Murray P:
Good luck Let us know how you get on I am in the same boat , passed C+E 2 weeks ago and Stobarts are one of the few places that seem willing to give newbies ago. I intended to give them a miss but if they’ll give me a start then I’ll certainly give em a go
Will do. For me, I figured a larger company would have better training and resources to support a newer driver. Plus they have a fairly diverse set of operations and locations if the possibility of bouncing around comes up.
eagerbeaver:
I went there as a class 1 driver with 6 months experience, so still pretty much a newbie.The training in all fairness is thorough and will serve you well. Trucks are decent and the work is clean and easy. Pay is ’ equivalent ’ to over £10 per hour with your tax free meal allowances and it’s an ideal place to learn your trade.
I actually work next door to the training academy so I will keep an eye out for you lot when I’m parking my unit up
(Quick word of warning though, if you leave before 12 months service, they will ’ charge ’ you for the 2 day induction which counts as 2 CPC modules, and they will also charge you for your uniform. Around £300 in total
)
There are ways to avoid this and leave early but it’s my trade secret
Thanks for the tip!
I’ll wave when I get there on Tuesday! 
Beetlejuice:
Maybe wait until you try stobprats before getting excited.Not being funny but they are preasure merchants, especially on new drivers .
Good luck pal .
As a larger company I’m prepared for this. it’ll be interesting to see how much pressure there is and how far they will push!
Tseal:
Just out of curiosity did you apply for any class 2 work when you got your c licence? I passed my Class c a while ago and have had not much luck.
Hi!
I didn’t, as soon as I got my Class-2 I cracked on with my Class-1. I knew that I wanted to work C+E and not C!
Is Stobarts really that bad?
What does your average day look like?
Agentile:
Is Stobarts really that bad?What does your average day look like?
I have no idea as to any of that (I start next week!).
Stobarts are going to be your usual larger entity. Plenty of procedures to follow, H&S and HR stuff.
I’m guessing there’s going to be pressure to be as close to 100% utilisation as you can, as well as scrutiny on
fuel economy and whatnot.
If you’re not used to this sort of environment then you’re bound to have problems. I had to adjust as I progressed in my own career. Hopefully I can apply this experience to my new role.
Good luck , let us know how you get on 
What’s with all these people working in IT and doing a driving job…
…well I also worked in IT for 20 years and took a Consolidation Package (lovely). Love driving and I did my C and then a couple of months later my C+E.
I only want to work part time at most 3 days a week but no one would touch me in my adopted town of Leicester with zero experience.
Fortunately QS Recruitment took the gamble on me and gave me work. I did however have to put up with the “favorites” getting work and the dreggs passed down but I knuckled down and swallowed it. When the time came (or at least me getting fed up of their lies and p1$$ take)
I applied with Royal Mail through Pertemps after 16 months C+E experience and what a difference, my contact at the agency is a gem and the Unions have done a fantastic job and ensured the drivers welfare & safety is paramount. Pay being exactly the same as the Permanent colleagues and to be fair a lovely bunch of drivers to work with. Its a good crack on the money with 8 different pay rates depending on start & finish times you can earn from £16.60 to £19.60 ph being ltd with no difference on what day it is.
Its funny coming from senior management watching from the poor side of the counter and being talked down like a school boy but for me I just want to be told to point and drive. I don’t want to develop or motivate anyone, report any stats/sla’s and manage budgets so win win for me.
In saying this I have found little respect is given to the drivers by people behind the desk especially at customer sites and its a shame as no one is better than another except by good deeds.
So in closing luck plays a lot but have a good attitude and you may unfortunately have to grin and bear or is it bare it for a little while but keep your options open as things will open up for sure.
boltonboy:
What’s with all these people working in IT and doing a driving job……well I also worked in IT for 20 years and took a Consolidation Package (lovely). Love driving and I did my C and then a couple of months later my C+E.
I only want to work part time at most 3 days a week but no one would touch me in my adopted town of Leicester with zero experience.
Fortunately QS Recruitment took the gamble on me and gave me work. I did however have to put up with the “favorites” getting work and the dreggs passed down but I knuckled down and swallowed it. When the time came (or at least me getting fed up of their lies and p1$$ take)
I applied with Royal Mail through Pertemps after 16 months C+E experience and what a difference, my contact at the agency is a gem and the Unions have done a fantastic job and ensured the drivers welfare & safety is paramount. Pay being exactly the same as the Permanent colleagues and to be fair a lovely bunch of drivers to work with. Its a good crack on the money with 8 different pay rates depending on start & finish times you can earn from £16.60 to £19.60 ph being ltd with no difference on what day it is.
Its funny coming from senior management watching from the poor side of the counter and being talked down like a school boy but for me I just want to be told to point and drive. I don’t want to develop or motivate anyone, report any stats/sla’s and manage budgets so win win for me.
In saying this I have found little respect is given to the drivers by people behind the desk especially at customer sites and its a shame as no one is better than another except by good deeds.
So in closing luck plays a lot but have a good attitude and you may unfortunately have to grin and bear or is it bare it for a little while but keep your options open as things will open up for sure.
Grin and Bare It starred Barbara Windsor.
albion:
sammym:
eagerbeaver:
(Quick word of warning though, if you leave before 12 months service, they will ’ charge ’ you for the 2 day induction which counts as 2 CPC modules, and they will also charge you for your uniform. Around £300 in total
There are ways to avoid this and leave early but it’s my trade secret
Never heard anything like it. Charging you for training they insist you do. And charging you for uniform they insist you wear. Just because you have the temerity to want to leave their employment.
I’d be parking up and having a long sleep all day. And the next day. And I’d be explaining to the transport I would drive when I’m ready and do the job in my own sweet time. I’m sure they would soon ask me to come back to the depot and explain my services were no longer required.
Actually paying for training is pretty standard, we have a clause in our contract to pay back the cost of training - it’s a percentage of the course based on how long you have stayed. And technically, there is a replacement uniform cost as well.
In reality we have never imposed either, but say someone came to us and we put him through his ADR which we do almost immediately they start, they take the course and then say they are leaving with an ADR that I have paid for. Then yes in that scenario I would look to retrieve the cost.
What training? I thought we were talking about a company induction… Calling is a CPC day doesn’t change that it’s a company induction. Same goes for uniform… forcing people to wear it and then charging them money because it’s used when you give it back is a liberty.
I don’t run or own a transport company. But if I was faced with a driver who didn’t want to do the job vs losing £500 I’d lose the money. A driver with the wrong attitude can upset a lot of people, lose you a lot of business and cause a lot of damage if they decide they don’t care. **
** If haulage companies and agencies bothered to use references this might not be the case. I’m sure some companies do check references. Agencies… well they ask me to write a name, address and telephone number down. But my fiance has yet to be called to asked what I’m like.
sammym:
albion:
Actually paying for training is pretty standard, we have a clause in our contract to pay back the cost of training - it’s a percentage of the course based on how long you have stayed. And technically, there is a replacement uniform cost as well.In reality we have never imposed either, but say someone came to us and we put him through his ADR which we do almost immediately they start, they take the course and then say they are leaving with an ADR that I have paid for. Then yes in that scenario I would look to retrieve the cost.
What training? I thought we were talking about a company induction… Calling is a CPC day doesn’t change that it’s a company induction. Same goes for uniform… forcing people to wear it and then charging them money because it’s used when you give it back is a liberty.
I don’t run or own a transport company. But if I was faced with a driver who didn’t want to do the job vs losing £500 I’d lose the money. A driver with the wrong attitude can upset a lot of people, lose you a lot of business and cause a lot of damage if they decide they don’t care. **
** If haulage companies and agencies bothered to use references this might not be the case. I’m sure some companies do check references. Agencies… well they ask me to write a name, address and telephone number down. But my fiance has yet to be called to asked what I’m like.
You were the one that said training. I picked up and moved on with it.
Faced with a driver that didn’t want to do the job, he’d be told to go and given a week’s notice in lieu, from which I could legally deduct a percentage of training costs, though we never have as I’m generally horizontal about such things. So it’s not an either or necessarily…
As for references, they are pretty pointless. Most say the dates someone worked and that’s it. I have the Defence Vetting Agency do mine, so I’m covered on that one. Along with every single person in our place has come on recommendation, and people don’t recommend a bad job. 