Truck & Bus driver jobs without experience

V.W.L 11

anyone finding this a common problem??!not being able to get work

CiniO

Why would anyone even consider employing unexperienced driver, if there is hundreds of experienced lads willing to work for minimum wage.

V.W.L 11

CiniO wrote: »

Why would anyone even consider employing unexperienced driver, if there is hundreds of experienced lads willing to work for minimum wage.

how are drivers meant to get experience without being given it,some unexperienced drivers have qualifications that alot of experienced folk do,its a legal form of discrimination IMO

CiniO

I'd rather call it a free market.

O.A.P

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

how are drivers meant to get experience without being given it,some unexperienced drivers have qualifications that alot of experienced folk do,its a legal form of discrimination IMO

No work out there I'm afraid, if you work for nothing you might have a chance but even at that you would not be undercutting a lot of lads by much.
You have to know someone like most things here.

V.W.L 11

CiniO wrote: »

I'd rather call it a free market.

there'll be a shortage of drivers in years to come,or so my cpc trainer says,then the inexperienced guys like myself might get our chance,joys of the times we live in

guil

Very hard to get a start without at least 2 years experience. Try registering with a few agencies anyway.

Truckermal

guil wrote: »

Very hard to get a start without at least 2 years experience. Try registering with a few agencies anyway.

Try Nolans or Stobart or Bradley in Donegal, join up on irishrigs.com plenty of info there.

V.W.L 11

guil wrote: »

Very hard to get a start without at least 2 years experience. Try registering with a few agencies anyway.

the agencies wont go near me over it either,even van driving experience isnt recognised yet i know nearly every side street and backroad from waterford to cork,kerry,tipperary and limerick,most of munster basically

V.W.L 11

Truckermal wrote: »

Try Nolans or Stobart or Bradley in Donegal, join up on irishrigs.com plenty of info there.

based in cork,currently doing artic lessons,have my rigid,will look up that irish rigs site,never heard of it,thanks for that truckermal

V.W.L 11

O.A.P wrote: »

No work out there I'm afraid, if you work for nothing you might have a chance but even at that you would not be undercutting a lot of lads by much.
You have to know someone like most things here.

i've gone as far as offering my services for free to try and get on the ladder but they were having none of it,stobart are on €11 60 an hour which is decent,to undercut that would be minimum wage

Truckermal

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

based in cork,currently doing artic lessons,have my rigid,will look up that irish rigs site,never heard of it,thanks for that truckermal

Feck all rigid work about, artic is a lot better to have. Il keep my ears open though! !

V.W.L 11

Truckermal wrote: »

Feck all rigid work about, artic is a lot better to have. Il keep my ears open though! !

thanks for that,oh i've realised i need the artic licence now,wanna get the most out of my ADR cert before i start forgetting all i learned

jimmyw

Its this type of position that jobbridge could work with, but there are not much of these type of positions coming up.I know 9 months might not be enough experience, but its a start.

V.W.L 11

jimmyw wrote: »

Its this type of position that jobbridge could work with, but there are not much of these type of positions coming up.I know 9 months might not be enough experience, but its a start.

its a hell of alot more than the experience i have now,never considered "slavebridge" for a position until you mentioned it thanks OP

sogood

This catch 22 situation isn't peculiar to driving jobs. Particularly in the current jobs market, any employer can pick and choose and experience is always going to be one of the criteria applied.

Best of luck in your efforts either way.

V.W.L 11

sogood wrote: »

This catch 22 situation isn't peculiar to driving jobs. Particularly in the current jobs market, any employer can pick and choose and experience is always going to be one of the criteria applied.

Best of luck in your efforts either way.

cheers,like a previous poster said its not what you know but who you know clearly

Sobanek

Minimum wage is ridiculous as I know a lot of drivers who are paid more in Poland.
The country in which the minimum wage is less than 400 euros a month.

Employers aren't as picky as they used to be a year or two ago since educated, well experienced people stopped working for peanuts and went abroad to look for work.

V.W.L 11

Sobanek wrote: »

Minimum wage is ridiculous as I know a lot of drivers who are paid more in Poland.
The country in which the minimum wage is less than 400 euros a month.

Employers aren't as picky as they used to be a year or two ago since educated, well experienced people stopped working for peanuts and went abroad to look for work.

only for i have young children here i'd be gone abroad looking for work but employers are still very fussy though well in ireland at least

Bpmull

My uncle was driving trucks upto recently and never had any problem getting uk work with irish companies ie 5 days driving in uk and back for the weekend. The money wasn't great but I suppose it was the going rate. I know both places where he was working had no problem hiring people with no experience. However trying to get irish work is much harder even for lads with plenty of experience. And if you have children you probably don't want uk work. Best of luck with it hope you find something. At least your trying to get your licence and go out and get a job fair play and if you look hard enough I'm sure you'll find something.

V.W.L 11

Bpmull wrote: »

My uncle was driving trucks upto recently and never had any problem getting uk work with irish companies ie 5 days driving in uk and back for the weekend. The money wasn't great but I suppose it was the going rate. I know both places where he was working had no problem hiring people with no experience. However trying to get irish work is much harder even for lads with plenty of experience. And if you have children you probably don't want uk work. Best of luck with it hope you find something. At least your trying to get your licence and go out and get a job fair play and if you look hard enough I'm sure you'll find something.

over 200 jobs applications so far and only 4 rejection letters i've told the O/H that if the right opportunity came up perhaps in the uk then we may have to relocate but i'd prefer not to though,thanks for that OP

Bpmull

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

over 200 jobs applications so far and only 4 rejection letters i've told the O/H that if the right opportunity came up perhaps in the uk then we may have to relocate but i'd prefer not to though,thanks for that OP

Was it just positions for rigids you were applying for as obviously the vast majority of work seems to be artic that's almost all my uncle ever drove. There is a few companies based in new Ross all big companies the likes Of Nolan's and o'leary international but the only trucks they would have are artics or the vast vast majority of there trucks anyway.

Guy:Incognito

jimmyw wrote: »

Its this type of position that jobbridge could work with, but there are not much of these type of positions coming up.I know 9 months might not be enough experience, but its a start.

Giving the op to a company for free for 9 months wont create any jobs. Itll take away a job another driver would have been paid to do. If there are 2000 lads with artic licences looking for work and 200 jobs available then theres not enough jobs. Giving 20 of those 200 available jobs free labour just means there are 180 jpbs available now.

V.W.L 11

Bpmull wrote: »

Was it just positions for rigids you were applying for as obviously the vast majority of work seems to be artic that's almost all my uncle ever drove. There is a few companies based in new Ross all big companies the likes Of Nolan's and o'leary international but the only trucks they would have are artics or the vast vast majority of there trucks anyway.

rigid trucks and buses was what i applied for but i eventually clicked artics are the way to go for work,in the process of going for the full artic so hopefully i'll be doing the test by february,march

Bpmull

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

rigid trucks and buses was what i applied for but i eventually clicked artics are the way to go for work,in the process of going for the full artic so hopefully i'll be doing the test by february,march

I'd imagine once you get the artic licence you should get a job easier I'd imagine once you have the licence you need to sit down and literally ring any company you can think of big small 5 trucks 100 trucks whatever because you may just be lucky enough that one will be stuck for a driver and give you a shot. Do you have a full coach bus licence and experience in that. I'd of always thought there would be plenty of work going for bus drivers.

V.W.L 11

Bpmull wrote: »

I'd imagine once you get the artic licence you should get a job easier I'd imagine once you have the licence you need to sit down and literally ring any company you can think of big small 5 trucks 100 trucks whatever because you may just be lucky enough that one will be stuck for a driver and give you a shot. Do you have a full coach bus licence and experience in that. I'd of always thought there would be plenty of work going for bus drivers.

thats the plan get the licence and reapply to every single employer in munster to start with,yup have the coach licence also but as per the truck licence i lack experience which they all want,even bus eireann want experienced drivers as a priority and they will look further down the line

Bpmull

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

thats the plan get the licence and reapply to every single employer in munster to start with,yup have the coach licence also but as per the truck licence i lack experience which they all want,even bus eireann want experienced drivers as a priority and they will look further down the line

You will be in a better position when you pass the artic. Just keep applying and looking and something will come along.

V.W.L 11

Bpmull wrote: »

You will be in a better position when you pass the artic. Just keep applying and looking and something will come along.

i constantly see people looking for drivers for the petrol tankers so that might be the first port of call,just have another 4/5 lessons to do before sitting the test

jimmyw

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Giving the op to a company for free for 9 months wont create any jobs. Itll take away a job another driver would have been paid to do. If there are 2000 lads with artic licences looking for work and 200 jobs available then theres not enough jobs. Giving 20 of those 200 available jobs free labour just means there are 180 jpbs available now.

Ah sure I know your right but thats the big issue with JB in general not just for this.Thats another thread...;).I have doubts about that scheme, but if any opportunity came up, I would go for it anyhow ,they might take you on afterwards.

GTE

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

anyone finding this a common problem??!not being able to get work

If you head over to the bus section of the commuting forum there is a thread about Dublin Bus looking for new drivers. I would at least guess they would be the kind of employer to be equal opportunities with regards to experience.

I relate to the OPs problems with it being difficult to gain experience like this in my own field and find the lack of sympathy at times to be pretty rude of people but it does boil down to it being a buyers market of sorts where employers generally have a huge talent pool of experienced people.

Best of luck though!

With the private tendering of some Dublin Bus routes, there may be a need for drivers by those companies too.

discodavie

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

i constantly see people looking for drivers for the petrol tankers so that might be the first port of call,just have another 4/5 lessons to do before sitting the test

Tankers , with. Zero experience ?? Op already said that stobarts wouldn't take him in with no experience and word is they've landed a Hugh fuel contract for 14.

OP you'll pick up rigid work from van work , from there talking to lads round the yards etc you'll hear so and so is looking for a driver or two for the bigger stuff. My first lorry bossman had me go down the road at the weekends with a lad (Unpaid) to get experience after I got licence. I must add I was 22 and had just passed my test.

If ya want experience though you'll just have to make yourself available to go anywhere , work weekends and bank holidays and do **** runs for worse money last offering I had was €90 for 12-15 hrs and that would be standard nowadays.

Also someone above mentioned thier uncle going to the uk.... That means load ireland deliver uk reload uk deliver ireland. Usually a 36 hour round trip depending on where your going to you'd do 2-3 a week but a. 5 day work in the bean is rare though.

Most work (legally of course) 6 days away 1 off followed by 5 days away 2 off. You won't always get home for the days off though , you could be parked up stuck abroad , no back load so sit in a dodgy industrial estate for 3-4 days. (Unpaid as your not "working") only to come back to more time off unpaid as your scheduled to be going back out the following night. I know 1 lad who earned 220 for being away for. 5 days. He drank more than that. ;-).

It's not convoys and air horns op , hope someone talks sense into ya before it's too late.

guil

Not a hope of getting on tankers without a couple of years verified experience.

It's a bollox of a situation to be in and I got lucky when I got my licence in 08. Had absolutely no experience and didn't know anyone with trucks.

Scortho

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Giving the op to a company for free for 9 months wont create any jobs. Itll take away a job another driver would have been paid to do. If there are 2000 lads with artic licences looking for work and 200 jobs available then theres not enough jobs. Giving 20 of those 200 available jobs free labour just means there are 180 jpbs available now.

The OP's biggest problem is that he can't get the experience that'd allow him get a job. The likes of job bridge works in this situation as it gives him the experience that he needs to get his foot in the door somewhere else.
While I agree with you that it'll take away some paid jobs, the OP shouldn't be concerned about this and should focus on doing whats best for himself

guil

The problem with job bridge is they all want experienced drivers as well.

V.W.L 11

guil wrote: »

The problem with job bridge is they all want experienced drivers as well.

its scam bridge of the highest level,lots of protests in cork city at the monent over it

V.W.L 11

Scortho wrote: »

The OP's biggest problem is that he can't get the experience that'd allow him get a job. The likes of job bridge works in this situation as it gives him the experience that he needs to get his foot in the door somewhere else.
While I agree with you that it'll take away some paid jobs, the OP shouldn't be concerned about this and should focus on doing whats best for himself

i completely agree with you 100% what others should remember is that every single truck and bus driver out there were at a stage in their lives when they had 0% experience at one time,some got lucky and got work and others like me and maybe 100's & possibly 1000's in this country are struggling to find work because it isnt illegal to discriminate over being non-experienced,all i can do is plough on and hope someone will take a chance on people like me and others to give us the badly needed break we need,but i wont get my hopes us just yet

Dai John

Turn up at an international operator's yard, don't speak much English ,the licence seems to be the last thing they look at.

Scortho

Here's the thing though if an employer has the option of an experienced worker or a worker with no experience he's going to chose the worker with experience.
That isn't discriminating, he's choosing the person who is best qualified for the job.
Now if you were a woman and had 10 years experience and they have to a man with no experience or vica versa that would be discrimination.

V.W.L 11

Scortho wrote: »

Here's the thing though if an employer has the option of an experienced worker or a worker with no experience he's going to chose the worker with experience.
That isn't discriminating, he's choosing the person who is best qualified for the job.
Now if you were a woman and had 10 years experience and they have to a man with no experience or vica versa that would be discrimination.

thats very true,maybe how employers treat the inexperienced is unfair then

V.W.L 11

Dai John wrote: »

Turn up at an international operator's yard, don't speak much English ,the licence seems to be the last thing they look at.

that wouldnt surprise me either

Guy:Incognito

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

i completely agree with you 100% what others should remember is that every single truck and bus driver out there were at a stage in their lives when they had 0% experience at one time,some got lucky and got work and others like me and maybe 100's & possibly 1000's in this country are struggling to find work because it isnt illegal to discriminate over being non-experienced,all i can do is plough on and hope someone will take a chance on people like me and others to give us the badly needed break we need,but i wont get my hopes us just yet

Its not discrimination though so theres nothing to make it illegal anyway. If you owned the company and needed a driver, what reason would you have to hire a guy that judt got his licence over the mountain of cvs on ypur desk from guys with proven records in the job. This is someone youd be employing to be a face of your company and trusting with yours trucks and the goods they are carrying.

Every job in every sector will give some weight to experience when looking for staff.

Would you want a guy just out of medical school doing a complex operation on you or would you rather thw surgeon with 30 years experience of doing the same operation?

RustyNut

I feel your pain op, it was the same in the 80's when i started. No experience no job, no job no experience ! I got my start through a family friend, who ya know and all that.


I would suggest that maby you should see if you can get a start in a transport company doing yard or warehouse work. Let them know at the start that you want to go driving and that you have your licence,cpc,adr and whatever. This give them a chance to see what you are like, are you responsible, good time keeper etc.

This puts you in the right place and the next time a bit of work comes up, e.g. someone calls in sick and the load is sitting there you are in the right place at the right time. Other than that you are just another CV with no experience in a pile of CV's with plenty of experience.

Sometimes being lucky takes a bit of work.

ofcork

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

i constantly see people looking for drivers for the petrol tankers so that might be the first port of call,just have another 4/5 lessons to do before sitting the test

You need a haz chem as well for the tankers.

V.W.L 11

ofcork wrote: »

You need a haz chem as well for the tankers.

have a hazchem,4 years left on it,even with that i'm getting nothing

V.W.L 11

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Its not discrimination though so theres nothing to make it illegal anyway. If you owned the company and needed a driver, what reason would you have to hire a guy that judt got his licence over the mountain of cvs on ypur desk from guys with proven records in the job. This is someone youd be employing to be a face of your company and trusting with yours trucks and the goods they are carrying.

Every job in every sector will give some weight to experience when looking for staff.

Would you want a guy just out of medical school doing a complex operation on you or would you rather thw surgeon with 30 years experience of doing the same operation?

regardless of what profession a person is in they were inexperienced one time and somebody had to give them a break

V.W.L 11

RustyNut wrote: »

I feel your pain op, it was the same in the 80's when i started. No experience no job, no job no experience ! I got my start through a family friend, who ya know and all that.


I would suggest that maby you should see if you can get a start in a transport company doing yard or warehouse work. Let them know at the start that you want to go driving and that you have your licence,cpc,adr and whatever. This give them a chance to see what you are like, are you responsible, good time keeper etc.

This puts you in the right place and the next time a bit of work comes up, e.g. someone calls in sick and the load is sitting there you are in the right place at the right time. Other than that you are just another CV with no experience in a pile of CV's with plenty of experience.

Sometimes being lucky takes a bit of work.

might do the transport management cpc,see will i get anything with that on top of everything else

KwackerJack

Always love the 'Only Experienced drivers wanted' what happens when they all die???

V.W.L 11

KwackerJack wrote: »

Always love the 'Only Experienced drivers wanted' what happens when they all die???

my thoughts exactly

Sobanek

ofcork wrote: »

You need a haz chem as well for the tankers.

I thought you needed ADR for that.

V.W.L 11

Sobanek wrote: »

I thought you needed ADR for that.

ADR/HAZCHEM same difference,i've got tankers and packages

Truckermal

Did you ever do silage or drive tractors as that counts for experience, I know quite a few driver's that started that way.