Supermarket Deliveries Soul Destroying

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

gingo:

Jimmy McNulty:

toby1234abc:
I feel your pain , the waiting rooms with rock hard plastic seats , coffee vending that tastes like creosote , and some places have very rude and ignorant staff .
I went to one place and saw a driver have a mental breakdown due waiting too long and lack of natural sunlight made him lose the plot .
Aldi and Lidl is not so bad , you are in control of the delivery by unloading yourself .

Wrong end of the stick I think chief.

He is delivering to the actual shops for COOP and Tesco, not to the RDC’s.

is anyone listening except you and me ?. HE IS DELIVERING TO SHOPS , not RDC’S. ffs

Yep I’m listening too, my post above yours is RE delivering to stores for a major supermarket, Not RDC’s

22

As a new class 1 driver with no driving experience as of yet, gotta say i’ve enjoyed reading this thread. Lots of different experiences and POVs. Really interesting.

Keep em coming.

23

dieseldog999:

I enjoyed crazy tight places.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
do they stil refer to those special places as padded cells?

tesco type rdc/shop work is just completely demeaning and an insult to anyones intelligence.
fair play if you can be brain dead for the duration of your shift,but apart from that,its an embarrassment of a job.

I thought he was referring to his other alter ego’s back passage…

24

If the work is “Challenging” then you cannot switch off, and the time drags. If you can do a job on autopilot - then despite the job not being challenging - time will absolutely fly by, which is the real definition of “Cushty” when set up with a decent hourly rate and as many hours as you can eat. :smiley:

25

Winseer:
If the work is “Challenging” then you cannot switch off, and the time drags. If you can do a job on autopilot - then despite the job not being challenging - time will absolutely fly by, which is the real definition of “Cushty” when set up with a decent hourly rate and as many hours as you can eat. :smiley:

Sad when it comes into it that as many hours as you can get

26

Easy work for good money. If you don’t like like it, don’t do it. Simple really.

27

Bigtruck3:

Winseer:
If the work is “Challenging” then you cannot switch off, and the time drags. If you can do a job on autopilot - then despite the job not being challenging - time will absolutely fly by, which is the real definition of “Cushty” when set up with a decent hourly rate and as many hours as you can eat. :smiley:

Sad when it comes into it that as many hours as you can get

I suppose it depends really. If I was asked “Do you want to go home now and spend the next three hours on the internet or would you like to spend the next three hours in a drivers’ waiting room being paid £11 an hour to go on the internet?” then I’d be thinking maybe it would be advantageous to me to choose the latter option. :wink:

28

The truth be known going from a to b for the big supermarkets providing you work directly can pay the best money in the job, some are on top money and a normal persons working week hours wise

29

It wasn’t so much the work…than the shift rotas that forked my head up.
It’s not for me.

30

The problem with most supermarket type gigs for many drivers is that the shift patterns & start times tend to be all over the place & the best shifts are often years in the waiting. They also tend to be chocka with jobsworth characters who just make the job unbearable at times.

Fair play to the lads that stick it out though because working direct for a supermarket is one of very few opportunities in this industry to work a ‘normal’ number of hours a week for good pay & enjoy proper work benefits rather than the usual bare minimum terms of employment most lorry drivers endure.

31

I think store deliveries are more interesting than general haulage work as the challenge of manoeuvring in a tight space while avoiding all the customers who have a deathwish by walking behind your truck when reversing and trying to drive up the side of you while turning keeps your focus up and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get it done.

32

S_pool 1985:
I think store deliveries are more interesting than general haulage work as the challenge of manoeuvring in a tight space while avoiding all the customers who have a deathwish by walking behind your truck when reversing and trying to drive up the side of you while turning keeps your focus up and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get it done.

When I was a brand new driver I first did store deliveries. They will take anyone.

And contrary to what some of the supermarket gods will tell you… After a while it really isn’t that hard or that special. Everything is set up to make your life as easy as possible.

You are given routes in and out. You are told which way to reverse. You even have special cabs with windows so there is no such thing as a blindside. It’s a bit like painting by numbers. They drain and skill out of the job.

90% of deliveries are not like you describe. And the 10% that are like that are more annoying. After your ‘accomplishment’ of reversing the lorry you get to cool down by climbing into the back of a fridge and pulling cages off. At the stores where you are doing it in the carpark you get the run of working out which cages are for that store and putting empties back on whilst trying to organise the stuff for the next drop.

I think I’ll stick to full loads of pharma or containers thanks. Pay isn’t even anything special on agency as some supermarkets.

33

sammym:

S_pool 1985:
I think store deliveries are more interesting than general haulage work as the challenge of manoeuvring in a tight space while avoiding all the customers who have a deathwish by walking behind your truck when reversing and trying to drive up the side of you while turning keeps your focus up and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get it done.

When I was a brand new driver I first did store deliveries. They will take anyone.

And contrary to what some of the supermarket gods will tell you… After a while it really isn’t that hard or that special. Everything is set up to make your life as easy as possible.

You are given routes in and out. You are told which way to reverse. You even have special cabs with windows so there is no such thing as a blindside. It’s a bit like painting by numbers. They drain and skill out of the job.

90% of deliveries are not like you describe. And the 10% that are like that are more annoying. After your ‘accomplishment’ of reversing the lorry you get to cool down by climbing into the back of a fridge and pulling cages off. At the stores where you are doing it in the carpark you get the run of working out which cages are for that store and putting empties back on whilst trying to organise the stuff for the next drop.

I think I’ll stick to full loads of pharma or containers thanks. Pay isn’t even anything special on agency as some supermarkets.

Was that not good for you as a new driver at the time, sounds like it eased you into the job, many a newbie would love that casual easy work
Never knock something that taught you something

34

Harry Monk:

Bigtruck3:

Winseer:
If the work is “Challenging” then you cannot switch off, and the time drags. If you can do a job on autopilot - then despite the job not being challenging - time will absolutely fly by, which is the real definition of “Cushty” when set up with a decent hourly rate and as many hours as you can eat. :smiley:

Sad when it comes into it that as many hours as you can get

I suppose it depends really. If I was asked “Do you want to go home now and spend the next three hours on the internet or would you like to spend the next three hours in a drivers’ waiting room being paid £11 an hour to go on the internet?” then I’d be thinking maybe it would be advantageous to me to choose the latter option. :wink:

Hang on folks… Are we not mixing up two different arguments here?

NON Supermarket employers like Xpo, F&W, or Solstor who send “Supply” deliveries to Supermarkets, at which point the driver has to stew in the “Waiting Room” listening to the standard RDC crap as everyone seems to put it on here…

Then there’s the actual SUPERMARKET job which is picking up a trailer off a bay, driving to some supermarket somewhere, self-tip, re-load with empties (and rubbish at some places) return to depot, rinse and repeat. You need to take a WTD break every 6 hours, and you’re unlikely to ever need more than 4.5hrs driving in one hit. Thus, the optimum “round trip length” is 5-6 hrs, where you then either get sent out again probably netting you 10-12 hours paid in total, OR you get sent home at the 7-8hr mark - but get paid for working 8 hours minimum.

NO being “rushed about” to a 318 like at RM or making dockside windows that everyone else rapes your nostrils over…
Wagons at supermarkets are limited to below 56mph, so there shouldn’t ever be a need to get stressed out over “being overtaken by another impatient artic on 15 hours job & knock” at P.I. Keys & Sons Haulage Ltd. :neutral_face:

Perhaps we should be discussing what people prefer OVER supermarket work?

I’m in no hurry to every do Palletliner trunks, Live Animals, Multidrop, or “unknown device in London” stuff in a hurry again - that’s for sure!

35

Here’s some aspects of Supermarket deliveries that ain’t much fun…

(1)Daytime crossing of the customer car park, where customers seem to have a different understanding of physics to most people…
They’ll just cut across right in front of you, even though a zebra crossing is just over there… People pushing trollies towards their car, flop their iphone out, and the trolly starts trundling under the wheels of your blindside reversing artic combination…

(2) Ditto for (1) but this time with a buggy with an actual live kid in it, that won’t be alive much longer if you don’t anticipate people losing their grip on their pushchairs just as they go out of eyeshot…

(3) Being stuck in rush hour traffic, or in London - 6am-6pm - needing a WTD break, but as much chance of finding an empty layby as Zara Phillips working for a driving agency any time soon…

(4) Yummy Mummy distractions, especially in the summertime… They must have all made good catches already, as they seem to always drive a 4x4/SUV…

(5) Younger staff that tend to work the daytime, so they can go out and socialize at night… Lazy lot, that seem to scarper at those stores where it is a steep uphill dock “leveller”.

(6) Having work left for you by full timers, as they know the agency bod will carry them, and it is Friday tea time after all… OK if you’re pair by the hour, - not so good if you’re a full timer on Job & Knock Friday - and got lumbered as usual…

(6) 5-6 day weeks - compulsory if you’re a full timer these days…

(7) There is no Seven.

All the above can be mitigated by “insisting on nights & weekends” I’ve found…
Work with people your own age, everyone does their bit, more relaxed atmosphere, Quiet Traffic/Easier Drives and of course HIGHER HOURLY RATE! :sunglasses:

36

Winseer:
Perhaps we should be discussing what people prefer OVER supermarket work?

Currently doing containers and ill take that over store deliveries any day of the week, only ever done the tesco store deliveries so can’t speak for others but it was not my cup of tea at all. Like the containers because theres always somewhere new, get into a few tight spots to keep you awake and i like to read my weight in books (and eat my weight in biscuits.) Also on those wet miserable days im glad i don’t have to fanny about strapping a load/pulling curtains. I guess you could say i’m just a lazy fat ■■■■■

37

Winseer:
Here’s some aspects of Supermarket deliveries that ain’t much fun…

(1)Daytime crossing of the customer car park, where customers seem to have a different understanding of physics to most people…
They’ll just cut across right in front of you, even though a zebra crossing is just over there… People pushing trollies towards their car, flop their iphone out, and the trolly starts trundling under the wheels of your blindside reversing artic combination…

(2) Ditto for (1) but this time with a buggy with an actual live kid in it, that won’t be alive much longer if you don’t anticipate people losing their grip on their pushchairs just as they go out of eyeshot…

(3) Being stuck in rush hour traffic, or in London - 6am-6pm - needing a WTD break, but as much chance of finding an empty layby as Zara Phillips working for a driving agency any time soon…

(4) Yummy Mummy distractions, especially in the summertime… They must have all made good catches already, as they seem to always drive a 4x4/SUV…

(5) Younger staff that tend to work the daytime, so they can go out and socialize at night… Lazy lot, that seem to scarper at those stores where it is a steep uphill dock “leveller”.

(6) Having work left for you by full timers, as they know the agency bod will carry them, and it is Friday tea time after all… OK if you’re pair by the hour, - not so good if you’re a full timer on Job & Knock Friday - and got lumbered as usual…

(6) 5-6 day weeks - compulsory if you’re a full timer these days…

(7) There is no Seven.

All the above can be mitigated by “insisting on nights & weekends” I’ve found…
Work with people your own age, everyone does their bit, more relaxed atmosphere, Quiet Traffic/Easier Drives and of course HIGHER HOURLY RATE! :sunglasses:

Morrisons - reverse onto bay following risk assessment provided. Put tacho on break whilst being unloaded by supermarket staff

Sainsburys - reverse onto bay following risk assessment provided. Either push cages to back door to be sorted out by supermarket staff or put tacho on break and enjoy breakfast in the cafe whilst being unloaded by supermarket staff

M&S - reverse onto bay following risk assessment provided. Put tacho on break whilst being unloaded by supermarket staff.

Of course not being a proper supermarket driver and doing all three of the above on a day rate I realise I have made a big error and actually my tacho should be on other work and I should then pull off the bay and have a 45, if I was doing the job properly.

38

adam277:
How do you guys cope with it?

I jacked it in. As you say, soul destroying

39

switchlogic:

adam277:
How do you guys cope with it?

I jacked it in. As you say, soul destroying

off thread but are you still on for m/d or gone back on the coaches…?

40

switchlogic:

adam277:
How do you guys cope with it?

I jacked it in. As you say, soul destroying

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
ultimate answer.
all you can do is loath the work so much then at the end of the day,just leave and find a more self worthwhile occupation.
to list the various reasons as to how the supermarket work ■■■■■ would take 3 pages on its own.
if you are used to thinking for yourself,and see yourself something other than a paid from the neck down cannon fodder,then that type of employment will not suit you.