I work for nights Goldstar at Woolpit and have done since October 2018. I got my class 1 licence through their academy in September 2018 and it’s my one and only Class 1 job so far.
There are good days and bad days. Yes, if you go to Felixstowe docks you WILL spend a lot of time sitting around (a book/kindle, tablet and a Netflix subscription really pass the time!). But we get messed around a lot less on nights than the day drivers/trampers, the majority of what we do is drop and swaps at RDCs or shunting between Woolpit yard and Felixstowe docks. Guaranteed 12.5 hours pay every day although I rarely work more than 11 on nights.
Regarding the pay, each day you’re guaranteed 12.5 hours a day: 10 hours at £8.40, plus 2.5 hours at £11, plus £10 tax free meal allowance. Anything over the 12.5 hours is paid at £11. Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays are £15 an hour. On top of this there’s a telematics bonus of either £10 or £6 a day depending on how you drive - it’s harder to not get any money on the telematics than it is to get something from it. For a five day/night week with full telematics bonus I take home £519 every week. I was a bus driver for 18 years and doing that job I would have to work 6 days to take home £480…so it really isn’t that bad!
Fleet are all dealer maintained and, as I’ve said, this is my first Class 1 job and they’ve put me straight in a 67 plate Actros!
snip…
For a five day/night week with full telematics bonus I take home £519 every week. I was a bus driver for 18 years and doing that job I would have to work 6 days to take home £480…so it really isn’t that bad
I take home £460 every week, and i work 3.5 days for that. And additionally having 4 days off on the trot is not bad either…
suvvers2003:
I work for nights Goldstar at Woolpit and have done since October 2018. I got my class 1 licence through their academy in September 2018 and it’s my one and only Class 1 job so far.
There are good days and bad days. Yes, if you go to Felixstowe docks you WILL spend a lot of time sitting around (a book/kindle, tablet and a Netflix subscription really pass the time!). But we get messed around a lot less on nights than the day drivers/trampers, the majority of what we do is drop and swaps at RDCs or shunting between Woolpit yard and Felixstowe docks. Guaranteed 12.5 hours pay every day although I rarely work more than 11 on nights.
Regarding the pay, each day you’re guaranteed 12.5 hours a day: 10 hours at £8.40, plus 2.5 hours at £11, plus £10 tax free meal allowance. Anything over the 12.5 hours is paid at £11. Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays are £15 an hour. On top of this there’s a telematics bonus of either £10 or £6 a day depending on how you drive - it’s harder to not get any money on the telematics than it is to get something from it. For a five day/night week with full telematics bonus I take home £519 every week. I was a bus driver for 18 years and doing that job I would have to work 6 days to take home £480…so it really isn’t that bad!
Fleet are all dealer maintained and, as I’ve said, this is my first Class 1 job and they’ve put me straight in a 67 plate Actros!
Nowt such queer as funny folk
They’re taking the ■■■■ out if you every week And you don’t even know it
suvvers2003:
I work for nights Goldstar at Woolpit and have done since October 2018. I got my class 1 licence through their academy in September 2018 and it’s my one and only Class 1 job so far.
There are good days and bad days. Yes, if you go to Felixstowe docks you WILL spend a lot of time sitting around (a book/kindle, tablet and a Netflix subscription really pass the time!). But we get messed around a lot less on nights than the day drivers/trampers, the majority of what we do is drop and swaps at RDCs or shunting between Woolpit yard and Felixstowe docks. Guaranteed 12.5 hours pay every day although I rarely work more than 11 on nights.
Regarding the pay, each day you’re guaranteed 12.5 hours a day: 10 hours at £8.40, plus 2.5 hours at £11, plus £10 tax free meal allowance. Anything over the 12.5 hours is paid at £11. Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays are £15 an hour. On top of this there’s a telematics bonus of either £10 or £6 a day depending on how you drive - it’s harder to not get any money on the telematics than it is to get something from it. For a five day/night week with full telematics bonus I take home £519 every week. I was a bus driver for 18 years and doing that job I would have to work 6 days to take home £480…so it really isn’t that bad!
Fleet are all dealer maintained and, as I’ve said, this is my first Class 1 job and they’ve put me straight in a 67 plate Actros!
Nowt such queer as funny folk
They’re taking the ■■■■ out if you every week And you don’t even know it
To be fair, we all had to start somewhere, and accept whatever wages and conditions were on offer.
Apart from Juddian, who started his first job on enhanced rates, got his own new wahgon, and no early starts to light the boiler either…
suvvers2003:
Regarding the pay, each day you’re guaranteed 12.5 hours a day: 10 hours at £8.40, plus 2.5 hours at £11, plus £10 tax free meal allowance. Anything over the 12.5 hours is paid at £11. Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays are £15 an hour. On top of this there’s a telematics bonus of either £10 or £6 a day depending on how you drive - it’s harder to not get any money on the telematics than it is to get something from it. For a five day/night week with full telematics bonus I take home £519 every week. I was a bus driver for 18 years and doing that job I would have to work 6 days to take home £480…so it really isn’t that bad!
So you have to work more than 50 hours to earn more than 19p above the minimum wage.
That IS bad.
How many hours a day did you do as a bus driver? I’m pretty sure you will still be working the equivalent of six days & probably see a whole lot less of home, for an extra whole £39…
And you don’t even know it 