Jump and the net will Appear - 18/10/25
I am casting my mind back to July 2020 when I was contemplating my first Class 2 HGV driving job
Training to becoming a HGV driver was a newly acquired skill for life! I initially considered it to be my fall back option with horticultural pursuits as my headline
I had made a promise to myself that I would never go back on benefits and saw this juncture as a turning point
The likelihood I'd be on £27/hour right off the bat was thin, but it was definite I'd be earning in a week more than I was picking up monthly from the dole office. This was considered a good start
It's now 2025, with just over 2 months until 2026
Little did I know that over five years would elapse since I got into professional driving without following through on my passion for horticulture
I didn't expect to get the highest paying roles being a new pass. I refrained from putting all of my eggs into one basket and set about registering my interests with many agencies. This meant, within weeks of receiving my cards, I was be able to take my pick of temp roles on offer from a handful of agencies
I had a few job preference that included a new wagon, auto gearbox, and the same vehicle for the duration of my short term contract
I had already made up my mind that a vehicle sharing would be shyte and getting an assigned wagon would allow me to get some things for it and leave them in over night
Things such as rags, glass cleaner, dash cleaner, antiseptic wipes, air freshener, set my dashcam up, spare gloves, Hi-Viz, pens and a pad … Little things that I needed since the truck would become my office
I anticipated I'd be cleaning my wagon during breaks, getting it nice - maybe adding a beaded seat cover,
fluffy dice, the works
Most of what I envisaged had come to pass but agency work opened my eyes to a few things
As I gained more experience I learned what my extended preferences were whilst receiving confirmation that my initial desires held water
Having the privilege of driving a lot of different vehicles meant I was often covering permanent drivers that were absent
I found real appreciation driving the wagons belonging to those who treated their vehicles with respect
The clean wagons were a pleasure to drive. When I had a longer term jobs with an assigned vehicle I went on to treat my wagon the same - and this didn't go unnoticed
I've done general haulage and had to complete 6-14 deliveries using a pallet truck. For the most part, this wasn't the fondest experience. It helped me decide general haulage is not for me
I had an opportunity to do store deliveries to M&S pushing roller cages around. It wasn't bad but the circumstance around the experience put me off. This helped me realise, this was also not for me
Home deliveries for B&Q two man team. This was okay but I wouldn't do it full time. Absence cover is okay now and again because it helps me realise how superior the work is that I preferred doing
I had one terrible experience with a driver while doing 2 man deliveries and it was the fact he was farting all day and it really really really smelled like something had died inside of him. It was absolutely foul
Trunk runs were okay, and that happened to be my very first job. I trunked between a manufacturing facility and their remote warehouse. It was easy enough but as I hadn't yet bought a sat nav I struggled on the first day
I later trunked between two depots for another company and this gave me a false impression of trucking. The job was so easy. I spent the first 2-4 hours of the day doing nothing at all. I started at 6 but the warehouse team didn't start til 8. And when they started they hadn't decided what was going on the run to the other branch, so I was literally getting paid to do not a lot
I managed probably 2 runs per day. And the wagon I was granted only had about 350km on the clock; it was brand new. I had landed! That was perhaps the best job I had because I sat on the yard in this new truck on my phone for the first 2-4 hours before doing any work
That role was not going to last forever because it was only to transfer stock to another branch before it opened for business. When all of the stock went over my term had finished
I volunteered to stay on and do what the other drivers did, and in doing so secured a full time position and that was when I got Moffett trained - they paid for it
I didn't sign the contract! I left when my probation period ended
The work was more challenging than I initially thought it would be. I was getting back late quite often. The permanent wage wasn't great even though I was still picking up more whilst on the agency completing probation. When I began doing the work of everyone else the new wagon was taken off me and I was driving their worst vehicles for the most part. The transport manager wasn't a nice bloke even though he probably meant well. He wasn't someone I could see myself taking orders from indefinitely. I took my moffett training and left them in the lurch
I had already booked my Class 1 training so went and did that literally the following week after leaving - I should add that I told the TM that I had my Class 1 booked prior to looking into staying permanent. He tried to put me off doing it. I believe he saw it as a threat because I was adding another string to my bow and I could leave at any time. That could be a problem because the company do not usually train new recruits on Moffetts before their probation period is up, whereas because I had some history with the company they fast tracked me and got me trained within the first week or two of me officially being on probation for a full time role
I got Class 1 trained and passed. I looked at class 1 jobs then realised that the extra responsibility wasn't paying much more than being a class 2 driver with moffett, so I stuck to what I knew
I spent the next couple of years driving rigids and using moffets and getting better at both
The whole time I had been neglecting my Class 1 privilege thinking that it was not worth it
But this changed recently when I passed ADR training
The idea back in 2020 was to study and level up. I knew getting more privileges would allow me to earn a bit more
After 3-4 years of operating a Moffett I realised that the rate I was on was more or less capped
The only way to earn more was to add another string to my bow or work nights doing something slightly different
Little did I realise that after passing ADR training I was going to find it really difficult to get my first role working on tanks and cylinders delivering fuel or gases
Class 2 ADR doesn't pay much more than Class 2 with moffett for the most part, but Class 1 tanks pays more than both
My issue that I have come to realise is that I should have jumped on Class 1 work as soon as I got the ticket. There was a little more demand at the time for new drivers to pick up the slack, and even though I may not have earned much more than I was on operating a Moffett, it would have given me loads of experience before getting ADR trained then allowed me to jump into tanks
And this is where I am at!
My next route is either to use my ADR privilege right away and try to get valuable experience no matter the wage, or, get into Class 1, even if it means driving nights and doing what others won't do just so I can get some Class 1 experience
I discussed this with my current recruitment agent and a plan was devised
I have completed 192 shifts for these guys which is a good amount. I'd like to reach 250 (ifkyk)
After I told them I was looking for Class 1 work and that I was willing to pay my ADR training company £75/hr to do a refresher course, my agent said he has a company and they might be prepared to get me out on the road with an experienced driver to get me the refresher that I needed. The only thing I need to be aware of is that I probably wouldn't get paid
This is actually not as bad as it may sound
What I would be getting is real-life experience doing real journeys to real companies transporting real loads - it would be normal work but literally on a voluntary basis
I think a week out doing this would be far more valuable than cruising the streets for a fee, however, an accredited instructor is just that - someone who can guide me, give me tips and steer me on the right "official" path. A fellow driver might not be that competent even though they might be a good driver
There is also an insurance issue. The risk level is high even though the idea is very good
If I can get some on the road experience for a week, maybe even 2, then I think I will become competent enough to begin going it alone
Another option I have is to pay for 6 hours of official refresher training, then take a week or two volunteering with an experienced driver. What this does is build my confidence in stages - it's not like I don't know how to driver an artic, I've already passed my test
I really need, at the very minimum, 6 months experience driving Class 1 under my belt before I can be considered a qualified and experienced driver. Most companies want 2 years experience, but some are okay with 6 months recent. 6 months won't make me a master by any stretch, but it's a start
I also really need those 6 months of experience on ADR tanks with a blinding reference
Ideally, the company I do my initial stint with will have a job for me to do a further 6 months with, perhaps on Class 1 tanks/cylinders
The bonus is, they would already know of me
Essentially, I have my plan for the next 12-18 months
In 2 years it would be welcomed to transition into Class 1 Tanks
£21/hr based on 9 hour days (+1hr break) is grossing £49,140
I could get into netting £39k with such jobs as:
Keep in mind the latter two are likely to be agency roles so there will not be many perks to this
But the former pair are probably a better shout for long term roles as there will be the usual benefits that come with a full time job
If I play my cards right I can go for- 6 months on gas tanks driving Class 2,
- 6 - 12 months on Class 1 drag & drop / trailer swaps / D2D / RDC
- 6 months on Class 2 fuel (using gas tank experience),
- 12+ months on Class 1 Fuel (using 6 + 6 month experience on gas tanks and fuel tanks & references from both as well as reference from Class 1 Job preferably a permanent job or intermittent mixed with Class 2 fuel/gas tanker work)
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