Some time ago, someone posted here a job available for lorry drivers at Cadogan & Tate.
I sent them a CV one evening, the next day to my astonishement I got a reply inviting me for a job interview ( bear in mind I’m a newly qualified Class 2 driver, so you can immagine how excited I was about it)
I went there to their Park Royal depot, and yes the sign is there by the main gate entry, but when I got to speak to the right man, I was told driving a lorry was about 5% of the time spent at work the rest was moving stuff up and down the stairs.
Despite me being eager and willing to take any driving job being offered to me, I happily declined this “opportunity”.
Pitty they didn’t tell me this when they replied to me and invited me for the interview.
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s job
Did you think a removals driver only drove?
hkloss1:
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s job
I’ve moved your topic to where it can be seen and discussed by more people. 
hkloss1:
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s job
I think you need to be a bit more careful with the companies you look at in search of a job if you just want a “driving job”. Best of luck.
hkloss1:
Some time ago, someone posted here a job available for lorry drivers at Cadogan & Tate.
I sent them a CV one evening, the next day to my astonishement I got a reply inviting me for a job interview ( bear in mind I’m a newly qualified Class 2 driver, so you can immagine how excited I was about it)
I went there to their Park Royal depot, and yes the sign is there by the main gate entry, but when I got to speak to the right man, I was told driving a lorry was about 5% of the time spent at work the rest was moving stuff up and down the stairs.
Despite me being eager and willing to take any driving job being offered to me, I happily declined this “opportunity”.
Pitty they didn’t tell me this when they replied to me and invited me for the interview.
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s job
It hardly requires a warning does it. Its common sense when applying to a removal company that the job will entail lifting! Its not uncommon to have a daily mileage of less than 20km so you were correct in what you were told. That said, it can be a very challenging driving job as you have to get the truck as close to the property as possible in places not designed for a vehicle of that size so your manouvering skills are far greater than a lot of drivers.
Its a shame you turned it down so quick, you can get some good runs on removals as well. I currently have one truck tipping in Lisbon and another on its way down to Cadiz so its certainly varied.
A simple Google search for Cadogan & Tate will tell you what they do.
The driver on a removals crew is likely to be the hardest worked man on the team, the rest get a break whilst your driving. If you don’t want to hump furniture around don’t apply for a job with a removal firm! (Unless you need to get 2 years experience and then finding a “driving” job will be easier)
I have been on a few jobs like this and to be honest, it’s not all about driving.I realise you want to get some miles under your belt, but I’ve done that and I enjoy the laugh and being part of a team. Maybe you should have took it - you never know 
Martin:
The driver on a removals crew is likely to be the hardest worked man on the team, the rest get a break whilst your driving.
Yeah, too right! I used to swerve or beep the hooter just to stop them dropping off! 
Is this guy serious? It has to be a wind up!
As daft as the agency mate who turned at my work and didn’t want to handball. What did he think he was going to do, navigate and fanny watch (I can do that myself!)
cypry0:
Did you think a removals driver only drove?
My thoughts exactly…
So where is the warning in the thread 
The reason they wouldn’t mention the manual work when they invited you to an interview would be because most people would realise that working for a removals company is going to involve plenty of manual lifting work.
I would suggest that before you send off any more CVs you Google the company and find out what they do, you’ll find plenty of driving jobs involve more than just driving.
Plenty of very “smart” sounding replies here, pitty none of them read the opening post.
Let me clarify before you start again giving me your hals arsed advices:
- The job as I clearly stated in my post was as the guy who interviewed me 5% driving and rest heavy lifting.
I didn’t spend my money doing Class 2 to carry furnitures uo and down the stairs, I fully understand that every class 2 driver needs to do some other work not only drive truck, have seen plenty of them delivering goods to where I’ve worked in the past, to spend the next year or two driving 5% of the time and rest lifting wasn’t something I was looking for.
Iven the guy who interviewed me said it right at the beginning, that it is more lifting that driving job and that he should have first spoken to me over the phone before inviting me for the interview. - As for “a briliant idea” of working for this company for two years and putting this type of experience in my CV as a 2 years driving experience.
The guy who suggested it surely wasn’t serious , was he?
What kind of driving experience would I get spending 2 years driving 5% of the time and the rest lifting furnitures?
When asked by a new recruiter when changing job in 2 years time ( as advised by a smart one in here) about type of work I did previously and if I mentioned I spent two years working as a “driver” for removal company and driving 5% of the time at work I probably would have been advised to get a proper driving job before applying there. - If anyone in here thinks that was such a wonderfull opportunity I missed I’m happy to let to you know the exact address so you could rush there and join the que of equaly desperate drivers ( sorry porters not drivers with some driving features added).
Oh, by the way there isn’t any que waiting to get this job, you relax, finish your breakfast, lunch , dinner, before applying for it. I’m pretty sure C&T is still looking.
I in the meantime am happy driving for an agency where I spend roughly 20% of my time, loading, unloading my lorry, and rest is actual driving, believe it or not.
Having read your upending sentence, perhaps C&T are happy you didn’t follow up your application ( just a thought like),
There will be newbies who would be glad of doing 95% work to get 2 years experience at 5% driving. It’s a stepping stone to something ‘better’.
As others have said, maybe google the company next time.
I can see the headline now…
Removals company tipped my furniture on the street … And drove off.
Are you for real Pal?
You dont really grasp class 2 work do you.its mostly multi drop,home delivery etc.theres very few chances to tramp or trunk.try tippers if you can but you may hit the two year exp part and the removals job would have helped with that
matt79:
hkloss1:
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s jobI think you need to be a bit more careful with the companies you look at in search of a job if you just want a “driving job”. Best of luck.
… He is going to need it.
Even a tipper job requires getting out to open the doors.
dar1976:
matt79:
hkloss1:
After all I applied for a driving job not a porter’s jobI think you need to be a bit more careful with the companies you look at in search of a job if you just want a “driving job”. Best of luck.
… He is going to need it.
Even a tipper job requires getting out to open the doors.
Lol, the advising committee has clearly arived.
If they could only read first, take their time to analyse what they have just read and then reply.
You clearly missed (again) an important bit from my last reply:
“I in the meantime am happy driving for an agency where I spend roughly 20% of my time, loading, unloading my lorry, and rest is actual driving, believe it or not.”
It’s the last sentence if you still have troubles locating it.
“Even a tipper job requires getting out to open the doors”
As you can clearly see from my last post I do know a thing or two about “getting out to open the doors” lol
and yes, I was fully aware what working for a removal companies involves and yes I knew what C&T do, what I wasn’t aware of was that I would be driving 5% of the time, as I clearly stated in my two previous posts.
If anyone still thinks I missed such an amaizing opportunity to get some “driving experience” behind my belt, do not hesitate to let me know, I would be more than happy to direct you to the C&T’s recruitment department.
You, could too, get even more “driving experience” for yourself with C&T.
I’ll hapilly stick to my agecy’s work where after 2 years I will actualy feel I’ve done some driving, driving whole rage of diffrent vehicles, and "getting up and opening the doors " as well.
tl;dr
So why apply to a removal company then if you knew what the work was then?