OK so I’ve sat down this weekend and looked at the hgv situation and I’ve mentioned here b4 about wages etc. I’m in Warrington I have seen plenty of ads locally, Brakes, DHL, United utilities, royal mail all wanting hgv. I want to be a class 2 driver as I think the class 1 is maybe to much of a step. I want to do this ASAP.
I’ve booked my medical. What is the best route? I’ve seen places offering training then a guaranteed job. I can manage on £32k plus. I’m happy to work 50 or so hours. I’ve figured on £14 per hour I would be fine. I want to pass ASAP.
I guess what I’m saying is as a new pass will I get the work on that money or more? I want to be at home at night
Col81:
OK so I’ve sat down this weekend and looked at the hgv situation and I’ve mentioned here b4 about wages etc. I’m in Warrington I have seen plenty of ads locally, Brakes, DHL, United utilities, royal mail all wanting hgv. I want to be a class 2 driver as I think the class 1 is maybe to much of a step. I want to do this ASAP.
I’ve booked my medical. What is the best route? I’ve seen places offering training then a guaranteed job. I can manage on £32k plus. I’m happy to work 50 or so hours. I’ve figured on £14 per hour I would be fine. I want to pass ASAP.
I guess what I’m saying is as a new pass will I get the work on that money or more? I want to be at home at night
If your happy doing work on class 2 which generally involves a lot of ■■■■■■■ and dumping. And also happy working for the places that take newly qualified drivers on. And are happy with the potential hours and salary.
Then I’d say you’ve answered your own questions pretty much.
But as always caveat emptor as an analogy. There will always be downsides that come with it.
To get the money you want, be home every night and stick to class 2, you’re going to end up doing work that is physically demanding, but if you don’t mind that, then Brakes or B&Q in Preston Brook are probably your best bets. Both pay roughly what you’re after and will take new passes.
Don’t completely rule out going for class 1 though, there is a lot of day only work out there that is a lot less demanding than the class 2 work, pays better and increases your chances of finding work.
There will be work out there, try not to rely on agencies unless you have to as the work is often unreliable and uncertain.
Terry Cooksey:
To get the money you want, be home every night and stick to class 2, you’re going to end up doing work that is physically demanding,
What is physically demanding about driving a bin, skip, Hiab, gritter, pallet (if electric), cement, recovery, road sweeper or tipper?
None of them will pay the wage that OP is after, especially in the area he lives. The jobs I suggested will pay that wage, but will be more physical in nature. Brakes will involve picking then delivering food on cages, upto 30 cages on a rigid lorry each weighing several hundred kilos. They have to be dragged or pushed a faur distance, usually up ramps as well to get to the delivery points where you then have to unload them. Usually for an average of 12-20 drops per shift.
B&Q home delivery is exactly what it sounds like, so you could be delivering kitchen or bathroom suites, flooring, garden furniture etc. This stuff will all be big, bulky and heavy and you and a drivers mate will have to carry it to where the customer wants it, seeing as most houses aren’t pallet truck accessible.
Even the jobs you suggested, while not necessarily physically demanding are still demanding in other ways. Commercial bin wagons will do 80-150 collections a day, dragging either 660 litre or 1100 litre bins around at every drop as you will be unlikely to have anyone with you on these routes unlike residential waste collections. HIABs, skips etc tend to go to some of the tightest areas, completely unsuitable for wagons in order to make deliveries, so require huge amounts of concentration. Even pallet work, you’re more likely to find hens teeth than you are to see an electric pallet truck on a wagon, so you will be stuck with a manual one to shift pallets that can easily weigh over a tonne