LGV Training Funding for unemployed ?

louisehj

Blimey its really expensive for this licence! My DH has been shunting for 3 years, passed his class c (?) last year and just started driving on the road 8 wks ago. He has his class c+e (?) next week. His company has paid for all this, he worked his way up from the warehouse. He is really enjoying the driving at the moment.

Hammyman

louisehj wrote: »

Blimey its really expensive for this licence! My DH has been shunting for 3 years, passed his class c (?) last year and just started driving on the road 8 wks ago. He has his class c+e (?) next week. His company has paid for all this, he worked his way up from the warehouse. He is really enjoying the driving at the moment.

Good for him. At least he'll know how to reverse having been shunting for that long.:D:D

There are still companies that do this but they're getting few and far between and tend to generally be manufacturers running their own fleet.

Tellitright

Thinking of taking a HGV course? Read this first.

Having recently worked for a "large" HGV training company, I was shocked to find out how much of a scam it is.

Their Pitch: Load of jobs available, decent money, help in finding work once course is finished. New career in 6/8 weeks.

The Reality: Jobs are available, but employers want experience. Average money, many drivers are being replaced by workers from Eastern Europe, who will do the job for less money. The recruitment department consists of a admin girl who will send you out a list of agencies.

Conclusion: If you really want the licence, cut out the middle man and go straight to a HGV training centre.

Baldpoodle

I was told today that if I could get a hgv licence paid for by the dole office there would be a driving job for me.Do they still pay for the course etc seeing as I have been claiming Jobseekers allowance for 10 months now.

bugslet

Erm, who told you that one?

I don't know anything about training being paid by any of the agencies and if you wish to train as a wagon driver, then do so.

However, I don't put an ad in the paper for a wagon driver simply because I end up with more applications than a small company can deal with and I hate turning people down. It's even harder for people who have recently passed as insurace companies like to see two years experience. The way round that BTW is to offer the company to pay the extra excess that a new driver attracts, usually £500.00, if you want the job enough.

As per tellitright, if you see any adverts from companies telling you that they can get you a job if you train with them, it's nearly guaranteed to be a con.

If you've had a burning desire to be a truck driver then do the course. Remember you have to like getting up at 2 in the morning, spending a night in a layby, being hated by most non- truck driving road users, getting wet through and cold in winter if you are working outside, treat like an idiot at an rdc.

Having said that, it can be the best job in the world.

nikilou_2

hi i'm a class 1 driver and i do love my job BUT, if i had been told that you have to keep paying out just so you can keep going to work, i would't have done it.
not only do you have to pay for training, you have your digi card £48 which has to be renewed every 10 years, medicals about £90 after the age of 45 and every 5 years until 60 then every year. the driver C.P.C. about £500 for 5 modules that you usually do in you own time and you have to do it every 5 years. the wages keep going down and down, when i started driving you could name your price but now i'm sad to say i no cleaners that get paid more, the best wages are on the agencies but thats a bit hit and miss, last week i did one day. most companies pay between £7.80 and £9.00 an hour in which case you are much better off getting you forklift licence. plus there's not many companies that will employ anyone without at least2 years experience i've known some that insist on 5 years. sorry dude.. i got told i'd never be out of work with a class 1 but it aint true, if people aint got no money they don't shop so we don't deliver hence 8 days work since crimbo. but i still love my job:)

timothybeighton

I am interested in finding out if I can get training for HGV or LGV class 2 then class 1: I can do this if I pay for it via savings from another job. I want a career change. (read: NEED a career change)
What I am reading is that those financially interested in me believeing that there is a shortage of drivers and a need large enough to get me a wage to pay off my investment however 'small' (£5,500 'small') are all for taking my money, but the HGV drivers who have left the business are telling my to stop and think about making the investment.

Dare a current trained and working driver(s) answer to this post???

Maybe the reason why training whilst a person is unemployed is not there and 'free'ly available is because the investment is a gamble and not a viable business proposition for a government agency (Like 'A4E' type places?) to undertake. ? If this is the case then surely it follows not to invest in the HGV licence as a private person also? Is there a company out there who would wish to employ me 'on the tick' until I am trained?
timothybeightonelectric@hotmail.co.uk

looking forward to any replys.....:A

Jo_F

Do not do it, I am the partner of an LGV driver, the only way you can get a decent wage is to be a tramper (out all week sleeping in the cab) and running to the absolute max you can with your hours. Otherwise you may as well be a shelf stacker.

Apart from the cost, you then have the 'magic' 2 years, some places its having held your licences for that long (ie get them, bung them in a drawer and forget about them for 2 years), others want 2 year experience.

Plus as was pointed out above, you need to get your driver card, and then do your CPC.

Agency work is hit and miss, especially at this time of year (from now until about March) I know one driver that was on the agency books and he managed to get a days work a week.

Get trained for forklifts, go work in a warehouse, its better hours/conditions and pay.

As to your last bit about someone employing you while you train, do you mean as a driver? In which case, I don't know of anyone that would do that and without the licences you really can't be in control of the vehicle. So not quite sure what you are thinking there

farmerboy

There is no shortage of HGV drivers. 99% of the advertised jobs on the JC website are for agencies, where they don't have the actual job vacant, but need numbers on their books for when work does come in. Someone told me they needed at least 6 names on their books for every placement they have to ensure the job can be covered.

Once you pass you will come into the catch 22 situation of not having the required experience that the employers require, and no one will set you on to get the expierence.

The hours are long and the wages are low. And this is the quietest run up to christmas that I've known in 16 yrs of driving. Can see there being hardly any work in the new year. I'm lucky as I have fingers in several pies, so only do 2/3day hgv per week at the most.

M1KE

Jo_F wrote: »

Do not do it, I am the partner of an LGV driver, the only way you can get a decent wage is to be a tramper (out all week sleeping in the cab) and running to the absolute max you can with your hours. Otherwise you may as well be a shelf stacker.

Nonsense, i have spent most of my life in and around the haulage industry and most of my family are in the haulage business and do long distance driving in all different sectors within the industry, they dont have to tramp it just to earn a living, they earn reasonable salaries and are also able to have one or two days off each week, it may be true that trunking normally requires you to work longer than average hours but by saying that you need to become a tramper and sleep in a cab just to earn a decent salary is trash as it wouldn't apply to everyone.