If Carlsberg did distribution centres

As some may know, I am a novice British CE driver living and working in Holland. I hope one day to get the time to put up a diary to give an idea of what it’s like driving in the Netherlands.

My shifts involve driving between various distribution centres in Holland and Belgium, and so far I haven’t come across any of the stuff that’s been talked about on here regarding officious security, grumpy goods in staff, keys taken away, unable to access the cab or the manky drivers rooms or cages to wait in.

Over here it all seems very laid back and relaxed. Maybe I’m just lucky.

However, there is one distribution centre which is a cut above all the rest and is how I envisage a distribution centre should be in an ideal world. It’s run by a online company called Coolblue which is the Dutch equivalent of Currys/PC World. It deals mainly with electrical items but also all the household stuff you’d find in a Currys store. The dc I go to is massive, and business must be good as they are currently building another one next door, equally as big.

The first thing you notice when you get there is it seems to be staffed solely by kids. I’ve never seen anyone aged more than about 25 amongst the supervisors or floor staff. They all wear smart uniforms, are pleasant and polite when you need to ask them something, and they all speak excellent English, though sometimes with a sort of American accent gained from watching too many US programmes on Dutch tv. Apparently, most of them are students and work there to earn money while they study at college or uni. The dc itself is light and clean and a nice place to work. If I had to work in a warehouse, that’s where I’d want to go.

The second thing are the facilities. There’s non of this grubby drivers room or taking your keys away from you. You can sit in your cab or wait in the drivers room as you please. You normally don’t have to wait long anyway as it’s mostly trailer changes, swapping empty trailers for full. If you have to wait in the drivers room, there is a vending machine dispensing ‘free’ coffee or hot chocolate or hot water to use for tea, plus a range of different flavoured tea bags for your cuppa, and it’s all decent tasting coffee and rich hot chocolate.

The toilet for the drivers is posher than my one at home. In the drivers room, you have big screens where you can apparently plug in your devices to play games. I have never seen these used though as most drivers only pass through or wait no more than half an hour for their paperwork. The only thing are the seats which are a bit industrial and basic, but again you’re never there long enough to get that uncomfortable. You don’t get to interact with your load but there is a large plate glass window into the warehouse where you can watch the loading of your truck.

I had a peek once into the main staff rest rooms, and they’re kitted out like you’re at the beach, with large communal tables for groups to eat together, palm trees and wall coverings of beach scenes and sunshine. Plus a subsidised food counter with various dishes plus free hot drinks of course.

Now, the most interesting thing I found out about the staff is that they are trained to carry out different jobs to keep it from becoming boring. So to give you an example: -

There is a blonde girl of about 19 who works there. She truly is beautiful in a natural sort of way and it’s really hard to take your eyes off her sometimes. Yet she is very down to earth in the typical Dutch way and not full of herself in any way. I would’ve killed to have a girlfriend like her when I was 20. Anyway, I first encountered her working at the security gate where they check in the trucks, check your licence, and allocate you a bay. She was very happy to chat through the sliding window, interested in what a British driver was doing driving a Dutch truck, and told me about herself. She was studying law during the day and working at the dc a few evenings a week.

The second week I saw her, she was working on the main floor of the dc, expertly driving one of those high lift fork lifts that lifts a fridge freezer from a shelf three stories high.

The third week that I saw her, she was driving the yard shunter. She was driving the Terberg like a pro as she moved various trailers between bays, and reversed a full lenth trailer into a bay and was off again, quicker than it took me to climb out of the cab and walk to the back of my truck to open the rear doors and walk back to my cab again. If only I had her reversing skills.

So, at the age of 19, a student in law has been trained by the company to man the security gate, has her fork lift licence, and can drive a Terberg moving trailers around the complex. And will leave with those skills should she ever need them again. And quite a few of them have been trained like that. Apparently, it’s a two day course with the Terberg and they don’t need a licence as they don’t venture onto a public road.

The final story about this dc. One time they kept me waiting an hour beyond my scheduled departure due to some errors in the loading of the truck. Normally it wouldn’t bother me as I am paid overtime for any hours over my contract. However, on this night, I was due to be flying back to London on an early flight in the morning. I let them know about this but I didn’t get angry or make a fuss about it. The next week when I went back, they had a package waiting for me. Inside was a gift card for a meal for two for me and my wife, at any restaurant that participated in the scheme, plus a selection of toys and games for my three kids, and a note of apology for keeping me waiting the previous week.

So, back to the thread title and for anyone who remembers the tv adverts. If Carlsberg did distribution centres, it would be like this one.

Here are a few photos.

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We have a similar platinum standard over here Chief.

Sainsbury’s RDC Stoke it’s called. World class…

eagerbeaver:
We have a similar platinum standard over here Chief.

Sainsbury’s RDC Stoke it’s called. World class…

It’s good to hear Mr Beaver. By the way, I’m not boasting that they have better rdc’s over here before anyone says. Just describing what this particular one is like.

Drivers don’t get treated like professionals here in the UK though with facilities like that because so many act like dicks. I’d give it a morning until some knob head ■■■■■■ all over the toilet seat & pillaged a fistful of teabags for the cab.

There is the odd exception, but the reputation of drivers went to the dogs ages ago & facilities laid on for us reflect it.

Sounds like a great place, knowing a few Dutch people the attitude doesn’t surprise me, but it’s amazing what difference you get when you offer your employees decent working conditions and I bet none of them are on zero hours, minimum wage contracts.

As for the free tea and coffee, my experience of a lot of places in Europe is your get offered a coffee before anything else. I took a trailer to Germany for it’s test at the start of the year, the test centre had free coffee and as the tester told me with big smile “We also have free tea”, and it wasn’t vending stuff, but proper English Breakfast blend in tea bags.

Where is the picture of the Blonde bird? sod the coffee machine and bog!

pete smith:
Where is the picture of the Blonde bird? sod the coffee machine and bog!

I’m still trying to scroll down to it. I bet the ■■■■■■■■ keeping it for himself.

Great to read about what could be, or should be the norm. But in Britain these type of drivers facilities would soon be defaced, and vandalised !

Twoninety88:
Great to read about what could be, or should be the norm. But in Britain these type of drivers facilities would soon be defaced, and vandalised !

I’m trying to work out if that is right or not. If there were higher standards, would people respect other people’s property more? Or have we ended up in the UK with rubbish facilities because things weren’t respected more?

We imagine everywhere has the same mentality as us, yet the Dutch have always had a reputation for being professional, clean, well trained and having the right kit.

When new systems are brought in to companies in Denmark, it’s automatically assumed that it’s the best for the company, whereas in the UK, it’s automatically assumed that management are about to shaft the drivers/employees.

It always fascinates me how much of a similar mindset the population of a particular nation has ( though that is changing generally, I think).

Respect. Simple. In all things and in all ways respect for anything will reap its rewards.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Us Brits could learn a lot from the Dutch,
They seem to keep their trucks tidy and don’t have all the H&S bull crap we have…
Their trucks stops and services are brilliant too

eagerbeaver:
We have a similar platinum standard over here Chief.

Sainsbury’s RDC Stoke it’s called. World class…

Any Sainsbury’s rdc is a 5* establishment, look at Waltham point, O mustn’t forget st-albans produce,

yorkshire terrier:
Us Brits could learn a lot from the Dutch,
They seem to keep their trucks tidy and don’t have all the H&S bull crap we have…
Their trucks tops and services are brilliant too

I was out there a fair bit in the 90’s and they were streets ahead of us then. The free cup of coffee when a driver arrives at most delivery points is strange to the uninitiated.

With regard to the H+S bs we endure here, I think Albion touched on that earlier when she remarked on the Brits attitude to the management. Any slight injury at work is now down to the company, not common sense, so to protect themselves, companies introduce more and more (unnecessary) training, rules and regs.

As someone said earlier, you reap what you sow.

biggriffin:

eagerbeaver:
We have a similar platinum standard over here Chief.

Sainsbury’s RDC Stoke it’s called. World class…

Any Sainsbury’s rdc is a 5* establishment, look at Waltham point, O mustn’t forget st-albans produce,

some sainsburys manager will be reading these thinking it’s true

yorkshire terrier:

biggriffin:

eagerbeaver:
We have a similar platinum standard over here Chief.

Sainsbury’s RDC Stoke it’s called. World class…

Any Sainsbury’s rdc is a 5* establishment, look at Waltham point, O mustn’t forget st-albans produce,

some sainsburys manager will be reading these thinking it’s true

Not forgetting the Premier class facilities at Sainsburys Dartford.

I wouldn’t let my dog have a ■■■■ in those toilets let alone use them myself

albion:

Twoninety88:
Great to read about what could be, or should be the norm. But in Britain these type of drivers facilities would soon be defaced, and vandalised !

I’m trying to work out if that is right or not. If there were higher standards, would people respect other people’s property more? Or have we ended up in the UK with rubbish facilities because things weren’t respected more?

When they’ve done experiments with vandalised areas, it’s been shown that a vandalised, litter strewn area will lead to more, but if a place is tidy and looked after and any damage is quickly repaired and litter picked up the area actually attracts less vandalism and litter. However somebody has to have the will and finances to keep on top of the damage as it happens, but stuff not being repaired in no way excuses willful damage, I’ve never understood the mind set that damages something for the sake of it.

albion:
We imagine everywhere has the same mentality as us, yet the Dutch have always had a reputation for being professional, clean, well trained and having the right kit.

I think certain countries in Europe viewed being a truck driver as more of a profession than many in the UK have traditionally done, this might in turn attract better candidates for the job.

albion:
When new systems are brought in to companies in Denmark, it’s automatically assumed that it’s the best for the company, whereas in the UK, it’s automatically assumed that management are about to shaft the drivers/employees.

It always fascinates me how much of a similar mindset the population of a particular nation has ( though that is changing generally, I think).

Does this have something to do with the leftovers from the class system, management versus workers, and the lack of communication and therefore lack of trust on both sides. Or is it the way UK companies operate, it’s about short term profit for the shareholders, so most new systems are brought in to cut costs and that probably means jobs and wages or changing conditions of employment. I believe in Germany it’s law to have a workers representative on the board of companies, so the workforce get a say in the future direction of the company and they’ll probably have a far more long term view and interest in its long term profitability than the shareholders.

muckles:
When they’ve done experiments with vandalised areas, it’s been shown that a vandalised, litter strewn area will lead to more, but if a place is tidy and looked after and any damage is quickly repaired and litter picked up the area actually attracts less vandalism and litter. However somebody has to have the will and finances to keep on top of the damage as it happens, but stuff not being repaired in no way excuses willful damage, I’ve never understood the mind set that damages something for the sake of it.

Does this have something to do with the leftovers from the class system, management versus workers, and the lack of communication and therefore lack of trust on both sides. Or is it the way UK companies operate, it’s about short term profit for the shareholders, so most new systems are brought in to cut costs and that probably means jobs and wages or changing conditions of employment. I believe in Germany it’s law to have a workers representative on the board of companies, so the workforce get a say in the future direction of the company and they’ll probably have a far more long term view and interest in its long term profitability than the shareholders.

it’s the New York broken window pane theory of crime management, isn’t it? If an area looks scruffy and places aren’t maintained, then it leads to minor crime and escalates up from vandalism, to theft and on.

Maybe - I don’t know enough about the class system in the Netherlands. They still have a Royal Family, but less pomp than ours and he has been flying for KLM for a couple of decades in between meeting heads of state and opening buildings. Yes, there are workers representatives on boards os Comapnies in Germany - not sure but isn’t there a move to do similar here for firms over a certain size? I’m quite sure that Germany etc bring in systems to cut costs, which means redundancies and changes in Ts&Cs; maybe as you say it is better communicated.

i try to communicate stuff here at Albion Trucking, (not that we change anything much), and it makes me laugh because there is one driver that has been with us 18 years and yet any bit of paper he has to sign has to be scrutinised to the nth degree and if you make any changes, he’s always suspicious even after all those years.

Holland is a wonderful country, I love it there.

albion:

muckles:
When they’ve done experiments with vandalised areas, it’s been shown that a vandalised, litter strewn area will lead to more, but if a place is tidy and looked after and any damage is quickly repaired and litter picked up the area actually attracts less vandalism and litter. However somebody has to have the will and finances to keep on top of the damage as it happens, but stuff not being repaired in no way excuses willful damage, I’ve never understood the mind set that damages something for the sake of it.

Does this have something to do with the leftovers from the class system, management versus workers, and the lack of communication and therefore lack of trust on both sides. Or is it the way UK companies operate, it’s about short term profit for the shareholders, so most new systems are brought in to cut costs and that probably means jobs and wages or changing conditions of employment. I believe in Germany it’s law to have a workers representative on the board of companies, so the workforce get a say in the future direction of the company and they’ll probably have a far more long term view and interest in its long term profitability than the shareholders.

it’s the New York broken window pane theory of crime management, isn’t it? If an area looks scruffy and places aren’t maintained, then it leads to minor crime and escalates up from vandalism, to theft and on.

Maybe - I don’t know enough about the class system in the Netherlands. They still have a Royal Family, but less pomp than ours and he has been flying for KLM for a couple of decades in between meeting heads of state and opening buildings. Yes, there are workers representatives on boards os Comapnies in Germany - not sure but isn’t there a move to do similar here for firms over a certain size? I’m quite sure that Germany etc bring in systems to cut costs, which means redundancies and changes in Ts&Cs; maybe as you say it is better communicated.

i try to communicate stuff here at Albion Trucking, (not that we change anything much), and it makes me laugh because there is one driver that has been with us 18 years and yet any bit of paper he has to sign has to be scrutinised to the nth degree and if you make any changes, he’s always suspicious even after all those years.

I’m no expert I was just speculating from my own experiences, maybe when you include the workforce in the business decisions there is less of a them and us attitude, although there are still industrial disputes in Germany though so it doesn’t always work.

Many years ago I worked in a cash and carry warehouse, we had problems on checkout, loads of mistakes, damages etc, we were the worst of all the branches, our enlightened assistant manager tackled the problem by having weekly checkout meetings. In the meetings he told us about the offers for the following week and went through issues that happened and we raised problems like pricing labels missing on goods. It didn’t take long for things to improve dramatically and we went from the bottom of the league to the top, anyway the assistant manager got the reward he deserved for his hard work, he’d come up from the shop floor, his own branch. Our new assistant manager didn’t believe in meetings or communication of any sort and it didn’t take long for things to go back to how they’d been before.
I was reminded of this after talking to the owner of a company that owns a load of sawmills in New Zealand, he said there was some H&S legislation and to comply they decided to introduce daily meetings with all the staff, the meetings are in small work groups and there to mainly pick up H&S issues. Once a month the owner has a meeting with the group representatives and discusses the issues and how they’ve been resolved. He said initially he was sceptical about it’s usefulness, as were many of the workforce and I shared the same sceptism of how useful a daily meeting could be, but he said since he started them he has seen how useful they’ve been, the meeting doesn’t have to last long might only be a couple of minutes, but issues are picked up quickly and the workforce is fully involved.

On a footnote, I always check any bit of paper I’m asked to sign and raise any issues I’m not happy with, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, and can lead to a discussion and maybe coming up with a better way of doing it or maybe finding out that what you’re signing for isn’t possible, like when I pointed out to a race team that, unlike the mechanics, I couldn’t opt out of the 48 hour week, so we came up with a solution that kept me legal and still allowed the team to run efficiently.

I think that does sound good, having meetings - of course that is much harder for people who aren’t all at a base. i think my management style is best described as relaxed so people tend to call or stick their heads round the office door…

Re the scrutinising, fair enough, I’d read things before signing them; sometimes though it’s a one liner letter, not something committing your kids to slavery until 2040