Mood Swings and Roundabouts

On Monday 28th November I recieved a 'phonecall from Carclo Technical Plastics Ltd, Wales offering me the position of Stores Person/Driver. I had been for two interviews for the position, and it was only mentioned at the second interview that I would be driving a 7.5tonne lorry to make deliveries, which they told me was covered on a normal Car licence. I accepted the job and was to start on Monday 5th December.

I did my own research about the licence and the (largely confusing) DVLA website suggested that I would need a C1 licence which I didn't have, so when I went to Carclo to drop off the acceptance letter they needed I brought up my concerns and was told that as I was over 21 I could drive the lorry on my car licence, but they took a photocopy of my licence to make sure and would call me if there were any problems.

No call came.

So on Monday 5th December at 0830hrs I arrived at Carclo ready for my induction, and was taken upstairs by the Personnel Manager whilst she got some paperwork. She returned and told me that they were retracting the job offer due to the fact that I didn't have a C1 driving licence.

Apparently they had contacted the DVLA and discovered if you pass your driving test before 1st January 1997 you automatically have a C1 licence, if you pass your test after that date, you don't.

I passed my test in February 1998.

They then had decided that due to my experience in Warehousing and Fork Lift Driving that they would take a chance and pay for me to get the C1 licence that was needed, the company they use for this doesn't have their own Lorry so I would learn in Carclo's Lorry. This is why they hadn't called, up until Friday 2nd December there wasn't any problems.

Unfortunately, on Friday 2nd December one of the Driver's had an accident on the M4 near Bridgend, no-one was hurt - only the Lorry I needed to get my licence.

So it came to be that yet again I am a victim of circumstance, and the decision was taken to retract the job offer.

I'm quite depressed.