Well after discovering that agencies are a waste of time I am now looking for a full time class 1 job. I very much like the idea of trunking or a similar role where you know exactly where you will be going. Does anyone know of the best firms for this sort of work in the Stockport area or even slightly further afield.
Many thanks for any replies.
Any parcel firm.
Hermes in Warrington?
Trafford Park pretty much “anything”?
I have worked for Hermes out of Bradford and they are straight forward trunking but you may be asked to do a bit of shunting at some of their depots as they don’t have enough to employ full time shunters. They give you a route map with an alternative on, phone numbers, good kit an trailers etc. You know what you are doing and pay is about £11 an hour maybe £12 for nights. You can expect to get 12-15 hours a shift and full weeks up until Xmas then they will lay you off for a few months.
TNT are good straight forward trailer swaps and Box trailers, again depot to depot and good work money etc.
My favourite is containers, all you do is the twist locks 
unless you are unfortunate to have to deliver retail in them and open them up an that is not nice work, doors stick like hell with the salt!! need a hammer to open them! What you want is ports, rail yards etc. Cranes do all the work
hope that helps
Baldy91:
agencies are a waste of time
+1
Thanks a lot for the replies. Yeah signed on with an agency in Manchester went down filled out all the relevant paperwork had a kind of interview with a very nice polite girl, and all I’ve been offered is the complete opposite of what I wanted and that they said yes no problem too. Usual story really sick to death of multidrop and pallet network, so fancy giving something reasonably steady a try. Once again thanks for the great replies : )
Paul J:
Hermes in Warrington?
Wouldn’t recommend this shower!!
Try applying for Wisemans at Trafford Park. Respectable money on nights… same places, dead easy, regular start & finish times, 9 hour shifts.
I think the trunkers have been roped into a few self tip RDC drops now though, James Hall Spar & Lidl.
Contact Industrial are one of the agencies that deal with container work - they’re in conbase at Trafford Park.
For Freightliner, Pertemps in Manchester (Cheetham Hill Road? I think)
Freightliner is the best paying in the container biz, and they recruit fulltime now and then, but always from staff they’ve got on agency.
Marmite are usually recruiting at Trafford Park.
Allied - DBR agency - are after Class 1 drivers, but the trunks aren’t really trunks as a rule, it’s normally deliveries.
If you’re ok with nights, ANY of the airline companies will snap you up for ‘trunk’ work, down to Heathrow, long nights, not great money either - Circle, UCH etc.
Containers is probably the easiest job in haulage, you will go to different places, you will go to tight places, but just remember, once you’re there, that’s pretty much your job done.
rob22888:
Try applying for Wisemans at Trafford Park. Respectable money on nights… same places, dead easy, regular start & finish times, 9 hour shifts.I think the trunkers have been roped into a few self tip RDC drops now though, James Hall Spar & Lidl.
Is James hall/spar now a self tip?
Baldy91:
Usual story really sick to death of multidrop and pallet network, so fancy giving something reasonably steady a try. Once again thanks for the great replies : )
A lot of pallet networks have night trunk drivers between them and the hub. Some do one trip a night, some two, depending on the distances. Easy, boring work.
I lived in Stockport 10 years ago, and had a nice little number at a small-ish firm called David Bratts. I still see their motors so they’re still going. I got in there every night on the agency, and I asked them for a job, so they took me on.
The job was night trunking, and I’d go from Stockport to Tesco Middlewich solo, then pick up a trailer for a north east store such as Scarborough, Hartlepool, York, and Richmond etc. Then run back to Stockport. If I recall correctly they were roughly 10 hour shifts
If I wasn’t on that, then I’d be on TNT, over to Bredbury, run down to Kingsbury, I thin. Swap trailers, then up to Bradford, back to Bredbury, back to Stopckport. Job’s a good 'un.
It would’ve all changed by now, but they might have work, so give them a call. I always found them to be ok, had decent motors, and never messed my money up.
KarlM:
rob22888:
Try applying for Wisemans at Trafford Park. Respectable money on nights… same places, dead easy, regular start & finish times, 9 hour shifts.I think the trunkers have been roped into a few self tip RDC drops now though, James Hall Spar & Lidl.
Is James hall/spar now a self tip?
Only for the Wiseman lads taking milk in at night. I think it was an “Award us your milk contract & our drivers will be warehouse workers too” sort of arrangement.
Culina?
Baldy91:
Thanks a lot for the replies. Yeah signed on with an agency in Manchester went down filled out all the relevant paperwork had a kind of interview with a very nice polite girl, and all I’ve been offered is the complete opposite of what I wanted and that they said yes no problem too. Usual story really sick to death of multidrop and pallet network, so fancy giving something reasonably steady a try. Once again thanks for the great replies : )
I had the same. Talked to by nice and pretty girls. Get a call from the agency: Bloke. 
But in all seriousness I’ve done alright. Couple of 7.5t jobs, but after the first one I did work on an 18t. Involves sitting about and some long days, but the pay is better than someone my age/experience could get in any industry (except plumbing, dropped my jaw talking to a plumber). Couple more 7.5t jobs after, but they put up with my ■■■■ (whoops not available Monday, ■■■■■■ my ankle up again), and I work pretty solidly at the 18t job. Almost as if I’m employed there (until 12 weeks :L).
But yeah agencies can ■■■■ you about sometimes.
alder:
good straight forward trailer swaps Box trailers depot to depot .
^ This is the key at least if it’s decent distances between depots.As opposed to hub system type jobs which are usually more sitting and waiting and/or possibly also helping to tip and load than driving.The problem being that most people will also be looking for the former.
As for agencies promising decent work to get people in the door ,when they are,in reality,basically all about supplying drivers for the jobs no one else wants to do.That’s nothing new.
Get a job at your local swimming pool !!..
you can walk about in yer Trunks all day long !!
Thanks I think I’ll have a drive over to wisemans soon.