[Closed] Retraining as a HGV driver!

Ice Road Truckers is where it's at. 8)

Don't like the cold that much!

i know on ex-banker just passed his HGV and another who's just started driving buses so go for it...

Huge money if you move to Oz, and drive out to the mines.
A full HGV was a great thing I got from my time in the Army.
Been tempted to give it a go myself..

Long, long hours as a new-comer, all the rubbish jobs that the agency has will be yours. Maybe 2 nights a week in your own bed. Money not as good as it used to be. Fuel and other tankers are where the better money is.

Wife owns a recruitment agency that has a logistics division and I've thought of doing what you're doing but her customers, Next, Asda etc won't touch you unless you've got 2 years experience.

You need to watch the truckers in South America then! Talk about skillful, I felt sick just watching. 😯

Can't you just save up a bit and then retire early? By all means have a plan for earning a bit of extra money on the side, but I don't see the big attraction of going from a well paid cushy job (albeit boring) to a fairly tough job with long hours and lower pay.

http://transportoperator.co.uk/2013/05/10/driver-shortage-brought-to-a-head-by-driver-cpc/

Do it, don't like it you have your old profession to fall back on. In this modern digital age you could do both?

Doesn't seem like the healthiest of professions - chairs can kill, particularly ones you can't get out for hours at a time.

Saying that, my BiL is an HGV driver and is in excellent shape. It's like the threat of such a sedentary occupation has made him take an exceptionally discipined approach to diet and exercise.

Realisticlly, if I qualified, what could I expect to earn while I get the two years experience? Looking at some training company's websites they seem to promise £30k but I don't quite believe it!

My old man was a HGV driver for 30 years I guess. Doubt he earnt much and he worked fron 5-7 five days a week and most saturdays too. I wouldnt do it.

Do you like murdering Ladies of the night?

Looked at it a few times, you now need to do a rigid course pass that and the written test,then apply for a artic licence, and pass a test both require a medical.

Then hopefully an agency will employ you if you jump to their comands, dont crash and do whats required, then when you habve experience try the bigger companies,long hours 12 hour days stuck in a cab and sometimes sleeping in the box.

But nothing stoping you doing it part time.

Not done any of that JonJones. Does that get covered in the training?!

There are companies that take on newer and younger drivers but for the most part they aren't the best companies to work for.
Try and get into the tipper industry?
I've done various class 1 work and am now driving a tipper local to me with no nights out and never more than 12 hrs max a day for a fair bit more than the 30k that you've seen.
The hardest part for new drivers are the companies trying to instill their work ethic onto you.
Learn the drivers hours laws and the working time directive inside out as it is down to you to make sure you adhere to these which does on occasion require you to educate the office staff.
Night work tends to pay more, if you can get used to the 12 hr switch to your day.......plus sides are that you get to ride empty trails when others are working and the roads are virtually dead between 2100-0500 most nights.

You'll need to learn how to throw plastic bottle of wee out of the window and forget how to put rubbish in bins.

Earnings wise expect up to £10 per hour, but expect to work between 55 and 60 hours per week. This is on general haulage, however time and a half/double time are becoming scarce. If you wish to seek greater earnings you need to aim to be taken on directly by the supermarkets I think think only ASDA are direct employers these days or move to haz loads for which you need an ADR certificate, this includes fuel which tends to be a closed shop.

You would also need a driver CPC which if you don't have by September will mean you cannot drive a hgv. Also bear in mind you would need to qualify for a rigid licence before you can qualify for artic
work.

However there will be a driver shortage in the next few years which could see rates increasing as older drivers retire due to not completing a driver CPC and there are few young drivers entering the sector.

Also bear in mind you are on your own but you are managed via a traffic desk and these days mobile phones, satellite tracking and electronic messaging mean you are still managed closely.

Nights do pay more than day shift work, tramping or nights out in the vehicle also see a premium

I got out of the army with my HGV licence and without the experience, army didn't count, you'll only get work from agencies. That work will be crappiest jobs going, in the worst trucks. Expect to go jobs only to find out a local 5-7 drop job is actually an over night to other end of the country with time between drops that could be done easily in a Ferrari but not a truck.
I'm now an accountant and can relate to some of the aspects of the job that your experiencing. I would look at changing employers or going on your own into an aspect of the job you enjoy. I enjoy seeing my clients companies grow and work mainly in management accounts with small/ medium business owners.
If you changed to an HGV driver I think the tedium and lack of mental challenge will drive you nuts.

Thanks all. Gives me something to think about

Buy a few mags, truck and driver, truck and comercial motor all feature drivers stories and companies.

Why don't you go and work at a less crappy organisation? Easily said than done, but might be easier than taking what sounds like quite a tough job.