Hi everyone, I have just joined this forum and would like to see if anyone on here that I might know. Im Big Matt and worked at DHL on the Ikea contract for 11 years. I was a driver and driving assessor come crew trainer come supervisor. I have moved now to R. Swain & Sons in Rochester as a contract manager ■■■■■ spare driver in charge of the Brenntag contract. Just hoping to rekindle some old friendships
Not Matt Farrelly by any chance?
No, Matt Wheeler, but I do remember Matt Farrelly I think?
By the way I used to have a hand in helping run the Argos and Homesbase contracts, so anyone from there would also be well received
I remember you. I used to drive the vans
Hello Joe, yes I remember you too, small world! I hope the world of Ikea led you into a good driving practice!
ha ha. it was a start. I don’t lug sofas about any more tho! 
Yes a mugs game, but hey the pay wasn’t bad, hence the reason I did it for so long!
While I think of it, we only moved in 2007, we were originally at Mill lane Croydon up to then, so anyone from then would also be well received.
Hi, i work for DHL on the argos contract at Scunthorpe, and Hackbridge have just got all our 07 plates while we have inherited the 54, 05 n 55 plates.
Thats because of the LEZ that will be changing in January, any EURO 3 trucks will have to pa £200 a day to get into London, hence the newer trucks will come down south
prefer the older ones with the manual gearbox anyway. Lucky they didnt get the Isuzu’s
I know! What a pathetic attempt at a truck! They went to Sittingbourne, but they are getting some of them I believe!
Castleford have quite a few, Isuzu are aparantly spending alot of money to sort them out, beteer sterring lock and seats.
Its the brakes. Ive never been in a truck that doesn’t seem to stop. First time I drove one I defected it after a mile! It didn’t want to stop. I swapped trucks and the other did the same. The dealer we went to said he had lots of complaints about them. They were 04 plates the last ones I drove (I think) so they may have solved the problem?
brakes are ok but have had better to be honest
Just spoke to one of the managers at Hackbridge, looks like they are losing all the 45 DAF’s and getting all the Isuzus, shame!
Oh dear, i really do pity them, do you reckon they will be going all Isuzu in time?
To be honest Argos are going the way of the Dodo. In years gone by the Argos crews used to take out Homebase deliveries as well. But after the recent figures that saw Argos loose money and Homebase make a shed load, it may revert. I believe in time they are looking to go to a 12 hour shift,using 14 tonne vehicles (Daf LF55 Automatic Rigid) which Homebase are crrently using. They take more weight, are easier to drive and give better overal mpg. They may go with the demount system, which they already use on Argos, but Ikea used this and it worked very well so shouldn’t be a problem.
Some changes on the horizon for Argos I think.
I have heard about the 12 hour shifts, i believe they have been trialed at various csc’s in the past. Also trialing 6pm-8pm time slot at rdc’s but you don’t start till late morning/lunchtime. Do think the job needs a complete overhaul from Argos upwards to us as it is getting to be a shambles which can’t be good for sales. Think Argos and DHL need to start working together properly.