I wouldn’t bother with your class 1 beginning to wish I’d spent the money on something useful like my motorbike licence. I’ve had class 2 since 2012 so thought I’d upgrade to class 1 and absolutely know one wants to know without 2 years experience. Get your self on a plumbers course or bricklaying.
Baldy91:
I wouldn’t bother with your class 1 beginning to wish I’d spent the money on something useful like my motorbike licence. I’ve had class 2 since 2012 so thought I’d upgrade to class 1 and absolutely know one wants to know without 2 years experience. Get your self on a plumbers course or bricklaying.
That’s rubbish. I passed my class 1 and had a full time job in a week. In fact I had various options for who I worked for. I got off my arse and made an effort though and had been in contact with companies long before I passed and then got in my car and just turned up and made further enquiries. Everyone who is giving it the “oh woe is me” seems to have just pinged off a few emails. Get off your backside and make an effort and there’s plenty of jobs out there.
It’s not rocket science. Most agencies won’t take new passes for insurance reasons, but the people who use agencies will. So enquire directly with the general hauliers. They can employ you directly much cheaper so won’t worry about a few quid extra for insurance. Then you get your experience and then the whole lot is open to you.
Its so annoying…and people I dont go in asking for a Jo with this attitude…im not a lunatic…ive been out on my days off and still no one wants 2 know…just time wasters, I would move to Bristol or somewhere like that but the missus is on an apprentaship here
I have said before to people like damien88 you need to start small,a lot of us in this game started on vans and worked ourselves up the ladder to the big wagons that’s what you need to do damien88,i start off with any prospective job by telling future employers I don’t mind what I drive ,if they start you on vans then swallow it sooner or later they will need someone to cover another driver,they will say so and so has a class2/class1 give him a go,prove yourself and you are there,i started on one of my jobs driving a 7.5 tonner 2 months later I was class1 until I left a couple of years later when I moved
Tris-spot on mate. As I have mentioned earlier,same experience. Put the effort in,SOMEONE WILL give you a shot. If its what you really want you will persevere.
Failing that,go order picking.
Or get a new missus.
truckman020:
I have said before to people like damien88 you need to start small,a lot of us in this game started on vans and worked ourselves up the ladder to the big wagons that’s what you need to do damien88,i start off with any prospective job by telling future employers I don’t mind what I drive ,if they start you on vans then swallow it sooner or later they will need someone to cover another driver,they will say so and so has a class2/class1 give him a go,prove yourself and you are there,i started on one of my jobs driving a 7.5 tonner 2 months later I was class1 until I left a couple of years later when I moved
He doesn’t need to start small. If he’s got his class 1 he should be using it. Not working his way up. That’s just wasting time and losing money. Plus there are more class 1 vacancies than class 2.
This is absolute bullshine… I passed my HGV2 in 2013, within a month I was picking up infrequent agency shifts, a month after that i was picking up REGULAR agency shifts and it wasn’t long after that, companies started ringing and asking the agencies to book me… its all about hard work and attitude, if you keep your head down, don’t moan and have a positive attitude you WILL get work… now 2 years on im in full time employment with a small local company and looking at doing my class 1.
Consider doing your ADR, HIAB and if you can stretch to it your Moffet. i did the first 2 and it opened TONS of doors to me in new companies!
B…
damien88:
Its so annoying…and people I dont go in asking for a Jo with this attitude…im not a lunatic…ive been out on my days off and still no one wants 2 know…just time wasters, I would move to Bristol or somewhere like that but the missus is on an apprentaship here
Don’t get disheartened, just work out where you’re going wrong and put it right. Sell yourself more, and speak to the right people… If you’re going for a job with a family business ring up the organ grinder, not the monkey. Tell them you’d be flexible on working nights, having nights out, working weekends etc.
msgyorkie:
Why not do what I did when I was younger and starting out…
I started out out driving vans delivering pesticides to farms, it was here that I got the chance of driving a 7.5 tonner (grandfather rights back then).
After a couple of years of driving puddle jumpers I then paid for my HGV 2. HOWEVER I kept driving the 7.5 tonner for a couple of years with the odd day here and there on a 26 tonner rigid thrown in.
That gave me the 2 years under my belt in order to move up the food chain to a haulage firm driving a tipper. Then I took my class 1 and simply moved onto the firms bigger motors.
So to repeat…
Downsize to a van/7.5 tonner for 2 years untill you get that under your belt…it WILL slot into place if you are patient.
Spot on.
For all the crap said about agencies I only needed one to progress me on the lorries. Got my Class 2 when I was a loader a few years back and did a few emergency night trunks and other little jobs like rescuing drivers near by that had run out of hours.
Left that drop when that company went bust. Did 1yr van driving for local electrical shop for fun, then phoned an agency for Class 2 work and I was straight in a temp to perm job (12wks) and stayed there (Foodservice company, always take on new drivers) for just over 1yr. Passed my Class 1 so phoned up the same agency and they had me in DHL TradeTeam (They take on newly passed drivers) after my weeks notice. I had to do a weeks training on pub delivery and stayed there for 3mths during this always on the lookout for a full time job.
Saw an advert for my current job listing walking floors, bulk tippers, ejectors, low loaders etc with the magic wording “Experience preferred but not essential” which was good as i had done none of those trailers, so emailed them a CV and got a interview. About 1hr after my interview I was told I got the job and can start straight away. So as the agency had been good to me I didn’t drop them in the poop and did another week for them at DHL as I might need them again in the future.
In a nutshell the right agency can be very useful for getting experience.
There is a summary of my biography which im hoping to get published and become a best seller but in the meantime I will carry on driving lorries and being shown loads of new equipment.
He’s not got his CE according to his post. I tried anywhere and everywhere like him to get a start, did crappiest jobs on agency just to get noticed, then after a while insisted on cat C which they did.
Revamped CV completely and put had experience even if I didn’t say it might have only been a couple of weeks[emoji57]
Eventually got a full time job. Not best paying but it’s about me building up experience to move onto another job that does pay more.
I sympathise with your frustrations but don’t turn bitter or it’s going to stand out at any interview whether you realise it or not.
I’m desperately trying to find night work, preferably with no nights out as would suit personal circumstances but like you I’ve hit a barrier of experience or they want CE. I’ll keep trying but at mo not a lot doing. Think there would be as I live on M62 corridor !
Just keep plugging away. Keep asking same firms as well every so often. Might not have vacancy now but next time you ask they might.
Can’t understand why agency won’t take you on? Nearly everyone I registered with had no problem with new passes
The daft thing about this 2 year experience is that you just need to have held your licence for 2 years so you are nearly half way there anyway.
If you really want to get into driving, have you thought about buses? (seriously, let me explain)
First or Stagecoach will (if your application is successful) train you for free and guarantee you a job at the end if you pass. You do that for a couple of years while your LGV “matures”
You will also then have experience of larger vehicles that will show up on any assessment drives you have. (unfortunately bus experience doesn’t count as I found out after about 5 years on the buses but still getting hit with the 2 year malarkey with my brand new LGV licence)
He’s got as far as a test drive/day out and they’ve said come back when you’ve got a bit of experience. That speaks volumes, especially if its from a tipper company !!! 
Bungle666:
This is absolute bullshine… I passed my HGV2 in 2013, within a month I was picking up infrequent agency shifts, a month after that i was picking up REGULAR agency shifts and it wasn’t long after that, companies started ringing and asking the agencies to book me… its all about hard work and attitude, if you keep your head down, don’t moan and have a positive attitude you WILL get work… now 2 years on im in full time employment with a small local company and looking at doing my class 1.Consider doing your ADR, HIAB and if you can stretch to it your Moffet. i did the first 2 and it opened TONS of doors to me in new companies!
B…
Agreed - you should hear the drivers moan where i work – they moan about everything - no wonder they hate the job so much, I reckon they have convinced themselves how bad the job is…I started with an agency and within 8 weeks got offered full time and this was before some drivers that had been casual for over a year.
The reason why ! I don’t moan, stay positive and just get on with the job - have good ethic and your get what you want sooner than you thing…I’m now driving a 2015 plated V8 Scania worth ■■■■ loads and happy as pig in ■■■■.
Semtex:
The daft thing about this 2 year experience is that you just need to have held your licence for 2 years so you are nearly half way there anyway.If you really want to get into driving, have you thought about buses? (seriously, let me explain)
First or Stagecoach will (if your application is successful) train you for free and guarantee you a job at the end if you pass. You do that for a couple of years while your LGV “matures”
You will also then have experience of larger vehicles that will show up on any assessment drives you have. (unfortunately bus experience doesn’t count as I found out after about 5 years on the buses but still getting hit with the 2 year malarkey with my brand new LGV licence)
Agreed - I also considered driving buses and coaches - but had some luck with an agency otherwise I would have gone this root…Don’t know what the money is like in the UK as left the UK 14 yrs ago but in Oz its pretty good !.
Spacemonkeypg:
Not sure if its any help or not, but as a TM trying to find class 2 multi drop drivers it is hard. Most people go straight into the C+E and from then on deem themselves to important to drive a rigid.There are jobs there on the likes of palletline and other such networks, people will scoff at them as they are not the glory £20ph, mobile christmas tree wallet on a chain style job BUT they are your door way to experience. 3663, Brakes and other food cage work is the same.
Firstly people go for class 1 as soon as possible to avoid exactly that worst case scenario of local/multi drop type work.
Unless or until there is a compulsory job progression order in the industry which stops the situation of some drivers getting all the zb breaks while others get all the best then obviously joining in the rush is the way to go.As it stands my advice is don’t be a mug in thinking that settling for the worst type of options will make the slightest difference when going for the best ones.IE the ‘experience’ thing doesn’t just stop at age it usually applies on a job specific basis and if you get categorised as a rigid multi drop driver there’s a good chance that’s where you’ll stay because good multi drop drivers are always in demand simply because it is one of the worst possible options in the industry.While the idea is to get categorised as specialising in the best.
‘Best’ in this case possibly meaning that driving a rigid ‘can’ actually be a better option than driving an artic.As always the key is usually distance work involving as few drops and collections as possible. 
arkin:
Have you tried telling lies about your experience? That’s what I did and got away with it. It was only after I had been driving for a while for a company through agency that they noticed the passed date on my licence
All of which at best could result in instant dismissal and a reference to match.Or at worst it actually confirms that contradiction in the idea of some poor mugs ‘starting at the bottom’ on zb work and supposedly working their way up to where they want to get.While someone else walks into the ‘right’ jobs based on bs ‘experience’ claims. 
msgyorkie:
damien88:
I’m in craven arms m8…i cant see the point wasting about another grand for class 1 licenceI refer you to my ealier post…drop down a level, get yourself onto the vans/7.5 tonners. Its all experience of the road, it will help you on your journey to the big rigs.
In the real world ‘experience’ of vans and 7.5’s won’t make the slightest difference unless someone is looking to stay on van/7.5t work.Just as tipper drivers generally stay tipper drivers unless they upgrade to class 1 and are very lucky in getting a break in different types of work.
Realistically it needs an upgrade in the licence to class 1 ASAP and its then just a matter of luck what happens next.But without that upgrade the options will be too limited in a saturated job market.While those employers who aren’t prepared to give someone a break after that then even 10 years of vans or 7.5 tonners generally won’t make any difference in those employers’ thinking.
The way I did it was took my class one training at Bassetts of Tittensor talked lots to the trainer about jobs there passed my test and started with them the following monday.