Is this the new way that hauliers recruit experienced (21years clean driving) drivers by getting you to take a day off work and go out and drive for them up to 10 hours with one of their own drivers for a day free of charge, the operations manager called it a investment to do a day’s work for free in the hope that you may work for them - yeah right!
mastesallan:
Is this the new way that hauliers recruit experienced (21years clean driving) drivers by getting you to take a day off work and go out and drive for them up to 10 hours with one of their own drivers for a day free of charge, the operations manager called it a investment to do a day’s work for free in the hope that you may work for them - yeah right!
Another great plan for a co. still in the slave trade. 365 drivers all doing a ten hour ‘investment’…£20K saved…
I can understand your annoyance mate being experienced and that would annoy me as well… When I was a newbie with my hgv licence I actually put myself out there and offered to work for free for a day or so as long as there was a potential job offer at the end of it if I proved myself. That was 30+ years ago mind. I renewed my hgv last year and phoned about and enquired if I could do the same but apparently I was told it was illegal and they would have to pay me these days?
Seems a possible ‘in’ for newbies but a pee take for experienced imo.
Name and shame this company! 
And why didn’t you say “well pay me, and INVEST in new staff…”
Simple don’t do it but drivers are there own worst enemy,
Once met a driver who ran down the road Sunday for free just so he didn’t have to start early on Monday, 
Not a chance, in most circumstances and especially if you’ve got years of experience.
I did it when I just passed, but I was with my brother and as he got a percentage of the truck earnings, doing a few days with him gave me experience and put a few quid in his pocket.
I was going to jump and say bloody drivers worst enemies no wonder the job is shagged etc etc and all the rest of it.
Then I remembered the guy who gave me my first chance at 20 sent me on a day run (unpaid) with his best driver (learned a lot that day) got took on driving a Transit pick up on distance/nts out, then 3 months later he put me through a Class 3 rigid course.
Less than a year later I got my Class 1.
A local owner driver wanted a hol relief driver, he said come with me on a day run (unpaid) , if you can handle the motor I will give you a fortnights work, if you can’t handle it we’ll forget it…got the work btw.
Years later I remember doing the same myself with a young guy.
So this is nothing new.
You can tell how serious the driver shortage is getting now that companies are getting drivers to work a day for free in the hope they get the job… oh… wait. 
Is this being treated as “Professionals” nowadays? I think it has been stamped on now but werent some big, blue chip city companies taking on newly qualified people on "internships"? Cant expect a city firm to pay as much as minimum wage of course, what would the shareholders say?
I can see that a day as newly qualified driver would be good for the applicant and the company, but for a driver with 21years experience? I can`t see justification for that.
Could always work 6 weeks for free if your on the dole,Dole office got a con going on with Aspreys in willenhall
Do 6 weeks for naff all days nights weekends max hours just get £72.40 a week JSA if you refuse they class it as refusing work and stop your JSA muppets.
They say you “might” get an interview at the end of it,yeah like that’s going to happen.
If a firm wants a driver to go out on his own and do a days work for free then that is a con, if a firm wants a driver to go out with another driver for a day and see what the job is for free that’s not wrong unless it’s better for a driver to give his job up start work somewhere and then the driver or firm think it’s not right and they are out of a job within the week.
mastesallan:
Is this the new way that hauliers recruit experienced (21years clean driving) drivers by getting you to take a day off work and go out and drive for them up to 10 hours with one of their own drivers for a day free of charge, the operations manager called it a investment to do a day’s work for free in the hope that you may work for them - yeah right!
The fact that a company would even think it is remotely acceptable to give them a free day’s labour would be my number one reason that I would NOT work for them. If they think that sort of thing is ok before you sign on the dotted line then god only knows what it’s like afterwards. My ‘investment’ stopped when I finally had my Class 1 license in my hand.
Tell 'em where to go. There’s a driver shortage remember. Somewhere. Apparently…
I read the o/p wrongly, I missed the bit about the experienced driver.
Totally wrong imo, if I could only get a certain job on those terms, non payment for a day, they would get a two syllable answer…
I have nothing to prove the same as most experienced drivers, I would take it as an insult.
Working for free is for charities ONLY .
I do believe when you’re a Newbie trying to get a foot in the door, doing a shift, or maybe 2 for free is acceptable as it’s a 2 way thing where the Newbie is gaining valuable experience. But other than that, no. I’ll happily do an assessment and interview, but a days graft is out of the question.
Imagine studying for three years, accumulating 30k+ of debt and then having to work for nothing with no guarantee of a job at the end of it!
theguardian.com/careers/car … experience
A day of graft doesn’t seem so bad after all.
robroy:
I was going to jump and say bloody drivers worst enemies no wonder the job is shagged etc etc and all the rest of it.Then I remembered the guy who gave me my first chance at 20 sent me on a day run (unpaid) with his best driver (learned a lot that day) got took on driving a Transit pick up on distance/nts out, then 3 months later he put me through a Class 3 rigid course.
Less than a year later I got my Class 1.
A local owner driver wanted a hol relief driver, he said come with me on a day run (unpaid) , if you can handle the motor I will give you a fortnights work, if you can’t handle it we’ll forget it…got the work btw.
Years later I remember doing the same myself with a young guy.
So this is nothing new.
Its 1 thing doing a days trial on the basis that the job is there if you don’t screw up (which seems to have been your case). It is totally different if its have a trail and “maybe” get a job. Sounds a lot like a free days work and goodbye to me
Even a day, to “gain experience” is pure ■■■■■■■■. If you work, you should be paid, end of story. You can’t go and do a day of free work for ABC Haulage, not get taken on, and go to DEF Haulage and say “Oh you can start me right away, I’ve done my day unpaid at ABC down the road.” It’s not experience if you can’t take it with you, in my book, at least.
Of course… now that I’ve got on my high horse, ABC Haulage is going to give me a ring tomorrow and I’ll be running off to do my day of free work. Don’t worry… I’ve had my High Horse induction and am wearing my hiviz, hard hat (with a chin strap, of course), safety glasses and safety boots (but not riggers!) and have a spotter to help me climb down the Portable Folding Mounting/Dismounting i.e. Ladder System.
Just a thought, and it’s more my devious thinking than anything else… but any new C+E passes out there who get the opportunity to work for ‘free’, take it up. Drive the truck to the nearest open space like a service station during the day when it’s quiet and practice like hell doing your reversing/ dropping trailer etc… and if you’re in a good mood, maybe unload one of your drops before going back to the yard… two can play at that P take game 
slowlane:
Even a day, to “gain experience” is pure ■■■■■■■■. If you work, you should be paid, end of story. You can’t go and do a day of free work for ABC Haulage, not get taken on, and go to DEF Haulage and say “Oh you can start me right away, I’ve done my day unpaid at ABC down the road.” It’s not experience if you can’t take it with you, in my book, at least.
Not sure if you’re referring me when I said it was experience for a Newbie, but I wasn’t really viewing it as a credit/ticket to use in the future. My thinking was that as a Newbie you know bugger all, and the first shot you get you’ll possibly make a hash of. So I was viewing it as practice for a Newbie in getting that first job. I think it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that as an experienced driver, you know what to expect and what to do. A Newbie hasn’t a clue, or doesn’t think they have, I remember! 
So you blag it the best you can, and hope you’re not going to screw up. This in turn can raise their stress levels and before you know it, some could be losing the plot. That’s the sort of experience I’m thinking of…
So when they then go to DEF haulage, the Newbie has done it once and knows the score! 