slowlane:
Hi kopkings, I work for WS on flats. If you’re signing up for curtains/chipliners I can’t speak to that work. I’m a tramper too so I don’t know what the day men get up to.
I really enjoy it. The flats work is almost entirely for construction - mostly you’ll haul precast concrete and steel; also cabins, timber and an assortment of “if it fits, we’ll haul it”.
They run you “properly” as a tramper, it’s rare not to deliver what you’ve collected and you do run all over the country. You will certainly run in and out of London a fair bit though. There is a good variety of work, and plenty of oversize and abnormal loads once you prove yourself. I tend to do about one escorted load a week, and one or two oversize, which I really like - adds an extra challenge to the job. I’d like to do more, and there is more out there, but I’m still a newbie to the firm.
The office is pretty hands-off, it’s a case of being given the job and left to get on with it.
Maintenance is really good. Availability of kit like straps and chains is pretty good, though you still have to hoard it like anywhere. Pay ends up being around the £600-650 per week mark after tax. They issue you so much uniform that they also issue you a hold-all for it There is good cameraderie between drivers here, which is nice as well as very helpful for a newbie.
Parking is either at a depot, SNAP, or layby/industrial estate of your choosing or you can put a regular services/truck stop through on expenses if you need to (but they obviously ask you to avoid them if possible).
If you only want the job for money, flats is FAR too much work, go for the containers. If you want to have to think about what you’re doing and get a lot of variation then I’d say go for WS. If you’re going to be on tautliners for WS, as far as I know, it’s normal “logistics” work - but I’m not on that side of the fleet so don’t know for sure.
Good luck whatever you choose!
Thank you for the write up,
Yes I was looking for something a bit interesting so have decided to go with ws if they offer me the job.
By the way there is a pay rise coming your way in next 6 wks or so the management have just told me haha
They do a lot of steel and pet food out of Dalton airfield near Thirsk.
Anybody know if drivers are based there ?
Where are WS bases anyway ?
Jim
Ps pet food and steel seperately loads !
JFC999:
They do a lot of steel and pet food out of Dalton airfield near Thirsk.
Anybody know if drivers are based there ?
Where are WS bases anyway ?
Jim
Ps pet food and steel seperately loads !
Runcorn is the HQ
Dalton
Rugby
A handful of trucks are based here and there, but they aren’t depots.
slowlane:
Hi kopkings, I work for WS on flats. If you’re signing up for curtains/chipliners I can’t speak to that work. I’m a tramper too so I don’t know what the day men get up to.
I really enjoy it. The flats work is almost entirely for construction - mostly you’ll haul precast concrete and steel; also cabins, timber and an assortment of “if it fits, we’ll haul it”.
They run you “properly” as a tramper, it’s rare not to deliver what you’ve collected and you do run all over the country. You will certainly run in and out of London a fair bit though. There is a good variety of work, and plenty of oversize and abnormal loads once you prove yourself. I tend to do about one escorted load a week, and one or two oversize, which I really like - adds an extra challenge to the job. I’d like to do more, and there is more out there, but I’m still a newbie to the firm.
The office is pretty hands-off, it’s a case of being given the job and left to get on with it.
Maintenance is really good. Availability of kit like straps and chains is pretty good, though you still have to hoard it like anywhere. Pay ends up being around the £600-650 per week mark after tax. They issue you so much uniform that they also issue you a hold-all for it There is good cameraderie between drivers here, which is nice as well as very helpful for a newbie.
Parking is either at a depot, SNAP, or layby/industrial estate of your choosing or you can put a regular services/truck stop through on expenses if you need to (but they obviously ask you to avoid them if possible).
If you only want the job for money, flats is FAR too much work, go for the containers. If you want to have to think about what you’re doing and get a lot of variation then I’d say go for WS. If you’re going to be on tautliners for WS, as far as I know, it’s normal “logistics” work - but I’m not on that side of the fleet so don’t know for sure.
Good luck whatever you choose!
Thank you for the write up,
Yes I was looking for something a bit interesting so have decided to go with ws if they offer me the job.
By the way there is a pay rise coming your way in next 6 wks or so the management have just told me haha
Does a company as large as Stobrats with all it’s training infrastructure, posters on walls, the dcpc and the constant checking of every second of what the truck and driver are doing, get themseleves into that situation?
Practice, they did the same at Stamford 20 years ago [emoji23]
I remember going for my induction at Crick about 15-16 years ago. The first words from the trainer was that trampers would be working max hours. Whilst you could see the no-life old timers rubbing their hands in glee a fresh faced youth sat near me with a freshly minted licence asked what max hours were. When I told him it meant 13 and 15hr days, a 6 day week and as much as 84hrs the poor lad looked shellshocked.
Bloody hell this brings back memories , £776 fine , but nothing was as bad as the journey back from Carlisle - Grantham , mrs never stopped from leaving Carlisle to going to bed that night , though to be fair I think 30 yrs of marriage to me & all the trouble I’d caused her got vented ( shouted ) that journey .
dozy:
you will find that stobarts op are long hours , you’ll be tired , fatigued , on your knees but don’t worry vosa will be there for you, they’ll make sure you get the rest you need
This is a very good illustration that whereas 99.9 % on her will say the slightest misdemeanour will result to a visit to the t/c that is not true , I was immobilised for the night , was fined at magistrates court , told by DVSa solicitor , vosa , compliance officer that I was have to go before the t/c & would receive a 1 month suspension of my lisense ,the clerk of the court was on about custodial sentence , in the event I just received a letter stating a Caution from t/c
From my experience instead of the knee / jerk reaction from 99.9 % , solicitor , judges etc , the t/c considered the evidence before them & came to a sensible conclusion
There is good cameraderie between drivers here, which is nice as well as very helpful for a newbie.
