To be honest you sound like what you are; a typical new driver.
When I started my first driving job, I had certain targets, by the time I left 3.5 years later those targets had more than doubled. I wasn’t actually working any harder by the end, I was just working far more efficiently.
Patience, persistence, and planning, will see you right with your current job, or right into the arms of a proper employer!
biker10:
Thanks for all the replies guys. You give me some hope in my future as its really made me think twice. I had every idea I was going to do 50-60 hours but I reckon I could be hitting 70. I know im not getting my daily rest. Driving wise ive improved rapidly, not being over confident but happy with my progression. One thing that takes my time is the work in the back of the truck. So much they dont tell you so you find out by making mistakes which costs time. I typically have 15 hours to do around 16 drops in cheshire usually Nantwich, sandbach, congleton areas ect lots of A and B roads. At each drop it can take several minutes to check orders and add miscellaneous items to them before dropping them off, waiting for the customer to check it and then return the cages and lock up the truck. Some drops are round the corner but some are also 30 minutes apart. A lad whos been there 18 years can do the route and be done around 3pm. Its taking me till 5 ish most days but then im hitting rush hour and its taking two hours sometimes to get back. Pretty gutted at the minute but nothing I can see going anywhere near me. Would like to get into skips/construction but all asking for experience! Think for now I will have to push on. Im not getting daily rest no way, not sure how they are getting round that. I do transit once a week usually Saturday so im not on tacho. Dont mind to be honest its a break lol. I know some of the time is down to me and learning my game but ive spoken to other lads there and im not alone. Some of the lads do really well there to be fair but turnover in general is high. Team and staff are all fine to get on with but hours are excessive. Ive yet to actually take a real break too but im off for four days now as I booked them off so rest time!!
Learning how to do a 16 drop route isn’t going to happen quickly, and you’ll not get many helpful tips from the grunts you’re delivering to who aren’t seeing the regular driver stood in front of them! 
However you’re still being planned for too much! 
Is it all deliveries? As when I did multi-drop pallets we had collections in the afternoon which helped balance the workload, but by the sound of it your firm is just 
The second you feel you have the confidence to move on, GO!!!
Surely this company must realise that pushing for so much in such a short time creates problems,is the planner a bully ?
Sounds like a place to avoid .i am there monday for an interview in banbury i will be asking the questions raised here .
Have you tried S. Cooper in Winsford, they are general haulage multidrop but won’t be 16 drops. They give new starts a go can be long hours but not expected to go over and everyone is helpful. Only been driving since June myself and enjoying it.
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Place I am are general haulage with 16-20 drops a day, guys moan but get them done.
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its all just drops no collections. to be fair if it was just a case of dropping of the load id be done by 3pm. I am based in Manchester.
To be fair all the lads and bosses are top but it doesnt hide the fact there seems to be an organisation or planning issue.
So far ive discovered your truck is split into half fridge half freezer approximately. mix of cages and pallets, sometimes all cages which doesnt always work for you as you have to dismantle them all and rotate them. you get a load plan which shows you which cage(s) for which drops that bits fine. Now sometimes(usually) some of the cages will be spilt so top half one drop bottom half one drop this is shown on the sheet so for example drop 1 could be on the top but what I have noticed is one or two items can be on the bottom by mistake or due to space for drop one so basically to make sure you end up picking any mixed cages right through so this slows me down. After that you have a “sub” frozen and ambient. These are items that have come from another depot that our depot doesn’t hold stock of. this is usually one to two cages extra each of frozen and ambient. So for example drop one might also need frozen peas and cucumbers from the sub cages so this needs checking too. Any chemicals such as cleaning will be on another extra cage but wont be on any paperwork so you need to check the invoice incase of this and its usually the top item but not always so you have to check through again. Any fresh meat or fish will be on the sub cage but not on the sub list so you need to check the invoice again. Any alcohol is on the sub cage or sometimes a separate cage and most of the time wont be on the list but sometimes is. Any missing items and a claim form has to be written out. Some companies wont let you leave until its all checked so this can take time. for some reason packers like to put yogurts and tubs of sauce on the edges of the cages so you need to be super careful with the load as they burst so easy. In the morning you have to go get your sub cages from the warehouse. Sometimes on the odd occasion there already on the truck but you still go round to check if there is anything else. Last week I double checked and asked the lad and he said im all good. An hour down the motorway I get a call to say im missing a cage and to wait at my first drop for someone to bring it.
I am definitely learning but Its all on the job so its really slowing me down and thats before I try to work out which product is for the customer. Its a tough job no doubt, in many ways I want to crack it as I dont like things beating me but talking to others it does seem to be an up hill struggle. I am off till Tuesday so having a beer 
I assume you’re working for Brake Bros/Bidvest/3663 or the like?
biker10:
its all just drops no collections. to be fair if it was just a case of dropping of the load id be done by 3pm. I am based in Manchester.To be fair all the lads and bosses are top but it doesnt hide the fact there seems to be an organisation or planning issue.
So far ive discovered your truck is split into half fridge half freezer approximately. mix of cages and pallets, sometimes all cages which doesnt always work for you as you have to dismantle them all and rotate them. you get a load plan which shows you which cage(s) for which drops that bits fine. Now sometimes(usually) some of the cages will be spilt so top half one drop bottom half one drop this is shown on the sheet so for example drop 1 could be on the top but what I have noticed is one or two items can be on the bottom by mistake or due to space for drop one so basically to make sure you end up picking any mixed cages right through so this slows me down. After that you have a “sub” frozen and ambient. These are items that have come from another depot that our depot doesn’t hold stock of. this is usually one to two cages extra each of frozen and ambient. So for example drop one might also need frozen peas and cucumbers from the sub cages so this needs checking too. Any chemicals such as cleaning will be on another extra cage but wont be on any paperwork so you need to check the invoice incase of this and its usually the top item but not always so you have to check through again. Any fresh meat or fish will be on the sub cage but not on the sub list so you need to check the invoice again. Any alcohol is on the sub cage or sometimes a separate cage and most of the time wont be on the list but sometimes is. Any missing items and a claim form has to be written out. Some companies wont let you leave until its all checked so this can take time. for some reason packers like to put yogurts and tubs of sauce on the edges of the cages so you need to be super careful with the load as they burst so easy. In the morning you have to go get your sub cages from the warehouse. Sometimes on the odd occasion there already on the truck but you still go round to check if there is anything else. Last week I double checked and asked the lad and he said im all good. An hour down the motorway I get a call to say im missing a cage and to wait at my first drop for someone to bring it.
I am definitely learning but Its all on the job so its really slowing me down and thats before I try to work out which product is for the customer. Its a tough job no doubt, in many ways I want to crack it as I dont like things beating me but talking to others it does seem to be an up hill struggle. I am off till Tuesday so having a beer
That sounds more like you’re learning to run a mobile shop, than doing a delivery job!
No wonder you’re hours behind the regular driver.
Or that these firms generally seem to pay well, because the job’s a ballsache!
Definitely not for me, and maybe not for you pal…
Brakes offered me a job way last year. Wanted me to start next day but wasn’t prepared to up sticks, leave job without notice and the like. The guy got kinda unpleasant I heard!!
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biker10:
its all just drops no collections. to be fair if it was just a case of dropping of the load id be done by 3pm. I am based in Manchester.To be fair all the lads and bosses are top but it doesnt hide the fact there seems to be an organisation or planning issue.
So far ive discovered your truck is split into half fridge half freezer approximately. mix of cages and pallets, sometimes all cages which doesnt always work for you as you have to dismantle them all and rotate them. you get a load plan which shows you which cage(s) for which drops that bits fine. Now sometimes(usually) some of the cages will be spilt so top half one drop bottom half one drop this is shown on the sheet so for example drop 1 could be on the top but what I have noticed is one or two items can be on the bottom by mistake or due to space for drop one so basically to make sure you end up picking any mixed cages right through so this slows me down. After that you have a “sub” frozen and ambient. These are items that have come from another depot that our depot doesn’t hold stock of. this is usually one to two cages extra each of frozen and ambient. So for example drop one might also need frozen peas and cucumbers from the sub cages so this needs checking too. Any chemicals such as cleaning will be on another extra cage but wont be on any paperwork so you need to check the invoice incase of this and its usually the top item but not always so you have to check through again. Any fresh meat or fish will be on the sub cage but not on the sub list so you need to check the invoice again. Any alcohol is on the sub cage or sometimes a separate cage and most of the time wont be on the list but sometimes is. Any missing items and a claim form has to be written out. Some companies wont let you leave until its all checked so this can take time. for some reason packers like to put yogurts and tubs of sauce on the edges of the cages so you need to be super careful with the load as they burst so easy. In the morning you have to go get your sub cages from the warehouse. Sometimes on the odd occasion there already on the truck but you still go round to check if there is anything else. Last week I double checked and asked the lad and he said im all good. An hour down the motorway I get a call to say im missing a cage and to wait at my first drop for someone to bring it.
I am definitely learning but Its all on the job so its really slowing me down and thats before I try to work out which product is for the customer. Its a tough job no doubt, in many ways I want to crack it as I dont like things beating me but talking to others it does seem to be an up hill struggle. I am off till Tuesday so having a beer [emoji38]
Sounds exactly like PH. Then next day you have to fill in a sheet explaining why you was late. Apparently it was to help them plan it better issue is in that job it’s hard to plan anything.
The set times for delivering stuff are the same but the day is different and like you I had mixed Cages and stuff split in the truck.
Tbh you’re getting lots of drops to save them money and every day will be a long day.
That guy who’s finishing at 3 is most likely so well in with the customers that he’s leaving the Cages full at the shops and the shops sort it out and he’s just swapping Cages every time he arrives.
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JaxDemon:
That guy who’s finishing at 3 is most likely so well in with the customers that he’s leaving the Cages full at the shops and the shops sort it out and he’s just swapping Cages every time he arrives.Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
And that is to be applauded, not castigated!
That driver if he is doing that, has spent time investing in his relationships with customers, to make his day go smoother. Brilliant!
F-reds:
JaxDemon:
That guy who’s finishing at 3 is most likely so well in with the customers that he’s leaving the Cages full at the shops and the shops sort it out and he’s just swapping Cages every time he arrives.Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
And that is to be applauded, not castigated!
That driver if he is doing that, has spent time investing in his relationships with customers, to make his day go smoother. Brilliant!
I agree and that comes with time and building a relationship with said customers, chances are he gets fed as well…lol!
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F-reds:
JaxDemon:
That guy who’s finishing at 3 is most likely so well in with the customers that he’s leaving the Cages full at the shops and the shops sort it out and he’s just swapping Cages every time he arrives.Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
And that is to be applauded, not castigated!
That driver if he is doing that, has spent time investing in his relationships with customers, to make his day go smoother. Brilliant!
Oh yeah I agree but the company telling him what other people do is building an instant expectation of what’s to be expected when in reality it’s not always like that.
Then when someone has a long day and you here some mug in the office say ‘Well so and so is usually done that same run by 3pm’ it becomes patronising.
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People can be far too sensitive, if he’s told a fellow driver can do the same run in significantly less time, you don’t have to take it as patronising, but as a target to aim at, and you need to be asking yourself why.
If the answer is because the experienced driver s cutting corners, then that’s fine, carry on as you are.
But if its because the new driver is too green, and not doing things as efficiently, then its up to the new driver to learn and shape up, not for the office to just let it go. Obviously I cant happen overnight, but they have to have the feedback that they are currently not carrying their weight.
Agree with all the comments. I also know I need to learn my trade. I guess whats annoying is you are not really trained you train yourself and learn from mistakes. Meantime it costs hours so im cracking on don’t mean to sound like im moaning bit of luck ill be posting soon to say im getting better.
biker10:
Agree with all the comments. I also know I need to learn my trade. I guess whats annoying is you are not really trained you train yourself and learn from mistakes. Meantime it costs hours so im cracking on don’t mean to sound like im moaning bit of luck ill be posting soon to say im getting better.
With an attitude like that, I have no doubt, you will do just fine!
F-reds:
biker10:
Agree with all the comments. I also know I need to learn my trade. I guess whats annoying is you are not really trained you train yourself and learn from mistakes. Meantime it costs hours so im cracking on don’t mean to sound like im moaning bit of luck ill be posting soon to say im getting better.With an attitude like that, I have no doubt, you will do just fine!
That’s no fun F-reds, the Trucknet was is to belittle the OP for not initially explaining the reasons he was going over the target hours! 
You’ll get there OP, speeding up isn’t going to happen over night, as as said, there may be good reasons why you can’t legally achieve the time!
A few years back I would deliver to all the schools in the east end of Glasgow doing about 55-60 drops that had to be done before 1:30 on a Friday as kitchens would close sharp …it was in a 3.5 t van but for ages I would struggle and even get some of the other guys to sort my lines in the correct order…I would have nightmares but no matter what they wouldn’t change my run…then went in one day cool calm and collected and generally couldn’t give a "*+# and sorted my lines my way …it just seemed to fall into place, u would get the job done easy, even a couple rolls and sausage at some…it’ll come to you, just don’t get yourself all worked up and try to do it in record time.
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EddieMD:
A few years back I would deliver to all the schools in the east end of Glasgow doing about 55-60 drops that had to be done before 1:30 on a Friday as kitchens would close sharp …it was in a 3.5 t van but for ages I would struggle and even get some of the other guys to sort my lines in the correct order…I would have nightmares but no matter what they wouldn’t change my run…then went in one day cool calm and collected and generally couldn’t give a "*+# and sorted my lines my way …it just seemed to fall into place, u would get the job done easy, even a couple rolls and sausage at some…it’ll come to you, just don’t get yourself all worked up and try to do it in record time.Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
Exactly, it doesn’t need to be in record time, you just need to ask yourself, “did I do better today, than yesterday?” If the answer is yes, then great! If not you need to be asking, why, and what could I do better?
F-reds:
and what could I do better?
I could toss it off less?
Each job has its positives and negatives, and while food service may not have many positives, I do see a few pulling into the services early in the afternoon, suspiciously like they don’t want to get back early and raise the bar! 