Scooby96

Passed my Class 2 Thursday and now looking for some work. Registered with Manpower and a few others but wondered if anyone on here is an LGV driver and knows of some contract work (3 / 6 months) thats around, Tonbridge/Maidstone/Dartford, South East. Happy to do long distance and European work though.

???

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Your absolute best bet for work will be "Driver Hire". Find them in YP, and get on their books, you'll be working in a couple of days. Could find yourself travelling 30 miles or so to work though

European stuff with class 2? Could be lucky I suppose.

Alcazar

kbsub

Ive worked for Driver-Hire a few times and there not bad , however i would shop around and get the best rates, they are crying out for drivers at this time of year , A mate even tells them what sort of work he wants and how much he will work for ! and plays one agency off an other , try and get your class one now and you will be spoilt for choice .

Chrisgr31

Not sure whether thats necessarilly true in that particular area. Morrisions are shutting their distribution warehouse at Aylesford very soon, and M & S are shutting theirs in Tunbridge Wells. Going to be a few surplus drivers soon, although won't be long before they are taken off the market!

kbsub

Last I heard there was a 80,000 shortfall for LGV drivers , my company has started employing Polish drivers now , even renting them houses to live in whilst over here

Chip

I heard the shortage would be about 40,000 which is still amazing. Can't see why theres a shortage though as surely the money isnt that bad these days.

Chip

kbsub

It could be a regional thing , there is loads of work in Yorkshire and the north west , whilst I know of drivers in the north east coming down to Yorkshire to work for agency's

paulr

The money isnt that great tbh.The problem is there arent so many young drivers coming through.Most of the young ones i see are owner drivers.In theory this should push up the rates,but firms are getting round this by employing foreign drivers who will work for lower rates.

I was talking to a Polish driver the other day and his wife has just come over.She used to earn £100 per month in a Polish supermarket,now she earns that a week in Tesco's.Her husband is a driver who earns 3 times his old salary.One thing they all say though is how well they get treated here,in Poland a lot of firms treat them real bad.Here they can go to the loo without asking and stuff like that.
All there foreign drivers are doing is holding down the wages at the bottom.

Anyway,to answer the original question,ring round the large local logistics firms and ask them which agency they use.

DEEDEE

I can name FIrms (Mansfield area) who have employed -- Polish, Hungarian, Lithuaianian ? - and some cannot speak a word of English.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Doesn't surprise me..........seeing the standard of some of the driving too, they don't understand our roads either

Great innit.........loads of foreigners come over and hold down wages....... good for the country, , but not so good for the workers near the bottom eh? cheers Mr BLiar

Chip

I have noticed quite a few Polish trucks around these days as well.

Chip

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Been through Dover lately? Across the channel? Or Hull? Only about 1 in 10 trucks crossing are now UK registered: the UK lads can't afford the fuel

Cheers Mr B.Liar and Mr Scruffy Scots Pension Thief

Alcazar

_RIP_

Yeah cheers Mr Scruffy pension thief and Mr Smiley English w@nka.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

At least your lot, (I assume you're a Scot?) got their own assembly/parliament, where OUR MPs can't vote. All YOUR MPs vote in ours

And he's STILL a scruffy Scots Pension Thief, AND a wanka
AND he bites his nails...........

Alcazar

_RIP_

yawn

paulr

Not exactly true.

1.As we are now a single market its easier to work in other EU countries.
2.Because of "globalisation" there is more opportunity for back loads.For example we get lots of hauliers delivering us product from eastern europe,then going to another depot in the UK and taking a load back to Spain,France,Germany etc.
3.Wages are lower in Poland,Latvia and Lithuania.

To just blame fuel is an easy shot at the government,but not the whole story.

paulr

So whats the answer.
Increase wages for low paid workers then everyone moans about increased taxes and prices.(lots of low paid workers work in the public sector) or hold them down by either employing foreign workers or wage constraint.Good for everyone except unskilled or semi-skilled uk workers.

Scooby96

Sorted with DHL, night trunking work

kbsub

Drunken Bungle Whore

If you're happy working in the Orpington area let me know - I can PM you some contact details. Multi drop work shifts vary but most starting between 2am - 5am.


Good luck!

Chrisgr31

A friend used to do that, not sure if they are still doing it.

Found it great as less traffic jams at that time of day!