Tomorrow I start the stupidly expensive road to HGV driving.

atpbx

atpbx

atpbx

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21 Oct 2002
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Why, seeing as I despise trucks and driving with every ounce of my being?

I need to get back on days, my wife is not coping with me being on nights, and having talked to my boss, I have no option in my current employment to go on days, and nothing apart from truck driving pays anything like a living wage round here on days.

I'm not doing C+E just C, opens up enough doors for me.

First step- Medical tomorrow at 10am and paper work for provisional license, followed by a revision day and Theory tests once the license is back.

Once that is out the way, a 4 day driving course follows with a test on the final day.
If I get everything passed first time, I should have it done by the end of next month.
 
A friend of mine has taken and failed the HGV test 4 times. He's put thousands of pounds in to it, but he's been going for C&E which I suppose is doubly expensive.

Sorry if that all sounds a bit negative ;)

Best of luck!
 
monkey_boy said:
What else is involved? If you're doing a medical and a 4 day course why will it be the end of next month?
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Turnaround time for sending off license and receiving provisional entitlement back, plus time to arrange and sit the theory.

Or did you just not bother to read those bits of the OP?
 
Yes, HGV training is expensive, but over time, it will re-pay your training costs many many times over. - Get experienced, keep your license clean and you won't be out of work.

atpbx said:
Why, seeing as I despise trucks and driving with every ounce of my being?
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Your going to join the ranks of miserable sods who hate the job, change your mindset of the job and it becomes so much easier.

atpbx said:
I need to get back on days, my wife is not coping with me being on nights, and having talked to my boss, I have no option in my current employment to go on days, and nothing apart from truck driving pays anything like a living wage round here on days.
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I'm driving working nights! - I'm looking to change back onto days for similar reasons - the job is unsocial enough without never been home in the evenings. I'll probably be doing "tramping" work soon i.e. nights away, so ironically, not much will change....



atpbx said:
I'm not doing C+E just C, opens up enough doors for me.
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I thought that until I got my C+E, I spent many quiet days on agancy work as a Class C, with an Artic licence, you have a much better chance of work. - Count the number of Rigids compared to Artics on the roads...


atpbx said:
First step- Medical tomorrow at 10am and paper work for provisional license, followed by a revision day and Theory tests once the license is back.
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Should be a doddle.


atpbx said:
Once that is out the way, a 4 day driving course follows with a test on the final day.
If I get everything passed first time, I should have it done by the end of next month.
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Then the fun starts, you may well find it extremely hard to get work as a freshly qualified driver.

And for what its worth, from my somewhat biased point of view, I think your ****ing mad! :p;);):D

utajoker said:
best advice is to not rush anything, your in a big truck.
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Best advice is find a better career choice.... :p
 
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This thread seems the logical place for an Idea I had today.

If the reversing lights on the trailer incorporated a laser pen aimed out at 45 degrees, there would be a spot on the wall next to the loading bay, as far from the side of the trailer, as the trailer is from the wall.
 
BigglesPiP said:
This thread seems the logical place for an Idea I had today.

If the reversing lights on the trailer incorporated a laser pen aimed out at 45 degrees, there would be a spot on the wall next to the loading bay, as far from the side of the trailer, as the trailer is from the wall.
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Great! - needs a bigger laser though. - I have always wanted to vaporise a Supermarket R.D.C. ;)
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
I thought that until I got my C+E, I spent many quiet days on agancy work as a Class C, with an Artic licence, you have a much better chance of work. - Count the number of Rigids compared to Artics on the roads...
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You say that, as of today, there were 18 Class 2 jobs within 10 miles of me, paying between £8 and £13ph.
I want to drive a recovery truck really, not interested in doing haulage, but if thats all there is I'll do it.
 
atpbx said:
You say that, as of today, there were 18 Class 2 jobs within 10 miles of me, paying between £8 and £13ph.
I want to drive a recovery truck really, not interested in doing haulage, but if thats all there is I'll do it.
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What area do you live in? - I say it as I well remember how hard I found it to get work once I'd passed my Class C. Plenty of well paid jobs back then, all wanted experience. Without work, you can't get experience, its a vicious circle many new drivers find themselves stuck in.

I live in Staffordshire and work in South Cheshire, and rates around here are generally lower.

Recovery work can earn good money, again though, without experience, I would not hold your hopes up about getting regular or well paid work.
 
Just remember, if you're on a NSL dual carriageway and the HGV infront of you is going 48 MPH, that's his indication that he wants to race you :p
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Start learning about Tachographs, you will find this Digital Tachograph Simulator helpful.

http://www.fomento.es/transportes/simulador/ing/simulador_adsl.html
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I know about tachographs already, I used to monitor them when I was in charge of the fleet a couple of jobs back.

I work at a place that runs artics and rigids, I can come off supervising the cold store and drive one of the wagons no problems here.
But on nights, so I'm not interested, should everything go smoothly, I may have to stick it a couple of months doing the maintenance swap overs and scotland run just to be able to say I've had experience on the road.
I do all the shunting at night in the yard as it is, parking and reversing, coupling up and dropping trailers, thats no problem.
 
atpbx said:
I know about tachographs already, I used to monitor them when I was in charge of the fleet a couple of jobs back.

I work at a place that runs artics and rigids, I can come off supervising the cold store and drive one of the wagons no problems here.
But on nights, so I'm not interested, should everything go smoothly, I may have to stick it a couple of months doing the maintenance swap overs and scotland run just to be able to say I've had experience on the road.
I do all the shunting at night in the yard as it is, parking and reversing, coupling up and dropping trailers, thats no problem.
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That sounds all good. :)

Your not going to have any problems at all by the sound of it.:cool:

I still think yer mad though mate ;):p
 
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