Bye bye lorries......

[ClaireSaud]

Congratulations and good luck

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Congrats @Brandane and Merry Christmas when it comes!
I would keep the agency job if I was you, just do a shift a month or so.
In today's job climate having a plan B is always best, also if both employers know that you have other options they are less likely to take the p***

 

[tyred]

Well done and good luck

 

[raleighnut]

A mate has retired from driving trucks (end of march) he doesn't miss it at all.

Good luck with the new job.

 

[Pale Rider]

I had an acquaintance who drove lorries for most of her working life.

She's now retired, but from the handful of times we discussed the haulage industry, I'm sure she would agree with @Brandane and @User9609.

Which is sad, but I suspect there are many occupations which have gone badly downhill from the workers' point of view.

I'm also led to believe there are still a handful of decent employers who treat drivers reasonably well and will, for example, pay for the five yearly compulsory 'training'.

 

[MarquisMatsugae]

Aw ra best @Brandane ,nice one.

 

[Drago]

Good luck in your new career as an MP.

 

[Brandane]

I would keep the agency job if I was you, just do a shift a month or so.

I won't burn my bridges, just in case the new job has some hidden problem - but my predecessor has just retired after doing it for 17 years, so hopefully it's a keeper!
It's 25 hours per week over 5 days (Monday to Friday 0800/1300) as a maintenance/security/gardener/oddjob/mini-bus driver at a local long established business. Sounds like it was tailor made for my circumstances and interests; so here's hoping I've found a good 'un. Time will tell.

To be honest I can't see me having the inclination to go and do a driving shift; not even once a month. For starters my new job is spread over 5 days (but I'll have every afternoon off to get some cycle miles in!) so that only leaves weekends for agency work. To comply with keeping driving hours legal, I could still do one shift every two weeks but it's not going to happen. If the worst comes to the worst, I'm sure I could find agency driving work again, but in a years time I would need to shell out for my CPC (certificate of professional competency) again, plus a medical. That's a total of over £500 - to do a job that earns about £8.50 per hour before deductions .

 

[Pale Rider]

Hopefully this case involving four deaths caused by a runaway lorry will give the cowboy operators pause for thought.

The jury acquitted the driver but convicted the business owner and mechanic.

Looks like they accepted the driver did everything he could to bring the lorry under control, but was defeated by brake failure caused by incompetent maintenance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38404875

 

[Pale Rider]

But wasn't the driver also not licensed to drive the vehicle?

There's a more fulsome report in the forum's favourite newspaper.

In that, the driver is described as 'newly-qualified' which suggests he did have a licence.

If his licence did not cover the type of vehicle he was driving, it may be he pleaded guilty to driving otherwise in accordance with a licence, knowing that you can't go to prison for it.

The Mail also reports prosecution claims he was speeding before the accident, so he may have been fortunate to be 'acquitted of all charges'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...anic-convicted-killer-tipper-truck-crash.html

 

[cyberknight]

You'll have to turn it down you know....


....a five minute cycle commute isn't nearly long enough!



Congrats!

Mrs CK wants to move , she said i would have to take a longer route to work

 

[User19783]

I won't burn my bridges, just in case the new job has some hidden problem - but my predecessor has just retired after doing it for 17 years, so hopefully it's a keeper!
It's 25 hours per week over 5 days (Monday to Friday 0800/1300) as a maintenance/security/gardener/oddjob/mini-bus driver at a local long established business. Sounds like it was tailor made for my circumstances and interests; so here's hoping I've found a good 'un. Time will tell.

To be honest I can't see me having the inclination to go and do a driving shift; not even once a month. For starters my new job is spread over 5 days (but I'll have every afternoon off to get some cycle miles in!) so that only leaves weekends for agency work. To comply with keeping driving hours legal, I could still do one shift every two weeks but it's not going to happen. If the worst comes to the worst, I'm sure I could find agency driving work again, but in a years time I would need to shell out for my CPC (certificate of professional competency) again, plus a medical. That's a total of over £500 - to do a job that earns about £8.50 per hour before deductions .

When I need a medical, I use these's chaps.
Half the price of the local GP.
http://www.doctorsonwheels.co.uk/

 

[User19783]

I've not driven a truck for twenty years, but I still have my hgv medical every five years, and my CPC runs out in 2019 I believe, I might renew, or not.

I don't want to loose my hgv license, just in case something happens with my current employer, as I've got a class one license, I believe it harder to get now.

Good luck in your new job, sounds great.

 

[Brandane]

I've not driven a truck for twenty years, but I still have my hgv medical every five years, and my CPC runs out in 2019 I believe, I might renew, or not.

I don't want to loose my hgv license, just in case something happens with my current employer, as I've got a class one license, I believe it harder to get now.

Good luck in your new job, sounds great.

From what I have researched, you don't actually lose your HGV entitlement if you don't keep your medical/CPC up to date. It disappears from your licence (or shows as expired) but you can at any time in the future make it live again by sitting a medical and doing your CPC, and applying to have C+E entitlement restored.. I used to think that it would be necessary to go back to square one and resit your driving tests (obviously having to do class 2 then class 1, at great expense and risk of failure!) but apparently not. Unless I am wrong, of course, which I will admit is a possibility albeit a remote one .

PS... A driver in a Tesco RDC drivers room told me that, so it MUST be correct . Or maybe it was the cleaner, which would give it more credibility.

 

[User19783]

From what I have researched, you don't actually lose your HGV entitlement if you don't keep your medical/CPC up to date. It disappears from your licence (or shows as expired) but you can at any time in the future make it live again by sitting a medical and doing your CPC, and applying to have C+E entitlement restored.. I used to think that it would be necessary to go back to square one and resit your driving tests (obviously having to do class 2 then class 1, at great expense and risk of failure!) but apparently not. Unless I am wrong, of course, which I will admit is a possibility albeit a remote one .

PS... A driver in a Tesco RDC drivers room told me that, so it MUST be correct . Or maybe it was the cleaner, which would give it more credibility.

Thanks for that information, didn't know that.
Every day is a learning day.