Hi.
I’ve already searched the forum on this topic but i could’nt find any helpfull information.
Does any one have experiance working for these on class1? I know they do nights out and i know the moeny etc but i would like to know if anyone has first hand experiance with these?
I would also like to know what the " average" rate for class1 drivers is around Essex area?
Thanks in advance.
Dunno what the actual average is but you should be looking around the £10 / hr mark on days. I see a few local jobs around paying less though, but the better paying jobs don’t tend to get advertised.
Some of the specialised areas of driving are paying more on day rate but you need experience for many of them.
works out at somewhere between £7-£8 per hour.
Mate of mine worked for them. Said it was utter pish. Wagons are 26t renault curtainsiders - in horrid condition. Planners/office are a constant nuisance, expecting you to move heaven and earth in jig time, and won’t ever leave you alone to get the job done. Plus it’s mostly handball of heavy sacks of sugar/oils/syrups etc… into bakeries and chip-shops (no tail-lift or pallet truck)
Same story with the class 1s. Renault premium units. Mostly handball. No t/lift, no pallet truck. Roughly £8 to £9 per hour. 1 to 2 nights out a week on average. Sleeper cabs in absolute manky condition.
Avoid like the plague!! Alway have an ad in Chronicle for either class 1 or 2 driver wage is around 24k, out most of week, work bank holidays, leave Chelmsford on a sunday night, head north with deliveries, then reloading & working out of northern depots, until you get reloaded for essex again on thursday. Class 1 could be on tanker, which involves some Euro work, trucks have seen better days. There are better jobs out there!
Thanks for your replies
The thing is im 24 and im thinking that the experiance using a tanker could be invaluable at my age although i may be wrong.
As far as im aware they are out monday to friday. I’ve been asked to pop into a branch mid week to have a look but by the sounds of your experiances, its not going to be great so i wont get my hopes up.
Thanks
As others have said shower of ■■■■ to work for, always on your back an arrogant on the phone,
your proberly be cab hoping at first covering holiday, so one week you could be in class 2 next class 1 an you wont just cover chelmsford either you may be asked to go to bristol an leeds depots aswell which they pay something like 1.40 a mile to use your own car to get there.
I lasted a week there before walking, no one at any of the depots had a good word to say about them either.
£1.40 a mile? I would drive around all day in my own motor for that. If I use my car for the outfit I work for I feel guilty with charging them £0.45 which I believe is or maybe was the top end so you aren’t liable to tax. But I wouldn’t work anywhere that treats you like something on the sole of their shoe.
this was a year or so ago tbh so maybe wrong, memories not great 
, i never actually stayed long enough to work at other depots 1 week was enough infact id had enough after 2 half days but wernt gonna jump ship away from base, but i did work it out that you could stay in say a premier inn for the weekend if say you was at leeds 2 weeks on the trot an still come out with money left over,
Not that id recommend working there
I have now worked for Kent Foods for 7 months, the guy who looks after the transport and vehicles is really decent, he makes sure the vehicles are serviced and maintained, any driver not looking after the vehicle gets told to tidy up or go, the runs are out on average 4 nights per week on the class 2’s but that is explained at the start, they pay really good night out money and all your expences.
The class 1’s have got know handballs its all forklift work, dont have a clue who said that it wasent, Kent Foods are running Renaults that are changed at 4 years old, and if a truck is not in good condition then it is down to the driver not Kent Foods, so drivers that dont look after the vehicles are not wanted.
I have worked for a few companies and kent are growing in numbers and are running a decent fleet from my point of view.
if your looking for a change then Kent are a good move.
Sounds more like an advert, badger.
Stan
Stanley Knife:
Sounds more like an advert, badger.Stan
My thoughts exactly, someone at kent foods been googleling there name
they must of changed since i was there 2 years ago cause when has £18 night out been really good 
Definatly an advert.
Needless to say, i didn’t take the job offer in the end. And to be honest, they guy had an attitude when i called and appologised that i’d changed my mind.
Had a bad feeling about them from the start and with other peoples previous experiances, it didn’t seem worth the gamble.
I live near the Leeds depot, walk the dog past a bit, they’ve just moved units… The wagons look pretty new and tidy (on the outside!)
I always thought what it would be like to work for them as it would be nice walking to work. Not so fussed now!
guy’s,
Maybe I didnt expect to much the trucks are ok and the nights out are £25 plus parking, I was with another lot beore them and they were only £19 a stop out, so this is better, its no advert just what im seeing, the Leeds drivers are all happy but I cant speak for everybody in the company just what I see.
hi every one been off here a while anyway friend of mine rings me on thursday says hes applied for class 1 at chelmsford ,he sent all app forms off via email tuesday and has to go and see depot manager in chelmsford friday, he then gets job !!! . they have asked him to drive to leeds on monday with another driver who will assess him . i think this is very suss and also judging by comments the depot guy made ie vehicles have tail lift etc feel this may be class 2 work ,he was under impression its going to be tankers to and from holland etc. i told him i would look on here as hes not aware of sites like this , and low and behold i find the above threads . has any one been with the chelmsford mob recently or any other depot ,has it changed !!! . ive told him to hang fire on this one but would not want to do him out of a job 
. also i remember him saying monthly paid all nights out and parking expenses paid at end of month ,well to me thats alot of monies out of his pocket before anything ie 16 days parking on average at 30 quid .
any help in this matter would be appreciated either by posting here or pm me or email me
to the top
They’re advertising for a driver in Witney too. The description is a bit pointless though, making it sound a bit iffy.
jobsearch.direct.gov.uk/GetJob. … ID=1390414
hi mate do not think its same company as they do not do frozen only powders and liquids
Hey topmixer11,
As reported in this previous post and “Governor!” gave the same opinion twice Kent Foods info? - #2 by governor - THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE) - Trucknet UK
Have always had adverts on Directgov website since 2011, usually without fail they have a vacancy every month and at a bad peak recently it was every week for a couple of months?!
Not sure what you can say to that, especially in this economic climate?! 
C