Newby Experience of DHL @Gatwick Airport Assessment+Training

Hi all – First I feel I should say sorry., this post has ended up a bit bigger than I expected !

I thought I’d write this in case anyone’s interested in work at DHL Gatwick Airport and how to get in there. I’ve broken it down into every step I can remember

I’ve not started working there, I’m waiting for my security passes to clear so this is my experience to this point

I signed up with an agency called The Best Connection in Crawley, emailing them as first contact. I got an appointment (I like to deal with the agency in person or via email so I have a record of what they’ve promised) The agency took photocopies of licences, NI proof and gave me a quick quiz on basic geography and EU regs – you fill this out in the waiting area bit so if you’re unsure of the geography, have a quick look on google maps on your phone. Once that’s done they have a quick look at the CV and asked what kind of work you’re looking for etc. I made it clear early on I will not work under umbrella and the guy said that was fine as they do PAYE and Self Employed/Limited Company stuff as well as umbrella.

They told me about a job going at DHL Gatwick Airport, looking for 2 drivers. They said it was 4 on 4 off. 12 hour shifts with the chance of days or nights. £12.50 per hour with paid training. They said the company runs 2 sites, the main warehouse as well as a smaller recycling waste site for cardboard and glass etc. DHL does most of the screening for goods going into Gatwick as well as collecting goods being returned from the stores within the airport. They also handle some recycling/rubbish collection at Gatwick too - They’re in the process of building a biomass boiler for food waste, suggesting they’re actively expanding.

I should probably mention at this point that I have zero class 2 experience beyond passing my test in April 2016. Ofcourse like some have mentioned on here, it’s always handy if you mention you have some driving experience from a friend’s horsebox etc I have also had pretty poor experiences with agencies to this point with others promising work that simply didn’t exist. So I asked the guy every question under the sun to get an idea if this job was for real and how it worked.
Including reading the contract and signing, I was there 3 hours or so. It didn’t need to take that long if you didn’t ask questions and weren’t interested in reading the contract. You probably could have been out in 45 minutes or less.

The first DHL driving assessment was cancelled 2 hours before it was due to happen. 2 days later they got induction training scheduled for the next day at DHL Gatwick. I was the only driver with 3 warehouse workers. This basically involved a walk around both warehouse + waste sites, so you can see what it’s actually like. They’ll then give you a chance to back out – since they can’t promise which site you’ll be working each week – One guy did, leaving just 3 of us left.

Then a quick health and safety presentation, then a quick quiz on the stuff in the presentation – I think there was 16 questions from memory and they’re not tricky if you’re awake. Then there’s a manual handling presentation and a 20 question quiz about it – I say quiz because I don’t think you can fail it. It’s more to show you’re awake and listening. Any wrong answers, they’ll mention and correct you.

Then there’s the fun paperwork – Basically it’s a 1-3 page text and diagram breakdown for each activity with 3-5 questions on each after – some are 1 word answers. It’s mainly health and safety stuff, don’t throw a pallet truck on its side, don’t jump on the forks of a forklift truck, what the weight capacity of the tail lifts are, wear a high vis jacket and steel toe cap shoes – that kind of thing. I think there was about 20 activities you had to read and answer questions on. Once that’s done, they’ll run through how cages stack and how pallet trucks work etc if you’re unsure – If you know how they work, they wish you a good day and you wait to hear from the agency.

This lasted started from 7.30am and lasted 6 hours 45 mins or perhaps slightly less) and involved a 5 minute chance to play with a pallet truck to make sure you’re aware how they work if you’re unsure

A few days later there’s the driving assessment part.
This lasted 5 hours from 9am. It could have been much shorter – I’ll go into that in a second
First they ask to photocopy your licence, CPC card and Tacho card. They’ll give you a quick quiz on EU regs, Working Time Directive and Highway code signs – Again if you get anything wrong, they’ll just let you know when you get to the truck anyway.

Then it’s time for the main event. They have some Daf 18 ton autos, a Daf LF 18 ton 6 speed manual, which I done my assessment on and a 26 ton Daf CF 8 speed split range gearbox (Thanks Rog for the link in your signature covering how these work) I had zero experience with tacho cards, so the assessor showed me how they worked, how to do a manual entry etc. Then how they like their defect sheet filled out and a quick walk round, showing how both types of tail lifts work on their trucks and how the fridge controls work. They’ll also ask you to read a number plate from a distance away - if you get a character wrong, the assessor didn’t seem to have a problem.

Then it’s time for a drive around Crawley and back to the airport, where they’ll want you to reverse park into a bay - this is much easier than the test reverse, it’s literally turning about 50 degrees into a slanted bay between 2 trucks– simple. Keep it between the white lines and don’t hit the other trucks and they’re happy. The total route was 32 kilometres from memory (You reset the trip counter each time you drive)

Then a quick chat with how it went, any comments etc. I don’t know what happens from there if you fail but I passed so I got introduced to the traffic manager and one of the shift rota guys, where they confirm you want the job and they then give you some forms to fill out regarding security passes etc.
All the above was paid at £12.50 per hour. The shift rota guy told me I’d be starting on a store contract, which will mean airside etc. So I wont be going anywhere near the waste site to begin with. (Waste side has flatbeds and a ro-ro truck) They’ll put you with an experienced driver to show you the route for 5 days, then it’s time to go solo once the passes come through.

Since I had never driven a split range gearbox and not even a manual truck before that day, the assessor offered to take me out in the 26 ton truck to get a feel for how they work – I probably spent an hour or more just driving around with a chance to try parking it at the end. During this time I was shown where you’d fuel up on site as well as some of the loading sites that don’t require airside passes. Then download the tacho card, sign the agency time sheet and you’re free to go on your way.

As I understand, DHL at Gatwick are looking for a few drivers, their own website states they’re looking for 10 drivers but the pay in their own ad is much lower than what the agency states I got the £12.50 hourly rate etc in writing. If you go down this route, I suggest doing the same. I also understand there would be plenty of overtime available if I want it but I don’t know how the agency feels about that yet as it’s the agency who actually pay me. DHL Gatwick will take on newly qualified drivers with zero experience, as long as you don’t have points from my understanding. As I understand you spend more time loading/unloading and waiting around than actually driving during your shift but it’s a chance to get into class 2 work with no experience

At my induction training, there was supposed to be 2 drivers, I was the only one who turned up.
During the assessment, there was another driver who was supposed to be there – He never turned up, so I got a chance try the 26 ton split range gearbox truck.

I’m a bit confused why people would sign up with an agency looking for work, agree to the assessment etc but not turn up

I’ll try and update this thread in a month’s time if I remember, once I’ve had a couple of weeks on the job.

Good luck mate, nice write up. I imagine you have the best connections time sheets to fill in? From the one’s I’ve got, they tend to press using POA a lot to keep your working hours down… use break on the tacho instead, it covers the same purpose but doesn’t mess up your driving hours like the POA option.

Some people sign up with agencies and agree to certain dates for assesments etc. but something else in the meantime comes up, maybe with another agency, which pays the bills so drop it.

Thanks, I was told there’s no need to bother with the time sheets as The Best Connection do so many contracts with DHL, they just use the time sheet the DHL manager keeps around. I do need to confirm this though.

For what it’s worth to anyone, I’ve found Driver Hire in Brighton, near Shoreham to be the second most useful agency - they’re above a taxi office but are the only ones who have managed to offer work to me. Unfortunately it’s always been the odd day here and there, last minute not local to me so I haven’t been able to take it but at least they’re coming up with work. They will also do PAYE but at a rate of around ~£8/hour In contrast to Drive Hire Gatwick who will do Umbrella only (No matter what they like to dress it up as) but haven’t heard a word from them since signing up in December unless I email or call them.

Edit: TBC did mention I should use POA, which as I understand acts as a “pause” button on the tacho to keep working hours down. They said I would be paid for POA but I would not be paid for my breaks.

The reason the DHL pay is less than the agency is because being agency the can cancel you at any time, whereas as DHL you are employed on a full time permanent contract.

I went through a similar process to you last month with the same agency, local to me, also having an assessment with DHL.

I also had zero class 2 experience at the time but they were willing to take me on having passed the assessment and first impressions of the company seemed good. I actually landed a permanent job elsewhere between the assessment and the start date so never started.

So how are you getting on?

Hi

I’m also in Crawley and had many highs and lows with the agency in this town.

I didn’t like the best best connection to much as I applied for a particular role and I ended up working for B&Q delivering kitchens out in Kent. Curb side drop you may thinking. When you got 5 top floor flats to deliver to I decided it wasn’t really for me. Back breaking working.

I worked as a fueller at Gatwick for a time. However the agency there didn’t like to pay it staff and you often ended up £600 short a month

I’ve been looking at other companies but recently encountered a company that like to film you all day long that’s a bit of an issue too.

Hope it’s going ok at DHL Gatwick - I’ve heard it good there. You hourly rate is more than I was getting fuelling.

Let use know how are you mate

So my experience after 4 weeks:

To give you an idea on my thoughts of working at DHL at Gatwick in the current roles I’ve had, after 2 weeks I booked my Class 1 training with PSTT. I’ve also lost 1 stone in weight in the first 2 ½ weeks working at DHL so I’m treating it in my mind as a paid gym membership and a way to get class 2 experience.

4 hours before my first shift, the agency called me, stating the pay rate was wrong. It’s actually only £11.03 per hour and my first shifts would actually only be 9 hours, not the full 12 and asked if I was ok to continue with the work……So that was a nice way to start my first shift with that in my mind. The agency did pay my driving assessments and induction training at the originally stated £12.50 per hour though.

Turns out I was to do 9 hours 5 days a week with only the weekend free. I say weekend, as the hours were 9pm-6am Monday-Friday, finishing at 6am Saturday morning – This lasted a couple of weeks, then out of the blue, the agency asked if I could help DHL out , switching shift times that night for a couple of nights, starting at 11pm – 11am. At first I said I couldn’t do that as I had something on at 8am. So they asked what time I could finish, I stated 7am and they were happy with that. The following night I did the full 11pm-11am, then 4 days off. This was the start of my 4 on 4 off shift pattern

The first couple of weeks, I was buddied up with a driver, showing me the routes, how the computer systems worked, how the paperwork should be done, how security etc all worked. I started off in a Daf LF 18 tonner truck, which was actually pretty ok and I learnt to reverse that in a couple of what I thought were tight spots at the time. It was then I realised the total kilometres driven were about 18-24 per night and that most of the time is actually spent loading and unloading cages and pallets - They basically want a labourer with a class 2 licence

Sometime during the second week, I was taken off that work and asked to basically shunt a bunch of trucks (Daf and MAN, manuals and autos) from landside to airside (through security) with someone with security clearance but only a car licence, which worked out fine other than the fact I was never told when I’m shunting trucks less than 1 kilometre, I don’t need to bother with the walk round checks or tacho card stuff. After the third or fourth truck, I lost track of my tacho card (Turns out it went for a ride up to Heathrow for a while and was found by one of the truck cleaners in Heathrow – They returned it to me a few days later but only after I had ordered another card with the DVLA……)

Third week, I was put on a different role again, this time driving a Daf CF 26 tonner (Joint biggest truck they have) and delivering directly to stores (Using goods lifts big enough for only 1 pallet and having to rock the pallet truck forwards and back to be able to close each set of doors and dragging pallets and cages through the terminals) I was given a driver’s mate who knew the routes but didn’t even have a car licence, to guide me through the tightest roads at the airport – All went well until I was reversing and literally touched a fence. No damage or injury but told the manager at the time, he had a look around the truck and the fence, then told me, he knew I wasn’t exactly an experienced driver and didn’t make a big deal about it, he pretty much said it’s probably best to hop out and look if there’s doubt in future – that was it  Since then it’s become an almost routine in reversing to hop out and check a few feet before the end of the dock. At the end of my last shift of the week, I was asked if I could do some over time for a couple hours to help them out – I thought I had the spare hours on my tacho so figured why not. I told them the terms of pay (1.5 times standard pay) and I get a driver’s mate (I was getting tired and didn’t fancy loading and unloading on my own after an already 12 hour shift and the regular one I got didn’t fancy the over time). The manager instantly agreed to those terms and told me to find someone in the warehouse looking bored to join. It was at the end of this shift I got to learn their process of defecting a truck as I got a brake light error on the dash, with no driver’s rear brake light but it did work when pushing the button on the remote key to flash all the lights during a walk around check, making me think a computer issue or something.

Fourth week, driver’s mate was on holiday and I wasn’t given a replacement. A few deliveries were a bit on the questionable side of being on time but the receiving people were fine. At the beginning of that week, towards the end of my shift, I was looking to finish a tad early and was almost on the home straight back to the yard. I was loading my last run, I put a few empty boxes/tubs right up towards the end of the truck and thought there’s no way they’ll move as there’s nowhere for them to go……In hindsight this was a silly thing to do. As soon as I pulled the shutter down, I heard a couple of boxes go crashing down, jamming the closing handle mechanism, so it wouldn’t close and of course the shutter wouldn’t open back up to let me sort out the fallen down boxes After taking a minute to tell the shutter what I thought of it, the only option was to climb through the side door of the unit (after figuring out how the steps and rusty locking mechanism worked) and climbed all the way to the back to re-arrange everything to free up the shutter and closing mechanism. This took a couple hours and my nice early finish turned into finishing 1.5 hours over my shift…… But I solved it myself without having to look silly or call for help. When I got back, I let the manager what had happened and why I was late and he simply said not to worry about it and that he’d done something silly like that in the past with a van. Their planner on the other hand heard and said if I go over my working hours (Not driving hours) for the day enough times (More than 12 hours per day?), I can lose my licence (Not sure that’s true – off to google that now)

Generally the managers are pretty decent people – As long as you don’t take the ■■■■ or hit a bridge or damage the trucks.

So far out of 4 payslips I’ve received from working at DHL via agency, only 1 has been correct, I have my suspicions who is at fault. I’ve been told in writing that this Friday’s payslip will include all the underpayments but we shall see…………

The DHL site is very young, only being there 3 or so years and I’ve yet to find a driver that has been there for more than 18 months, with most being there for less than 5 months. Talking to other drivers, 3 drivers have left relatively recently in the last few months

There’s no phonecalls asking where you are or how you are doing on time/deliveries or anything – at least I haven’t received anything like that yet – they generally just let you get on.

Some of the trucks have cameras facing forward with microphones but so far the 26 tonner I’ve been allocated each recent shift has no such camera……apparently they’re coming in the future, along with proximity sensors and trackers to monitor how you’re driving and if you’re aggressive on the brakes/gas or let the engine rev too high and how economical you are – Should be fun when I spend as much time crawling in reverse as I do going forwards with only 1 spot you can get to more than 30mph for a few seconds.

So far including The Best Connection, I’ve counted 4 different agencies who supply workers (not just drivers but warehouse workers etc) to the DHL site at Gatwick. The Best Connection , Driver Hire, Premier and Search. In the 4 weeks I’ve been there, there’s been 3 people leave that I was aware of, there may have been others that are no longer working there but were when I started for all I know.