Has anyone had an assessment with Maritime ive got an interview/ assessment tomorrow any info would be brilliant Cheers guys!
Done it a few years ago at Felixstowe and it consisted of about 15 questions on driving hours etc then about a 30 minute drive in a manual scania, followed by a reverse into a bay. Nothing hard about it just take your time and do everything by the book and you’ll be fine.
There is! Reversing onto a bay! Its my 1st class 1 job if i manage to get it. Thanks for the info mate ill scrub up on my drivers hours.
You going for days/nights? Always been tempted to see what the crack is there, do post your findings!
Not sure whatever they offer me not to fussed. Yeah ill let you know dude im thinking about going for the tramping.
Don’t get pushed into being an "owner driver " for them by buying one of their trucks and paying to pull their trailer like they used to do !
I wouldnt bother with tramping,they have you home most nights.I done two nights out in 6 weeks tramping. Crap!!
Thats ideal i just want a few nights out not the whole week away from home. Just to bump my wages up ive got a friend that works there and he loves it will see how tomorrow goes hes had to pull a few strings to get me an assessment with no experience.
Damo_hall:
Thats ideal i just want a few nights out not the whole week away from home. Just to bump my wages up ive got a friend that works there and he loves it will see how tomorrow goes hes had to pull a few strings to get me an assessment with no experience.
colin will probably be there 
drive nice and slowly, checking mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors! 
they’ll probably give you a manual 3 over three with half splitter daf! take your time they don’t bite! Good luck 
They’ll tell you straight away, 
if there’s no truck you may need to travel to any depot in the country 
plenty of cab hopping, but don’t take this as a negative as once you’re a full timer you’ll get your own cab, BUT if everyone turns in on a Monday and there’s spare drivers be PREPARED TO PAINT THE YARD/ sweep it and lick it! 
The planners in the office/ take away ones brain too, so be prepared for fuel saving and doing as you’re told, you’re not allowed to think for yourself and this is a must, " if you want to be home FRIDAY! Tell them first thing Monday morning " otherwise you’ll be parked up nowhere near Trafford park and you’ll be running in on a Saturday THEN SETTING UP BOXES FOR HOURS WHEN YOU WANT TO BE ON THE LASH/ old Trafford watching the boys or fishing the canal! I hope it’s what you’re looking for your first job/ JUST USE IT AS EXPERIENCE ON CONTAINERS, they Will take you on!
Cheers for the heads up pal it didnt end going ahead today so will probably be next week if they dont change their mind! Whats the half splitter? ive never driven a 4 over 4 or 3 over 3 so should be fun!
Damo_hall:
Cheers for the heads up pal it didnt end going ahead today so will probably be next week if they dont change their mind! Whats the half splitter? ive never driven a 4 over 4 or 3 over 3 so should be fun!
just half gears pal first low/ high second low/ high and so on easy mate honestly
Damo_hall:
Cheers for the heads up pal it didnt end going ahead today so will probably be next week if they dont change their mind! Whats the half splitter? ive never driven a 4 over 4 or 3 over 3 so should be fun!
Half splitter is a “half” gear between the main gears. Can be handy on a long uphill lug or if running light when block changing. Most of the splitters I’ve used had the splitter switch in a toggle arrangement on the gear stick
4 over 4 is a straight 4 forward gear arrangement with a range change to give you 4 more gears. You go 1 - 4 in “low” range, change range selector before dropping the clutch, drop the clutch and select 1st again. This gives you another 4 gears in “High” range 5 - 8. The range change switches were either a sliding switch on the gear stick or a rotating collar, again on the gear stick.
Do you see how 3 over 3 will work?
In all honesty I haven’t driven a manual truck for years so I’d have to hold my hands up at the start of the assessment and get the assessor to explain it in case the gear box arrangement is different from that described above.
Yeh i see how the 3 over 3 works mate thanks. So if your driving on a flat do you not really need the splitter just the range changer? Theres not many hills in Trafford Park!
On the flat I rarely used the splitter in low range but you really need to have a “feel” for the truck gearing, weight, traffic and make your decision from then.
Another tip I’ll share with you the splitter only needs the clutch to drop to change, the range change has, in every truck I’ve used with this arrangement, to go through neutral to change. this make split changes quicker than range changes. Worth remembering on hills when you want to maintain momentum/hold back using engine braking.