HGV cost?

[helpimcrap]

Hi all,
So far I've passed the medical, passed my theory and passed my hazard awareness. I know I have to do CPC case studies and a practical once I've passed my test.

I don't have granddad rights so I have to pass a class first then a class C+E.

Are there any grants to help or do I have to shell out all £2.5k for it?

I'm wary of splashing out all this money and then not having a job at the end of it. Partly because of cheap drivers lowering wages and partly because I'd have to earn more to pay it off if I got a loan.

 

[AHarvey]

I think prices range from around £2k to £4k.

Do you have any experience in the industry? You are pretty much guaranteed a job once you have your class 1 and a bloody good chance with just a class 2.

My brother passed his class 2 via the jobcentre and they got him a job with bargain booze, my passed his class 2 two months ago, is driving for bargain booze after leaving another job after a week as his lazy wife didn't like the hours because it meant she had to look after the kids.

Earning £400+ a week.

Class 1, depending on what you are willing to work..

Relief drivers at my mates driving agency = £12 an hour on average. Those that stay out all week can earn over £700 a week.

 

[norm]

www.lgvtheory.co.uk for revision on your CPC case studies.

Find a decent local (or non-local if you don't mind travelling) training school, and ask for a free assessment, that way you get an idea of the vehicle/instructor. Be sure to ask how much a retest will cost you with the same school, some try and rip you off knowing you've invested time in the vehicle etc.

Top tip: you don't have to learn in a manual to get manual entitlement, auto is perfectly acceptable and it's one less thing to deal with on test.

 

[dowie]

Many years ago I was in need of a job quickly after walking out of a job at a brokerage over some ethical concerns.... I just needed a 'joe' job, as in something any simpleton could do to the point where you might even wear a name badge to work. A quick browse on gumtree quickly landed me a telesales role flogging HGV courses... I didn't stay too long as I landed a proper job soon afterwards but the guys there were earning 30-80k a year flogging HGV courses so it wasn't a bad option(albeit did have some minor ethical issues of its own)!

Things might have changed over the years but probably not to much - bottom line, try to contact these training centers directly as some of the companies selling these courses are just third parties employing teams of salespeople and making rather large markups on the cost of training. Do shop around and don't be swayed by the salesperson - do however ask questions about how much training time you'll have, how many students per instructor etc.. Then ask the same questions of the other places you're getting quotes from. The last thing you want to do is turn up somewhere and find that you've paid 2.5k for the same course someone else has paid say 1.5k for.

It is an easy sale for these companies as the clients are often not too bright... for example leads are generated by placing adverts in newspapers like the sun, the daily mirror. Essentially they're selling the dream of a 30-40k HGV job, out on the open road, no supervisor hassling you during your shift etc.. to various minimum wage monkeys. And tbh.. it is probably a step up for most of them even if they only initially get the odd shift working as some sort of agency driver rather than the 30-40k or whatever they were hoping for.