my wife has managed to get her class 2,forklift,digger,dangerous goods and roller licences during the last year. shes hell bent on becoming a truck driver and wants to advance to higher classes,ie;class 3 and 5. the guys who taught her,said that she and the only other lady on the course were naturals. what advice would you give her to get a foot in. shes a bit apprehensive because she thinks she may be too old(47).shes good at operating the tractors on the farm,but wants to go long-haul driving. should she annoy trucking companies into giving her a go,so she can get the experience! she doesnt expect to be payed,just wants the experience. any advice appreciated. and have a safe xmas-new year on the roads.
brokebloke1,
Dec 17, 4:08am
approch temping agencys for jobs even if she asks to sit as a passerager for a week or so to see if thats really what she wants to do.
gunhand,
Dec 17, 4:09am
well if kids that barely look like there out of nappies are driving them it shouldnt be that hard, could be a who you know kinda thing.There seems to be a bit of a shortage of good drivers but she would have to start at the bottom driving something smaller within a company I would suspect as well.
phalo,
Dec 17, 4:09am
Tell her to do what im doing. Ive got m class 4 learners, have hooked up with a local delivery driver, asked him to take me on for work, I help him lead up to xmas he doesnt pay me, and in return he takes me out for lessions in his truck. I dont then have to pay for lessions to upskill and he rather than paying me absorbs the fuel costs, and at the end of it has a relief driver till i do a few more hours and then move onto class 5. Im learning the road ranger gear box, and im 46. And a woman as well. Going for my fork licence after xmas. Have my dg from couriering days. Go her. Hope it works out for her. Get her to get her course driver to give her a reference to show some prospective employees.
thedevil1,
Dec 17, 4:28am
shes got a good reference,but some firms are concerned about insurance. which is far enuff. but will let her know and ill encourage her more. cheers for that.
owene,
Dec 17, 4:46am
Have an affair with the local truck company's manager. Be a lot quicker than writing letters and buggering about with interviews.
thedevil1,
Dec 17, 5:02am
thanks mate.very positive.wanka!
owene,
Dec 17, 5:36am
You did ask.
jediasauris69,
Dec 17, 5:42am
It would depend how active she wants or is prepared to be outside of the cab!I recommend to go for her Class 4 then she would have a wider choice of jobs to choose from. There are plenty of jobs out there, so just start anywhere, other companies will make offers if they see that she is good.
ebygum1,
Dec 17, 5:51am
Most of the local Haulage company's around here are short of drivers,they will take on and train up people like your missus,I dont know what company's are in your area,but Freightlines,P.G.F. Sorrensons,Otorohanga Transport are all worth a try if travel is not a problem.
chris_051,
Dec 17, 7:50am
In reality you'll have to start from scratch and progress, a good way to do it would be to get a job driving a 4 or 6 wheeler and in the weekends jump in a line haul truck to see how it's done. A good attitude is just as valuable as experience in my opinion but in saying that things won't hPpen over night.
big.b-lil.c,
Dec 17, 8:02pm
learn to walk before trying to run. its a big jump from a farm tractor to a 600hp (or more) truck and trailer or b train. can she restrain a load safely! can she tarp! is she willing to work nights! work at least 12hours a day/night and be away overnight some times for several nights in a row and get paid sfa. the number of idiots i strike every night who cant even stay on there own side of the road is unbelievable, often followed by seeing the same rig smashed or rolled. it is not often a woman cuts it long term in transport (not saying they cant, just what i have seen). i wont wish her good luck i don't really want another inexperienced driver to avoid or pull from a wreck. my advice tell her learn to type or wash dishes.
abcleopard1960,
Dec 17, 8:17pm
as long as she isn't cabbage, then she will get a job driving.
far too many get their licence and get put into rigs by companies that don't give a damn till it rolls, and the cabbages they employ is a disgrace.
As for training companies filling learners heads will pipe dreams and smoke, tell them to put their money where their mouths are, if your wife and this other lady are naturals tell these trainers to make some calls and put them into work.
These training schools of full of crap and are the ones responsible for putting some of these cabbages on the road in the first place.
I know of a guy who used to be a driver trainer who now works for a company is nothing but cabbage driving in excess of 65ks an hour down the kaimais and a few other hills, but reckons at 45 tonnes he could stop in a hurry if he had to.
nothing but cabbage.
abcleopard1960,
Dec 17, 8:18pm
agreed,but then who is stupid enough these days to put cabbage in a 600hp, 700thousand dollar rig!
big.b-lil.c,
Dec 17, 8:24pm
let me put it like this i saw a new shape k108 kenworth aerodine belonging to straight freight on its side not long ago truck was maybe 2 months old.
abcleopard1960,
Dec 17, 8:31pm
yep they roll alot of rigs those fellas, probably driven by a cabbage.
chris_051,
Dec 17, 10:07pm
Desert road!. Car at fault you may find. With the negativity in here do you wonder why the industry is short of drivers fck me who would want to work along side a bunch of self righteous tossers. As a mechanic turned line haul driver half the 'experienced' drivers I dealt with in the workshop wouldnt be alowed near my truck let alone drive it.
abcleopard1960,
Dec 17, 10:44pm
car at fault in every case of strait freight falling over is it!
there are too many cabbages on the roads driving 45 tonne plus rigs.
and hey I'm not self righteous at all, I just tell it like it is,
hmm lets see companies that employ cabbages to drive big rigs
Linfox Toll are two of the worst.
the industry needs good men not cabbages behind the wheel, and as someone who employs drivers, out of 20 who apply for a job normally only 1 or 2 will be suitable. and mechanics, yeah had a few working for big companies that couldn't even screw on the oil filter properly after a service, every industry has it's problems and if raising awareness of those problems is negativity byself righteous tossers then deal with it, the transport industry is the most transparent when things turn pear shaped cause you can't sweep it under the carpet.
another good example of a tosser driver is the woman driving for transotway that rolled the unit coming into wellington,, no other vehicles involved there.
bashfulbro,
Dec 18, 1:00am
i see an advert in the local Franklin paper every week." Truck Licence in Two Days.Licence pass Guaranteed,You Cannot Fail " .WTF !, can`t fail.if you pay,you get a licence, simple. No wonder i see trucks upside down all over the country.
chris_051,
Dec 18, 2:08am
My post was more aimed at big b lil c(ock). Wonder if he has the same sort of opinion for all aspiring truckies! As for training, a guy I know poseted on facebook of him doing class 5 training thru a school in Hamilton, in a C15 Western Star auto shift towing around an EMPTY 20 foot container on a 3 axle skelly. I think the problem lies right there. A loaded 4 wheeler around some hills would be a more realistic drive.
abcleopard1960,
Dec 18, 4:13am
yeah mine was a generic response, but picked up on your remark to purely to emphasis my point, sorry if it offended.
There are some good operators coming through mainly sons and daughters from trucking families
but these training companies don't care they fill the learners heads with rubbish and then kick them out to drive in the real world.
If these training companies had any sense of morality they would make sure the learners can handle all situations and then once proven and passed place them in work.
big.b-lil.c,
Dec 18, 4:53am
car was not a fault the entire rig was on its side just around a right hand corner (last corner in the sisters heading north) in the left hand lane. when it started to go over it was on the wrong side of the road, the other two company's named also sprang to my mind. as for your c**k comment take your hand off yours all i was saying is walk before you run get some experience and work your way up learn how to load and keep the load on. a lynfox driver was saying on the cb he has to get someone to back his btrain in off the road he only goes forward, the last thing that is needed at open road speed is another "driver" like that
thedevil1,
Dec 18, 5:00am
thanx for the positive feedback. shes managed to find a company thats local,that'l train her and give her small jobs till shes confident. cheers.
geedubu,
Dec 18, 5:03am
Good on her and very best of luck, that's the spirit that made NZ
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