Hi all, just wondered what are the pros and cons of cage work as apposed to pallets. I am currently delivering chemicals to collages/hospitals and the occasional odd company in a 7.5 tonner. I enjoy it immensely and have got to the stage of knowing where I’m going and the ins and outs of the drops. I have a possibility of changing to car parts in cages and doing dealerships in a rigid (26 tonner I believe). It will be a set route again so eventually i will learn my way round like I have with my current route.
In some ways I feel I have wasted my money getting a class 2 as I’m not fully utilising it at the moment but getting lots of experience so not too bothered at the moment but want to progress at some point. As this new contract would be nights I feel its a good stepping stone as the will be less traffic on the roads.
Agree with above.
Changing perm days for perm nights, if Ive read it right? Consider that going onto a night run isnt for everyone. Some love it, but some find it affects social/family life and can be disruptive to sleep patterns. No easy way to tell until you do it though I guess.
I really enjoyed cage work on the supermarket, good bit of exercise, will get into all sorts of muddles at first trying to work around returned cages on multi drop work, but you’ll soon find what works for you.
Just make sure you’re pushing not pulling heavy cages over uneven ground, if it topples over in a hole you don’t want to be under it.
I do a lot of cage work, done it for 20 years or more. The most important thing to remember is: If the cage starts to go over get out of the way DO NOT try and save it cos if your fingers get trapped you will lose them. Apart from over loaded top heavy cages are a pain, the rest is easy enough and keeps you fit.
Depends on the cages, some roll sweet. Most have bent wheels n weigh half a tonne
Tail lift is prob the most important part.
I’ve worked for a “builders warehouse” delivering heavy cages off a dodgy tail lift that wasn’t fit for purpose. It would get to 4 inches off the ground and then tilt down which was unbelievably dangerous with top heavy cages of paint n such. No safety at all. I eventually refused the work and moved on.
Currently doing Supermarket work, the tail lifts go flat to the ground and the shop staff unload from there. Safely straps everywhere. It makes the job a lot easier.
Royal mail is pretty sweet gig. Double deck. 100 cages. Back onto bay, roll them off, roll a load back on. Good work that
Is it a curtainsider or box rigid you’ll be driving?
(Also… Just want to add that 7.5 tonne work is far easier. You can stop anywhere. Just a big van.
26 tonner… can’t just pull over anywhere for Greggs lol
But I have a personal hatred of class 2, it’s the swing)
Always as said push cages and wear gloves and know how to recognise a cage which is top heavy and likely to fall over. They need loading and securing carefully, usually three in a row with one turned through a right angle but in a different column each time. Then the strap must not pull straight across the body, but be anchored one row forward each side so that it pulls the load forward, rather than uselessly pulls the sides of the body inwards. If the cages fold up and can be grouped into five or six then returned empties must be loaded across the vehicle and each row secured. If cages break free they can easily burst through a roller shutter. Be careful on the tail lift if one gets out of control let it go or it will have you off too and at night you could be on the ground a long time.
The bread companies used to sometimes load their wheeled trollies so that as the load comes off, the empties can be stacked all along one side of the body and fill up with empties from the front after a fair number of rows of loaded ones have been delivered. It sounds impossible but it works. They used load - lok poles.
If you are delivering to unattended premises at night then find out what the procedure is .Do you ring the yard on arrival and departure or what? at the very least it is charged mobile in pocket.
Franglais:
Agree with above.
Changing perm days for perm nights, if Ive read it right? Consider that going onto a night run isnt for everyone. Some love it, but some find it affects social/family life and can be disruptive to sleep patterns. No easy way to tell until you do it though I guess.
Nights is great … less traffic… easy to work hard in cold of night
But it ruins your sleep patterns… if you finish and in bed before the sun comes up, it’s ok… But after that its horrible…
I can’t be assed with nights anymore simply because sleeping in the day is too difficult.
No way I will do nights, every time I’m asked to consider it I tell them I’m like Cinderella, as I’m convinced that if I’m in my carriage at midnight I swear it’ll turn into a pumpkin
Juddian:
Just make sure you’re pushing not pulling heavy cages over uneven ground, if it topples over in a hole you don’t want to be under it.
Big +1…
If it’s gonna go, let it go.
I did car parts delivery on nights for an agency for a couple of weeks. Needless to say, every garage I went to on my first run out, I set the building alarm off.
WEE WOO WEE WOO WEE WOO so there’s that to look forward to.
cooper1203:
I have a possibility of changing to car parts in cages and doing dealerships in a rigid (26 tonner I believe). It will be a set route again so eventually i will learn my way round like I have with my current route.
As this new contract would be nights I feel its a good stepping stone as the will be less traffic on the roads.
coop
Ive done this type of night work. Its not the cages I would be worried about but the night life. E.g being robbed. Your on you own with keys and alarm codes to unmanned car dealerships and your delivering high value car parts.
Most cages are light except for ones with anti freeze, oil, tyres etc. You could have a cage with just one exhaust etc.
If your delivering to ■■■■ areas then watch your back.
cooper1203:
I have a possibility of changing to car parts in cages and doing dealerships in a rigid (26 tonner I believe). It will be a set route again so eventually i will learn my way round like I have with my current route.
As this new contract would be nights I feel its a good stepping stone as the will be less traffic on the roads.
coop
Ive done this type of night work. Its not the cages I would be worried about but the night life. E.g being robbed. Your on you own with keys and alarm codes to unmanned car dealerships and your delivering high value car parts.
Most cages are light except for ones with anti freeze, oil, tyres etc. You could have a cage with just one exhaust etc.
If your delivering to [zb] areas then watch your back.
Good luck.
that is another consideration that needs a lot of thought. if I was to be attacked potentially they have the keys and alarm codes to all the premises on my route and a truck to load them into
I hate cages with a passion. Much better to pump truck a pallet off or preferably let someone else fork lift it off.
Cages are NOT your friend! They will bite you at the first opportunity and should only be used to house remainers so that the rest of us can throw rotten fruit at them!
When I did night parts for Steve Porters doing PSA dealers , it was on 18t and all pallet boxes , metal stillages
Either the euro wooden foldable ones , or large ply ones
Engines came on stillages
On nights front, it’s alright if you can get used to working that way round. Some can, some hate it although most will struggle to start with getting enough sleep.
26T vs 7.5 - give me the 7.5 any day. Only thing I don’t like about those is lack of a bed (although many 28T don’t have them), but as I read on here before starting, drive the smallest thing for the most money. 26T will probably either have a stupid overhang or be double axel with a stupid overhang.
Have seen people delivering them to showrooms overnight. I assume you only get access to the parts dept rather than the whole complex. Getting robbed I guess is a possibility, but if it was a regular thing the insurance companies would put a stop to this pretty sharp.
I do prefer cages to a degree if the access is reasonably level. Only done them for CO-OP and they were loaded stupidly often with nowhere to park so dragging top heavy ones along pavements, but for garages hopefully you should be able to park by the entrance and they are usually on fairly flat ground.
Ultimately I wouldn’t worry about “wasting” your licence as its simply maturing. More years = more experience rregardless of what you were driving.
My question would be - am I getting a lot more money or is the job significantly easier than what I have. If not, then I wouldn’t personally move. And by more money I would say min £11 hour nights for that. (If they offer that, do they want a second person as I get that for class 1 currently. ).
trevHCS:
On nights front, it’s alright if you can get used to working that way round. Some can, some hate it although most will struggle to start with getting enough sleep.
26T vs 7.5 - give me the 7.5 any day. Only thing I don’t like about those is lack of a bed (although many 28T don’t have them), but as I read on here before starting, drive the smallest thing for the most money. 26T will probably either have a stupid overhang or be double axel with a stupid overhang.
Have seen people delivering them to showrooms overnight. I assume you only get access to the parts dept rather than the whole complex. Getting robbed I guess is a possibility, but if it was a regular thing the insurance companies would put a stop to this pretty sharp.
I do prefer cages to a degree if the access is reasonably level. Only done them for CO-OP and they were loaded stupidly often with nowhere to park so dragging top heavy ones along pavements, but for garages hopefully you should be able to park by the entrance and they are usually on fairly flat ground.
Ultimately I wouldn’t worry about “wasting” your licence as its simply maturing. More years = more experience rregardless of what you were driving.
My question would be - am I getting a lot more money or is the job significantly easier than what I have. If not, then I wouldn’t personally move. And by more money I would say min £11 hour nights for that. (If they offer that, do they want a second person as I get that for class 1 currently. ).
dunno what the pay rate is i will ask one of the guys that does it. however im not far off that doing 7.5 tonne day work
I did the job for Toyota. I enjoyed it tbf. You get to know how to handle the stuff and what to watch for, even when it comes to arranging the truck (for instance putting cages on a particular side if you knew the drop was on a slope etc) and in the years I did it I never had an issue with any threats at dealers, even in the latter stages when we were also delivering to Porsche outlets.
Cage work?
Thought it was about those young ladies who used to dance semi naked in some London pubs close to Sheperds Bush truck park in the 80s.
They could do cage work all right …or so I’m told.
Working nights really does interfere with all aspects of your private life and your sleep patterns. When the schools are off will there be children nearby making a lot of noise? I have worked odd hours most of my life so would want a premium rate for the job. I have been a bit stuck in places with a class 2 after telling the office bods that I could do the job in a 7.5 tonner.
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