Calling LGV/HGV Drivers

callmybill

Hi

Right place to post.

I'm thinking of training for my LGV/HGV test (Rigid then HGV), paying for it myself.

My question is:

Is the job worth it, as there seems to be quite a few jobs advertised?

I can't find anyone to ask about it!


Thanks for any replies.:beer:

Dunkyboy_2

ok, i can at last answer a post with a little knowledge.
I am not a hgv driver, but i am involved with them regularly as a part of my job. Drivers are usually reasonably well paid if you work for a big firm, but pay can vary depending on experiance.
Biggest problem is that most firms won't hire drivers that aren't experianced, so it's real difficult to get started. you can also expect to be away from home for days at a time, and plans change from hour to hour, so making plans can be difficult. There are a lot of rule changes coming in shortly from the good old european union which will make drivers take more tests more regularly. Not a lot of help to you, but best of luck anyway.

oldbuffer

Have a look here:

http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/index.php

You will find all the help you need.:beer:

Conor_3

I am a HGV driver, have been for 14 years.

Pay: Rubbish. Get more stacking shelves in Tesco in most places in the UK SERIOUSLY. Those with nice trucks pay bad wages - "All flash, no cash" and those with bad trucks pay bad wages.
Hours: Average working week in haulage is 55 hours. Maximum working day is 15 hours or 22 hours if you're double manning. Currently I start at any time between 3am - 6am. I finish whenever. When I finish is dictated by delays at delivery/pickups and traffic. For example, yesterday I started at 3.30 am and finished at 5.30pm. Would've finished sooner but someone hadn't cleaned a silo my milk was going into so I had to wait for that to be done which delayed me by 2 hours.

Joe Public hates you and thinks you're an idiot, treating you like a second class citizen. In fact, I reckon many of them treat you worse. Every car driver blames you for congestion even though there's 10,000 fewer HGVs than in the early 1950's and the number of cars has increased 3000% in that time.

You'll be in the most legislated sector in the UK and the laws are constantly being changed to make doing the job harder year upon year.

Truck stops are being shut down left right and centre and councils are doing all they can to prevent lorries from parking in their area. They want the goods we carry but not the lorries. That's if you can actually get there due to the increase in 7.5t weight limits. For example, Oxfordshire Council closed all the stops on the A34, claiming we could park in the services on the M40. That'll be the services that were so full when the stops existed that lorries were parking on the entry/exit sliproads. Alconbury truckstop is closing so we'll be forced to park in laybys on the A14 which is an area where many lorry drivers are getting gassed and their loads stolen.

Many jobs involve you being out all week for which you'll be rewarded the princely sum of £20 a night to live in a 8ft x 6ft box and due to the lack of HGV parking, end up parking up in laybys where there's no toilet or washing facilities. You'll be at risk from being robbed, being gassed and having your diesel, lorry or load stolen.

Kiss goodbye to any social and family life. Basically, you can't plan to do anything on any days you're working.

There's next to no opportunity to have a decent diet and the job is hell on your health. Most of us have/ have had back injuries and a lot of us are overweight. Sleep depravation becomes your friend.

Plenty of work but mainly because many of us are leaving and a great many are retiring.

Me? I'm now down to working a 3 day week because I've had enough and even that is too much.

jonathon

I work for wincanton Logistics and we are allways desperate for drivers Days its around £25000 and nights £28000 but i agree its a crap job very long hours

Conor_3

HenryWeston wrote: »

Hi Conor, I agree with all of your post apart from this bit! i really dont think that you are going to earn more stacking shelves in a supermarket than driving a truck, i earnt around £28000 last year driving an 8 wheel tipper, do shelf stackers earn this? if they do i might join them !

Well there was a TV programme showing Tesco shelf stackers in Oxon getting paid £8/hr basic SEVEN YEARS AGO.

£28000 p.a, I assume doing around 55hrs a week?

OK, lets do the sums:

55hrs a week, is the equivalent of 62.5hrs basic.
52 weeks a year gives 3250 hours.
£28k / 3250hrs = £8.61/hr.

If you're doing more than 55hrs a week or working weekends, that hourly figure drops.

mrbadexample

Conor wrote: »

I am a HGV driver, have been for 14 years.

Pay: Rubbish. Get more stacking .........

<snip>

........ I've had enough and even that is too much.

But apart from that it's great!

I agree with what Dunkyboy said, in that it's naturally more difficult to secure a good position without experience. Initially, you'd probably have to start with an agency to gain some. It wouldn't be much fun to start with - agency drivers aren't as well looked after; they'll get the ropiest wagons and the runs other drivers don't want. That said, do a good job and there's a good chance you'd get taken on full time. There is a general shortage of drivers in the industry.

It also depends on the type of person you are - if the lifestyle suits you and you find a good place to work, there's no reason why you couldn't earn a decent living. If you're the sort of person that suffers from road-rage, it probably wouldn't be for you.

scottwrong

jonathon wrote: »

I work for wincanton Logistics and we are allways desperate for drivers Days its around £25000 and nights £28000 but i agree its a crap job very long hours

I used to work for Wincantons sub contracted m&s .Its the worst job i've done. Mind you its not so much about the work its about the area manager of transport there in royal tunbridge wells, that could not organise and manage a !!!!up in a brewery. He has no idea how to man manage. If he could do that simple thing then he might have more respect from his workers.

soup

I doubt he will read that scott as the posts are 4 years old, apart from your one and my one.

geordieracer

and my one

paddedjohn

and this one