Calling All Truckers

[Deviant 1]

Been a busy week this week, I'm now the proud owner of .............................. ...................My Heavy Goods Licence ! Woohoo !

Now all i need to know is....................

Whats a Tacho, Wots it do, how do you work it, Is there a course ?
Which companys are the best ie. Food, Tippers, Steel, Skips, Removals, etc
If theres anyone on here that does it for a living, Plz shed some light for a newby and send some guidance this way.

I had enough of covert security and close protection and wanted something more down to earth, so i took my PCV test, passed and got a job on the busses around town. I have since decided that.......i hate the public.........and they smell ! And i Feel like a hamster in a cage behind a safety screen. And when someone had thrown up at the back on a weekend, we had to clean it ! SOD THAT ! so after being offered redundancy in January, I SNAPPED IT UP INSTANTLY!

So now i have gained my Class 2 and am venturing into the darkness as i don't know ANY drivers to chat with about the job. There must be someone on here that is willing to help a Rookie

[TonyN]

Got mine just before xmas, was good fun, not used it yet though!

Saving up for the C+E bit soon.



A Taco is Mexican food.

[nero279]

You seen the light, i was driving service buses til February too, and i hate the public aswell. Not done any HGV work but DETR (department for environment, transport & regions) will be more than willing to help with any tacho/hours queries you have.

edit: Sorry, DETR no longer exist it all comes under DFT see www.dft.gov.uk

or you can download the drivers hours rules here, http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/ro...hographrul3239
I haven't read through this one but there used to be a bit of information about tacho's and record keeping in there, especially useful if you get an arsey employer who pressures you to go over hours.

[Helen]

GIRLIE ANSWER....Tachos are filled with chicken, salsa, sour cream and some green leafy stuff if you fancy it... or guacamole, that works well...

NON GIRLIE ANSWER....The other tachos are a means of recording the amount of miles you do , the speed you do them at and rest breaks etc. To ensure you don't do excessive hours behind the wheel...

It is a small paperlike disk that fits behind the speedo . i am sure the truckers.......i said truckers... on here will be more precise..

Well done on passing the test BTW

[coolsv650]

GIRLIE ANSWER....Tachos are filled with chicken, salsa, sour cream and some green leafy stuff if you fancy it... or guacamole, that works well...

NON GIRLIE ANSWER....The other tachos are a means of recording the amount of miles you do , the speed you do them at and rest breaks etc. To ensure you don't do excessive hours behind the wheel...

It is a small paperlike disk that fits behind the speedo . i am sure the truckers.......i said truckers... on here will be more precise..

Well done on passing the test BTW

...... apart from king blair introduced the electronic ones earlier in the year, You now need a credit card sized card to work the latest ones! Lots of older waggons still have the paper ones though.

I havent used my class 1 for a few years now, got bored of driving all those tendon twanging gearboxes on Leyland Freighter council trucks!

Any how congrats on passing the test...... next up it'll be the bendy toys (c+e)

[Helen]

[QUOTE=coolsv650]...... apart from king blair introduced the electronic ones earlier in the year, You now need a credit card sized card to work the latest ones! Lots of older waggons still have the paper ones though.


You saying i must be old then.... ..you're right...
and it has been a long time since i was last near a cab. not a driver but my brother did HGV1 for about 20 years before smashing his ankle in a silly accident...

[blacktopsoldier]

don't do it! it's a nightmare out there now. been doin it for 30 years, it's lost it's appeal somewhat
best bet is to a start with a bit of agency work and from there you will get to know what you prefer.
If I can find some info re tacho use hours regs. etc. I'll let you now otherwise do some searching on-line sure to find something.
if anything particular you could pm. me
Barry

[Highlander1]

Hi

Get an electronic friend to do your taco for you. I gave the job up too many pressures from companies who don't give a sh*t about you loosing your licence and running you on the limit all the time.

Do container work if you can get it and try local runs to start with would be my advice, multi drops can be a night mare.

Had My Class 1 since 1983. Still do odd runs to keep my hand in and incase I get fed up with this job. Euro runs are fun if you are single but not for me as a married man.

Cheers JB

[sumo]

[QUOTE=blacktopsoldier]don't do it! it's a nightmare out there now. been doin it for 30 years, it's lost it's appeal somewhat

I second that emotion,been doin it for 25 years and its all different now.Dont worry about the digital tacho their easy (ish) however the drivers hours law has now changed.If you want my advice (most people dont) try and get a job with Tescos,I think they work 4 days on 4 days off.

sumo now sits back and waits to be put right.

[Deviant 1]

Tony, I was told if you can get into a company that has class 1, they may put you thru it so you need not pay (thats wot im gonna try)

Nero279 Thx for the info mate Some reading for me to do there.

Helen: Thx, now im hungry

Coolsv650 Ill buy some viagra for the bendy ones

Blacktopsoldier: THX barry, ill give u a yell if i get stuck

Highlander1: I think most jobs these days have pressures, I have heard about the container work, but its the experience im lacking. as for risking your licence, try bus driving, whoever makes up the times must be on speed !


Sumo: My partner works at tescos already, they are already taking over the world, they aint having my houshold too ! lol

As for it being a nightmare now.......I guess its the same as most jobs. People don't like change, If you come into a job after the changes, you dont know what it was like b4 so you have nothing to complain about. Thats a good thing for me i guess,


Thanx for your help guys

[Highlander1]

Cheers mate

Good luck with the career I hope you get something soon remember to lower your suspension on the 13" 6's and raise it when your half way under to get the back through.

CHeers JB

[Bogus]

I guess its the same as most jobs. People don't like change, If you come into a job after the changes, you dont know what it was like b4
:

Oh yes you do because theres always old people like me and some of them lot who will tell you ad infinitum what it was like in the good old days.

Bogus

[24Seven]

I have a class one LGV (C+E) but don't drive for a living, only for fun

[Highlander1]

Is that the good old days when we were all sitting with fires under the diesel filter to stop the waxing in the winter.

[Deviant 1]

Oh yes you do because theres always old people like me and some of them lot who will tell you ad infinitum what it was like in the good old days.

Bogus

LOL, I wasnt born in the good old days, so cant miss what i havent had ! lol


The good old days for me will be to tell the younger ones that.......when i was a lad, we used to have to drive on the road with things called wheels !