At their Westbury depot in Wiltshire.The role involves collection of bulk milk from farms to the depot or to other dairies.
Five on , two off rota in modern fleet and state of the art combination tankers.
They offer quiet country roads and friendly farmers.
The advert is in the Somerset Standard and Wiltshire Times.
Ignore the dead line on the website .
Any ideas what the kind of hours they are bud , if their autos or manuals and the kind of pay ?
Horley:
Any ideas what the kind of hours they are bud , if their autos or manuals and the kind of pay ?
There was a fella from east london way i am sure went on for them out of Westbury i think he called himself Topmixer, i could be wrong and usually am !!
Ok spot on , well if anyone has more info it would pukka , I’m like ten mims from it as I’m warminster based, I’ll have a look in the paper:)
Horley:
Any ideas what the kind of hours they are bud , if their autos or manuals and the kind of pay ?
Not trying to be funny buddy but if I was thinking about a new job my chief concerns would be wages, T’s & C’s, whether the fleet was well maintained etc. I doubt the type of gearbox fitted to the trucks would enter my mind!
Why do you ask as a matter of interest.
I can see why he might be asking Maoster if i could replace my terms conditions and average hours, but get a properly specced for the job lorry with a real gearbox (instead of fleet parcel spec auto junk) that might give back some pleasure and pride in the job we used to do, i’d jump ship in an instant.
Won’t happen mind, we’ll just get more of the same… 
And another heads up if christmas day is part of your rota then you will be working that day just bear that in mind.
Fair point Juddian, that never entered my mind tbh. I’m probably guilty of thinking that if I don’t care then nobody should. That’s quite sad in itself that the job I once couldn’t wait to get out of bed for on a Monday morning now just fills me with apathy. It’s the drip drip drip of all the bollox over the years that has done it methinks.
the maoster:
Fair point Juddian, that never entered my mind tbh. I’m probably guilty of thinking that if I don’t care then nobody should. That’s quite sad in itself that the job I once couldn’t wait to get out of bed for on a Monday morning now just fills me with apathy. It’s the drip drip drip of all the bollox over the years that has done it methinks.
I know exactly where you’re coming from mate, its one thing after another, hordes of layers of admin and management all trying to make names for themselves, coming up with more and more cobblers to keep them in their non productive jobs for ever and a day, they breed like bloody rats too.
These modern companies are getting to be the standing joke that local councils were 30 years ago, for each productive worker we’ve got other buggers overseeing/watching/spying, then layers of others ticking boxes and monitoring the monitoring equipment, managers, health and safety gestapo, more managers plus PA’s, and their managers etc etc (and half the sods are on the full pay sicky scam at any one time)…turn the clock back a couple of decades and we can all think of places we worked where a couple of switched on (often ex drivers) could run a whole bloody fleet better than the dozens plus ££££s of electronics can’t manage now, its an unfunny joke.
Juddian:
I can see why he might be asking Maoster if i could replace my terms conditions and average hours, but get a properly specced for the job lorry with a real gearbox (instead of fleet parcel spec auto junk) that might give back some pleasure and pride in the job we used to do, i’d jump ship in an instant.
Won’t happen mind, we’ll just get more of the same…
Never a truer word spoken I thought it was just me that felt that way, a complete lack of respect towards us drivers and the constant dumbing down of the job to suit steering wheel attendants. Oh look were taking your topline scanny off you and replacing it with an all singing all dancing supermarket spec highline, oh the joys my cup runneth over.
wrighty:
Juddian:
I can see why he might be asking Maoster if i could replace my terms conditions and average hours, but get a properly specced for the job lorry with a real gearbox (instead of fleet parcel spec auto junk) that might give back some pleasure and pride in the job we used to do, i’d jump ship in an instant.
Won’t happen mind, we’ll just get more of the same…Never a truer word spoken I thought it was just me that felt that way, a complete lack of respect towards us drivers and the constant dumbing down of the job to suit steering wheel attendants. Oh look were taking your topline scanny off you and replacing it with an all singing all dancing supermarket spec highline, oh the joys my cup runneth over.
Bums on seats mate, they want it dumbed down to lowest common denominator so they can put any cheaply bought fool in the driving seat at a moments notice, a de-humanised robot who only needs to steer the route the bloody pratnav instructs.
Course it hasn’t all quite worked out quite as they hoped cos the the bloody pratnav can’t reverse the outfit, yet, but they are making headway with lane guidance and automatic braking systems so when the clowns fall asleep (or get distracted sexting or whatever they are always doing peering into their infernal bloody phone screens) to help prevent them driving up trees or up each others arses quite so regularly… 
+1 more here
As usual, the best comments are like a broken record, predictable and non-relevant.
Best advice is to call the depot in Westbury (google is your friend), and ask them. The job is a real marmite job, most drivers are lifers, as it is not for everyone. The trucks are auto boxes, the Volvo FM was superb, the Scanias they run now are rubbish. 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, so Christmas, new year etc are all working days.
Used to be 4on2off, so rota may have changed.
Many farms are not build for 32 ton 8 wheeler access, and will have plenty of mud and cow ■■■■ to trudge through. Lots of farmers are nice enough, but lots are bonkers too. Watch out for drunk drivers down the lanes at night.
Good bunch of lads at the depot, and whilst they are a corporate bunch, the day to day running is not to bad.
Not my neck of the woods anymore, or I might have given them a ring.
the maoster:
Fair point Juddian, that never entered my mind tbh. I’m probably guilty of thinking that if I don’t care then nobody should. That’s quite sad in itself that the job I once couldn’t wait to get out of bed for on a Monday morning now just fills me with apathy. It’s the drip drip drip of all the bollox over the years that has done it methinks.
Not done much farm collection work with a tanker? The recovery drivers that we used to call out when I worked for Turners in Westbury are still good friends of the family… 
Amazing, drivers apparently going daily to farms…farms that is that always have tractors…and getting themselves stuck so badly they need regular commercial recovery, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Christs sake most of us did and many still do farm work for bloody years on end and only once in a rare blue moon might need a tug from a tractor just to get it moving, a lorry driver doesn’t put the vehicle into a situation where its likely to get axle deep bogged, its called lorry driving.
There might however be mitigating circs for this farce, which neatly brings us full circle to Horley’s pertinent question about auto/manual gearboxes, you would hope that a company specifying vehicles likely to go into difficult slippery/mud terrain especially at odd hours would choose the correct spec for the job…manual boxes or allison auto, with rear tag axles if 6x2 artics and double drive if 6/8 wheel rigids.
This is the real world mind of modern Britain though where those who know whats needed have no say in procurement , so i have no doubt the vehicles are actually standard fleet/supermarket auto fodder totally unsuited to the job in hand…go on tell me that’s wrong.
Juddian:
Amazing, drivers apparently going daily to farms…farms that is that always have tractors…and getting themselves stuck so badly they need regular commercial recovery, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Christs sake most of us did and many still do farm work for bloody years on end and only once in a rare blue moon might need a tug from a tractor just to get it moving, a lorry driver doesn’t put the vehicle into a situation where its likely to get axle deep bogged, its called lorry driving.There might however be mitigating circs for this farce, which neatly brings us full circle to Horley’s pertinent question about auto/manual gearboxes, you would hope that a company specifying vehicles likely to go into difficult slippery/mud terrain especially at odd hours would choose the correct spec for the job…manual boxes or allison auto, with rear tag axles if 6x2 artics and double drive if 6/8 wheel rigids.
This is the real world mind of modern Britain though where those who know whats needed have no say in procurement
The trucks that needed recovery at Turners where manual box ERF (MAN) units. And not usually because they were axle deep in mud. Basic traction problems because of bad tyre choice and vehicle configuration. Artics are not the best choice for milk collection. And trying to get a farmer out late in the evening/at night is tricky. Especially if he’s had a drink…
Having actual experience of the job, with a wide variety of different vehicles, I can tell you that the Volvo FM with auto box on a 8 wheeler is about as good as it gets. No need for double drive, that only makes harder work of going around the lanes.
the nodding donkey:
Juddian:
Amazing, drivers apparently going daily to farms…farms that is that always have tractors…and getting themselves stuck so badly they need regular commercial recovery, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Christs sake most of us did and many still do farm work for bloody years on end and only once in a rare blue moon might need a tug from a tractor just to get it moving, a lorry driver doesn’t put the vehicle into a situation where its likely to get axle deep bogged, its called lorry driving.There might however be mitigating circs for this farce, which neatly brings us full circle to Horley’s pertinent question about auto/manual gearboxes, you would hope that a company specifying vehicles likely to go into difficult slippery/mud terrain especially at odd hours would choose the correct spec for the job…manual boxes or allison auto, with rear tag axles if 6x2 artics and double drive if 6/8 wheel rigids.
This is the real world mind of modern Britain though where those who know whats needed have no say in procurement
The trucks that needed recovery at Turners where manual box ERF (MAN) units. And not usually because they were axle deep in mud. Basic traction problems because of bad tyre choice and vehicle configuration. Artics are not the best choice for milk collection. And trying to get a farmer out late in the evening/at night is tricky. Especially if he’s had a drink…
Having actual experience of the job, with a wide variety of different vehicles, I can tell you that the Volvo FM with auto box on a 8 wheeler is about as good as it gets. No need for double drive, that only makes harder work of going around the lanes.
Bloody square MANs (even with an ERF badge) are useless for traction even in 4x2 guise, i’ve been stuck on a flat icy road with one, half an inch of packed snow turned to ice, tried as best you can with arsetronic box to rock it back and forth, after about 10 minutes of that the gearbox overheated in the freezing cold so had to shut down for at least half an hour to let the heap cool down before it would allow a gear selection again, utter junk…had the same in heavy traffic in that there London dump.
Following week manual Axor 6 inches of snow same job and the thing refused to get stuck anywhere.
I’ve had an auto for 2 years now. No problems whatsoever. I do a lot of off road, and not just into farm yards. All this pish about needing a manual gearbox is just ■■■■■■■■. Complete ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■. It just depends whether you know how to drive one properly or not.
Juddian:
the nodding donkey:
Juddian:
Amazing, drivers apparently going daily to farms…farms that is that always have tractors…and getting themselves stuck so badly they need regular commercial recovery, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Christs sake most of us did and many still do farm work for bloody years on end and only once in a rare blue moon might need a tug from a tractor just to get it moving, a lorry driver doesn’t put the vehicle into a situation where its likely to get axle deep bogged, its called lorry driving.There might however be mitigating circs for this farce, which neatly brings us full circle to Horley’s pertinent question about auto/manual gearboxes, you would hope that a company specifying vehicles likely to go into difficult slippery/mud terrain especially at odd hours would choose the correct spec for the job…manual boxes or allison auto, with rear tag axles if 6x2 artics and double drive if 6/8 wheel rigids.
This is the real world mind of modern Britain though where those who know whats needed have no say in procurement
The trucks that needed recovery at Turners where manual box ERF (MAN) units. And not usually because they were axle deep in mud. Basic traction problems because of bad tyre choice and vehicle configuration. Artics are not the best choice for milk collection. And trying to get a farmer out late in the evening/at night is tricky. Especially if he’s had a drink…
Having actual experience of the job, with a wide variety of different vehicles, I can tell you that the Volvo FM with auto box on a 8 wheeler is about as good as it gets. No need for double drive, that only makes harder work of going around the lanes.
Bloody square MANs (even with an ERF badge) are useless for traction even in 4x2 guise, i’ve been stuck on a flat icy road with one, half an inch of packed snow turned to ice, tried as best you can with arsetronic box to rock it back and forth, after about 10 minutes of that the gearbox overheated
Following week manual Axor 6 inches of snow same job and the thing refused to get stuck anywhere.
The ERF (MAN) had manual gearboxes. But as I said above, artics are not the best choice for milk collections in the sticks (I’ll let you work out why).
I used to work for Arla many years ago with an agency in Melksham, i was doing nights out of the old dairy at Oldford near Frome, delivering milk on cages to supermarkets on the South Coast, my first drop was Bournemouth, the last one Weymouth .
Arla are no longer at Oldford, the new depot is on the industrial estate in Westbury.
I used to like the day runs from Frome, going to other Arla dairies and farms in Devon, one was off the main road near Tiverton, a steep slope down to the farm , but a tractor there to tow you out in the snow and ice.
I think the Arla depot in London is shut down now, it was tight to reverse in to and some bays almost impossible without another driver to guide you in.
The agencies that send drivers to the Westbury depot are Skills Direct in Trowbridge , who are paying £ 14 per hour or Bailey employment services ltd in Melksham .
When working there, i was left alone, no pressure, the fleet was modern .Good people to work for, and as mentioned , some have been there all their life .
Skills Direct are offering free licence training from class two to class one, if you stay for one year on going contract .