Hi guys
I’m probably flogging a dead horse as i imagine this has been posted many many times.
I currently work in a call center which I absolutely hate. The idea of driving HGV’s for a living intrigues me as i wouldn’t have to constantly talk to idiots on the phone haha. I also enjoy driving and regularly travel to Germany to visit the Nurburgring.
I however don’t have a clue where/how to start looking into getting a C and then C+E licence so some advice would be much appreciated!
welcome and where do you live as it will help members recommend a driving school
Once you have got your relevant license’s for a rigid or artic , the choices are local or day work , home every night , this work in rigids could be shop deliveries , builders merchants , farm to dairy milk collection , ADR : Heating oil to homes/ businesses /oil / gas deliveries .
Scaffolding truck , dead animal collection or fallen livestock ( Firearm license required , with relevant police checks . )
Livestock work for farmers , local or international removals , all in this list can be also done in artics .
For artics ,day work , or away all week sleeping in your allocated cab , this is known as tramping .
European work involves channel hopping , which is numerous quick trips to Europe to long distance , being away for weeks or months if you have a nagging partner at home .
Parking in Europe is free and better food for drivers , whereas the UK parking gets full up by 18.00 pre Covid days , and motorway food is not healthy unless you like fried food .
If you end up cab hopping , which is sharing a truck , for example , the night shift driver will use it , then you use it when he or she gets back ,the cab will not be clean as everyone will blame the last driver that used it .
Peter Smythe has free accommodation if you live so many miles from his training centre and you get a Trucknet discount , for ADR ,ask Diesel Dave , he knows his stuff on all that .
I would go for it , hopefully once you get all the license’s , you should never be out of work : This was the case before this dam virus wrecked havoc .
blue estate:
welcome and where do you live as it will help members recommend a driving school
Thank you. I’m based in Stoke-on-Trent.
Have you checked out the link in my signature below 
That link should give you answers to most of your questions - it was put together by myself BUT the majority of the information contained within it is from very experienced LGV drivers on this site 
Pets at home ltd , their business is booming , pet food sales are not affected with the Covid restrictions , all their shops are open , on Stanley Matthews way in Stoke , by the football stadium , you have a Pets at home Rdc or regional distribution centre , it won’t hurt if you ask the transport management if they will pay for your lgv training or even work in their warehouse , they may even pay for your fork lift training or high reach fork lift .
If successful with Pets at home , drivers will unload alone when the shops are closed or you will have a drivers mate to assist you .
Mostly double decker trailers , with split load hydraulic floors .
Or Google your nearest Gregory distribution ltd depot , they may finance your license training .
And you are not far away from a Stobart depot who may help out with training .
You will need D2 form have a medical also D4 form send off to the good old DVLA wait fro licence to come back
You can practice the multi choice questions
Also depends when you passed your test if before Jan 97 you will have grandfather rights which means you can do 35 hours cpc course or initial cpc some often done with test
When licence comes back you can then start to book your theory test including hazard perception test
But a good trainer will book for you
If I were you give Peter Smyth a ring ask all the questions they will be happy to help
You could even book with them stay over in the B&B for a few days
Simples. Call my office. The staff are working from home so can deal with your call in the normal manner. The number is 01623 555661. The first thing you’ll need is the Starter Pack. This will cover everything (and more) that you will need to have passed all 3 theory tests. It even covers the medical (which can be difficult to get at the moment but we have it sorted.) The cost of this is £250 all in. You will have to do absolutely nothing to sort all this out; just turn up for the appointments that are made for you. You’re consulted before they’re made so no worries there. And everything will be done for you to ensure that you go through the whole thing in the right order and with minimal stress!
Whether you book with us or not, just give us a call and someone will happily talk you through it stage by stage.
btw, you’re around a 1 hour drive from us - so local in the great scheme of things.
Hope this helps, Pete 
LukeSi:
Hi guys
I’m probably flogging a dead horse as i imagine this has been posted many many times.
I currently work in a call center which I absolutely hate. The idea of driving HGV’s for a living intrigues me as i wouldn’t have to constantly talk to idiots on the phone haha. I also enjoy driving and regularly travel to Germany to visit the Nurburgring.
I however don’t have a clue where/how to start looking into getting a C and then C+E licence so some advice would be much appreciated!
If you cannot stand idiots then I would strongly suggest that LGV driving will not be for you. Goods in staff, fork lift drivers, security 10 men, pointy shoe wearers and fellow overweight ignorant smelly wagon steerers have a high percentage of bell ends amongst their ranks.
Luckily though the training is expensive, the facilities for lorry drivers range between poor and invisible, and the money is crap.
Enjoy…
toby1234abc:
it won’t hurt if you ask the transport management if they will pay for your lgv training
!!!
At a time when experienced drivers are sat at home looking for work and not getting it, I can’t see this as even being a serious suggestion, surely the TM would need his head testing if he agreed to that.
Even the recruitment rush for companies that benefited from Covid has sort of died down a bit now. So a job in the warehouse might not even be possible
Now really isn’t the time to change jobs, giving up one you have had for a while to start another where you have a probation period etc, IMO.
Hi guys,
Sorry for not replying over the weekend. The advice is much appreciated, I’ve had an email from Peter’s company with details regarding Cat C licence and the starter pack so will have a look through them after work. At the moment it wouldn’t be the best move the change jobs so I’m not going to do anything at the moment but once some semblance of normality comes back I’ll start taking a look then. Main thing is just to get out of this job I’m in now.
LukeSi:
Hi guys,
Sorry for not replying over the weekend. The advice is much appreciated, I’ve had an email from Peter’s company with details regarding Cat C licence and the starter pack so will have a look through them after work. At the moment it wouldn’t be the best move the change jobs so I’m not going to do anything at the moment but once some semblance of normality comes back I’ll start taking a look then. Main thing is just to get out of this job I’m in now.
Sensible but nothing stopping you from looking through & doing some practice for the theory test a few each day so you become familiar with the questions & how they set out