Well, what to do

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

It’s come to my attention that many of my van driving brethren are now deciding to become Class 1 bellends. This of course fills me with both happiness and jealousy, a rather odd combo I hear you say. I’m happy for them because they have achieved their goal of becoming a holder of that most prestigious title yet I’m jealous of their success because I tried and failed in my attempt to become said bellend.

Moving swiftly along, I’m in a bit of a pickle now. At my current place of employment they are going to be putting a few of us regular bellends through some training in the hope they we can become Class 1 bellends but a place is not guaranteed and there are five drivers including myself going for what they office say is two jobs plus it’s not going to happen till next year when they get some fresh faced newbies straight out of the job centre to fill the spots we have left.

So, do I wait to see if I can get a spot on this via my employer where I get to go out during the day with actual Class 1 drivers or do I have another crack at passing the test with PSTT and co? A part of me is saying wait till the company get their act together because you will get more than just a weeks training while the other is saying just ■■■■ it up and go back for another go. Having already tasted the bitter sense of failure when I ran over that curb it’s something that is filling me with dread.

2

Got a feeling I’m mentioned somewhere in there pal! :laughing:

I’d say rely and believe in yourself! :smiley:
Rely on yourself by paying yourself and not becoming beholden to anyone for X amount of time.
Believe you will pass, as it’s only one tiny mistake, and you should have learnt from it…

Best of luck whatever you do bellend! :grimacing:

And thanks! :wink:

3

Its ok Radar. You are a bellend already.

Come and join the big boys club. You know you want to.

4

Depends how desperate you are to drive something that bends in the middle. Coupled with how comfortable you are wages/hours-wise in your present position.

I personally have never felt the need, hence my continued holding of an inferior license. But if I felt I could earn more for doing less I would straight out there doing it off my own back.

Back yourself mate.

Just a last thought, this “offer” that you lucky peoples will get. Out of the 5 drivers, ask yourself honestly are you in the top 2? If the honest answer is yes, then by waiting you would also be backing yourself of sorts. Just be wary of any tie ins/paybacks, but you’ve been around here long enough to know that.

If the answer to the above question is I don’t know/maybe then I would also say do it of your own back.

5

Personally, I’d take the extra training being offered, if you’re one of the chosen few, especially if your happy where you are, you’ll be getting paid while you train & Tie Ins can be paid back anyway if you leave, (you’ll have to fork out anyway, if you do it on your own)
Our place has put a few through, then they come out with one of us for a couple of days doing all the driving, which is great, because I can have a Snooze [emoji99] half the day when we’re on the motorway [emoji106]

6

Thanks for the responses guys. I guess I’m not exactly happy at my place, sure the work is a breeze but I’m getting sent into London a lot and it’s starting to get on my nerves. I’ve also been without a working pump truck for a while now and the office don’t seem to be doing anything about it.

The reason I want my class 1 is because I want tramping work but there is only one place in my area that have dedicated class 2 trampers and I know for a fact that they are dead man shoes jobs. The job I have now has nights out but it’s not all week and it’s never guaranteed.

With regards to the job on offer at our place, we don’t actually know the proper details yet, I’ve only been told things by the current crop of class 1. We just got the contract for a large automotive company, been hearing that it’s up to 30 trailers a day into this place. The night drivers which I’m quite friendly with have told me that it’s only a run up, tip then a collection on the way back. It’s also quite a large drop in take home, I’m currently on £23k a year yet this job is about £18-20k. This is all stuff I’ve heard but with no concrete info from the office it’s all I have to go on.

since it’s day work I won’t be getting my own unit which is something that I don’t like, plus the kit that is shared is a bit shagged out. The trampers have these three pedal opticurse auto Scanias which I’ve made a point that I’m not happy driving( we have some rigids that are the same) so that’s a contention point.

On the flip side, as Mr Viking said, the training would be very useful plus I am getting paid for it and I won’t lose my holiday in the process but I don’t know what truck I’ll be using for the test or even if we are going to actually get training in the first place, again it’s all be driver hear say so far.

If I go back with PSTT and co, I know and trust the staff, know the kit and the area, I’m not beholden to my company which I know would make an almighty fuss if I tried to leave having passed with them. Plus there is a lot more work on class 1 around my way, spoken to a few drivers from a rival company including one that used to work for us before he tried to drag the TM through the office window, and they all say “get your class 1 and come here”

I suppose the biggest thing for me is getting over the fact that I failed last time round, that is what is really stopping me. I said to Tracy at PSTT that I’d be straight back for another retest but I chickened out.

The more I think about this, the worse it gets,

7

As an outsider to this I’d say you’re worried you’re going to pay for your retest and not pass again. You’re over thinking it. You’ll be much better off doing it that way and being able to go and work where you want to. By the sounds of it you really don’t like where you are now so why commit to staying?

8

I’ve stayed quiet on this one, mainly because I don’t want to be accused of trying to get you back in to us for another test when there may be a sensible option.

Start at the beginning. To make any reasoned decision you need information. The info you have about the training at work is sketchy to put it mildly! I would try and hammer out some proper information from there. Then book an assessment with Tracey. That will let you know how little time you’ll need to stand a good chance at a test. Now you’re gathering proper information.

And, armed with that, you can make an informed decision.

Whatever you choose to do, all the best, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

9

Tracey will sort you out mate, when I failed C I was dubious about straight booking a retest but I knew Nick thought I was good enough to pass or he would have told me otherwise. Besides, Tracey is my Favourite, she makes me remind Peter of this often haha

Seriously though, if you cN afford it get the retest booked and out the way. It’s always easier second time around

10

Lets look at the bigger picture, yes you have failed your class 1 off your own back once, but mistakes happen. Your work are offering you a chance to get your class 1 through them, but not until next year. This is a massively long wait and is not guaranteed, you don’t seem like you are entirely happy there either. So why would you want to get tied in to the company for atleast a year for a wage drop and for a company your not happy with. I say go for a re test you failed because of a silly mistake but you have learnt your lesson. You learnt with a good company so should invest the money and time in yourself to get that “bellend” status everyone is talking about! Stop being a ■■■■■ and get on with it! :grimacing:

11

ash 001:
Lets look at the bigger picture, yes you have failed your class 1 off your own back once, but mistakes happen. Your work are offering you a chance to get your class 1 through them, but not until next year. This is a massively long wait and is not guaranteed, you don’t seem like you are entirely happy there either. So why would you want to get tied in to the company for atleast a year for a wage drop and for a company your not happy with. I say go for a re test you failed because of a silly mistake but you have learnt your lesson. You learnt with a good company so should invest the money and time in yourself to get that “bellend” status everyone is talking about! Stop being a ■■■■■ and get on with it! :grimacing:

I agree with the pup! :open_mouth:
Even if he is just agreeing with most of the above… The only error I think is that I doubt Radar’s firm would drop his salary to recoup the training cost, and more likely view the cost as an investment of his services for the next your or so… But I may be wrong!

I think Pete COULD be a wise old buzzard! :laughing: As it does sound like you’ve lost your confidence Radar, and an assessment drive might be just what you need to give you it back! :grimacing:
You also haven’t mentioned (as others may not know) that you did have a retest booked and missed it due to an unrelated RTA. It’s no reflection on you pal, as it’s not a fail or anything you did, but these things can niggle in your mind and increase any negativity you’re currently feeling…

I say go for it and BELIEVE you will pass mate! :smiley:

12

Evil8Beezle:

ash 001:
Lets look at the bigger picture, yes you have failed your class 1 off your own back once, but mistakes happen. Your work are offering you a chance to get your class 1 through them, but not until next year. This is a massively long wait and is not guaranteed, you don’t seem like you are entirely happy there either. So why would you want to get tied in to the company for atleast a year for a wage drop and for a company your not happy with. I say go for a re test you failed because of a silly mistake but you have learnt your lesson. You learnt with a good company so should invest the money and time in yourself to get that “bellend” status everyone is talking about! Stop being a ■■■■■ and get on with it! :grimacing:

I agree with the pup! :open_mouth:
Even if he is just agreeing with most of the above… The only error I think is that I doubt Radar’s firm would drop his salary to recoup the training cost, and more likely view the cost as an investment of his services for the next your or so… But I may be wrong!

I think Pete COULD be a wise old buzzard! :laughing: As it does sound like you’ve lost your confidence Radar, and an assessment drive might be just what you need to give you it back! :grimacing:
You also haven’t mentioned (as others may not know) that you did have a retest booked and missed it due to an unrelated RTA. It’s no reflection on you pal, as it’s not a fail or anything you did, but these things can niggle in your mind and increase any negativity you’re currently feeling…

I say go for it and BELIEVE you will pass mate! :smiley:

And your not agreeing with the above at all here? You bellend…

13

ash 001:
And your not agreeing with the above at all here? You bellend…

I was expanding on what I’d already said mate, plus having a dig at you! :wink:

14

Hi Radar I was exactly in your shoes a year ago and couldn’t wait for the boss to decide when I can upgrade my license. I did it myself and I’m so happy that I did.
good luck

15

If you have failed your test ONCE then until you prove otherwise that means you are a normal, average driver. The pass rate is around 50%, meaning on average half of all drivers have failed once.

You’ve done your failure, take the test again and pass second time round and everything is normal. If there are two jobs and five applicants, and if you are currently average, you may not make the cut because you are the average number three Joe out of five. There are two worse than you, and two better (on average). However, it doesn’t take much to crank up a gear and become one of the two better and hey ho, you’ve got the job.

We all catch the occasional kerb in the real world if we’re honest, just don’t do it on the test. Just like we all stuff up our reverses on a bad day, but you can’t have a bad day with an examiner watching you.

The test is partly about competence and skills, but a big chunk of it is simply down to luck. Will the traffic be good to you, or will you catch an extremely busy roundabout or junction? When you go round a tight bend will the road be empty, or will you meet an artic coming the other way? Sometimes if lady luck deals you a bad hand it may simply be almost impossible to pass in the circumstances.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, and being a bellend is what you want in life, go for it and make your own luck.

16

I knew I could count on you guys. I’m heading back to PSTT next month for my ADR course so I’ll ask about doing more training and another test. After having a serious think, I’m up against at least one golden boy for this job so I can see where you are coming from Orc.

As for actually driving an artic, Chris and Dave both said that I was perfectly fine keeping things under control, so much so that if I didn’t get that serious for curb riding I would of had a perfect drive.

I suppose a lot of this is letting my thoughts run out of control. I like to be over-prepared for something, when I’m given an drop at work I’m there looking on Google Maps looking at every possibility so I’m not a big fan relying on Lady Luck which is why this training that the office are dangling like a carrot is mighty tempting. Money to take the test is not an issue, it’s the time off needed that is a cause for concern.

In the end though, I just need to grab my nuts and jump!

17

Radar19:
In the end though, I just need to grab my nuts and jump!

This ^^^

I failed my first test and it was difficult as I had never, ever failed anything before. Ultimately it only made me more determined to pass and I wasn’t even sure I was going to use my licence at that stage.

Like you I knew what I had to improve on and I worked on it and made it on the 2nd go even though I was not sure I had done it until he said those magic words.

Good luck, have a little faith in yourself; we all know it’s not rocket science but we do need to apply ourselves to the task in hand.

18

We all come across obstacles in our life, if you want it… Go get it!!

I failed my first test on c+e and believe me I was devastated… But I got there! You only live once mate so grab it by the ■■■■■■■■ with both hands :wink:

19

eagerbeaver:
Its ok Radar. You are a bellend already.

Come and join the big boys club. You know you want to.

You get to receive insulting texts from the rest of us members and everything.

The height of Beezle’s week is when the Beaver gives him a call, despite not being able to decipher a word he says. Apparently he is the worlds most Northern Northener. Personally, I find him coherent and remotely amusing. And I will get to have a brew with him one of these days. He’s ok as day men go I suppose [emoji6]

20

PaulNowak:

eagerbeaver:
Its ok Radar. You are a bellend already.

Come and join the big boys club. You know you want to.

You get to receive insulting texts from the rest of us members and everything.

The height of Beezle’s week is when the Beaver gives him a call, despite not being able to decipher a word he says. Apparently he is the worlds most Northern Northener. Personally, I find him coherent and remotely amusing. And I will get to have a brew with him one of these days. He’s ok as day men go I suppose [emoji6]

This alone makes me more determined!