After months of phoning haulage companies and being told “we want 2 years experience”, iv been offered a shunters position. Iv taken the job and start monday, night shift, 6pm-6am. Im happy to get my foot in the door of a reputable company but jesus, you fork out £3000 & pass your test then get told you cant get work due to no experience!!! One of my biggest worries was reversing into some of the tiny distribution centres, but with a shunting job ill be able to crack that with my eyes closed. Just wanted to know how many members have came up against this issue and how long it took for a company to take you on with no experience?
You lucky zb lol shunting is the best experiance you will ever need i was on the road for White arrow express for 2 years then went on inhouse course for tugs and never looked back best job going loved it all those tight bays and blind side onto bays gives you much needed experiance good luck to you mate.
ps not all shunters are zbs 
Hodgy67:
ps not all shunters are zbs
Are you saying this though because you are one 
my dad is a shunter for stobarts(started before innova@te operated from the yard, and before stobart bought them over)
he has never looked back, years on the road every load he done was handballing, not knowing when he will be home. now he is in a yard that he can walk to and from his house. he is home at 6.05pm everynight. also he is on hourly rate where-as the other drivers from his yard are salaried.
plenty of overtime, that he can pick and choose what loads. he really has landed on his feet. i heard him say the other day he wont work anywhere else but there now, if something happens and he is out a job he will just retire.
b 
st of luck in your new job!
I watch the shunters in Tuffnells yards and my word is it interesting to watch them move those drags about. Some of what you learn in the yard is a real art form. Last time I tried reversing my drag it went off some where over there and another lorry came round the corner so I carried on with my shift.
Good luck dude.
Your gonna get loads of experience reversing I did a little shunting and my confidence greatly improved on the reversing even by the end of the first night enjoy
Jennie x
Ive been shunting now for nearly four years,Today was the first day iv’e been out on the road for 14 months,
And tell you what,i’m glad i’m shunting,I only went to ruislip and back,one drop,5 pallets,
But the bordem of sat at 52mph,worrying about whether i can get somewhere before the tacho says break,and the trucks weve got are real basic spec scania 360’s,10plates,the cabs feel as they have no suspension,feels like a real bone shacker,i feel knackered,
Think i’ll stick with my tug thankyou,
Tonyb
I was a nightshift shunter for 2 years then got put through my tests by my company, shunters make the best drivers buddy 
You’ll be able to reverse blind-sided through the eye of a needle.
Btw i didnt have a fancy terberg it was an old clapped out scania with exhaust fumes coming through the gear stick.