Just an idle question, really. Lots and lots of websites out there all promising that with sufficient effort it's possible to earn £600/week driving HGVs (I imagine that's 50 hours+), is it actually possible to achieve this soon after passing the test?
All these companies are trading under different names but are using the same website design and blurb, and none of them publish their prices on the internet, which seems pretty suspicious to me. I should think it's about £1000 for the 5 day course.
Is it possible to earn back the cost of the course plus a reasonable amount with hard work in the first year, or just marketing gumph?
|
DH, you would be very lucky to even get a start after just passing your test the way things are. at the moment.
I know of good highly experienced drivers who just cannot get anything permanent anymore, since many were made redundant in my own game (car transporters) last year, and all other parts of transport are in downturn big time.
Some have averaged 1/2 days a week since Christmas and some have taken poorly paid jobs working all sorts of odd hours to get a bit of work in.
Hopefully if there is an upturn, which i doubt, good drivers will be needed again, but the money and conditions will not return to where they were for many years, if ever.
I doubt if a bag of sand will get you through both courses and tests, remember your first course will be for rigids and the second will be the artic test, bank on 2 to 3K, a chance you may fail one or both tests first time.
But if you can afford to pay out that money, take your tests by all means and should things look up in your area (and areas count for much in this game) in a couple of years you will have held the licence for 2 years nudge nudge wink wink say no more..;)
Sorry if i sound pessimistic about things, but i have never seen them as bad in transport in my 30odd years, there was always a lot of almost unemployable driver (well licence holder anyway) floating about, what we would have called 'typical agency driver numpty' before but never have i seen good top class chaps and girls struggle to find a half decent or even any job before for weeks and months.
I've been made redundant in previous downturns and the longest time i had out was in '81 when i was made redundant twice within 3 months and i had a total of 8 working days looking for work.
By the way, good money on this game usually comes with long unsocial hours, muck and filth and stopping away all week. The few jobs paying well and with reasonable hours will be dead mens shoes even more now.
Hopefully someone in another sector of the industry knows something good to tell you.
Think i've depressed everyone enough..;)
|
I can only echo what GB has said, every single word of it.
I am in the food industry and because of that we are still ticking over nicely, but we, as a firm, are not using any Agency drivers and are cutting costs wherever it's possible too.
I have campaigned long and hard about the 'false' statements claimed on websites about the amount of vacancies for HGV drivers and the amount that can be earned too.
The money you quote is more than I have ever earned with 28 yrs tramping experience behind me and I work an average of 75 hrs per week for far less than that.
I don't want to put you off at all, but please go into it with your eyes open.
Pat
|
both good posts ion my opinion-
is this the new car driving instructer terriitory now half the country have been on that course with promises of gold and myrrh at the end?
|
is this the new car driving instructer terriitory now half the country have been on that course with promises of gold and myrrh at the end?
Probably ;-)
I saw on TV the other night that their are now 44,000 registered ADIs. In all of the time I was doing it ('85 to 04) the maximum number on the register was 33,000, average about 30. Their isn't a hope in hell of that number being able to make a living in good times, let alone a downturn. But the ADI training industry and the LGV/PCV ones all have one thing in common, they have to keep recruiting new trainees whether there is work for them or not, otherwise they themselves will go out of business.
Anyone thinking of "investing" any capital, particularly redundancy pay, in any job in the driving industry at the moment would be better off putting it on a bonfire. At least you know the outcome and you are saved the long term heartache.
|
|
DH - given that you have spent a huge amount on professional pilot training, throwing more at another course would be highly optimistic, and as has been said, and like in aviation, why hire someone with no experience when there are guys with 20 years under their belts?
|
>>....and like in aviation, why hire someone with no experience when there are guys with 20 years under their belts?
>>
Or as I understand is happening in aviation in some areas, you hire someone and they pay the airline so they can gain experience. That way you always get the best guy for the task NOT!.
|
Exactly, Henry K. The only people gaining jobs at the moment are those paying another £35k to Ryanair or an Asian airline for their training. I don't have that kind of money (and would be exceptionally reluctant to spend it this way if I had), but nor can I sit around doing nothing for more than a couple of weeks.
I was curious to see whether I stood a reasonable chance of making back the investment (plus something to live on and stay current) in the course of a year for the HGV license, but it looks like that isn't likely.
I've already been told a couple of times that the only reason I haven't been offered a job is the fact I'm going to disappear off to fly once an opportunity opens up somewhere. Short of lying on my CV ("Ah, I see you spent the last 2 years traveling. Where did you go?" Me: "Uh..."), I'm getting to a loss over what to do next.
At a job interview last week for a role which was interesting but didn't pay more than about £14k, there were 5 other people with about 20 years experience each, who had all been made redundant recently.
Visit to the local job center is likely to be fun: "Hi, I didn't see any flying jobs on the noticeboard outside, but I do have a Physics degree - is there anything in that area?"
|
.. but I do have a Physics degree - is there anything in that area?" >>
As you have discovered, the jobs are in teaching/training others to be LGV drivers or to be airline Pilots.
So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. In other words, TEACH. Isn't a shortage of Physics and Maths graduates in the teaching profession, for which the Government have some fast track or golden hello scheme?
www.jobsineducation.co.uk/search.cgi?r=8&sr=209&k=...r
edit: here is the fast track scheme
www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0048
Edited by jbif on 29/03/2009 at 21:50
|
jbif
you are spot on,my niece is off to teacher training darn sarth come sept because she cant get a job doing what she wants (something to do with designing fabrics or dresses sorry im a pleb dont know) anyway she gets paid £1000 a month plus digs allowance as i understand it
|
|
|
|
DH, I can only echo what BB, GB and PDA have already said. In my 18 odd years of working in and around the transport industry I have never seen it this bad. My own work (transport management) has decreased by over 75% in the last 12 months, I have had to go back to doing the odd bit of agency driving to keep things ticking over, but bearing in mind I have held a class 1 licence for over 14 years and have many contacts in the local industry even I struggle at times to pick up 1 or 2 days work per week.
These websites and company's just use local trainers anyway, but at much inflated prices. If you do get an LGV licence then you will have to fight to get a job even at the bottom of the ladder, and the bottom is not a nice place to be, driving fridge wagons delivering to fast food places, having to hand ball off the loads and end up taking them up several flights of stairs into the kitchens in central London etc. Only a couple of hours of the day actually spent driving, the rest of the time is manual labour!!! I can assure you it is not nice work, and in the summer it is far worse!!!!
And as for £600pw, there are a select few drivers on certain jobs who can earn that type of money, but they are few and far between.
I would say get your LGV if you want to be a driver, if you want a way to earn some money then look elsewhere, LGV driving if you have no experience is not an easy way to earn a crust!
|
I worked as an HGV driver many years ago. Today's vehicles are better, hours are a bit shorter, but the basics are still the same - stressful and tough.
Driving a lorry might seem enjoyable but driving it for 6 or 7 hours a day, every day, is less so.
And everyone you deal with, from bosses and mechanics to customers and even the general public, have the 'It's your problem, not mine, mate' attitude whenever there's a difficulty.
|
Driving a lorry might seem enjoyable but driving it for 6 or 7 hours a day, every day, is less so
I disagree. I've been doing it for 15 years and every so often I chuckle to myself in disbelief that I can actually get paid for doing something I enjoy so much. Not paid very much, mind you, but paid all the same.
The levels of HGV pay in the East Midlands where I'm based seem to be around £250wk net for 7.5t, £330 for Class II and £390 for Class I. That's a long way off £600.
And everyone you deal with, from bosses and mechanics to customers and even the general public, have the 'It's your problem, not mine, mate' attitude
Customers and the public yes, but if you find a good mechanic (and a good boss!) they will back you up to the hilt.
|
"The levels of HGV pay in the East Midlands where I'm based seem to be around £250wk net for 7.5t, £330 for Class II and £390 for Class I. That's a long way off £600."
£390 in the hand, tax and NI paid is about £500 gross. You can be sure the website was quoting gross pay, not after stoppages.
|
|
|
|
