HGV Recovery Work
Discussion
Hi everyone, I'm a new member of PH so please bear with me...
I am currently a very weary paramedic looking for a career change. I have a class 1 LGV/PCV license (20ish years since I last drove) and I have been somewhat disheartened after reading some of the less than positive comments about life on the road driving LGV/HGVs. I quite fancy doing HGV recovery work, but is this any better, worse or same as regular trucking?
Please tell me how it is!
I am currently a very weary paramedic looking for a career change. I have a class 1 LGV/PCV license (20ish years since I last drove) and I have been somewhat disheartened after reading some of the less than positive comments about life on the road driving LGV/HGVs. I quite fancy doing HGV recovery work, but is this any better, worse or same as regular trucking?
Please tell me how it is!
I worked in the recovery game for 20 years up until the last 3. We've lost many drivers due to low wages, long hours, working in the s
ttiest weather etc. I can understand why when you can earn more money driving for a supermarket with none of the grief.
That said, it's in my blood and I miss the job like mad, I'd go back like a shot if the money was right. I don't feel the skills (and lets face it, the skills in uprighting an upside down 40 tonner are something special!) are adequately recompensed. Obviously as a new starter, you probably won't see any of this, it'll be run of the mill towing duties. And you'll need to take the IVR courses.
The hours are antisocial (expect hell from your partner!) Especially if on call, you can't plan for anything.
However even with the above if you want to give it a go, go for it. I always got great job satisfaction from it.
ttiest weather etc. I can understand why when you can earn more money driving for a supermarket with none of the grief.That said, it's in my blood and I miss the job like mad, I'd go back like a shot if the money was right. I don't feel the skills (and lets face it, the skills in uprighting an upside down 40 tonner are something special!) are adequately recompensed. Obviously as a new starter, you probably won't see any of this, it'll be run of the mill towing duties. And you'll need to take the IVR courses.
The hours are antisocial (expect hell from your partner!) Especially if on call, you can't plan for anything.
However even with the above if you want to give it a go, go for it. I always got great job satisfaction from it.
As above but if you attend a fatal expect to be on scene for many hours .
The last one that I attended was to recover a load of aircraft parts from a 3.5t van that had been caught up in a 4 truck 3 car motorway incident ,the HGV recoveries were already on site and were still on scene when I left 5 1/2 hrs later .
The last one that I attended was to recover a load of aircraft parts from a 3.5t van that had been caught up in a 4 truck 3 car motorway incident ,the HGV recoveries were already on site and were still on scene when I left 5 1/2 hrs later .
What are the average prices for HGV recovery?
I thought it was about £1000k per lift and tow or per hour but a friend of mine had their 6.5 ton Iveco break down yesterday and a heavy went out to it and was £350 to go 15 miles around the M25. I suppose the good money is when the winches are required or your moving 44t not 6.5.
I thought it was about £1000k per lift and tow or per hour but a friend of mine had their 6.5 ton Iveco break down yesterday and a heavy went out to it and was £350 to go 15 miles around the M25. I suppose the good money is when the winches are required or your moving 44t not 6.5.
I work alongside the albert road boys and wouldn't consider it for twice the money that I'm currently on, they're all wrong in the head. If you want something a bit specialised try and find somewhere that does plant delivery on low loaders. Still get to drive some cool stuff, each day is a bit different and it won't be shift work crawling about in crap at the side of the road.
JadedPara said:
Thanks for your responses everyone, a bit depressing really! 
Might have to pass on this and find something else to do.
Might have to pass on this and find something else to do.You'll want to be working for a GP Surgery if you have paramedic skills, lots of demand as there are so few GPs and new ways of working are introduced. Good hours relatively speaking, doing home visits before GPs would have a chance to go out, relatively new field but have heard good things.
I was in the recovery game for 30 years with my own kit,only did cars and vans up to 3 1/2 tons,apart from road side recovery I also moved classics and race cars in a covered transporter I had built.I went very where,I still have friends from then and still move the odd classic for them.There's a lot of job satisfaction in recovering a car out of a ditch or as in one case a pub bar,I also did work for TV and film a lot of standing about but again different,There's the chance to go abroad, at that time Holland and Switzerland where big buyers of classic's also went to Austria,Hungary and Spain all a number of times.Why did I pack it in?
At the age of 50 I bad health the upside I had a number of flats and I own my yard which I rented out,do I miss it not a bit ,just look at very recovery lorry on the road,even went to a recovery show a few years back,always in my mate's yard Olly at NFR drinking tea.Don't worry about the big stuff just get a job with a good small firm and do a bit of very thing.As for the hours there great,the only down side is there's only 24 of them.
At the age of 50 I bad health the upside I had a number of flats and I own my yard which I rented out,do I miss it not a bit ,just look at very recovery lorry on the road,even went to a recovery show a few years back,always in my mate's yard Olly at NFR drinking tea.Don't worry about the big stuff just get a job with a good small firm and do a bit of very thing.As for the hours there great,the only down side is there's only 24 of them.
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