Anyone based at Downton’s Coventry depot on here? Just interested to know what they’re like to work for as a company and any information regarding the usual plus the sort of work you might be doing as a tramper.
Thanks
Pick stuff up drive somewhere deliver it… Sorry couldn’t resist 
spoke to a guy from the Coventry depot today seemed happy enuf been there 4 years . Its run by the Dunstable office and they go thru some drivers there
You won’t have a speed limiter problem, Downtons don’t fit them.
I did 4 years at leeds depot,but It’s run a bit different to the Coventry/Dunstable depot.
I don’t know many with a good word for the guy who runs things down there…
I left because I had a few issues with things but there are worse jobs and a lot better jobs out there.
altitude:
You won’t have a speed limiter problem, Downtons don’t fit them.
I pass there trucks no problem at 56
Young_AL:
altitude:
You won’t have a speed limiter problem, Downtons don’t fit them.I pass there trucks no problem at 56
Yeah it seems a lot of their fleet have had their wings clipped back to 52mph. Obviously there was a trade off though, they fitted limiters but also removed their headlight flashers at the same time!
Young_AL:
altitude:
You won’t have a speed limiter problem, Downtons don’t fit them.I pass there trucks no problem at 56
+1
There not limited to 52.But are advised to drive at that speed for fuel efficiency.
daftvader:
There not limited to 52.But are advised to drive at that speed for fuel efficiency.
Yes that is true…
The fuel efficient driving was one of the reasons I got a bit fed up.
It monitors harsh braking etc and then they print a league table out every week with who is the most efficient driver.
The problem is the blue eyes getting 3 runs to Scotland and back a week are always top and the blokes doing the crap multi drop cant match that efficiency and therefore get less bonus.
I hear that there going to britley in County Durham any body heard the same
Dotty D:
I hear that there going to britley in County Durham any body heard the same
My mate is still there and he was pulling a load from birtley last week all multi drop aluminium…and many to really bad places to get to
What’s the pay like for downtons 
yorkshire terrier:
daftvader:
There not limited to 52.But are advised to drive at that speed for fuel efficiency.Yes that is true…
The fuel efficient driving was one of the reasons I got a bit fed up.
It monitors harsh braking etc and then they print a league table out every week with who is the most efficient driver.
The problem is the blue eyes getting 3 runs to Scotland and back a week are always top and the blokes doing the crap multi drop cant match that efficiency and therefore get less bonus.
The best way to measure driver effeciency is to divide the “gross profit made by the truck” by the “cost of the driver who drives it every day, including their wages, damage, & fuel usage”. That way, a multi-dropper will make up what they lose in stop-starts with the extra contracts per load. The biggest variable among the men and the boys would of course be “driving for a season without a scratch” and “Mr 9-points OK Biffa who has stacked 3 cars at roundabouts last week alone”. 
“Harsh Braking”? -
Bod A does an emergency stop, and due to A’s alertness and driving skills, not only was no load spilt, but a child’s life was saved when they ran out between parked cars… 
Bod B didn’t score any harsh brakes this quarter, but ploughed into someone on a zebra crossing without stopping. There was no damage to the truck, but the personal injury claim won by the person knocked over was more than a year’s wages for that driver. 
…I humbly suggest therefore, that “harsh braking” is a bullcrap method of measuring any kind of inherent driver skill. 
Dotty D:
What’s the pay like for downtons
When I left the northern drivers were on £8 an hour straight through £19 a night out and£5 a day meal money.
That birtley job that’s advertised on there website is for trucks based at the hydro aluminium plant and believe me that work is a pain in the arse IMHO.
I thought allinsons used to do all that work■■?
Or even better, just don’t bother having league tables as they are flawed and completely inaccurate and always will be
Winseer:
yorkshire terrier:
daftvader:
There not limited to 52.But are advised to drive at that speed for fuel efficiency.Yes that is true…
The fuel efficient driving was one of the reasons I got a bit fed up.
It monitors harsh braking etc and then they print a league table out every week with who is the most efficient driver.
The problem is the blue eyes getting 3 runs to Scotland and back a week are always top and the blokes doing the crap multi drop cant match that efficiency and therefore get less bonus.The best way to measure driver effeciency is to divide the “gross profit made by the truck” by the “cost of the driver who drives it every day, including their wages, damage, & fuel usage”. That way, a multi-dropper will make up what they lose in stop-starts with the extra contracts per load. The biggest variable among the men and the boys would of course be “driving for a season without a scratch” and “Mr 9-points OK Biffa who has stacked 3 cars at roundabouts last week alone”.
“Harsh Braking”? -
Bod A does an emergency stop, and due to A’s alertness and driving skills, not only was no load spilt, but a child’s life was saved when they ran out between parked cars…
Bod B didn’t score any harsh brakes this quarter, but ploughed into someone on a zebra crossing without stopping. There was no damage to the truck, but the personal injury claim won by the person knocked over was more than a year’s wages for that driver.
…I humbly suggest therefore, that “harsh braking” is a bullcrap method of measuring any kind of inherent driver skill.
I agree that is the best way to measure efficiency but believe me they work to these methods.
I had a harsh brake on the A1 and got pulled in office about it and they got the exact spot where I harsh braked up on google earth and said this is a straight road there was no need to harsh brake,no matter what your reason for slamming on they say it can be avoided.
yorkshire terrier:
Dotty D:
What’s the pay like for downtonsWhen I left the northern drivers were on £8 an hour straight through £19 a night out and£5 a day meal money.
That birtley job that’s advertised on there website is for trucks based at the hydro aluminium plant and believe me that work is a pain in the arse IMHO.
I thought allinsons used to do all that work■■?
Downtons are takeing over I think
Dotty D:
yorkshire terrier:
Dotty D:
What’s the pay like for downtonsWhen I left the northern drivers were on £8 an hour straight through £19 a night out and£5 a day meal money.
That birtley job that’s advertised on there website is for trucks based at the hydro aluminium plant and believe me that work is a pain in the arse IMHO.
I thought allinsons used to do all that work■■?Downtons are takeing over I think
Yes think hydro were taken over last year and downton do the work for the firm that took over sapa profiles or something I think.
yorkshire terrier:
Winseer:
yorkshire terrier:
daftvader:
There not limited to 52.But are advised to drive at that speed for fuel efficiency.Yes that is true…
The fuel efficient driving was one of the reasons I got a bit fed up.
It monitors harsh braking etc and then they print a league table out every week with who is the most efficient driver.
The problem is the blue eyes getting 3 runs to Scotland and back a week are always top and the blokes doing the crap multi drop cant match that efficiency and therefore get less bonus.The best way to measure driver effeciency is to divide the “gross profit made by the truck” by the “cost of the driver who drives it every day, including their wages, damage, & fuel usage”. That way, a multi-dropper will make up what they lose in stop-starts with the extra contracts per load. The biggest variable among the men and the boys would of course be “driving for a season without a scratch” and “Mr 9-points OK Biffa who has stacked 3 cars at roundabouts last week alone”.
“Harsh Braking”? -
Bod A does an emergency stop, and due to A’s alertness and driving skills, not only was no load spilt, but a child’s life was saved when they ran out between parked cars…
Bod B didn’t score any harsh brakes this quarter, but ploughed into someone on a zebra crossing without stopping. There was no damage to the truck, but the personal injury claim won by the person knocked over was more than a year’s wages for that driver.
…I humbly suggest therefore, that “harsh braking” is a bullcrap method of measuring any kind of inherent driver skill.
I agree that is the best way to measure efficiency but believe me they work to these methods.
I had a harsh brake on the A1 and got pulled in office about it and they got the exact spot where I harsh braked up on google earth and said this is a straight road there was no need to harsh brake,no matter what your reason for slamming on they say it can be avoided.
If this were possible, let alone legal, then the country would be full of pending prosecutions for traffic offences by drivers speeding in built-up areas - divined by the very software liasions you speak of here. As far as I am aware, Combining data from things like ISOTRAC (providing location @ time) and Tacho data (for speed @ time) constitutes a bugging device conducted without permission of the data owner (driver/DVLA) or home office warrent, and is therefore highly illegal.
Even MI5 would not be expected to spy on members of the public not suspected of terroist offences in this manner.
If I’m wrong here, and this is perfectly legal - then why have we heard of NO prosecutions by “black box” where some bod drove out of his cul-de-sac at 65mph one frosty morning when no one was about, but the data monitoring gear in the car…?