lorry licence

cena

what is the best to apply for if I want to start driving HVG lorries??

bladebrew

You can only apply for a C1 or a C licence, a C1 licence limits you to 7.5 ton trucks, a C licence is any rigid truck, there is not much point in getting a C1 really,
The hard bit is getting a job!
I have a rigid licence and work in a warehouse, basically every single ad for drivers has "2 years experience" in it,

cena

bladebrew wrote: »

You can only apply for a C1 or a C licence, a C1 licence limits you to 7.5 ton trucks, a C licence is any rigid truck, there is not much point in getting a C1 really,
The hard bit is getting a job!
I have a rigid licence and work in a warehouse, basically every single ad for drivers has "2 years experience" in it,

There is a local guy looking for drivers in my town

Del2005

cena wrote: »

There is a local guy looking for drivers in my town

It'll cost a fair bit to get the licence what wages is he offering? No point in you spending €000's to earn minimum wage, unless he's offering good money I'd seriously consider a different option. It'll take you at least 3-4 months to get the licence will the job still be available?

cena

Del2005 wrote: »

It'll cost a fair bit to get the licence what wages is he offering? No point in you spending €000's to earn minimum wage, unless he's offering good money I'd seriously consider a different option. It'll take you at least 3-4 months to get the licence will the job still be available?

He works with the local sawmill bring the saw dust off the other places.
What is the cost to go through all things to get Licence?

Del2005

cena wrote: »

He works with the local sawmill bring the saw dust off the other places.
What is the cost to go through all things to get Licence?

It's €72 for theory, €45 for truck module, €35 for the permit, €152 for the practical tests. Then you'll need maybe 5 or more 2 hour lessons on a truck (assuming you've never driven one before) which will be over €100 a time, along with truck rental for the tests which is usually the same as lessons but could be more. Then you'll have to do CPC classes every year and also get a digital tacho card.

Unless he's offering a good bit above minimum wage it's not worth paying out that much money, and for jobs like this it could be piece rate where you get paid by the load and that's really dodgy.

jimmyw

Can you really expect to be earning good money starting off? Now if you are driving for years, than thats a different story.

I am fascinated to know how drivers can have 2 or more years experience, when someone cant seem to get it from the start, unless you are born into a haulage company?

Its a vicious circle.

Del2005

jimmyw wrote: »

Can you really expect to be earning good money starting off? Now if you are driving for years, than thats a different story.

I am fascinated to know how drivers can have 2 or more years experience, when someone cant seem to get it from the start, unless you are born into a haulage company?

Its a vicious circle.

When I say good money I mean more than minimum wage and not ridiculously long hours drivers are now expected to do, driving a HGV is a skilled and high pressure job. When you think that the person stacking the shelfs in a shop has a better wage, and hours, than the person driving the 44t vehicle which delivers the produce it's not a job to be paying huge money to be entering.

sjb25

cena wrote: »

what is the best to apply for if I want to start driving HVG lorries??

Just adding in you say he's looking for lads drawing sawdust is he using arctics? If so you will need to do C test for rigid then another test for the EC a lot of money looking at guts of a grand for each between lessons, tests ,medicals getting classes added to licences and CPC to earn round €10r an hour hard to justify

jimmyw

I wonder in years to come, are they going to be a shortage of drivers in the industry due to red tape and other nonsense such as cpc and pay etc,and also the costs of all of that too?

Faith+1

jimmyw wrote: »

I wonder in years to come, are they going to be a shortage of drivers in the industry due to red tape and other nonsense such as cpc and pay etc,and also the costs of all of that too?

In the UK there is a massive shortage of Drivers due to all the red tape these days. In Ireland it's not as bad but I heard in time we'll be the same.

Hopefully then they will pay a wage that is reflective to the skill required.

jimmyw

Faith+1 wrote: »

In the UK there is a massive shortage of Drivers due to all the red tape these days. In Ireland it's not as bad but I heard in time we'll be the same.

Hopefully then they will pay a wage that is reflective to the skill required.

it stands to reason really.

btb

jimmyw wrote: »

it stands to reason really.

Plentiful supply of foreign national drivers who will work for the going rate, so no incentive for hauliers to up the rate. 15 years ago, was getting £100/day in old money, and that was hard earned. Things have gone a bit backward since...