Heya folks been a while! Been busy doing all this cpc rubbish but passed mod 2 & 4 now at last! Done the mod 4 test in ten mins as it was raining!
Finally managed to get an interview and assement drive at Brakes, has anyone worked for them before or can tell me what I’m in for on the drive?
Many thanks!
hgvhgv:
Heya folks been a while!
what`s been a while
I’ve not worked for Brakes or 3663, but the food service industry is quite physical work mate.
Expect pallets and cages being dragged over kerbs and broken paving slabs and busted knuckles from scraping them on tight pub stairwells and food establishment staff asking you to move and store the food. In fact you may as well cook it and serve it too.
Money is average, but you will get fit and you will get more free cups of tea and bacon sarnies than you can handle in one day. Plus you will get lots of HGV experience in parking in tight spots and town centre work compared to RDC work.
Hard work, but you feel like you have done an honest days work at the end of it.
PS, just dont try taking a 15 minute break at the pumps. That is all.
Everything Squiddy said, however if you do nights pretty easy work and reasonably short shifts, you only trunk stuff between depots and miss all the multi drop malarkey of the day boys. I go into Brakes Grantham to fill in gaps, find it very hard to get more than 8-10 hours out of it.
Trucks are normally grufty but pretty well maintained, manual Merc Axor 430’s ,gutless slap stick 4 over 4’s, limited to 52 (unless you find one of the rare 56 mph ones they have left), there is a very few newer auto’s at Grantham as well.
Staff are generally very pleasant, tips quick and no sitting around normally, occasionally you might be waiting to get loaded to actually get out on your run for a couple of hours max, no chasing phone calls.
Don’t assume you will always be in a class one btw, day work is not for me at Brakes having done a couple of shifts 
I worked for DBC on night trunk until they went under last month, since then been working for Brakes on their multi drop!! Been at it for 3 weeks and if your not used to dragging barrows of stock around the streets and up & down stairs then you’ll soon find out how hard it can be, also you have to pick the stock from the back of the truck, like going shopping! Wages are a basic then different bonuses that even the older drivers don’t understand how they are worked out. For me it’ll be back on the artics in next few weeks. As other poster mentioned you’ll get fit doing it. You’ll either love it or hate it, I know what I think… 
Brakes is similar to 3663 except the number off drops on a daily basis…i know they can do upward of 40/day but unlike 3663, most of the goods in the back have to be barrowed in, against ‘some’ of 3663 being straight cages. It is hard graft and i have seen some Brakes drivers running throughout the day. Just looked at the Brakes website and it still looks like their after drivers at the new Reading site… Do you want the money or an easy life/how desperate are you for work? The money is (slightly) more than the day drivers at my place (class 1). Unsure what contracts will be done out of Reading but it’s a big gaff!
brakesgroup.com/careers/curr … op-drivers
Thanks for the replies. Not going for the reading branch but one a bit closer to home. I dont mind the hard work or whatever hrs they throw at me as I m desperate for some class 2 experince and a decent wage!
I work for Brakes on a part time basis trunking from a satellite depot in my town - good easy work and well paid.
I work for them and yes it is hard work, I do 5 drops all pubs and do last one at 12.30pm.
Has the others explained in the the thread, most of its true, except the bacon sarines lol. Depends which depot you are going to, our stuff is already picked in cages, you will get fit and no need for a gym, if you get offered the job the 2 day induction is a pain lol on a computer all day then ■■■■ loads of paperwork to do. The money is very good we’re Iam at you get paid annualised hours, and expect to work bank holidays not all depots do but we do, because we do all the harvesters and Toby carvery pubs. Some places you will get an hand at unloading to customers, and other drops you wheel cages of wagon to customer then handball it all in yourself.
Good luck mate hope you get job and lke it. 
commonrail:
hgvhgv:
Heya folks been a while!
I am not the only one then
Actrosman:
Brakes is similar to 3663 except the number off drops on a daily basis…i know they can do upward of 40/day but unlike 3663, most of the goods in the back have to be barrowed in, against ‘some’ of 3663 being straight cages. It is hard graft and i have seen some Brakes drivers running throughout the day. Just looked at the Brakes website and it still looks like their after drivers at the new Reading site… Do you want the money or an easy life/how desperate are you for work? The money is (slightly) more than the day drivers at my place (class 1). Unsure what contracts will be done out of Reading but it’s a big gaff!
brakesgroup.com/careers/curr … op-drivers
is there a website for Brakes near Peterborough?
Thanks for the responses folks very helpfull. I am going there tomorrow morning for a drive and a chat, and if |I get offered it I’m going to bite their arms off lol. Considering just how hard it is to get a start these days I would be mad not to! Not scared at all about hard work and dragging cages round all day, handballing, parking 20 miles down the road on the high street! Every job has its ups and downs, I just hope I get the chance
Thanks
mickyblue:
Actrosman:
Brakes is similar to 3663 except the number off drops on a daily basis…i know they can do upward of 40/day but unlike 3663, most of the goods in the back have to be barrowed in, against ‘some’ of 3663 being straight cages. It is hard graft and i have seen some Brakes drivers running throughout the day. Just looked at the Brakes website and it still looks like their after drivers at the new Reading site… Do you want the money or an easy life/how desperate are you for work? The money is (slightly) more than the day drivers at my place (class 1). Unsure what contracts will be done out of Reading but it’s a big gaff!
brakesgroup.com/careers/curr … op-driversis there a website for Brakes near Peterborough?
How can you have a website near Peterborough lol
Good luck hgvhgv let’s us know how you got on.
killer100:
mickyblue:
Actrosman:
Brakes is similar to 3663 except the number off drops on a daily basis…i know they can do upward of 40/day but unlike 3663, most of the goods in the back have to be barrowed in, against ‘some’ of 3663 being straight cages. It is hard graft and i have seen some Brakes drivers running throughout the day. Just looked at the Brakes website and it still looks like their after drivers at the new Reading site… Do you want the money or an easy life/how desperate are you for work? The money is (slightly) more than the day drivers at my place (class 1). Unsure what contracts will be done out of Reading but it’s a big gaff!
brakesgroup.com/careers/curr … op-driversis there a website for Brakes near Peterborough?
How can you have a website near Peterborough lol
I was having a moment. What i meant was, has Brakes got a depot near to peterborough, or in peterborough that has a website to see if they have any jobs?
I found the vacancy through the job center website, it seems thier main site are only looking for people in Reading, just keep your eyes peeled mate.
Thanks for the good wishes will let you know how I get on, bit nervous about the assement drive havent driven since I passed a month ago!
I am trunking into the Reading Depot all this week, first time in last night, nice new build that place, looks like they got new vehicles down there as well you lucky bugger
Yeah I heard about the Reading branch I’m gona be in Farnborough though mate!
lol, unlucky 
Heard a little rumour that farnborough was shutting and moving everything to the new depot in reading, wether that’s true we will soon find out.