Hey folks,
I'm not sure this is going to get much of a response as the Distribution Transport forum seems um dead. 8-)
But I've recently applied for the Warehouse to wheel role and it all sounded great 42hrs a week and pretty decent pay well compared to dotcom driving, so I passed my driving assessment and I wait to hear about interview success.
But I'm here trying to establish some more info on something that was mentioned during the interview which is making me think do I really want the role? :-\
11hr shifts 5 days a week adds up to 55hrs or 51.25 after breaks. Which correct me if I'm wrong isn't a 42 hour week ;)
I'm all for overtime hell, I currently work 6 day weeks in my dotcom driver roll but that still allows me to have a life, see the girl, walk the dog, work out etc.
But 55hrs of work a week well that's um not leaving much time for anything apart from sleeping on days you work.
My question is this the extra day required? because forcing people to do those kinds of hours week in week out seems well rubbish to put it nicely. I'd have to do that extra day at least twice a month to make the move worthwhile, but week in week out I think's a bit excessive.
Any info or experience here would be great so that should I be successful I can make an informed decision on taking the role.
Thanks in advance
ConfusedDriver ???
Yes, something is amiss here, what is common practice these days is offering lower contracted hours topped up by regular overtime, it used to be the case that this would save the company money on employee expenses (before holiday pay was changed to calculate average pay, it was calculated on contracted pay not including overtime). The only benefit of having many on shorter hours now is flexibility and contingency, you can cover a driver on days off he's sick and vice versa.
With the exception of early days, the only other element that takes away from your core hours are breaks. With this in mind it sounds like you're informally on 55 hours a week, but contracted on less hours and the excess made up of "regular overtime". I advice you to keep a note of all hours worked.
You don't say which depot you are looking to join but I think the new contract is the same all over now.
You will be contracted 5 x 8.5hr shifts over 7 days. Overtime is generally available to suit, but you may be asked, not forced, to do up to 15 hours on any particular shift. Once you pass 42.5 hours you will get paid at t+1/2.
The nature of driving is such that you may, occasionally, get caught out but you know that from Dot-com. Once you get your feet under the table you will learn how to manage your day and your overtime. Nobody is going to force you into 55-60 hour weeks unless you want to do it.
The money is much better and the work is not difficult. The way you will be treated is much better than stores and once you have your hands on that licence you will never earn less than £30k pa.......
@ConfusedDriver there are a number of members, hesketh being one, who can give you a mountain of advice on HGV driving & hours etc, and dare I say the 'handling' of transport office staff, some of whom have their own agenda.
Yes the Distribution Transport forum did go very quite due, I believe, to influx of contractors etc, I will always keep it open for those who have questions/problems.
I checked with a colleague on the new contract and I made a mistake on the overtime rate. You are payed overtime on a daily basis after 8 1/2 hours.
Once again I must stress that you have nothing to fear in distribution. Some of the newer depots are a little more demanding than the older ones, who still have the odd manager that knows what they are doing, but the work is easily managed and the existing drivers will soon teach you how to sort it all out.
Drivers tend to have contempt for anyone who can't do the job, which leads to a camaraderie that you will soon learn to enjoy. The clerks and "managers" that you will interact with are usually regarded as useless but that leaves you plenty of room to manoeuvre ;)
Enjoy your change in career, I hope you pass the tests and settle in.
The most important thing to remember: IF IN DOUBT, ASK A SHUNTER!
I'd stay well clear if I was you. The rotas are absolutely awful and you'll not have much of a life outside Tesco.
Quote from: hesketh on 22-09-21, 03:32PM
I checked with a colleague on the new contract and I made a mistake on the overtime rate. You are payed overtime on a daily basis after 8 1/2 hours.
Once again I must stress that you have nothing to fear in distribution. Some of the newer depots are a little more demanding than the older ones, who still have the odd manager that knows what they are doing, but the work is easily managed and the existing drivers will soon teach you how to sort it all out.
Drivers tend to have contempt for anyone who can't do the job, which leads to a camaraderie that you will soon learn to enjoy. The clerks and "managers" that you will interact with are usually regarded as useless but that leaves you plenty of room to manoeuvre ;)
Enjoy your change in career, I hope you pass the tests and settle in.
The most important thing to remember: IF IN DOUBT, ASK A SHUNTER!
I've lost count of how many drivers have stood outside, knocking on the fire door instead of walking up the ramp into the warehouse. Not to mention the driver who somehow manged to hit the railings on the ramp as he was reversing in, badly denting them(it didn't do his wagon much good, either).
Drivers like to think they are, "special" and they are. But often not in a good way... ;D
Belfast is full of Drivers with special needs. Can't do this, can't do that. It's getting beyond a joke.
QuoteI've lost count of how many drivers have stood outside, knocking on the fire door instead of walking up the ramp into the warehouse. Not to mention the driver who somehow manged to hit the railings on the ramp as he was reversing in, badly denting them(it didn't do his wagon much good, either).
Drivers like to think they are, "special" and they are. But often not in a good way... ;D
Probably because that door is the indicated entrance on the SDRA. Stores seem to think that they can unilaterally change things without consultation or notification.
Most stores barely pay lip service to the SDRA and cause most of the damage by clogging up the yard with stuff that shouldn't be there.....
Quote from: hesketh on 22-09-21, 03:32PM
I checked with a colleague on the new contract and I made a mistake on the overtime rate. You are payed overtime on a daily basis after 8 1/2 hours.
Once again I must stress that you have nothing to fear in distribution. Some of the newer depots are a little more demanding than the older ones, who still have the odd manager that knows what they are doing, but the work is easily managed and the existing drivers will soon teach you how to sort it all out.
Drivers tend to have contempt for anyone who can't do the job, which leads to a camaraderie that you will soon learn to enjoy. The clerks and "managers" that you will interact with are usually regarded as useless but that leaves you plenty of room to manoeuvre ;)
Enjoy your change in career, I hope you pass the tests and settle in.
The most important thing to remember: IF IN DOUBT, ASK A SHUNTER!
Overtime is paid after 42-5 hrs.
As for "if in doubt, ask a shutter", I take it you're on a wind up, I wouldn't even ask them the time coz you'd get a wrong answer, never mind anything else.
Quote from: ConfusedDriver on 20-09-21, 01:22PM
Hey folks,
I'm not sure this is going to get much of a response as the Distribution Transport forum seems um dead. 8-)
But I've recently applied for the Warehouse to wheel role and it all sounded great 42hrs a week and pretty decent pay well compared to dotcom driving, so I passed my driving assessment and I wait to hear about interview success.
But I'm here trying to establish some more info on something that was mentioned during the interview which is making me think do I really want the role? :-\
11hr shifts 5 days a week adds up to 55hrs or 51.25 after breaks. Which correct me if I'm wrong isn't a 42 hour week ;)
I'm all for overtime hell, I currently work 6 day weeks in my dotcom driver roll but that still allows me to have a life, see the girl, walk the dog, work out etc.
But 55hrs of work a week well that's um not leaving much time for anything apart from sleeping on days you work.
My question is this the extra day required? because forcing people to do those kinds of hours week in week out seems well rubbish to put it nicely. I'd have to do that extra day at least twice a month to make the move worthwhile, but week in week out I think's a bit excessive.
Any info or experience here would be great so that should I be successful I can make an informed decision on taking the role.
Thanks in advance
ConfusedDriver ???
All you have to do is let it known you'd like basic hours every day & you'll be fine, overtime isn't compulsory.
Quote from: hesketh on 03-10-21, 03:38AM
QuoteI've lost count of how many drivers have stood outside, knocking on the fire door instead of walking up the ramp into the warehouse. Not to mention the driver who somehow manged to hit the railings on the ramp as he was reversing in, badly denting them(it didn't do his wagon much good, either).
Drivers like to think they are, "special" and they are. But often not in a good way... ;D
Probably because that door is the indicated entrance on the SDRA. Stores seem to think that they can unilaterally change things without consultation or notification.
Most stores barely pay lip service to the SDRA and cause most of the damage by clogging up the yard with stuff that shouldn't be there.....
I would have thought the sign stating,
Fire Door in large letters might have been something of a give away. ;D
Just because it is a fire door does not mean it not also used for normal access. Just means it should never be locked or propped open.
Fire Doors, at least in my store, are alarmed. Anyone opening one would have to explain to the DM why they'd just set off the Fire Alarm.
I'd would have thought that would be obvious even to drivers, but apparently not. 8-)
There is a difference between a fire door and a fire escape route via a door, a door could be both or either depending on specifications etc.
Quote from: Nomad on 20-09-21, 05:02PM
@ConfusedDriver there are a number of members, hesketh being one, who can give you a mountain of advice on HGV driving & hours etc, and dare I say the 'handling' of transport office staff, some of whom have their own agenda.
Yes the Distribution Transport forum did go very quite due, I believe, to influx of contractors etc, I will always keep it open for those who have questions/problems.
Hardly surprising that there is a reluctance for drivers to get involved eh?
The forum is dominated by people with no understanding but huge opinions.....
:thumbup:
Quote from: Nomad on 04-10-21, 02:17PM
There is a difference between a fire door and a fire escape route via a door, a door could be both or either depending on specifications etc.
If a door leads to the outside, and has, "Fire Door" written on it, then it will be linked to the alarm system. Anyone who needs that explained to them shouldn't be driving a wagon in the first place.
The vast majority of the stores that I delivered to, the only route into the warehouse was via a fire door. And the route to enter the warehouse was on the SSOW.
https://sdguk.co.uk/fire-doors/ (https://sdguk.co.uk/fire-doors/)
QuoteFire exit doors, on the other hand, are external doors and are not built to prevent the spread of fire. Its purpose is to allow for the quick and easy escape of a building – they are usually locked but should be simple to open via a push or panic bar. These should never be obstructed and must be clearly marked and easily accessible.
There is no requirement for a fire exit door to be connected to alarm system, that is down to a company decision which will vary company to company. it is to do with security not raising fire alarm.
Fire doors are design/built/installed to prevent spread of fire between areas within a building, not from within to outside.
Quote from: baldeagle on 06-10-21, 09:24AM
The vast majority of the stores that I delivered to, the only route into the warehouse was via a fire door. And the route to enter the warehouse was on the SSOW.
Our store has a ramp that leads directly into the warehouse. I have found memories of having to hand-ball a full wagon's load up the bloody thing when the ramp hand broken down. Of course, every manager decided to, ahem, "have a meeting" as soon as the wagon turned up. Twenty five very tiring minutes later, when we'd finished, a young female manager told me I needed to wash and iron my fleece, as it was wrinkled.
And that was the point things went horribly wrong for her... >:D
Quote from: Nomad on 06-10-21, 10:33AM
https://sdguk.co.uk/fire-doors/ (https://sdguk.co.uk/fire-doors/)
QuoteFire exit doors, on the other hand, are external doors and are not built to prevent the spread of fire. Its purpose is to allow for the quick and easy escape of a building – they are usually locked but should be simple to open via a push or panic bar. These should never be obstructed and must be clearly marked and easily accessible.
There is no requirement for a fire exit door to be connected to alarm system, that is down to a company decision which will vary company to company. it is to do with security not raising fire alarm.
Fire doors are design/built/installed to prevent spread of fire between areas within a building, not from within to outside.
Apart from my store I've worked on attachment at four or five others. In every single one of them, the external fire doors were alarmed, and most had a sticker on them saying exactly that. Exactly why the Trunk Monkeys think this doesn't apply to them I'll never understand. 8-)
Quote from: VladPutin on 10-10-21, 09:45PM
Quote from: baldeagle on 06-10-21, 09:24AM
The vast majority of the stores that I delivered to, the only route into the warehouse was via a fire door. And the route to enter the warehouse was on the SSOW.
Our store has a ramp that leads directly into the warehouse. I have found memories of having to hand-ball a full wagon's load up the bloody thing when the ramp hand broken down. Of course, every manager decided to, ahem, "have a meeting" as soon as the wagon turned up. Twenty five very tiring minutes later, when we'd finished, a young female manager told me I needed to wash and iron my fleece, as it was wrinkled.
And that was the point things went horribly wrong for her... >:D
Sounds about right colleagues struggling and Do Little, Pockets and Fraggle are in the office having meetings usually with plenty of adjournments for smoke breaks and coffee. >:D
Think this is the best post i have found on the forum so far!
I am currently also looking to swap my store role for the hgv apprenticeship.
To me its a no brainer from my current role.
OT paid at time and a half!? I heardweekends also you get "unsociable hourly rate of time and a third"?
Can anyone enlighten me on the hourly pay rate for "new" contract at Hinckley?
I have asked many drivers but they are all on the old contract or agency.
Not sure exactly but I believe it's around £13ph
You get overtime at t+1/2 and unsociable hours for nights and weekends. Hopefully Rigger will chip in with the correct figures, but I am also on the "old contract".
The mix of old/new contract drivers is close to 50/50 now so keep asking drivers at your store, there will be a "new" guy along soon...
The job is relatively easy (once you get used to driving HGVs) and you can easily earn £40-£50k with reasonable overtime.
Quote from: hesketh on 07-11-21, 03:26PM
Not sure exactly but I believe it's around £13ph
You get overtime at t+1/2 and unsociable hours for nights and weekends. Hopefully Rigger will chip in with the correct figures, but I am also on the "old contract".
The mix of old/new contract drivers is close to 50/50 now so keep asking drivers at your store, there will be a "new" guy along soon...
The job is relatively easy (once you get used to driving HGVs) and you can easily earn £40-£50k with reasonable overtime.
Sorry, I don't know the rates for Hinckley, DC I'm at pays more than £13, rates do vary from DC to DC so as you mentioned, his best bet is to try & speak to a new contract driver.
Night rate, 10pm to 6am is time +25%, weekend is time + 33% & OT is time + 50%, them rates are across the board, it's just hourly rate that varys
I am also on an apprenticeship for hgv at Hinckley. I have spoke to a few drivers who deliver and I believe the pay WAS £12.82 for the new contracts at Hinckley. I am pretty sure they recently had a 6% pay rise, which would take the hourly pay to £13.58 if that's all correct.
As mentioned you get time half for ot after 42.5 hours and weekend / night pay as well.
Think the weekend pay is saturday AND sunday?
I am really looking forward to it.... i know it wont be an easy job but i also know will be a lot easier and rewarding than what I currently do in stores.
The drivers all seem lovely from Hinckley as well. Even the agency ones who I know sometimes have a a bit of (completely understandable from how they are treated) attitude ... they also are generally really nice from Hinckley.