Echoing earlier comments a bit but if the OP just sticks at it he will find a job, this may mean starting on a smaller motor then maybe grabbing some experience on bigger rigids when agencies are crying out for drivers, or even jst taking his class 1 (C+E) and aiming for the bendies. Not that the pay on bendies is always much better just that its another string to your bow for job interviews.
I started on a van and took my class 1 (in the days you could go straight for it 1991) still drove the van for 6 months after then progressed to a leyland freighter 18 tonner with hiab and the first sleeper cab the company had brought (bloody loved this truck). Shortly after I was filling in for the low loader driver on his days off then moved onto bigger things when redundancies where on the cards.
Theres no need to put others off just because your finding it tough, chances are an opportunity will present itself if you just keep at it, but you may have to deceide if this job is one you feel passionately about enough to make it a career, if it is good luck.
Mike-C:
Epic card is gonna cost you another ton, roughly. I’d be looking at something else to get going.
Most places will put you on the course. I didn’t say “put you through it” because what theory test you do, should you fail you are mentally retarded and shouldn’t be anywhere near a lorry. It’s not even law just something to big companies do to waste a bit of tax money.
The practical test (only for plant operators) is fail proof as one guy passed even though he hit Dads’ trailer whilst loading him. Instructor said there should’ve been a notice saying “bar” on the trailer. It wasn’t even a high sider ffs.
Try landscaping companies, independant builders merchants even building firms after a driver to just move their own materials about.
Employers will give you a chance at class 2, if you have a class 1 licence.
The reasoning obviously, if you can handle a unit & trailer in traffic, you’ll be ok in just a wagon.
Having a class 1 licence makes it much easier to do what you want to do, and get started quicker.
Suppose you had class 1; you would have plenty of offers for class 2 work, and then out of the blue someone will want you to do a class 1 job because somebody else is sick.
foresttrucker:
Employers will give you a chance at class 2, if you have a class 1 licence.
The reasoning obviously, if you can handle a unit & trailer in traffic, you’ll be ok in just a wagon.
Or just a combination of pointless irrational requirements of ‘over’ ( more like irrelevant ) qualification being applied just because the over subscribed driver labour market means that they can.Together with more four wheeler rigid multi drop type work than decent distance C + E work.The result being the lose lose situation of class 1 drivers being under employed and operators paying over the odds,especially in the case of agencies,for over qualified driver categories than they actually need.Which obviously also has the effect of defeating the object of going for class 1.Especially considering that the actual idea of the ‘class 1’ licence ‘was’ all about just adding artic type category to the licence entitlement.Not rigid or rigid and trailer.Until the EU put its nose in which just added to the prejudiced irrational licencing requirements being applied by uninformed closed minded operators.
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.
the point is no one is giving him a chance,if there are more class1 than class2 why is he not being offered work,you say if he has his class1 he should be using it,dont you think he has tried,that was the point of his thread was it not
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.
the point is no one is giving him a chance,if there are more class1 than class2 why is he not being offered work,you say if he has his class1 he should be using it,dont you think he has tried,that was the point of his thread was it not
According to the OP he hasn’t got a 1 only a 2 so far and it is the rejections with a 2 which is understandably making him think about bothering with the 1.Which the ( correct advice ) is saying could be a counter productive outlook.
However he’s now added some more information which suggests that the idea of driving a truck is something which has only obviously occured recently after 10 years of working in a supermarket ?. Therefore by my own arguments I’d be a hypocrite if I said that it wouldn’t be right from an employer’s point of view to not put that against him assuming other drivers are looking for work who knew they wanted to do the job much sooner in life and then did something about it as soon as possible at the earliest dates possible to get some experience.IE my argument is about employers turning down new young drivers on the bs ‘experience’ issue who’ve started out in the job early in good time knowing that’s what they wanted to do.Or for that matter when wanting/trying to upgrade from UK work to International for example.
Which at least in my case meant that I certainly wouldn’t have been working in a factory beyond 18 years of age.When I needed,at the very least,to be driving a 7.5 tonner nor still be lumbered with a class 2 after at least 10 years of my working life was over.Although admittedly it was close to it based on the understandable issue of not understanding to this day why a class 2,as it was then over 30 years ago, wasn’t considered as being relevant or good enough for distance drawbar work and/or why the age of 25 and/or the issue of so called ‘experience’ was/is considered as being such a big deal at the time or since.Having had no indications that was an issue having been driving up to 38t gross special types as a factory driver and up to 24t gross rigids on the council all from the age of 21 and under 25 as soon as I’d passed my test.
However,as I’ve said,the issues ‘might’ ‘possibly’ be a bit more complicated in the OP’s case from the point of view of employers going by the information so far.
damien88:
i dont think my previous employment should be an issue…if anything it proves im a loyal hard working reliable person.
Well it proves youve been employed for 10 years, the rest is down to self opinion - not always reliable but I’m being pedantic.
Anyway so if a prospective employer asks you:
“Why do you want to drive trucks ?”
How would you answer. Showing a passion for the job can help here, not as much as turning up smart and being prepared to drive smaller vehicles but a good answer to have ready, especially as its a career direction change.
Possible answers include: its in me blood, I come from a generation of drivers, I always wanted to drive big trucks, I feel its an indsutry that would benefit from my hard working ethic and loyal nature and I would be a pro-active and forward thinking employee to have on board and I like to sleep in a truck away from home and shower with other men. - may help.
damien88:
i dont think my previous employment should be an issue…if anything it proves im a loyal hard working reliable person.
Well it proves youve been employed for 10 years, the rest is down to self opinion - not always reliable but I’m being pedantic.
Anyway so if a prospective employer asks you:
“Why do you want to drive trucks ?”
How would you answer. Showing a passion for the job can help here, not as much as turning up smart and being prepared to drive smaller vehicles but a good answer to have ready, especially as its a career direction change.
Possible answers include: its in me blood, I come from a generation of drivers, I always wanted to drive big trucks, I feel its an indsutry that would benefit from my hard working ethic and loyal nature and I would be a pro-active and forward thinking employee to have on board and I like to sleep in a truck away from home and shower with other men. - may help.
I just said I enjoy driving, which I do and always have done. I did 15 years in a soul destroying factory and now I have an office with a view and no day is the same. Wouldn’t say I’m loving it every day, shunting I find boring, but love the longer runs especially when it’s not on motorways. Once I get enough experience to be confident I have the ability to do it I’d love to see a bit of Europe.
Therefore by my own arguments I’d be a hypocrite if I said that it wouldn’t be right from an employer’s point of view to not put that against him assuming other drivers are looking for work who knew they wanted to do the job much sooner in life and then did something about it as soon as possible at the earliest dates possible to get some experience.IE my argument is about employers turning down new young drivers on the bs ‘experience’ issue who’ve started out in the job early in good time knowing that’s what they wanted to do.Or for that matter when wanting/trying to upgrade from UK work to International for example.