pdr2d2 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 First time post so go easy....I was thinking about upgrading my telehandler licence,from an ittsar to the cpcs ticket.I'll be trying to get more freelance driving/crewing work soon and found a reasonably good deal to do the upgrade(still not that cheap!),but the question is will it enable me to get more work?,and are the major crewing /event companys looking for more qualified drivers these days(especially for the olympics) or does the'rock and roll licence'still cut it....should I save my money and do a first aid at work course instead,to boost my skillset...Any thoughts appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seano Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 the question is will it enable me to get more work?No. Seems highly unlikely.'Getting more work' in any situation of casual employment is all about attitude, ability, politics and luck. Plant ticket 'A' versus plant ticket 'B' isn't even a blip on the radar. TBH, I'd say the best route to getting more local crew work is prolly to have a reliable car and be willing/able to give people a lift to work. When a crewing company need to get five crew to a festival site in the middle of nowhere at 6am, the one who can pick up the other four and take them there is likely to be the first call. .. are the major crewing /event companys looking for more qualified drivers these daysNope. Though in some cases it'd be nice if they had more skilled drivers, which is not the same thing at all.If you want to be more in demand as a telehandler driver, my advice would be this: practice. (Discreetly, or people are going to think you're weird.) If you can't move the carriage up/down forward/back smoothly with the boom in any position, practice until you can.(Ridiculous, but effective tip: hang something from a tyne with a piece of string, then see if you can move it back and forth an inch off the ground with 3m of string, 4m, 5m etc.. ) Practice manoeuvring in tight situations (but be certain you won't damage something or get stuck if you get it wrong). Know how to use the features you don't find on an industrial counterbalance - sway, stabilisers, steering modes etc.. On many festival sites, you can disappear off to the boneyard and play. or does the'rock and roll licence'still cut it There's no such thing as a fork lift 'licence', much less a "'rock and roll' licence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydir Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 ...should I save my money and do a first aid at work course instead,to boost my skillset... I'd agree with everything above, and add that what makes you more desirable isn't the type of ticket you have, but what else you can do. Be that other tickets (IPAF etc) or technical skills (programming/rigging/focussing etc), being able to be more than just 'the forks driver' should help you get more work, if that's what you're after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdr2d2 Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 Thanks for your thoughts,..I do have a fair amount of experience driving a telehandler using manbaskets etc,and would consider myself a competent,safe operator,but your right ,anyway of adding to those skills has got to be a good thing...steering selection hasn't really been needed in the past(although familiar),as most of the work I've done with them has been on open festival sites,but its a good thing to learn...I've been looking into doing an ipaf certificate anyway so,this would probably give me a better chance of finding work.Like you say if you got a broad skillset,are reliable,with the right attitude and a bit of luck,you got more hope of landing the job.In reality I'd like to find a full time job,where I can really gain alot more technical skills,I've worked in events for 10 years, mostly marquees,staging,and power and site managing a small boutique festival for the last four years,which has given me invaluable experience and a really broad range,I just need to up my game a bit,and get my foot in the door,with a decent company...Thanks again for you input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 There's no such thing as a fork lift 'licence', much less a "'rock and roll' licence". I like the idea of a "licence to rock". Perhaps Jack Black should be in charge of handing them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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