Just had a look on the Wincanton website. They take on new drivers, including ex forces drivers. They provide training also, to get new drivers ready for the road.
They also state they will accommodate shifts to suit you, where they can.
Is this too good to be true? Seems they are promising the Earth…
Is this all because of the shortage? Is this this all going to be short lived empty promises until the driver shortage improves?
Anyone ?
All the big…
‘Logistics4U’ companies promise a cushy number with good money etc. In reality, the shifts you’ll get are what need to be covered, the kit you’ll drive won’t be factory fresh and the treatment you’ll recieve will not live up the expectations promised. You need to be in these firms a long time and have the nous to get the best jobs from upstairs.
I’ve delivered/collected/driven for all the major players and I sadly they all ■■■■.
It’s all about bums on seats.
Thanks for your reply. How far in advance do they let you what your doing when it comes to days off?
Will that be the same Wincanton whose boss recently wrote this article for the Daily Telegraph?
My reply is the top comment by the way. 
RogerOut:
Thanks for your reply. How far in advance do they let you what your doing when it comes to days off?
It depends, some are quite reasonable. But most expect you to say “how high” when they say “jump”.
If your time off requirements are fixed days off each week long term, driving ain’t for you. Unless you do the bins or local builders stuff.
I drive ad hoc so I can work when I want - but I have another business too so dont need the driving so to speak.
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Truckulent:
RogerOut:
Thanks for your reply. How far in advance do they let you what your doing when it comes to days off?It depends, some are quite reasonable. But most expect you to say “how high” when they say “jump”.
If your time off requirements are fixed days off each week long term, driving ain’t for you. Unless you do the bins or local builders stuff.
I drive ad hoc so I can work when I want - but I have another business too so dont need the driving so to speak.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Well on the buses we work a rota so we know what we’re doing each day, months, even a year in advance. If HGV drivers have families , surely they need to know within reason what days they are working, what days they’re off? No wonder the industry struggles to keep people if they have no idea what they’re doing day to day.
Is it normal in the hgv industry to have a rota?
As for when they say jump, who are you working for a dictatorship? Are you a servant? I’ll do my job and do as my manager/ boss says, providing its legal, but I’m not a skivvy for anyone.
RogerOut:
Truckulent:
RogerOut:
Thanks for your reply. How far in advance do they let you what your doing when it comes to days off?It depends, some are quite reasonable. But most expect you to say “how high” when they say “jump”.
If your time off requirements are fixed days off each week long term, driving ain’t for you. Unless you do the bins or local builders stuff.
I drive ad hoc so I can work when I want - but I have another business too so dont need the driving so to speak.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Well on the buses we work a rota so we know what we’re doing each day, months, even a year in advance. If HGV drivers have families , surely they need to know within reason what days they are working, what days they’re off? No wonder the industry struggles to keep people if they have no idea what they’re doing day to day.
As for when they say jump, who are you working for a dictatorship? Are you a slave?slaves? I’ll do my job and do as my manager/ boss says, providing its legal, but I’m not a skivvy for anyone.
Oh dear. You’ve a lot to learn about HGV work.
It’s nothing like the buses.
I’ve yet to see anywhere than didnt take the ■■■■. Some take the ■■■■ beyond all reason.
You are just a number. They don’t care what you think or that you have a family. As long as you’re happy doing 60 or 70 hours a week you’ll be fine. If you’re expecting 37.5 hrs a week, you’re in for a disappointing experience I’m afraid.
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Well surely it depends who you work for?
For instance, I’ve looked at two companies that are near me, Palletline and Bidfood. Apparently it’s Monday to Friday work, I believe Palletline is something like 7-5 hours.
Are the supermarket drivers on a rota?
I understand of course that things happen on the road, and you can’t always guarantee when you’ll finish.
I’m just fed up of being on bus wages ( 11-12 ph) when the real money seems to be on trucks.
RogerOut:
Well surely it depends who you work for?
For instance, I’ve looked at two companies that are near me, Palletline and Bidfood. Apparently it’s Monday to Friday work, I believe Palletline is something like 7-5 hours.
Are the supermarket drivers on a rota?
I understand of course that things happen on the road, and you can’t always guarantee when you’ll finish.I’m just fed up of being on bus wages ( 11-12 ph) when the real money seems to be on trucks.
I’ll give you the money myself if you do 7.5 hrs per day every day in any HGV job. It simply won’t happen.
Expect 12 hour days with an occasional 10 hour day, and a fair amount of 13-15 hour days.
It sounds to me as if the HGV route is probably not the one for you.
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Truckulent:
RogerOut:
Well surely it depends who you work for?
For instance, I’ve looked at two companies that are near me, Palletline and Bidfood. Apparently it’s Monday to Friday work, I believe Palletline is something like 7-5 hours.
Are the supermarket drivers on a rota?
I understand of course that things happen on the road, and you can’t always guarantee when you’ll finish.I’m just fed up of being on bus wages ( 11-12 ph) when the real money seems to be on trucks.
I’ll give you the money myself if you do 7.5 hrs per day every day in any HGV job. It simply won’t happen.
Expect 12 hour days with an occasional 10 hour day, and a fair amount of 13-15 hour days.
It sounds to me as if the HGV route is probably not the one for you.
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Again doesn’t it depend who you work for? Warburtons apparently start at around 4 am and are done by 1pm, maybe 2pm.
Palletline says their day drivers work from 7-5.
And Bidfood is apparently early starts but done by the afternoon generally.
None of the companies I just mentioned involve nights out, it’s more local distribution, not driving across the country.
Of course it depends what job you’re doing, who you work for.
Yes…it depends who you work for.
The big players usually take on new passes/ex Forces e.t.c as long as they pass the company driving assessment,most are self insured up to a certain degree so as long as you’ve no more then 6 points they’ll entertain you.
If it’s Wincanton at Doncaster it will most certainly be Heineken work out of Tadcaster,if it’s Wakefield it’ll be Morrisons,I make these assumptions your northern based as Warburtons and Bidfood are advertising on Europort and you made reference to them 
Wincanton rent a corner of our yard, maybe 10 artics and about 20 puddle jumpers. I know they are a massive logistics company but they seem like cowboys to me. I’d steer clear.
Wincantion have loads of contracts all over the country. Some are well run others not so good. I have worked for a couple of sites (on agency) and found them pretty good if you don’t mind the usual H&S rubbish.
The site I working at the moment have been taking on new licence holders and they put them with a experienced driver for a month or more to learn the ropes.
As for the length of shifts, it’s how long is a piece of string. With any driving you can be held up in traffic or your load not ready and of course held up at drops. 10-12hrs tend to be the norm which is planned but transport being transport it usually goes ■■■■ up.
If transport is what you want it’s worth giving them a call, there are a lot worse firms out there.
I’ve worked for them since 2015 and been very happy working for them. I firmly believe you’ll never find the answer to your question on here or any other forum. You’ll only figure it out yourself. If the ad looks like it suits you go and find out.
As I say, in my experience working for them, overall they’ve been good to me and I’ve ènjoyed working for them. Obviously other people on here will completely disagree but each to their own. Good luck with your next move.
RogerOut:
Truckulent:
RogerOut:
Well surely it depends who you work for?
For instance, I’ve looked at two companies that are near me, Palletline and Bidfood. Apparently it’s Monday to Friday work, I believe Palletline is something like 7-5 hours.
Are the supermarket drivers on a rota?
I understand of course that things happen on the road, and you can’t always guarantee when you’ll finish.I’m just fed up of being on bus wages ( 11-12 ph) when the real money seems to be on trucks.
I’ll give you the money myself if you do 7.5 hrs per day every day in any HGV job. It simply won’t happen.
Expect 12 hour days with an occasional 10 hour day, and a fair amount of 13-15 hour days.
It sounds to me as if the HGV route is probably not the one for you.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Again doesn’t it depend who you work for? Warburtons apparently start at around 4 am and are done by 1pm, maybe 2pm.
Palletline says their day drivers work from 7-5.
And Bidfood is apparently early starts but done by the afternoon generally.
None of the companies I just mentioned involve nights out, it’s more local distribution, not driving across the country.
Of course it depends what job you’re doing, who you work for.
Who wants to get up at 3am to start work at 4am? WTF! Warburtons you load and unload your own truck. How quick that happens depends if there’s a bay free and an empty trailer available. It’s graft. You’re basically a warehouse worker and HGV driver in one. So 2 jobs for the pay of 1 job. That’s why they’re always advertising, much the same as Aldi.
Palletline, realistically 6 til 6. You get in at 6 and hope the hub trunk decker is already back so you can get it unloaded, scanned in and load its stuff for your run on your truck. You then chase your arse all day trying to get all your deliveries done by dinner time and then chase your arse some more trying to get all your collections, then fight rush hour traffic to get back to the yard, unload, scan in and load on the decker for the hub. Again, it’s graft and the only way you’re doing 7 til 5 if it you drive like a [zb] everywhere, tipping and loading on tacho break.
Bidfood, again it’s hard graft. Stupid o’clock starts and lots of hotels, airports, schools and town centre pubs with nowhere to park/unload, kerbs, cobbles, steep slopes, overloaded cages with broken wheels, double compartment boxes where you need to get a cage of frozen out of the front compartment but you have 20 cages of overloaded chilled to move out of the way to get to it. Then you have all the empty cages to pick up and find somewhere to stow without blocking in all your cages for your next deliveries.
One of our bosses was ex Wincanton and when I complained about some of the runs they said “you should try Wincantons, they plan max hours by default”. That’s 3x 15 and 2x 13 plus possibly a 6th shift every other week. I guess it depends on the contract, but that pretty much sums them up. Everyone gets shafted for the sake of the shareholders which is essentially what all PLC and equity owned companies exist for.
Pallets like Palletline will be pretty rush rush although as I assume most are independents, what they treat you like will depend on the companies. However currently the pallet industry is chaotic with not enough drivers and a massive increase in pallets (25% in one week). I work for one and its absolutely nuts. Supposed 7 to 5 for day shift but most are working 6 to 6 or later and that’s only because they need the pallets to load for the night trunk.
DCPCFML has ot pretty much nailed with regards pallets and food people. Haven’t done Bidvest, but did Creed and even with 2 people it was hard work, stupid start times (esp for London) and generally pretty long days.
I do night trunking pallets so the easier end in theory, but without the 3 hour sleeps at the depot bit. Quite regularly getting 13 to 15 hour days where it used to be closer to 10 average and some days its pretty much non stop (unless VOSA ask of course).
Anyone suggesting they offer fixed day lengths in this industry is lying. Also don’t forget, these “we will train you” schemes usually involve you either taking a lower wage to pay it back or you have to stay X years just like with Stagecoach.
Finally, if you’re on 13 quid for days then I doubt you’ll get much more if any for trucks. I have seen adverts for various companies mostly big ones offering 35K to new starters on days, but then its any 5 from 7 days which might change over time (or at short notice) and it’ll be just within the legal bounds inc “you’re now having 1 day rest instead of 2” with 24 hours notice. Plus I suspect it also includes bonuses for sticking it out for months as say its every 3 months, it’ll take 5 months to pay it.
Honestly, in the lower end of the pay rate especially food and pallets, £13 hour on days is pretty good. Until recently I was getting less than that on nights and days is still below that. Obviously depends on job and location, but I still know plenty paying a lot less than that for days by some margin.
I couldn’t do buses, but you will have more regulated hours realistically. Trucks + family life = pipe dream for many jobs. One reason I still want out despite rumours of another big pay rise. Need an office job so I can deal with the ■■■■■■■■ and infighting…like trucks but don’t get rained on.
Yorkielad:
The big players usually take on new passes/ex Forces e.t.c as long as they pass the company driving assessment,most are self insured up to a certain degree so as long as you’ve no more then 6 points they’ll entertain you.
If it’s Wincanton at Doncaster it will most certainly be Heineken work out of Tadcaster,if it’s Wakefield it’ll be Morrisons,I make these assumptions your northern based as Warburtons and Bidfood are advertising on Europort and you made reference to them
No I’m in the south east
Sonic sounds like class 1 work may be better, the trunking side of things, such as a distribution centre?