I’ve been poking around for a new job, and looking at what petrol tanker work there is out there. I’m noticing something I haven’t seen before: that a lot of petrol tanker vacancies are stipulating applicants be ex-military personnel. There even seems to be an agency who only recruit ex-military. So what’s all that about?
ezydriver:
I’ve been poking around for a new job, and looking at what petrol tanker work there is out there. I’m noticing something I haven’t seen before: that a lot of petrol tanker vacancies are stipulating applicants be ex-military personnel. There even seems to be an agency who only recruit ex-military. So what’s all that about?
Because they listen and dont ■■■■ about just get the job done.They want ex military for fuel runs because if you have done it in the military you are already highly trained and easier for the company to get you out on the road with no hassel.
Went i left the army i went for a job driving class 1 crap paying and got the job over another guy that had over 20 years driving experiance.
jewsons must be looking for drivers again… 
Not just drivers though…quite a few companies like to employ ex military. I think companies like BT actually have resettlement programmes for military…I guess it takes out one part of the selection process as they know people who are military generally have good discipline, work ethic.
Maybe tanker work suits ex mil regimented types with trained in habit for procedures and rules.
Can’t imagine they want the free thinking knights of the road type. I’m guessing it’s strict doctrine, minimised risk and maximum procedure stuff.
Freight Dog:
Maybe tanker work suits ex mil regimented types with trained in habit for procedures and rules.Can’t imagine they want the free thinking knights of the road type. I’m guessing it’s strict doctrine, minimised risk and maximum procedure stuff.
After some of the videos of goings on my lad has shown me during his time in the Raf i wouldnt trust some of them with a milk float let alone a petrol tanker 
chaversdad:
Freight Dog:
Maybe tanker work suits ex mil regimented types with trained in habit for procedures and rules.Can’t imagine they want the free thinking knights of the road type. I’m guessing it’s strict doctrine, minimised risk and maximum procedure stuff.
After some of the videos of goings on my lad has shown me during his time in the Raf i wouldnt trust some of them with a milk float let alone a petrol tanker
Ha dread to think . Its true what I wrote probably reflects public opinion plus what the military would have you believe rather than necessarily always the truth . I’ve worked with ex mil guys and they’re a mixed mag in my job. Some are good, some are a pain in the arse.
we started one at our place a few years ago…drove like your granny 1st Cpl of weeks,then wally hooligan took over. 4 good accidents in 4 months,then put the lot on its side coming down a hill…cannon fodder…end of.
That’s what I thought. Just because a bloke (or woman, I suppose) is ex-military, doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to be any better than a non ex-military. Ah well, I can always tell them I was in the army cadets for 2 years, and that one of my old workmates was ex TA, and that he told me everything there is to know about everything.
Yeah, I’ve only worked with ex air force. The blokes who came from transport, helis, engineering and ground trades generally were dead on to very good to work with. The ex fast jet lot could be very mixed from “you wouldn’t notice”, to “oh God, not him again”.
You can’t really class the RAF as military !!!
I did an “NVQ in Logistics” (not my choice) and the “assessors” were all ex squaddies. They did bugger all except sit there and sign forms. Oh and bore me to death with exciting tales of taking Oshkoshs’ up Birdlip Hill.
Few years took a lad on ex military and as much use as the proverbial chocolate fireguard, he left of his own accord after a few weeks. Swore I’d not have another army lad back.
Few years pass by and we know a lad doing a bit of ad hoc work on vans.7.5s, looking for full-time, took him on and then his mate also ex military. Both turned out to be very good, little lacking in experience down to their age, but turn up, look smart, don’t annoy the customers.
I think they are a mixed bag, some good, some bad.
You can pay ex military a bit less as they have their pension or resettlement grant to bump up their pay.Oh hang on that cant be right ,can it?
Well, they get paid the same as everyone else and considering I pay nearly a pound an hour more than my nearest competitor, they seem to be content to stay.
The reason could be that some ex military have already been trained to drive civilian tankers. Some RAF personel were trained when Esso (I think) went on strike a few years ago. Also some of the army(not many) are trained on tankers.
That could be the reason but as someone said military drivers are like civilian ones. There are good and there are bad.
My very first experience of a military driver was a bad one. I worked for a company in London years ago and they only had one artic which I drove. I kept it spotless and really looked after it. When I went on holiday they hired an agency driver (just out of the army) and he wrecked it. I was gutted.
We have a mixed bag of ex squaddies, 1 an ex para just wants to fight everything & everyone keeps telling stories of how the argies smelt when he used a flamethrower on them in the Falklands 
there are others who are good driver’s just keep their heads down & do the job, I don’t think it’s any different from hiring a non military driver, just a recruitment agency trying to get an edge over the competition
They must only want people who can’t reverse 
Night-and-day:
They must only want people who can’t reverse
the aplicants from Italy and Iraq might as well stay at home then…
have had a couple of ex squaddies on the books the in past… totally agree, mixed bag. but then, isn’t that the same in all walks of life ?
the one thing that stands out, is the Rambo’s that had Bin Laden in their sights and bush-whacked the Argies were probably little more than weekend warriors or pen pushers trying to justify their shortcummings. the quiet ones that give the odd snippet of their past are more likely to be the real hero’s…