Hello
Just wondering, in terms of getting work as a newly qualified Driver, which would be the best license to get first, is there greater demand for different categories??
Thank you all
robsie99:
HelloJust wondering, in terms of getting work as a newly qualified Driver, which would be the best license to get first, is there greater demand for different categories??
Thank you all
Not sure what you mean but you must pass LGV C test before you can go for the LGV CE test
B (car)
C (class 2/rigid)
C+E (class 1/artic)
There is no other order. If you want to drive artics you’ll need to obtain a rigid licence first. There’s more artic work available, there’s more variety and it tends to be easier.
You have to do your C before you can do C+E. There is more work out there if you have C+E due to being able to do both, so get both if you can afford it
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There’s C1 that he might be thinking about as well. 7.5 ton. Basically, you just ignore that one unless you want to be an ambulance or horse box driver.
The only sensible route is
Car
Rigid (C)
Artic (C+E)
Whether there will be more work straight away is difficult to answer, but in the long run once you have some driving experience, C+E will be better for your prospects, there is no doubt about that, just because you can do all the jobs a rigid licence holder can do, and do artic jobs as well.
I joined an agency as a new pass rigid and artic driver, and they didn’t have any artic work for me. But they could have me on rigid work the next day. So the C+E licence was no use to me at first. I took the rigid work and now the company I got placed with is offering me a go at their artics because I already have my class 1 and I didn’t kill anybody or write off a rigid. That’s how it goes a lot of the time apparently. Certainly better to get C+E early if you can. You can take the opportunities as they come then.
Much the same for me. I did both tests, only found agency work on artics, but couldn’t hold down a job cos I was hopeless at reversing.
After a couple of false starts I failed a class 1 assessment with my current outfit, but the assessor suggested I try rigids with them for a while. About 6 months later they needed class 1 drivers and offered me some practice shunting trailers in the yard, then a month or so of trunking trailers between 2 depots a few miles apart. This finally gave me the practice I needed, (maybe I’m a slow learner).
Nowadays I do a mixture of class 1 / class 2 but that’s fine with me, get paid class 1 rate anyway and the class 2 work in our case is easier - half as much to unload / less rubbish to take back.
If you want to do C+E eventually and can afford to, I would get both licences while you’re still in the ‘learning’ mindset.
Get your ce (artic) you wont regrett it. You will need to do your c (rigid) first though.
I had my rigid for years but never really used it as i had a d (pcv) which payed better so was a bus driver for years till I decided to do my ce and never looked back.
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I have often advocated that A1 is the best licence to get first, two wheels teaches road sense and things to avoid whilst still getting the blame for world food shortages, lesbianism and prescription costs.
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