After driving rigids for a few years I finally plucked up the courage to do my class 1 and just got my pass today
However I wondering what type of work in best suited towards new pass drivers. After doing 3 years on pallet network on class 2, Im pretty put off from the idea of driving general haulage in an artic.
I’m wondering if trying to get on containers or the walking floors would be a better way to go, but I’m not sure how beginner friendly these options are.
Or would I be better off getting a night trunking gig to slowly build up my reversing skills in HGV friendly depots.
Any advice on which direction to take my search would be much appreciated, thanks
For me it’s, RDC fridge work all day long, can’t get any easier, make sure you have a decent book and plenty of movies downloaded on your iPad, lots of hanging around ! So much easier than general haulage on a curtain sider, having to constantly strap down loads, faff about opening the curtains in the freezing cold and pouring rain !
mr bluecity:
For me it’s, RDC fridge work all day long, can’t get any easier, make sure you have a decent book and plenty of movies downloaded on your iPad, lots of hanging around ! So much easier than general haulage on a curtain sider, having to constantly strap down loads, faff about opening the curtains in the freezing cold and pouring rain !
Fridge work is my favourite also! Although at the moment I found the perfect work for me- Fridge work and Aldi+ Lidl exclusively, so yeah, it’s self-tip, but I hate being stuck on a ramp for hours, so this is the best for me. [emoji16]
On the topic: OP you have to take what you can get for now. I needed around 3-6 months to be able to reverse everywhere [emoji16]
mr bluecity:
For me it’s, RDC fridge work all day long, can’t get any easier, make sure you have a decent book and plenty of movies downloaded on your iPad, lots of hanging around ! So much easier than general haulage on a curtain sider, having to constantly strap down loads, faff about opening the curtains in the freezing cold and pouring rain !
Fridge work is my favourite also! Although at the moment I found the perfect work for me- Fridge work and Aldi+ Lidl exclusively, so yeah, it’s self-tip, but I hate being stuck on a ramp for hours, so this is the best for me. [emoji16]
On the topic: OP you have to take what you can get for now. I needed around 3-6 months to be able to reverse everywhere [emoji16]
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Do you tend to use motorised pallet-trucks these days on fridges,or still those ancient ‘bullworker’ type manual affairs?..wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the latter.I used more electric variables in the remotest fruit packing plants of Europe and that was circa late 90’s.I took one particular cargo of apples once to Sheerness and the ludicrous pallet mover they issued,an especially abused specimen of its kind,nearly gave me a hernia l recall.Apples fully stacked ain’t easy movers.Bet nothings changed.
Goes with team ‘fridge heroes’. Solid walls that never let anything fall out, easy access with doors at the back and 8 times out of 10, it’s tipped and loaded for you.
I can’t be arsed to put ten ratchets on two empty pallets in a curtainsider and I don’t miss buttoning up in a howling gale.
manalishi:
Do you tend to use motorised pallet-trucks these days on fridges,or still those ancient ‘bullworker’ type manual affairs?..wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the latter.I used more electric variables in the remotest fruit packing plants of Europe and that was circa late 90’s.I took one particular cargo of apples once to Sheerness and the ludicrous pallet mover they issued,an especially abused specimen of its kind,nearly gave me a hernia l recall.Apples fully stacked ain’t easy movers.Bet nothings changed.
Every Aldi…
Chill store I delivered to, had electric trucks. A full chute of Euroboards would take me about 35 minutes to walk off. As others have said, there’s no hanging about for ages waiting to get tipped (except at Christmas) and we’re out of there immediately because we have a drop and drive agreement. At Goldthorpe, we used the stand on trucks lifting two boards at a time. It sounds great but my knees were frozen by the time I’d tipped.
We do one delivery by pump truck but the usual trick of jacking the unit and lowering the trailer makes it alot easier.
I did do a load of dog food to Asda Washington in a 45 foot container. It was a back load for an onwer driver I was working for at the time. The pump truck they gave me was â– â– â– â– â– â– and I struggled every single pallet off. Yeh, that one hurt.
manalishi:
Do you tend to use motorised pallet-trucks these days on fridges,or still those ancient ‘bullworker’ type manual affairs?..wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the latter.I used more electric variables in the remotest fruit packing plants of Europe and that was circa late 90’s.I took one particular cargo of apples once to Sheerness and the ludicrous pallet mover they issued,an especially abused specimen of its kind,nearly gave me a hernia l recall.Apples fully stacked ain’t easy movers.Bet nothings changed.
Every Aldi…
Chill store I delivered to, had electric trucks. A full chute of Euroboards would take me about 35 minutes to walk off. As others have said, there’s no hanging about for ages waiting to get tipped (except at Christmas) and we’re out of their immediately because we have a drop and drive agreement. At Goldthorpe, we used the stand on trucks lifting two boards at a time. It sounds great but my knees were frozen by the time I’d tipped.
We do one delivery by pump truck but the usual trick of jacking the unit and lowering the trailer makes it alot easier.
I did do a load of dog food to Asda Washington in a 45 foot container. It was a back load for an onwer driver I was working for at the time. The pump truck they gave me was [zb] and I struggled every single pallet off. Yeh, that one hurt.
Chastening.I think its safe to conclude the museum piece pt’s are still the dominant theme in most cases.Pretty bleak scenario.Maybe i’ll stick with box jockeying if returning to the game at some point what with my ongoing raspberry rippledom shennanigans.
manalishi:
Chastening.I think its safe to conclude the museum piece pt’s are still the dominant theme in most cases.Pretty bleak scenario.Maybe i’ll stick with box jockeying if returning to the game at some point what with my ongoing raspberry rippledom shennanigans.
Fridges across…
Europe was easier. You’d spend days just driving and playing CD after CD.
When I was a box jockey, the downsides to me were always being on the same roads A34/A14 and the drop in my heart when I saw the queue at some empties park stretching right around the block.
Hard to say, is there the ‘perfect’ driving job?
It’s a lot of years since I’ve done fridges but all I remember is loading them myself , goats milk , cakes , sandwiches etc , same as I’d often have to tip it if they loaded me , you’d also get plenty of ambient loads you’d have to tip ( 26 palls ) whilst the taut just had to pull his curtains & flt did the rest , Morrison’s Wakefield was a regular
Then don’t get me started on having to go in the warehouse at Morrison’s / Lidl etc stripping down the palls , not good when every pall has 10 different types of yogurt on them , though most would let you go after you’d done a % of palls ,
As I say it may of all changed but I’d pick a taut every day over a fridge , but in my limited experience of boxes I’d go for them as easiest
There ain’t any one size fits all ‘‘best jobs’’, one mans meat and all that etc etc
Also the easiest job ain’t necessarily the best, nothing would bore the arse off me more than doing the same trunk every day and/or continuous rdc work.
But on the other hand driving down back unclassified roads built for horse and carts in an unfamiliar area in a 44 tonner as I do and enjoy, would fill many with dread, so it’s horses for courses mate, find something that YOU think is the best, not what a group of strangers on a forum will tell you is the best…
Good luck with it anyhow.
manalishi:
Chastening.I think its safe to conclude the museum piece pt’s are still the dominant theme in most cases.Pretty bleak scenario.Maybe i’ll stick with box jockeying if returning to the game at some point what with my ongoing raspberry rippledom shennanigans.
Fridges across…
Europe was easier. You’d spend days just driving and playing CD after CD.
When I was a box jockey, the downsides to me were always being on the same roads A34/A14 and the drop in my heart when I saw the queue at some empties park stretching right around the block.
Hard to say, is there the ‘perfect’ driving job?
I genuinely enjoyed box work 10 or so years ago,lots of Scotch trips,challenging needle in haystack delivery scenarios giving certain satisfactions,testing the mettle type of thing but then they raised the bridge heights to allow the high-cubes onto the railways,so goodbye far north work,hello the tedious-London/Nhants/m-keynes triangle of tedium,with the inevitable RDC dystopia thrown in.
Not too appealing any longer with the rest of the micromanagement factor mixed into the blend and showing little signs of disappearing. Looking into alternatives in a big way,everything from trainee-cremator (didn’t get it lol) to assistant falconer…not holding my breath.I like the idea of random tramping work but that’s the domain of agency land, who don’t seem geared up for these arrangements sadly.Euro work on fridges can be ridiculously demanding but i’d still take it over UK anytime.Touch of the rose-tinteds going on here but you do get some serious memories to treasure from those extremes of work l reck.
robroy:
There ain’t any one size fits all ‘‘best jobs’’, one mans meat and all that etc etc
Also the easiest job ain’t necessarily the best, nothing would bore the arse off me more than doing the same trunk every day and/or continuous rdc work.
But on the other hand driving down back unclassified roads built for horse and carts in an unfamiliar area in a 44 tonner as I do and enjoy, would fill many with dread, so it’s horses for courses mate, find something that YOU think is the best, not what a group of strangers on a forum will tell you is the best…
Good luck with it anyhow.
True enough, but what you and I like: the variety and driving off main routes, may be better for more experienced drivers?
A new pass might be better getting a few hours under their belt on the main roads, and RDC depots, before doing lanes and farmyards?
I’m a new pass class 1 driver and have the possibility of some Wilko work on weekends via an agency. I’m told it’ll be 1-3 store deliveries per shift.
Can anyone offer any advice on how suitable this sort of work is for a new pass? I’m sure they’ll not send me anywhere too tricky if I tell them I’ve only ever reversed in my training…?
Goff118:
I’m a new pass class 1 driver and have the possibility of some Wilko work on weekends via an agency. I’m told it’ll be 1-3 store deliveries per shift.
Can anyone offer any advice on how suitable this sort of work is for a new pass? I’m sure they’ll not send me anywhere too tricky if I tell them I’ve only ever reversed in my training…?
You’ll never learn anything if you spend your time avoiding doing anything you’ve not done before. You’ll never learn to reverse in the difficult places if you don’t try any. The ability to do something is gained by actually doing it.
You’re in the same place as a new pass as anyone else doing something they’ve never done before for the first time. I’ve been driving over quarter of a century and if I was to get put on something I’d never done before other than the bit that’s driving from A to B I’d be a bit apprehensive too at point A and point B.
Goff118:
I’m a new pass class 1 driver and have the possibility of some Wilko work on weekends via an agency. I’m told it’ll be 1-3 store deliveries per shift.
Can anyone offer any advice on how suitable this sort of work is for a new pass? I’m sure they’ll not send me anywhere too tricky if I tell them I’ve only ever reversed in my training…?
You’ll never learn anything if you spend your time avoiding doing anything you’ve not done before. You’ll never learn to reverse in the difficult places if you don’t try any. The ability to do something is gained by actually doing it.
You’re in the same place as a new pass as anyone else doing something they’ve never done before for the first time. I’ve been driving over quarter of a century and if I was to get put on something I’d never done before other than the bit that’s driving from A to B I’d be a bit apprehensive too at point A and point B.
mr bluecity:
For me it’s, RDC fridge work all day long, can’t get any easier, make sure you have a decent book and plenty of movies downloaded on your iPad, lots of hanging around ! So much easier than general haulage on a curtain sider, having to constantly strap down loads, faff about opening the curtains in the freezing cold and pouring rain !
Fridge work is my favourite also! Although at the moment I found the perfect work for me- Fridge work and Aldi+ Lidl exclusively, so yeah, it’s self-tip, but I hate being stuck on a ramp for hours, so this is the best for me. [emoji16]
On the topic: OP you have to take what you can get for now. I needed around 3-6 months to be able to reverse everywhere [emoji16]
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Do you tend to use motorised pallet-trucks these days on fridges,or still those ancient ‘bullworker’ type manual affairs?..wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the latter.I used more electric variables in the remotest fruit packing plants of Europe and that was circa late 90’s.I took one particular cargo of apples once to Sheerness and the ludicrous pallet mover they issued,an especially abused specimen of its kind,nearly gave me a hernia l recall.Apples fully stacked ain’t easy movers.Bet nothings changed.
We get the electric ones. But we’re not carrying it, the rdc provides them. At another company I worked for before eat every drop I was provided with a normal pallet truck, so it depends on the company really
Goff118:
Can anyone offer any advice on how suitable this sort of work is for a new pass?
Best advice…
I’ll offer is make sure you have a really sturdy pair of gloves. If Wilko’s is cages, you’re gonna get your fingers trapped between 'em sooner or later.
manalishi:
Do you tend to use motorised pallet-trucks these days on fridges,or still those ancient ‘bullworker’ type manual affairs?..wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s the latter.I used more electric variables in the remotest fruit packing plants of Europe and that was circa late 90’s.I took one particular cargo of apples once to Sheerness and the ludicrous pallet mover they issued,an especially abused specimen of its kind,nearly gave me a hernia l recall.Apples fully stacked ain’t easy movers.Bet nothings changed.
Every Aldi…
Chill store I delivered to, had electric trucks. A full chute of Euroboards would take me about 35 minutes to walk off. As others have said, there’s no hanging about for ages waiting to get tipped (except at Christmas) and we’re out of there immediately because we have a drop and drive agreement. At Goldthorpe, we used the stand on trucks lifting two boards at a time. It sounds great but my knees were frozen by the time I’d tipped.
We do one delivery by pump truck but the usual trick of jacking the unit and lowering the trailer makes it alot easier.
I did do a load of dog food to Asda Washington in a 45 foot container. It was a back load for an onwer driver I was working for at the time. The pump truck they gave me was [zb] and I struggled every single pallet off. Yeh, that one hurt.
edit typo
I think we both work for the same company [emoji16]
