True, it’s logical to lock the van/truck if you have to leave it, or you can’t park right outside the customers’ door. I think if I had to park away and it was quite a large order, I’d let the customer unpack, whilst I went back for the second load. I gather the employer will teach you about potential theives and how to spot them as part of the training.
Been to see my Mum today she thinks I’d be good at a driving job, tho I think she said HGV isn’t for me, and I want to prove her wrong. It looks like I need to get a p/t job to start with and work my way up to full time. Whilst I’m on ESA and a work programme the job centre won’t fund me.
Did find a job doing cleaning, shopping, light meal preperation for elderly folks, maybe not ideal given as I’d like to drive, or other than that museum work intersts me (especially if it’s in a railway museum), just my HGV funding is somewhat up in the air. I did say to my mum about Fiona, she was a day driver for Eddie Stobart, and was featured on that “Eddie Stobart Trucks and Trailers” programme, as I think I did convince her that HGV wasn’t all tramping over Europe, and risking illegal immigrants trying to climb in the back of your truck. It was Fiona who planted the HGV idea in my head, but it’s just how do I go about funding it, that’s the difficult part GRRRRR!!! I gather the only way is if I can get a job starting out say doing 3.5t and if my employer will pay to upgrade, the only problem with that is then I gather I have to work for whoever be it Ocada, Tesco, Stobart for a set period of time. The only way I can see of me getting my HGV is to join the Auxilliary RAF , as I think I’ve got 'til I’m 49 and driving there, only thing is the RAF base near me is police/intel and not transport GRRRR!!!
My learning to drive a LGV/HGV has maybe taken a slightly odd progression. I thought it appears the only way to fund it is to do so myself, so I’ve been applying for work, not neccessarily driving in order to fund it. I did apply for Support Worker vacancy , (that’s helping learning disabled adults with cooking, cleaning, shopping and taking them socialising) with Mencap 20 hrs pw, tho that vacancy was pulled , but was able to offer altervatives, so I started with Mencap yesterday. As I’m on ESA I’m on a zero hours contract doing relief support work, was worried about 0 hours tho I think that’s only really a problem if on JSA. I know between a few homes in the area I can work up to 15 1/2 hours and keep my ESA. The idea being I move onto a set hours contract in the near future. Whilst doing “permitted work” on ESA I keep my ESA. With a view to eventually upping my hours to a p/t or f/t proper contract.
My impetus for applying for other jobs was to fund my LGV/HGV myself. I did start work with Mencap yesterday. Quite an enjoyable day, paid for sitting in Whetherspoons at lunchtime, quite a few residents like to go in there. I do seem to quite enjoy the work, different to most care work. I think hopefully if I still decide to do my LGV/HGV I can save some money for this, I know it’s taking the scenic route rather than the motorway. if any HGV driving schools have an open day perhaps it’s worth visitingto test the water for HGV driving, tho I;d love to have the full licence just to say I can drive a truck. Getting my motorbike licence is also on the cards, the only thing putting me off was money or lack of .
Louise