Havent been here for a while.Booked for 9.02 arrive in gate at 8.50."too early drive come back at 9.00.Return at 9.00 queue of 3 in gate at 9.10.All bays for tipping are taken now at 8.50 they were empty what the zb!!!
Never mind only seven drops to go next one booked for 8.30
Oh next drop same place for 2pallets booked 10.30 "you’ll have to come back at 10.30. [zb]s!!!
9.02 
Yes 9.02 about 5 all booked for the same time
You’ll discover that RDC’s use a different time system to the rest of the population.
Little update got back 10.25 on bay 10.40 then load rejected packaging wet.Just another day in paradise eh!!!
I hate RDC work with a passion . The little Hitler at that Aldi used to send me away even if I was 10 mins early 
I used to drive back to the A5 roundabout and back to the gate , then He’d let me in . A funny little game for him to play suppose but I never took the bait , just smiled politley . He never did get me to bite back and he hated the fact 
Mind you I was a lot younger then , these days I may be tempted to play him at his own game 
Glad I’m on tankers , not had any bother with gatehouse jocks or rude office tarts for 7 years …bliss
We do a few Aldi RDC’s in Belgium,and a couple in France and none of our driver’s,or myself,have had these sort of problems.
Alright,if we arrive 3 or 4 hours early then we may have to wait,but generally speaking we turn up when we can and they get us on the bay asap.
In fact it’s not the waiting to get on the bay that’s the problem,it’s actually finding space to unload the pallets,we can find ourselves waiting 20-30 mins. for them to clear a couple of rows before we can start.
There’s a couple of the big French supermarket RDC’s we go to regularly,and one of them uses Norbert Dressingtable,now they are an unorganised shower of ■■■■■■
shade:
these days I may be tempted to play him at his own game
I have only done a few (maybe 4 or so) deliveries to RDC’s but on the very first one I was messed about just like to OP, I think that if you arrive 10 mins early and get told to come back just say okay mate then switch off the engine - “oh bugger it’s stopped” give the man a nice smile and say “it’s been playing up all morning” while fiddling with the key to try and get it to start, then jump out (Sorry H&S, climb down the steps) and look under the wheel arch or behind the cab at all those nasty wires before climbing back in and trying again, that should take 10 minutes at least 
These tw*ts have nothing else to do, it’s all a game. 
Sometimes you suffer the flack caused by the idiots in front of you that give the minimum wage, bored-out-of-his-brain gateman grief. He is only doing what he is told - most are given strict instructions with no discretion. It’s not their fault - it’s their management.
Try sitting in a gatehouse for a while and listen to the bull that drivers come out with - “I’m running out of hours” is a favourite, followed by “They want this stuff urgently” and “They told me I didn’t need a booking reference/appointment”.
we was queuing on the road the other till the old bill turned up and told him to get a move on. soon got down the queue 
. there and darlington seem to be the worse ones , hes a mans appendage on the gate there as well
jonboy
Sorry, i’d just refuse to go there if they are that stupid & petty. I can put up with a lot of guff and I do mean a lot but that type of thing just wouldn’t fly.
I have never had a problem with Lidl or Aldi, and cannot remember any booking times, just between 6 and 12 or something. If they are expecting the stuff, you will get on a bay soon enough, if not they refuse it fairly sharpish so you never wait long.
The worst places I have been are Office Depot and M&S for fannying us about
The Aldi RDC at Atherstone is probably one of the first ones they had in the UK, long before Aldi became so popular. To that end it is cramped for space inside and out. Especially if everyone tries to reverse on to the bays all at once and all the lines are full inside from other deliveries.
The gatestaff have to be strict about booking times (which I’m sure some of them enjoy) and sometimes they have to check if you can enter even if you are dead on time.
I’m surprised the OP thought it was worth a mention. I’ve been tipping at Aldi RDCs for fifteen years and they have always been the same, with Atherstone well known for being the strictest of the lot.
W
It’s a sad fact that mainland Europe RDC’s are much better organised,with parking area’s (including overnight) coffee machines and toilet/shower facilities.
Sometimes we arrive the night before and it’s no problem to park,a lot safer too.
Even unloading myself isn’t a problem because over the years I’ve driven all sorts of forklift trucks,pedestrian trucks and reach trucks,but I do wonder if,or when I have an accident,whose insurance company is going to be liable?
I remember a few years ago unloading a full trailer of wine I’d brought up from the south of France at an Aldi RDC somewhere near Manchester (possibly Heywood?) and the Hungarian driver who was unloading a couple of doors down spilt a load of wine on the floor,simply because he had no idea how to use an electric pedestian truck.The warehouse staff unloaded the rest for him,but I wonder who was liable for the damaged pallet,Aldi I suppose,seeing as the goods were already on their property.
KW:
It’s a sad fact that mainland Europe RDC’s are much better organised,with parking area’s (including overnight) coffee machines and toilet/shower facilities.
Sometimes we arrive the night before and it’s no problem to park,a lot safer too.Even unloading myself isn’t a problem because over the years I’ve driven all sorts of forklift trucks,pedestrian trucks and reach trucks,but I do wonder if,or when I have an accident,whose insurance company is going to be liable?
I remember a few years ago unloading a full trailer of wine I’d brought up from the south of France at an Aldi RDC somewhere near Manchester (possibly Heywood?) and the Hungarian driver who was unloading a couple of doors down spilt a load of wine on the floor,simply because he had no idea how to use an electric pedestian truck.The warehouse staff unloaded the rest for him,but I wonder who was liable for the damaged pallet,Aldi I suppose,seeing as the goods were already on their property.
Considering the Hungarian driver comes from Europe don’t you think he might of been to a few RDCs over there too? Possibly even seen the odd electric pallet truck before?
I’ve been to the big Netto RDC near Copenhagen and others in DK (where you had to be on time) and the drivers were nearly fighting over the ramps, I don’t remember drivers drinking brews or going for a shower either.
I loved working in Europe but I just don’t get this European trucking Utopia that drivers talk about. I think the job is what you make it wherever you are.
Most of the ‘Big time European work’ type Brits I ever worked with abroad spent most of thier time angling for UK runs anyhow…
W
AlexWignall:
KW:
It’s a sad fact that mainland Europe RDC’s are much better organised,with parking area’s (including overnight) coffee machines and toilet/shower facilities.
Sometimes we arrive the night before and it’s no problem to park,a lot safer too.Even unloading myself isn’t a problem because over the years I’ve driven all sorts of forklift trucks,pedestrian trucks and reach trucks,but I do wonder if,or when I have an accident,whose insurance company is going to be liable?
I remember a few years ago unloading a full trailer of wine I’d brought up from the south of France at an Aldi RDC somewhere near Manchester (possibly Heywood?) and the Hungarian driver who was unloading a couple of doors down spilt a load of wine on the floor,simply because he had no idea how to use an electric pedestian truck.The warehouse staff unloaded the rest for him,but I wonder who was liable for the damaged pallet,Aldi I suppose,seeing as the goods were already on their property.Considering the Hungarian driver comes from Europe don’t you think he might of been to a few RDCs over there too? Possibly even seen the odd electric pallet truck before?
Well,this one obviously hadn’t,he hadn’t got a clue how to use itI’ve been to the big Netto RDC near Copenhagen and others in DK (where you had to be on time) and the drivers were nearly fighting over the ramps, I don’t remember drivers drinking brews or going for a shower either.
Virtually every RDC we go to in France has shower facilities and I’ve always had time to make use of themI loved working in Europe but I just don’t get this European trucking Utopia that drivers talk about. I think the job is what you make it wherever you are.
Not a Utopia at all,there’s still the same traffic congestion and parking problems as there are in the UK,it’s just that truck driver’s usually get treated with a bit more respectMost of the ‘Big time European work’ type Brits I ever worked with abroad spent most of thier time angling for UK runs anyhow…
Not me,I haven’t been to the UK with a truck for over five years now,and I don’t want to either.W
Fair enough KW,
This week I picked up a load ex West Wales for Inverness then reloaded Montrose for home.
Easily as enjoyable, including severe snow (that was being efficiently cleared on the return leg) as many of the trips I have done over the Blanc or in Scandinavia.
My point still stands that you get treated like the way you behave to others and the job is only as good as you make it.
W
