Been asked to do Londis convenience store deliveries. I rather imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare with drops at little shops, am i right ?.
YES!
Yes, a lot are not even branded as Londis - there’s a NISA near me that’s actually a Londis, also often parts of petrol stations. If you go on the Londis website there’s a storefinder - see how many there are local to you & it should give you an idea.
Ex Haulier:
Been asked to do Londis convenience store deliveries. I rather imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare with drops at little shops, am i right ?.
Avoid it at all costs!!! It’s the one of two companies i refuse to work for, them and 3663.
So have you actually done it, or just heard about it ?. How many drops per run, it’s all cages isn’t it ?.
Ex Haulier:
Been asked to do Londis convenience store deliveries. I rather imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare with drops at little shops, am i right ?.
If I put my postcode in the searcher thing, it finds 18 shops within 10 miles. I imagine most are like this or small fuel stations.
I think on hours, it will be fairly productive and when in cages, how bad can it be with a taillift?
Wheel Nut:
Ex Haulier:
Been asked to do Londis convenience store deliveries. I rather imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare with drops at little shops, am i right ?.If I put my postcode in the searcher thing, it finds 18 shops within 10 miles. I imagine most are like this or small fuel stations.
I think on hours, it will be fairly productive and when in cages, how bad can it be with a taillift?
Oh trust me…it is a classic “how hard can it be” story with Londis…they all look innocent on the outside, but when you consider they’re always situated in little villages and the sort, the concrete is always really run down, so although you can take the cage off of the truck near the shop, doesn’t mean its easy to get it in. Also in a lot of cases, the shops are only staffed by old women, so its up to you to get the cages inside the shop and sometimes unload the cages so customers can walk about inside the shop. And the trucks?..absolute run down pieces of ■■■■…I’ve not driven older trucks, truly terrible!
They’ve got tail lifts of course, but they’re the ones where the hinge is underneath, so the hinge hits the floor and then the rest of the tail lift carries on going down until you’re left with a ramp. The tail lift has these tiny little flaps (not the big yellow ones) so you have to push the cage back up the tail lift and stand on the flap to push it into the floor…not easy when you’re unloading on a hill, with the tail lift in a ramped position. Also…to operate these tail lifts, there’s these ■■■■■■ buttons on the floors which you stand on to operate it…and as the vehicles are knackered anyway, I’m sure you can figure out the state of these buttons.
There’s only one benefit working for Londis…not many shops on your run!
Oh yeah…they don’t have maps showing where the stores are…you’re expected to have a satnav or map and work it out using a postcode that’s often wrong!
Ex Haulier:
Been asked to do Londis convenience store deliveries. I rather imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare with drops at little shops, am i right ?.
Used to do similar work for Nisa/Costcutters around London,loading/unloading etc: hard graft,dropped a fair bit of weight,which is what i needed to do at the time.
Lasted 4 months,was enough for me.
Good luck. 
If it’s anything like One-stop, AVOID
Most of the cages are top heavy, as the pickers are of very low intellect! You often have to try and bump them up kerbs to get them in the shop, you’ll forever be moving stuff around in the back to get your next drop off - as you have to pick up all the empties and all the packaging for recycling, so the first drop is fine, the next 3 you’ll forever be moving the rubbish round the full cages. The customers at the shops abandon their cars where you’re trying to wheel the cages and then moan at you for being there.
On the plus side, I phoned the agency half way through the round and told him what a load of guff the job is and I’m on my way home now… he paid me Sunday rate for it! You won’t have to try and drag the job out- it’ll take you forever and a day anyhow!
Box clever with it and you can make a fortune
I only done it because the agency couldn’t get anyone else to do it coz it’s such a crappy job, so I basically named my price. Put’s quite a sweetner on the crap!
44 Tonne Ton:
YES!
DITTO 
I did nisa out of scunny for years on and off. 6 drops on an artic was the norm. Anything from a run around central London or out in the stick around Wales, did a lot around brum aswell. It’s one of them jobs that you’d do 6 months fine, then you’d have a bad day / week that gets you saying to yourself why am I doing this? I did it very early on in my driving career and I’m glad I did as it defo made me a better driver, I loved the challenge! Pretty much no waiting around unless you got to a shop when the chill man was there and time goes so quick. Some blokes turned up and only did one day. I’m not saying its the best job in the world and I hated it at times but sometimes I loved it too. Give it a go!
I did a similar thing last week on agency.
Yes its a hassle sorting the cages out and taking empties back, but you probably won’t have more than 10-14 drops and you go home when you’re finished.
Knock 'em out quickly, be firm but polite with the store staff, don’t let them take the ■■■■ and you can do a drop in 10 minutes.
Yes you’ll have to block half the street for 10 mins but thats not your fault is it and people can get round if they really try.
You will probably hate it, and it will knacker you out but its a great way of getting/staying in shape and as its on agency just say no if they offer it to you full time but take the odd day here and there.
If its the only work you’ve got for that day then its money isn’t it, and the agency will love you for doing it!
Alex
I learned a long time ago to bin these jobs. Crap cages loaded to the gunwhales, top heavy with three good wheels and trying to drag it over broken slabs etc. What do you get as an agency driver when you put your back out? Unpaid time off that’s what!
I wonder what would happen if every driver just refused to work for these type of companies ■■?
TTX boy:
I wonder what would happen if every driver just refused to work for these type of companies ■■?
the cash would go up, supply and demand
stevie
The dole is a better option I expect. Especially if you’re a junky and have a 16 year old girl friend with 2 kids. That’ll be a nice little earner…
Someone has been on the Buckfast !.