People want a number they can put in a spreadsheet. There is not one that fits every operator. There is a shape.
Before you have the job
Application to assessment can be a few weeks or a few months. Vacancies bunch. Some intakes sit you quickly. Some leave you waiting. If you fail, there is often a gap before you can try again. That gap is part of the timeline, whether you like it or not.
The assessment itself is a day, sometimes two. The wait for a result can be another stretch. None of this is cab time. It is the door.
After you get through
Then training starts. That is when you learn the traction, the route and the rule book. It is commonly the better part of a year, sometimes longer, depending on the operator, the depot, and how the roster works. You are employed. You are not yet driving on your own.
- Classroom and rules.
- Traction and handling.
- Route learning, which is its own grind.
- A period with an instructor before you are signed off.
What you can actually speed up
You cannot speed up an operator’s intake. You can avoid spending a scarce assessment attempt on a format you have never seen. That is the only lever that is yours.
If someone promises you a cab in twelve weeks from a cold start, they are selling a feeling. Read the vacancy. Ask the recruiter. Treat anything else as colour, not a timetable.