 All I did on Friday was start at 6am 22 pallets so SE16 from Southampton then 3 collections for dark side of my firm (pallet ways ) back in Southampton back to yard tipped reloaded for Monday clocked out a 5pm all in a 18tnnr

ash 001:
That actually looks like a fair sized van mate Iā€™ll give you that :slight_smile:. But on a serious note great post it shows newbies there is a different side to class 2 work that isnā€™t just multi drop and working your ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  off!

Cheers pal, yes itā€™s a 26tā€™er with a 26ft bed. Even though itā€™s got a Tag axle itā€™s not a rear steer so cuts in a fair amountā€¦
That was my only collection for the day so was finished by 3pm, plus as it was a Friday i was paid until 4pm! :grimacing:

Al these ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

blue estate:

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

I bet youā€™d swap pay packets with him though! :wink:

Evil8Beezle:

blue estate:

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

I bet youā€™d swap pay packets with him though! :wink:

Yep and keep my hours :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

blue estate:

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  :laughing: Come do my GIG for a week please I beg of you :slight_smile: Iā€™ve been trying to get Evil to come and have a go for a week but he doesnā€™t fancy is either!

ash 001:

blue estate:

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

[zb] :laughing: Come do my GIG for a week please I beg of you :slight_smile: Iā€™ve been trying to get Evil to come and have a go for a week but he doesnā€™t fancy is either!

I think I told you to go and make love to yourself! :smiley:

ash 001:

blue estate:

ash 001:
Al these [zb] finishing at 3pm Evil whats going on im not even half way through my 15 hour day by then am I ?! lol

My heart bleeds (NOT!) for your :grimacing:

[zb] :laughing: Come do my GIG for a week please I beg of you :slight_smile: Iā€™ve been trying to get Evil to come and have a go for a week but he doesnā€™t fancy is either!

One problem! Do you have rigid trucks as I only have cat C