Hi guys I have been offered a driving assessment / test / interview with GIST based at Markham Vale near Chesterfield.
Has anyone any experience of this assessment as apparently the driving part last 4 hours!
Also what are GIST like to work for, is there anyone out there that works for them or who has an knowledge about the company please.
They can’t possibly any worse that Stobarts…can they?
Don’t know if it helps but apparently there’s no coupling up allowed at GIST, it can only be performed by a shunter. Lad I worked with went to them and was surprised when he got his days work his unit was already coupled
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You only get…
Better at something by doing it frequently. Having shunters doing it all for you just means you’ll be pretty rusty (if not a dangerous liability) when you move on.
Also, I wonder how things go if you’re doing a change-over?
Sadly, it appears there are no GIST drivers amongst us here to shed some light on things.
One effect such a policy would have - is to make drivers so used to “having it done for them” - that they are then pretty useless if trying to move on to another firm…
“Who was your last Employer?”
“Gist.”
“In that case, we’re gonna insist you do a full day’s assessment on no pay to get in with us here, of which coupling, blindside reversing, and driving through the woods with no lights - forms over half the day’s shift on that assessment.”
From what I remember the assessment was in two parts/days the first day was a 3-4 page theory, simple highway code stuff takes an hour or two with all the chat about do’s and don’t etc. Day two was the driving/on road. You do hookup your unit to the trailer as part of the assessment. Drove to Barnsley gist depot to collect a load and delivered it to Grimbsy. Reloaded at same Grimsby site and took back to Chesterfield, job done.
As for working there, no shop delivery just NDC. Hours can vary but 11-12 hour days/nights. As for hooking up the unit to the trailer, at the moment, it is “mostly” already done and either on the bay loaded or parked in the yard. However, I did hear that will change and all drivers are to now drop the trailer on the bay and the shunter moves it with a tug. If you’re looking for a pretty simple straight forward job it’s not a bad place to work.
We share a yard with Gist at Bedworth and the drivers there do indeed pick up and drop off their own trailers.
Im agency but most of my shifts are with Gist.
The assesment is in two parts. They are both about 4 hours but its not all driving.
I find them an alright company to work for but a bit fly by the seat of their pants. The office bods dont communicate with each other and 3 drivers arriving somewhere to pick up the same load isnt uncommon, nor is wasted mileage when they could cut it down by talking to each other.
I mainly do the Arla milk deliveries which are about 12 hours but for Gist general, shifts of 13/14 hours arent uncommon either. They send you for a load that wont be ready for hours so there can be a lot of sitting about which turns an 11 hour shift into a 14.
All that being said though, I recommend them as one of the better companies so definitely go for it IMO
The-Snowman:
Im agency but most of my shifts are with Gist.
The assesment is in two parts. They are both about 4 hours but its not all driving.
I find them an alright company to work for but a bit fly by the seat of their pants. The office bods dont communicate with each other and 3 drivers arriving somewhere to pick up the same load isnt uncommon, nor is wasted mileage when they could cut it down by talking to each other.
I mainly do the Arla milk deliveries which are about 12 hours but for Gist general, shifts of 13/14 hours arent uncommon either. They send you for a load that wont be ready for hours so there can be a lot of sitting about which turns an 11 hour shift into a 14.All that being said though, I recommend them as one of the better companies so definitely go for it IMO
Some burning questions I have…
What are the hourly rates like for agency, and at which agencies? Nights, Saturdays, Sundays - “Right Through Rate” or “just the premium on the bits inside sundays” style of pay?
If you’re sitting on a bay for 2-3 hours, - are you permitted to take your break thus, AND stay with your cab? (presuming one gets a cab with a bunk of course…)
If you turn up at a depot to pick up a load, and someone else has already taken it - are you supposed to return empty without further do - OR do they find something else for you to do once there?
Is the assessment paid, assuming one passes it?
The work is going a bit quiet where I am, (Staffline into Waitrose) and I’m thinking of moving on, as I can’t really drop below 3 shifts per week as it stands.
It is Nights midweek and Afternoons at Weekends I’m primarily after, and I’m good with 12-15 hour shifts at the weekends at least, so that aspect don’t bother me, especially if you’re getting paid for “bunk time” as it were. 
Winseer:
What are the hourly rates like for agency, and at which agencies? Nights, Saturdays, Sundays - “Right Through Rate” or “just the premium on the bits inside sundays” style of pay?
The hourly rate is good, extras for doing nights, saturdays and sundays. As for the actual rates and agency, well thats a secret
Winseer:
If you’re sitting on a bay for 2-3 hours, - are you permitted to take your break thus, AND stay with your cab? (presuming one gets a cab with a bunk of course…)
Up to the driver. They never pressure you to take breaks at certain times. When sending you somewhere they always ask if you need to take a break and never query why you havent taken one, even if youve been sat in Tesco RDC for 3 hours.
You can take it on a bay or wait till youre tipped then take it.
Winseer:
If you turn up at a depot to pick up a load, and someone else has already taken it - are you supposed to return empty without further do - OR do they find something else for you to do once there?
Call them to say the load has gone and they will call back with either another collection or just tell you to come back to the depot.
Winseer:
Is the assessment paid, assuming one passes it?
Yes its paid but not till youve completed your first shift with them
Winseer:
The work is going a bit quiet where I am, (Staffline into Waitrose) and I’m thinking of moving on, as I can’t really drop below 3 shifts per week as it stands.
It is Nights midweek and Afternoons at Weekends I’m primarily after, and I’m good with 12-15 hour shifts at the weekends at least, so that aspect don’t bother me, especially if you’re getting paid for “bunk time” as it were.
They have a range of start times. Ive started as early as 2am and as late as 1200. The nature of their contracts means many places they collect or deliver to run 24 hrs, not to mention the many trunks that run.
Of course my experience is from their eurocentral depot. Other depots might run differently but thats how it goes up here
stuwozere1:
Don’t know if it helps but apparently there’s no coupling up allowed at GIST, it can only be performed by a shunter. Lad I worked with went to them and was surprised when he got his days work his unit was already coupledSent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Yeah work for them regularly at another depot. We couple are own trucks. No mamby pamby crap here… 
The-Snowman:
Winseer:
What are the hourly rates like for agency, and at which agencies? Nights, Saturdays, Sundays - “Right Through Rate” or “just the premium on the bits inside sundays” style of pay?The hourly rate is good, extras for doing nights, saturdays and sundays. As for the actual rates and agency, well thats a secret
Winseer:
If you’re sitting on a bay for 2-3 hours, - are you permitted to take your break thus, AND stay with your cab? (presuming one gets a cab with a bunk of course…)Up to the driver. They never pressure you to take breaks at certain times. When sending you somewhere they always ask if you need to take a break and never query why you havent taken one, even if youve been sat in Tesco RDC for 3 hours.
You can take it on a bay or wait till youre tipped then take it.Winseer:
If you turn up at a depot to pick up a load, and someone else has already taken it - are you supposed to return empty without further do - OR do they find something else for you to do once there?Call them to say the load has gone and they will call back with either another collection or just tell you to come back to the depot.
Winseer:
Is the assessment paid, assuming one passes it?Yes its paid but not till youve completed your first shift with them
Winseer:
The work is going a bit quiet where I am, (Staffline into Waitrose) and I’m thinking of moving on, as I can’t really drop below 3 shifts per week as it stands.
It is Nights midweek and Afternoons at Weekends I’m primarily after, and I’m good with 12-15 hour shifts at the weekends at least, so that aspect don’t bother me, especially if you’re getting paid for “bunk time” as it were.They have a range of start times. Ive started as early as 2am and as late as 1200. The nature of their contracts means many places they collect or deliver to run 24 hrs, not to mention the many trunks that run.
Of course my experience is from their eurocentral depot. Other depots might run differently but thats how it goes up here
Do you ever do primary?
Sand Fisher:
stuwozere1:
Don’t know if it helps but apparently there’s no coupling up allowed at GIST, it can only be performed by a shunter. Lad I worked with went to them and was surprised when he got his days work his unit was already coupledSent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Yeah work for them regularly at another depot. We couple are own trucks. No mamby pamby crap here…
Must just be his depot. He pulls out of Barnsley
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stuwozere1:
Sand Fisher:
stuwozere1:
Don’t know if it helps but apparently there’s no coupling up allowed at GIST, it can only be performed by a shunter. Lad I worked with went to them and was surprised when he got his days work his unit was already coupledSent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Yeah work for them regularly at another depot. We couple are own trucks. No mamby pamby crap here…
Must just be his depot. He pulls out of Barnsley
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That probably answers it then as that’s a M&S DC, they are mostly ready coupled and mostly stay on the same trailer for a while. Not done Gist for a while (was before they opened Markham Vale so was based at Winkobank Sheffield) and we had to couple and uncouple every shift, was a decent job when I was on it and is one of the places I’d be looking to go back to but they only seem to have casual work advertised at present
The-Snowman:
Im agency but most of my shifts are with Gist.
The assesment is in two parts. They are both about 4 hours but its not all driving.
I find them an alright company to work for but a bit fly by the seat of their pants. The office bods dont communicate with each other and 3 drivers arriving somewhere to pick up the same load isnt uncommon, nor is wasted mileage when they could cut it down by talking to each other.
I mainly do the Arla milk deliveries which are about 12 hours but for Gist general, shifts of 13/14 hours arent uncommon either. They send you for a load that wont be ready for hours so there can be a lot of sitting about which turns an 11 hour shift into a 14.All that being said though, I recommend them as one of the better companies so definitely go for it IMO
they have quoted me 10 hours max!!! Thats a load os BS then!
Gist are around half a mile from where I live…Stobarts (where I work now) are in Doncaster so a good 45 min drive at 5pm.
I am trying to reduce the 14 hours a day I tend to do currently and be closer to home not increase it hahahaha
Give it a go you will soon get the gist of it
Oare would be my “local depot”. There’s not much point me moving on -unless there is an upswing in the rates.
I’m doing £14ph midweek nights at present. I don’t want to do early turn or lates for less money than that.
Sainsburys when I was there, didn’t give you access to “weekend premium rates” until you’d done 40 hours during the week…
At least the rate for the shift - is what you get right the way through where I am now, so no bolloxing about with “Bits and pieces” of allowances rather than a simple y hours multiplied by z hourly rate.
Winseer:
Oare would be my “local depot”. There’s not much point me moving on -unless there is an upswing in the rates.I’m doing £14ph midweek nights at present. I don’t want to do early turn or lates for less money than that.
Sainsburys when I was there, didn’t give you access to “weekend premium rates” until you’d done 40 hours during the week…
At least the rate for the shift - is what you get right the way through where I am now, so no bolloxing about with “Bits and pieces” of allowances rather than a simple y hours multiplied by z hourly rate.
£14 per hour midweek is good.
Gist are offering £12.45 per hour midweek nights and then £14.49 weekend nights
Where are you working for that kind of money? Is there a depot near me?
Kynszon:
Winseer:
Oare would be my “local depot”. There’s not much point me moving on -unless there is an upswing in the rates.I’m doing £14ph midweek nights at present. I don’t want to do early turn or lates for less money than that.
Sainsburys when I was there, didn’t give you access to “weekend premium rates” until you’d done 40 hours during the week…
At least the rate for the shift - is what you get right the way through where I am now, so no bolloxing about with “Bits and pieces” of allowances rather than a simple y hours multiplied by z hourly rate.£14 per hour midweek is good.
Gist are offering £12.45 per hour midweek nights and then £14.49 weekend nights
Where are you working for that kind of money? Is there a depot near me?
Waitrose, Aylesford via Staffline Agency.
They’ve just upped their afternoon shift start time rate from £12ph to £13ph right through as well.
Their rates are now:
£12ph Weekday am starts
£13ph Weekday 12:00-18:00 starts
£14ph Weekday 18:15-23:45 starts
£15ph Saturdays - Anytime Starts.
£18ph Sundays - Anytime Starts.
All “Right-Through” rates, PAYE with a build-up of Holiday @ 12.07% as far as I know, rather than any “averaged” thingy that dwindles away if you try and take holidays when it’s actually quiet - when you NEED to be taking holidays!
The Full Timers - have recently had their sunday premiums taken away, so if you want to go full-time - you get a better ■■■■ of the orange out of it - if you perform and actually want EARLY DOORS shifts.
If you’re a night owl like moi - then stay on agency as I have.
You don’t get stood down for 8 weeks - if you make it plain that you are not interested in being offered a full time job.
I was stood down 8 weeks at the beginning of the year, because I wouldn’t sign a new contract at lower rates… I spent those 8 weeks at Royal Mail instead, surprised that there was still work there in the new year after Christmas.
I now do 4 shifts a week at Waitrose, which was the working pattern I wanted all along. Sundays - must be one of those shifts, but I’ll mix and match up any other three besides that.
Takehome £500pw is my aim, - which pays my bills. I usually do one 13hr+ shift per week to make up for any flat shift I might get - to keep that average up. I aim at doing a 40 hour week.
There’s PLENTY of work available at the moment on the £13ph 12:00-18:00 starts “Late Turn”. I don’t need it, as I’ve already got the four shifts per week I want, and I’m actually looking to take some time off across the summer hols, as I’m a family man - so don’t mind being stood down for the odd shift I couldn’t get on nights here and there.
The “Assessment & Induction” lasts two 06:00 start shifts - which you get paid for if you pass the assessment.
Get in there and fill your boots!
It was Wingnut on here that recommended that I gave this place a look in the first instance, so I’ll thank him again on here. 
I went for my Driving Assessment yesterday at GIST and 30 minutes in the instructor cancelled it due to not feeling too well…that was before he saw my driving!!!
It has been reappointed for next week but the whole thing sounds like torcher!
I had 4 sheets of paper of “what not to do’s” to sign
Also, i only just started this, 3 written tests, one on tacho and general driving hours etc that was 50 questions long!
The other was 25 question on Working Time Directive (god knows how they get to ask that many questions on the subject)
The last one was 50 questions on the Highway Code!
Then i was to follow with a 4 hour drive around the country being assessed on my driving.
All this to trunk trailers from A to B… 
I could understand this is the hourly rate was £17 an hour but it’s nowhere near.
The thought of putting myself through all that lot for £11.43 an hour makes me feel like cancelling the rebooked assessment
welcome to micro management… tossers 