Nowadays it seems like there are too many jobs but all of them pay mediocre wages or hourly rates. What happened to the employers that respect their drivers and acknowledge the hard work they do by giving them a good decent wage.
So i ask you where are those jobs and employers where someone can turn up and do the work and get a decent wage?
Also is the money in class 2 or class 1. I have been driving class 2 for just under 10 years now and am contemplating doing my class 1 but want to know if it’s really worth the investment or should i just stick with my class 2?
Stick with class 2 at the moment mate, class 1 rates are crap, and the hassle you have to put up with is crap unless you can work the same trailer all week then you know it,s good as your the only driver to have used it. But them jobs paying a decent wedge are few and far between. Just my opinion bud might be different in different part,s of the country.
Firstly you need C+E to improve your chances, secondly you need to live near a major transport hub which with respect Eastbourne is not.
The days of small operators dotted around the country has passed, you will need to move where the work is or be prepared to work for a relatively low wage and stay put, I live in Newport and travel to Avonmouth every day which is a 45 mile round trip, there is nothing worth having where I live, I know we have trouble getting agency at my place at £10 an hour because the can earn up to £16 an hour a mile down the road.
There are people like yourself in places like West Wales the the east of England in fact anywhere which is away from the major population centres we have drivers who live in camper vans all week and travel home on the weekends or there rest days.
I would stick with class 2 if i were you. Everyone wants to drive class 1 hence why the rates are crap. I drive a 4 wheel rigid. £10/hour basic plus overtime after 40 hours but only £13.50/hr which is still better than a lot on here and thats on general haulage.
Those good employers are thin on the ground, but they are still out there, often own account or specialised transport.
They never advertise for drivers because there’s always a drawer full of CV’s from people who have been recommended by trusted current employees, plus they tend to be known as decent employers in their locale so those who don’t have mates there can walk in and offer their services.
Drivers don’t leave these jobs willingly, hence few vacancies, you don’t see these employers being slagged on forums such as this so they tend to be a bit invisible to those from out of area, they usually have tidy fleets but they won’t normally be blinged up circus style extrasuperxsspacelineswithabitmoreontop covered in lights so they don’t get noticed too much for the wrong reasons.
I have to say that if you can negotiate a decent rate, then the money is whatever you want it to be
I work 3 days a week and make enough to live and save.
Class 1 rates are crap because they represent the jobs “do-able” by “average age 53 drivers”…
Class 2 rates will rise and rise, because no one wants to do in-town multidrop work, for which you need to be fit, young, or both.
Even among class 1 drivers - who even wants to do store deliveries? - That’s where class 1 rates will eventually rise first - not night trunks, and that job for the recently divorced - tramping!
Trouble is there are to many Companies that used to be regarded as good payers, no longer have “in house transport” thanks to the likes of DHL- Wincanton - Stobarts -Hoyers etc etc cutting each others throats to get contracts.
With regards to Class 1 & 2 there`s not usually much difference its just that Class 1 gives you better options
I have had class one for over 20 years, but have predominantly driven class two vehicles by personal choice. Easier to manouvre in tight yards, no loss of view in mirrors when reversing, easier to fit into a ■■■■■■■■■■■■, no hooking up to reluctant trailers in the pitch dark in the winter months, it has always ticked a lot of boxes for me. The pay rates have never been different enough for me to want to incorporate the extra hassles with artics just for a few quid more, but again that is my personal choice.
I have seen class one work as little as £7.50 hour and class two work at £11 hour, so it more a case of who you work for rather than the type of vehicle.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have had class one for over 20 years, but have predominantly driven class two vehicles by personal choice. Easier to manouvre in tight yards, no loss of view in mirrors when reversing, easier to fit into a ■■■■■■■■■■■■, no hooking up to reluctant trailers in the pitch dark in the winter months, it has always ticked a lot of boxes for me. The pay rates have never been different enough for me to want to incorporate the extra hassles with artics just for a few quid more, but again that is my personal choice.
I have seen class one work as little as £7.50 hour and class two work at £11 hour, so it more a case of who you work for rather than the type of vehicle.
Sorry to stray off topic a bit, but I really don’t agree with your statement about class 2 vehicles being easier to manoeuvre in tight yards. The one thing I and many class 1 drivers in general, dislike about driving rigids is how less manoeuvrable they are. There are loads of tight supermarket yards I can spin an artic round in one whereas in the rigid i’m messing about taking 2/3 even 4 point turns to get the back end pointing where I want it.
Can’t do cheeky u-turns at traffic lights at 2am either.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I have had class one for over 20 years, but have predominantly driven class two vehicles by personal choice. Easier to manouvre in tight yards, no loss of view in mirrors when reversing, easier to fit into a ■■■■■■■■■■■■, no hooking up to reluctant trailers in the pitch dark in the winter months, it has always ticked a lot of boxes for me. The pay rates have never been different enough for me to want to incorporate the extra hassles with artics just for a few quid more, but again that is my personal choice.
I have seen class one work as little as £7.50 hour and class two work at £11 hour, so it more a case of who you work for rather than the type of vehicle.
Sorry to stray off topic a bit, but I really don’t agree with your statement about class 2 vehicles being easier to manoeuvre in tight yards. The one thing I and many class 1 drivers in general, dislike about driving rigids is how less manoeuvrable they are. There are loads of tight supermarket yards I can spin an artic round in one whereas in the rigid i’m messing about taking 2/3 even 4 point turns to get the back end pointing where I want it.
Can’t do cheeky u-turns at traffic lights at 2am either.
It’s a fair point but turning artics at those kind of angles will be ripping the ■■■■ out of the trailer tyres. I also drive a 4-wheeler through choice but I charge the same rates as I do for artics. I’m quite happy with this supposed “hassle” of occasionally needing to do a 3 point turn to get in/out if it means I don’t have to get caked in grease on the catwalk and I hardly have to move the curtains on the 4-wheeler too as it’s never more than 6 pallets. Of course, the reason why so many drivers want to be in artics is because they want to be “look-at-me” super truckers. I’ve seen it so many times where they are given the keys to one of the rigids - “I’m not driving that! I’m an artic man, me!” and promptly throw the keys back only to be then given an artic job doing locals all night while I get the cushy rigid job.
I’m not bothered whether I’m in a rigid or artic myself to be honest, but given the choice I would always take the artic for the reasons stated…plus the artic work at our place is much the same as the rigid work just with 75% less drops
It does seem much easier to find well paying class 2 jobs than class 1 jobs. Pretty much anyone can get a job as a bread rat or on food service and earn high 20s and be home every night. If my current job went ■■■■ up id have no qualms looking into that sort of work (although I wouldn’t want stupidly early mornings though so I might struggle). Many seem to have ambitions of earning 40k as a driver though which 9/10 just seems to result in guys doing daft hours in an artic and a naff work life balance.
Juddian:
Those good employers are thin on the ground, but they are still out there, often own account or specialised transport.
They never advertise for drivers because there’s always a drawer full of CV’s from people who have been recommended by trusted current employees, plus they tend to be known as decent employers in their locale so those who don’t have mates there can walk in and offer their services.
Drivers don’t leave these jobs willingly, hence few vacancies, you don’t see these employers being slagged on forums such as this so they tend to be a bit invisible to those from out of area, they usually have tidy fleets but they won’t normally be blinged up circus style extrasuperxsspacelineswithabitmoreontop covered in lights so they don’t get noticed too much for the wrong reasons.
