I wonder if anyone out there is either thinking or going through the same thing in terms of building a C.V for the haulage industry. Having worked for myself for the last 10+ years in a unrelated profession I’m worried things are looking a little thread bare.
In terms of references etc I’ve only myself to ask really as a sole trader. Does anyone have any ideas or guidance? Love to hear how you are all getting on 
It can be surprising what can be useful on a CV that most might think is unrelated.
Have you got payslips for yourself for the last 5 years for each month? That proves you weren’t in jail, coupled with a CRB check to confirm can help you get into some agency work.
Big gaps unaccounted for can raise question marks and since you are your only reference, things like payslips can help prove you were doing what you said - If ever questioned
What was the unrelated work ? For example if it was an electrician driving a van, you have a working knowledge of regional and trunk roads, you can plan routes and manage your own time. If I remember rightly you’ve said you have helped a friend move their horsebox around in the past? 
There’s experience of a larger vehicle right there, albeit limited. If the horsebox was old, which is common, it probably had a paper tacho too ?
Depending on the type of work you’re going for, agencies aren’t that bothered about the CV, as long as there’s no gaps as already mentioned, you have a pulse, haven’t murdered anyone recently, have less than 6 points on your licence and there’s a chance you might turn up to the shift they’ve booked you for.
Hi Trucker Jimbob,
I thought I’d post a reply on this as it sounds very similar to my situation. I’d been self-employed for 10 years in I.T and then self-employed for another year in a more manual job, so as far as having anything related to HGV driving or even having a large company to vouch for me as a reference were non-existent - my CV looks very plain indeed.
I just used my previous skills and adapted them for the HGV industry e.g self-sufficient at problem solving. I sent an application to a well known postage company and after having a driving assessment I was offered a job as a class 2 driver. I also had no problems with agencies but preferred the reliability of a proper job so opted for that.
I think you’ll be fine mate.
Best of luck to you.
Thanks for the reply. In a word No. I didn’t give myself a payslip at any point and with the work being seasonal as a landscaper income varied considerably during the course of the year.
I also regularly took 2-3 months out to travel during my “off season”…of course I could give lots of speil regarding my life and business experiences that would no doubt translate over into other industries but I don’t want to come across as fake or trying too hard.
Lots of face to face customer management and use of high powered machinery etc. Stopping short of giving them my books Which isn’t going to happen I’m not really sure how I could “prove” what I’ve been doing…I could of course provide a portfolio of works, website details and yell.com reviews but it seems to me at least that wouldn’t really be appropriate.
In my experience driver jobs don’t need a CV, as long as you’ve got all your cards (DL, DQC and Tacho) and maybe a check code to share with them at interview so they can check your licence, all they really care about is: is your licence clean(ish) and can you show you’ve got some experience.
CVs are more for white-collar jobs, and even when one is needed is doesn’t need to be too fancy, there’s far too much made about CVs: you’ve either got what they are looking for or you haven’t. And fancy CVs always say to me that the applicant is likely to be full of excrement.
Hi, I was in a similar situation to you. I have run my own landscaping and garden maintenance business for over 20 years and I have just started working as a 7.5t driver to get experience before taking my CE test.
The landscaping was wearing my body out to much and I wanted something slightly less physically demanding.
I applied for a few jobs with reputable companies like John Lewis as they would give me support while learning the ropes and weren’t going to push me to bend the rules.
On my CV I emphasized the fact that I drove the company’s van, that I was used to physical work and my customer service skills are excellent.
These days with people purchasing on line, the delivery driver is the face of the company, so being presentable, personable and professional is important. In regards to references I used some long standing customers of mine.
I am lucky in that driving has always been a major part of any job I have done but I haven’t driven anything bigger than 3.5t for over thirty years. I didn’t expect to get a job easily but I was offered a job in a couple of days and John Lewis I got through the interview and they asked me to come in for a assessment drive but I had already accepted another job so turned them down.
So in the current job market it is possible to get a job with limited experience. Good luck on your journey
Same boat!
Also in IT as a self-employed software developer for 20+ years.
My CV is plain - working for myself, however I have multiple works in the public domain and some press releases about some not-so-public work that I can use to show I was working, so I guess that helps.
I can relax a little now I think. 
An advantage of being self-employed is it shows a desire to get up in the morning, and get things done without someone standing over the top of you to get things done.
Good luck!
Zac_A:
In my experience driver jobs don’t need a CV, as long as you’ve got all your cards (DL, DQC and Tacho) and maybe a check code to share with them at interview so they can check your licence, all they really care about is: is your licence clean(ish) and can you show you’ve got some experience.
CVs are more for white-collar jobs, and even when one is needed is doesn’t need to be too fancy, there’s far too much made about CVs: you’ve either got what they are looking for or you haven’t. And fancy CVs always say to me that the applicant is likely to be full of excrement.
Things are changing, some of the best jobs won’t consider anyone without a CV, doesn’t need to be anything fancy.