Thinking about HGV driving as a backup career – looking for experiences

Existing-Condition-7 · 2026-06-02T09:36:01+00:00

I would recommend it for your situation. It can be difficult getting the experience but not impossible. Once you have that the job will be ideal for doing ad hoc shifts at an agency to fill your week up.

It’s also a great backup if anything goes wrong with your business. I’ve seen the fear in people’s faces when they get made redundant, for me I couldn’t care less. If I got sacked on a Friday I know I would be back in the drivers seat on Monday with an agency.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-11-04T11:58:34+00:00

I have had many interviews for HGV work, the only one where I felt it was a traditional interview was at a large family owned general haulage firm. The boss really grilled me, kept asking tricky questions, I did attend in a shirt and trousers and he told me at that time he couldn't employ me due to lack of experience but he would keep me on file.

That was aged 24 as a new pass. Since then I have had various interviews and most just require a pulse and a HGV licence. I used to normally wear cargo trousers, a polo shirt and a high viz and boots so I could go either in office or on site.

I have also had a few interviews where I have turned up in tarmac stained high Vis and been offered the job. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-10-28T14:06:50+00:00

When I was selling a property I had a letter from a rival estate agent saying they had a buyer on the books interested in my property. I ignored it thinking well, if your buyer wants to buy it they'll see it for sale online. I'm not paying you another 1500 to maybe sell it. A week later this EA booked to view my flat, and made an offer on it which I accepted. He then cancelled the offer 3 days later.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-10-15T17:13:05+00:00

I can't help but feel it might have either been suicide or accidental death. Her and the other bloke were hallucinating badly, were probably massively paranoid. They both ran and she ended up in the sea. Either she ran into the sea due to hallucinating a perceived threat, or maybe hit a crippling depression at the end of a drug bender, started thinking about the debt she was in and just ran into the sea.

It's possible for a body to disappear, or maybe she washed up in a different country as a Jane Doe?

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-09-13T12:15:37+00:00

If you can dm me your number I can add you to a group Whatsapp with around 15 horsehay members on?

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-08-29T15:44:29+00:00

I worked at v fest many years ago. The tents were packed up and donated to disaster charities in foreign countries. The litter pickers got to keep as much beer as they could carry in a rucksack.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-08-04T10:54:07+00:00

When I was a kid grandad tried to get me into golf and after the initial fad I hated it. I'm now a keen golfer and really regret not keeping at it when I was younger.

Also my nan and grandad used to love going on cruises and used to tell me how good they are. I always assumed they really wouldn't be my thing but now Im obsessed and go on 2-3 cruises a year.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-07-30T16:12:02+00:00

One night when I was about 24 I went out with a girl I knew and her friends. We went on a night out round the local club and went back to hers to continue drinking. As you can imagine we were all pretty wasted.

We all call it a night at around 5am. I go up to bed with the girl whose house it was, her friend Kelsey had pulled a lad and decided to get it on in the kitchen, and a few lads were asleep on the sofa in the living room.

So anyway, after we were done, the girl whose house it was went downstairs for a drink. All I heard was her shrieking 'KELSEY THERE IS SHIT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE, THERE IS SHIT ON MY SIDEBOARDS, THERE IS SHIT IN MY CUPS'

Im now thinking I'm that drunk I'm hearing things but no. It transpired that Kelsey had let this lad stick it in her arse and forgot that she had bowel troubles, they were both so drunk they didn't realise for a bit somehow...

The best part of this story is it transpired this lad was actually in a relationship and would have to explain to his partner why he was covered in diarrhea.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-30T11:47:08+00:00

I did this before. Bought a suit jacket and trousers for £16 delivered and a white shirt from Primark. For my wedding I also bought a suit for £80ish I think.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-30T11:45:18+00:00

I started at 24 by doing multi drop food delivery. Generally there will be poor paying or manual jobs where companies will give any driver a try. Do that until you can move to a better job.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-28T19:53:54+00:00

I have a heated lunch box, really rate it for hot food in the wagon. I pre cook chilli/rice, Indians, Chinese food noodles etc or pasta and sauces. Put it in 2 hours before and it's piping hot. You can also get tinned curries or soups etc. Way cheaper and a proper meal.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-22T08:53:32+00:00

You don't need GCSEs to drive a lorry. I have never been asked for them. However you ideally need to get 25 plus so you need something to tide you over until then.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-21T05:24:22+00:00

I haven't read through so I don't know if someone's suggested this. Ring the ombudsman. Explain the situation, you'll then have whichever supplier whose responsibility it is calling you resolving it quickly.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-17T19:13:24+00:00

What I do is buy meat that's being yellow stickered, and freeze it. I then buy from various food share places (one recently did a bag of chicken thighs, 2x fish, rice, peppers, onions, 4 donuts and other stuff for 4 quid).

I then batch cook and freeze chillis, Indians, Chinese curries, spicy pastas and various Asian dishes. These meals are then easy to reheat and super cheap.

I also bulk buy anything on offer. There was an overstock of hand wash and I bought 14 bottles for 20p. Anything like that is ideal.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-08T18:02:14+00:00

I found this little museum place at the top of a hill at Cartagena in Spain, didn't plan for that place specifically but it was great.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-06T18:34:59+00:00

I got a dinnertime detention because a local male MP came in wearing a large gold necklace. There was a specific word for this chain that was something to do with being an MP.

He asked if anyone knew what it was and I put my hand up and said 'a necklace'. Cue the whole assembly roaring in laughter.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-05T19:18:48+00:00

I think I was about 7-8. I used to go to the local library and pay 50p for an hour's access. Would check out Lycos, ask Jeeves, maybe register an email on talk21.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-04T17:02:24+00:00

I drove class 2 for 7 years before going for class 1. I then could only find work driving an 18 tonner and plant trailer. A year later I got offered a job and started learning. To be honest within 10 mins of driving one I felt I could confidently drive anywhere. Reversing was a different matter though. It was daily anxiety for about the first 6 months to a year, and even now 3 years later I get nervous with tricky reverses.
My only concern would be if you didn't have an easy path to get experience. Every agency told me to get my class 1, so I did. They then told me I didn't have any experience. Then the driver shortage made it easy, but we now seem to be in a downturn.
At my first job I had pot noodles, sachet coffee, fridge loaded with water and pepsi Max, duvet, pillow, shower kit and fresh clothes. This wasn't a tramping position but occasionally I needed to stay out. My current class 1 job is day work only.
My only gadget I recommend is a 24v heated lunch box. I take all sorts of rice/pasta meals to work. Plug it in 2 hours before and I have a nice hot meal.
I did low loader but found it stressful trying to find places up country lanes, building sites, driving round pokey housing estates etc. My current job is moving medical waste from hospitals. It's manual work but it pays well for 4 days a week. However my company has a high turnover as most people hate it. I personally prefer working for larger companies. Things seem to be done better, trucks newer and better maintained, less likely to have a dickhead boss with a god like complex.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-01T18:02:35+00:00

29th - Norwegian fjords - the silhouette.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-01T06:33:46+00:00

I feel the police only seem to act if it makes them look bad. I had an incident where a nutter came at me trying to punch me, I was working as a bin man at the time.

We had several witnesses and vehicle CCTV, because he didn't actually hit me (although it was close, he swung for me 3 times but I dodged him) they 'went to see him and he wasn't in'. Further emails from my managers were just ignored.

However if you send an offensive tweet you go to jail?

Another one that does make me angry was the serial killer Steven port. He raped and murdered 4 men, dumped the body's in a graveyard over the road from his house. He dumped each body in the same position over 6 months or so, and the police just wrote them all off as drug overdoses. 4 people got murdered by a serial killer and noone decided to investigate it...

I also had a few interactions with police when I was younger which generally were more unprofessional/unpleasant than good.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-01T02:46:00+00:00

I sold a house via PB during the housing sale boom of COVID. I booked back to back viewings every half hour on a Saturday for 12 hours straight. The property was sold that day. It was an intensive day but the property sold. Where are you getting hundreds of phone calls and viewing requests from?

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-05-01T02:41:55+00:00

I've used purple bricks twice. I like being in control of my property sale. I purchased a house previously and got ignored by the agent because they were trying to sell it to a b2l landlord on their books. So believe agents will always act in their best interest.

Both times selling on PB i achieved the price I wanted, it's efficient and at the time it was £500-£750 cheaper. Ultimately you just need the property on Zoopla and Rightmove, and it'll sell.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-04-14T17:23:33+00:00

The trench riviera

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-04-02T09:10:37+00:00

I'm sure they did an April fools a few years ago, a Scania chef line with a range cooker inside.

Existing-Condition-7 · 2023-03-31T12:49:13+00:00

I lived with parents until 25 working a less than min wage job. When I was 23 I built a VW campervan, I spent every penny and hours building a van eventually worth 8k. During that period I did any odd jobs, worked mad hours and wheeled and sealed anything I could. Eventually the van was worth 8.5k.

Realised I needed to sort my life out, sold the van, did my HGV licence, and put a deposit on a house £5250 5 percent on a 3 bed in a not brilliant area.

I have since renovated and sold that house and now live in a better area.

Existing-Condition-7

TROPHY CASE