HGV driver training

[e21Mark]

I've been driving vans and 7.5 ton vehicles over past few years but due to slight disability I am unable to cope with loading / unloading manually. Obviously this limits the work available to me, so am considering training and taking Group 2 licence for rigid HGV?

I'm just wondering how much suitable work would be open to me though? Ideally I would like to do containers, as sheeting etc would be a problem. I could probably cope with a curtainsider though.

Initial checks look like it is likely to cost me around £900 - 1000 to train and take my test, so I want to be sure it's money well spent. I'm a 40 something year old bloke, with a disability, so employment choices are limited.

If anyone has any insight and/or suggestions it would be much appreciated.

[StuntmanMike]

Mark, what I have found is the bigger the truck the easier the job.
I would suggest fridge work or containers , the drawback with fridges is they are antisocial, both in noise and the 24/7 nature of the work.
containers are very very easy and there are still plenty of Monday to Friday jobs left.

[bigfatnick]

StuntmanMike said:

the drawback with fridges is they are antisocial, both in noise and the 24/7 nature of the work.

Noticed this yesterday when I flew into Heathrow, aside from the odd airfreight truck and Euro truck, all I saw on the trip home to Leeds was fridge trailers,.working on Xmas day, tonnes of fun.

[e21Mark]

I'm kind of resigned to working antisocial hours, in an effort to up the wage packet, but also because I'm more likely to be given the job in the first place. I have a weakness in my left leg, which means I usually walk with a stick. I can't walk far either. As a result, when combined with my age, I'm rarely going to be an employers first choice. I'm currently driving a van doing trunk here in the SW and I didn't mention my leg weakness. I know this position is coming to an end though, hence my now considering my options. I'd consider most jobs but I don't have LBC on side, to search on my behalf.

[Turn7]

The biggest issue will be getting anyt work, as all the employers want experience. Its a chicken and egg thing, and I looked very closely at it a few years back and couldnt see how I could make it work and still pay the mortgage.

[e21Mark]

I intended going agency to begin with. I also used to drive a Ford Cargo and twin axle trailer (worked as truckie for Formula Opel team) which was more akin to an HGV1. I drove that all over Europe with the DTM. I hoped that might be enough experience for someone to give me a go anyway?

[jagracer]

I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding work, there's still a shortage of HGV drivers. A mate of mine went through to HGV1 and although he originally managed to find work driving artics his main downfall was he can't reverse an artic to save his life so agencies started to shy away from him for that type of work. however, he's done plenty of work on the agency at group 2 and could be working 7 days a week if the law permitted and now has a permanent job.
Providing you don't need to do a job that involves heavy manual work you should be OK and I don't think you can be refused work because of your disability providing you are fit enough to obtain your HGV licence in the first place.

[Oggs]

Personally i think you should look at being a train driver instead.
I drive using fridges... at this moment I am being unloaded at a DC but at shops I am unloading the trailer which can be hard especially the drink cages.

Good luck anyway.

[snowdude2910]

I'd speak to a training company if you're already driving c1 there isn't much difference between that and C they might do you a days training (4hours) and a test which will save you some costs £547 with J coates training I'm not sure if they have a training place local to you I'm midlands based, if you get C+E look into getting into royal mail, they're some of the highest paid drivers in the business circa £34k for 36 hours where I am there's no nights out and they don't do the stupid big hour weeks some companies. ManPower do agency work for them and pay their drivers equal to royal mail due to equality laws, I'm not a driver it's on my to do list but I work in transport so see both sides of the fence ie. our drivers and the contractors topping 70hour weeks and earning less than someone working half the hours

[Oggs]

Personally i think you should look at being a train driver instead.
I drive using fridges... at this moment I am being unloaded at a DC but at shops I am unloading the trailer which can be hard especially the drink cages.

Good luck anyway.

[e21Mark]

Unfortunately SW Trains aren't recruiting down here,

I'll certainly enquire re Post Office though.

Thanks for the responses thus far.

[Snapper7]

You will have to pass the medical assessments before you could even think of going any further...

Then you have the theory and hazard perception tests... Then if you have not done it already there is the latest rip-off CPC... 5x day of cost and boredom..

Then The class 2 / cat C test.... But I would say that most cat c / class 2 lorries will be on multi drop deliveries of one sort or another... You will often be unloading the lorry your self over a number of stops.

You might want to consider heading towards your class 1 / cat CE as there seems to be more of them on the road and if you are in the right area and there is a requirement for drivers where you are it might be more beneficial to your disability.

The main trunking and container drops might work for you much better as you won't get involved in the manual aspect of unloading the container...

Best of luck but to get from C1+E / class 3 on grand father rights it has taken the best part of nine months and the best part of £4k...

Regardless of how good a driver you are there is no guarantee you will get through the test on a first attempt..there are so many instant fail stituations...

Best of luck

[R0G]

You need C and then C+E to get to mainly driving jobs with less physical work

DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE TRASINING PLACE AND MET THE PEOPLE AND SEEN THE TRUCKS

Tick C & D only on the D2 form

NEVER pay more than £60 for the D4 medical

Check out the newbies section on trucknetuk

[gus607]

Ever thought of Bus Driving !

[R0G]

OP - did you get your LGV C1 free with pre 1997 car licence or pass a DSA test to get it?

[e21Mark]

R0G said:

You need C and then C+E to get to mainly driving jobs with less physical work

DO NOT PAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE TRASINING PLACE AND MET THE PEOPLE AND SEEN THE TRUCKS

Tick C & D only on the D2 form

NEVER pay more than £60 for the D4 medical

Check out the newbies section on trucknetuk

Thanks for advice.

R0G said:

OP - did you get your LGV C1 free with pre 1997 car licence or pass a DSA test to get it?

Pre 1997 licence.

Bus is definitely an option, or maybe coach?

[951TSE]

Have you considered any of the more off the wall jobs like Ex farm milk collection or bulk feed, both of which won't involve much lifting but will involve the connection of pipework. There's also HIAB & Moffett training which can help out with certain types of loading, depending on the job. All these add on skills would make you more marketable and in the current jobs market it might be a bit easier to get employer paid for training than it used to be.

Other suggestion, although it is a bit of a double edged sword is to see if as a disabled person you can get help from the social to pay for your training.

[R0G]

pre 1997 C1 means you deffo need 35 hours of periodic driver cpc before you can commercially drive any LGV be it C1 or C+E

You can do the 35 hours now as you have C1

[R0G]

Also like to point out that HGV went in 1991 and all are now LGV

[anonymous-user]

Turn7 said:

The biggest issue will be getting anyt work, as all the employers want experience. Its a chicken and egg thing, and I looked very closely at it a few years back and couldnt see how I could make it work and still pay the mortgage.

Agree for a few years ago, now however only the most uptight agencies will insist on the 2 year rule, generally those with exclusive rights to supermarket depots as they don't want to risk the contract, problem then is the depots run short....very short, the Co-Op depot near me is short by up to 30 drivers on a daily basis!! I know this as my neighbour is a core driver I am meant to cover the site in my contract but I am used elsewhere.
Companies are so desperate that they have been employing and training on a full salary from car licence, recently Gold Star in Manchester and Gregory Distribution down south, both offered a limited number of roles with a claw back on the wage and of course a payment in full clause should you leave or be poached. I was told by a Gold Star driver it was £18 a week for the newbies, not much when you consider you will be in full time work and not finding several grand up front.
I would suggest container work too as it is very easy, twist some locks, pull some switches to shorten/lengthen the skelly, that's about it, plenty of sitting around too.