Hi there everybody. Can anybody tell me if Funstons are a good company to work for and if they still go abroad? Im thinking ive applying for a job there.
Also thinking of applying for a job with a dutch company Post Kogeko and wondered if anybody works for them or has worked for them. They tip at alot of places near where I live so would have a good knowledge of the tips they do. thanks.
Post used to have the day+night gold cup…Drivers are here today & gone tomorrow.Also to start you have to get over to Holland & also when you finish you have to get back to UK.!! Funstons seem a better firm. They have been at it for years & keep their drivers.
Post , wudnt bother, used to do a bit of subbying to them, every trailer that was shipped over was at least a couple of tonnes over weight, this amazed me as their trucks are only 4*2, the trailers were loaded for 3+3 (i.e 44 tonnes) plus a bit more!!!
Funstons seem yer better bet, I think they are linked to a Dutch Company ( name fails me, Van something or other I think, similar livery/colours) and do a lot from Holland. Trailers only into the ports and ship back out empty.
Ive found the company they r linked to in Holland
In UK
They r really bigger than u think, as they r linked to Greenery BV who have links with Dijco
thanks for the reply guys. Its hard because I hear mixed things about dutch companies! Ive spoken to english drivers on Kogeko and they love it. Then i read some of the things on here and its all doom and gloom! You hear good and bad things about everything really. Im single and have no commitments and love being away so its an ideal job really but not willing to go bent. Although from the drivers ive spoken to there pretty strict now. Why do they have so many english drivers then?
Routier, do you mean Funstons dont actually go abroad they just take there trailers to be shipped out unaccompanied to Holland and then there shipped baced loaded to be picked up at the port?
In that case have a crack with Post.You can run the Gatso’s & generally run amok unless you are unlucky enough to get a tug.
With Post-Kogeko I think you’ll find that,as with the majority of drivers anywhere,that a guy is’nt going to run the company down he’s actually working for.Nobody wants to admit that they’re in a ■■■■ job or working for a ■■■■ company.
The best thing to do is give it a try for yourself and don’t listen too much to gossip.
Though I have to say that market work is an aqquired taste.
Yes markets certianly are an aquired taste! my dad was an international driver for over 25 years and used to load back from Holland all the time for markets back in the good old days. Now the Dutch do it all themselves and i dont know of any british company that does that anymore from Holland as they have it themselves now. Im doing them now myself and dont really mind it to be honest. I know Kogeko do alot of other stuff as well particularly round near where I live in Lincolnshire.
Does anybody know much about Pulleyns?
Try a search on them as it was covered not so long ago
thanks montana man! 
Im not a 100 % certain that Funstons do or dont do Europe, the information I gave is what the TM manager was telling me when I was thinking about buying a couple of their trailers.
Y dont you give them a call and find out.
Y dont you try a couple of others
Gluck
thnaks routier. I appreciate that.
well after being told in april by Kogeko that they would be in contact shortly to arrange an interview we are nearly into july and i have not heard a thing! Myabe this is a blessing in disguise!? Would have been nice if they could have just let me know that they didnt have any recruitment needs but hey nevermind!
With Post you are a number ( Unless you are Dutch ) & easily replaceable.They are probably having a hard time on the salads due to our inclement weather.
yeah your probably right harry. Andy C speaks highly of visbeen. Would they be any better?
Andy has been on there for years so it comes easy to him. Their trailers used to be really rough but that might have changed 
I don’t know why you bother with these foreign firms. For conditions & pay you can’t beat a good English firm. And you are paying into your state pension which is more than you get with the foreigners. The foreigners will treat you reasonably while you can work for them but if there is a slow down with work or you get sick they tell you its UK’s problem.Stay clear & count your wages in pound notes per hour instead of some airy-fairy bonus n fixed salary deal. The lads that work for the foreigners are all happy because they are used to it & have been there for years when there was very little work in the UK. Human beings are creatures of habit & resent change.
NB; UK drivers are never on the same rate as their foriegn counterparts…
About three months ago I met an English driver working for Post Kogeko. He had only been there about a month but reckoned from what he could tell thus far it was very good. He did say that they are quite hard to get into and the only real way of doing it is actually going over to Holland and seeing them face to face. He said they ran legal although his verson of legal and mine seemed to be at odd’s and I am by no means a 9-5 regulation bod, I’m more than happy to do 75 hours a week, so thats saying something. Although rather than long hours as such, the thing there seemed to be tipping/loading off card whilst supposedly on daily rest etc and for example, if they started on monday morning and drove two hours to their first drop and sat there for several hours, they’d just discard that tacho, make up the missing km’s by adding some to each day of that week etc and start a new card from when they left that spot or something along those lines.
You arnt far wrong there harry ive lost count of the amount of drivers who come over to work for the dutch and think they are working for the best comanys in europe ! all that shines isint gold the trucks might all look nice and shinney,big plush offices and all the facilites you want ,but at the end of the day all they want is as much work as possiable out of you, on the fruit and veg side the season starts around may and ends in october so thats the busiest time and thats when you struggle to get holidays or much home time. as for money iam on the same as my Dutch colleges paid by the hour on top pay scale e6 new guys start on e4 not a lot of diffrence ,all english employes pay tax and ni through a uk accountant so we pay the same dues as if we worked for an english company, basic is 160 hrs a month after that 130 % then on saturdays is 150% and sunday3 200% 6 weeks paid holidy a year plus dutch bank holidays sick pay of £223.00 a week clear after tax paid up to one year , a yearly holiday bounas of £1500.00 the use of the company doctor and we now have personal medical insurance for whilst we are at work through transmed.
all so we have the option of joining the company pension which they have set up for us within the uk.
ive worked for english firms where ive had to fight just for my wages at the end of the week ! yes the wages are more or less the same as in the uk now but one think i get from the dutch is respect and a lot of benefits i wouldnt get from a uk employer.
what about the greenery? are they any good? are tey still run by dijco?
