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[Baron Von Spongebob]

I drive a truck, I love it.
Money is not the best but trucks are 100%

Given up doing Europe now just UK work, between 2 and 4 nights out per week.

Would love to retire but finances don't allow.
Don't knock it till you've tried it, it's not for everyone but anyone that has done it will have an opinion.

CPC is a waste of time but compulsory.

[Vamps]

I drive a truck, I love it.
Money is not the best but trucks are 100%

Given up doing Europe now just UK work, between 2 and 4 nights out per week.

Would love to retire but finances don't allow.
Don't knock it till you've tried it, it's not for everyone but anyone that has done it will have an opinion.

CPC is a waste of time but compulsory.

Sadly yes, I can see me biting the bullet and doing it as some point in the near future......

[05omegav6]

The driving is fine It's all the shyte that goes with it

CPC, do one day a month, and you'll be done by Easter

[hoofing it]

Aberdeen is where the money is at the mo for hgv drivers a former work mate left a driving job with the council to drive from Stonehaven to Fraserburgh on Saturday and Sundays and he's clearing £600 a weekend (Shell paying the wages,meals and digs)

[dad1uk]

I'm a driver for the local bus company National Express, if you join a large company they will pay for your licence(auto only) and also do the necessary CPC training. This is normally covered by a period of time tied to the company. If you leave before this you sign to say you will repay the company for the training. (I think this is two years with NXWM)

Driving a bus is not as bad a job as some people make out, you do have to be thick skinned to put up with the low lives (joys of working with the public!) but you know what time you start and finish, no bus cleaning or fuelling (if you are with a big company) but you do have early starts (4am) and late finishes(1.30am) and the famous split shifts (maybe a 4 hour break between 1st and 2nd part of duty).

There are jobs with smaller companies but most would not put you through the test and you may end up paying for your CPC training. This would be the same with most coach companies, the one good side of PCV driving is the driver side of the industry is not flooded with Agencies trying to muscle in.

[Lazydocker]

I think I need to do my CPC so my licence stays current. I regret letting my ADR lapse but never mind

I need to look into Transport Manager's CPC too for something I have in the pipeline

[05omegav6]

I think I need to do my CPC so my licence stays current. I regret letting my ADR lapse but never mind

I need to look into Transport Manager's CPC too for something I have in the pipeline

That'll test the grey cells... International only now, and all in one hit apparently...

[Lazydocker]

I think I need to do my CPC so my licence stays current. I regret letting my ADR lapse but never mind

I need to look into Transport Manager's CPC too for something I have in the pipeline

That'll test the grey cells... International only now, and all in one hit apparently...

I'd done most of it in the past as I was running Transport and Distribution under someone else and was preparing to take over before I moved on

To the OP: I was lucky... I started driving 7.5T multidrop at 19 and then did my C whilst working in the garage (to do HIAB recoveries and HGV recoveries), then went into a skip hire company for a few years. In fact, had I not left my Ex and gotten divorced (moved away as well) I'd probably still be there as the money was very good That's the benefit of a family run company

[tunnie]

I've always fancied learning for a bit of fun, that's why I learned to ride motorbike. The challenge of leaning 

That was until I saw course prices 

[Entwood]

I did full LGV / PCV licences as part of my military resettlement ... both courses paid for by HMG .... plan was to supplement the pension by driving.

However getting a sensible job was nigh on impossible .. and by sensible I don't mean exorbitant pay .. I mean sensible hours for a realistic wage..... 

multidrops .... as I was "inexperienced" (ie potentially gullible) the number of drops proposed was impossible within the driving hours limits .. answer .. "everyone ignores them to get the job done.. if you don't get all the drops done you don't get paid" .. yeah right .. a touch illegal methinks

Coaches ... yup they wanted me all right ... for saturday/sunday football/rugby coaches, or school runs .. "only paid for hours actually driven, not for time spent waiting whilst the match is on/kids at school ... any damage/cleaning required comes out of your wages" .. yeah right ...

Anything else required 2 years "experience" .. and the only way to get the "experience" was to be shafted.

In 4 years I think I drove a total of about 18 hours, and that was mostly a farmers horsebox as a favour, the rest was "trials" before the con artists companies stated their "terms".

As soon as I needed the medical after 5 years I let them both lapse.

[05omegav6]

There are some proper cowboys out there

My main reason for suggesting either TNT or UPS is simply the long term prospects, I know of a few people at the TNT depot I worked at for a couple of years who were put through their Class 2 and Class 1 tests. Now that anything over 3.5t is limited to 56 mph, there are alot more rounds per depot than there used to be.
TNT did have a decent pension scheme as well as paid overtime, weekend and bank holidays off.

Both also have upto date vacancy lists on their respective websites. I wouldn't recommend working for smaller firms running vans, as that's where you find most of the issues Entwood has referred to.

[ted_one]

The only advice I can offer to Kate is to go for N/X as I was their senior driving instructor up to a few years ago and what dad1uk says is correct and if you are interested in taking it further then I still have all my training contacts there and can put you in touch with them.Unfortunately their driver training centre is at Sipson near Heathrow

[Kate]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I would really like to do the training as I love driving but there are a lot of hurdles for me to overcome. Then at the end finding a worthwhile job seems impossible.

I've never mentioned it on here before but a few years ago I was diagnosed with BPD. This is a constant problem for me and makes any job a problem.

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/borderline-personality-disorder/?gclid=CL_Pm-ubjbsCFfLHtAodqHoA9g#.Uo_P6_v6Tkc

I've also got hashimoto's thyroiditis so that's another big issue for me.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hashimoto-disease.html

The result is that I think time is running out for me so I wanted to achieve this one goal before it's too late. Even passing my test and not getting a job would be a massive achievement to me.

[Kate]

I've applied for 2 bus driving jobs now.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I've applied for 2 bus driving jobs now.

Good Luck Kate!!!