I have an interview with Maritime at Manchester on Thursday.
I’ve never tramped(Driven for the same firm for 11 years)
I’ve never moved containers.
Discuss…
You will need a good quality rear door lock for the container, a Bulldog brand, for when over nighting.Their driver has told me they have accounts in most MSA`s.
When collecting a box, you will have no idea if it will tip over on the first roundabout out of the dock gates, due to a top heavy load.
Some boxes need to be fumigated and gassed at delivery points to kill exotic insects and in some cases killer spiders and snakes.
If the load has paint or varnish, they will open the rear doors to vent off the fumes before they tip the box, this takes a few hours.
Containers are like Marmite, love it or hate it.
On handball drops, if the load is small packages, this can take 3 to 4 hours as they check each package.
A box will have a heavy duty seal bolt in the back door, all the drop off points that receive boxes have bolt croppers, do not take your own in the cab.
I had a bike in the cab, so on long tips, i would cycle the lanes, they would give me a call an hour from being empty.
Take lots of things to do in the cab while waiting, books or puzzles,a TV is ideal.
On boxes, you will get to go anywhere, from farms, narrow rural lanes, out of the way industrial units in the back of beyond, no day is the same.
For tramping, Maritime supply microwaves in all their fleet.
ENJOY 
84 hours one week, 
71 hours the next! 
I worked for Maritime as a subby out of Millbrook depot, Southampton for 2 years, a few years ago.
Most of there drivers are ok and you can have a laugh with, but you do get the odd one or two that are very Ignorant and some drivers from other depots don’t speak to each other a bit like Stobarts, most of the depots have showers and a kitchen to eat or make a cup of tea.
Container work can be a bit boring sometimes waiting 4 hours to tip or to load but its not hard work, make sure you got some entertainment, it will make you LETHARGIC if you just lying down on the bunk all day.
Work wise is always remember to take your bulldog container lock of your box and do the twist locks before you reverse on to the grid and make sure when collecting boxes the doors are facing the right way on your sliding skeletal trailer, you will have to guide them on to the twist locks on your trailer, they won’t come back straight away to change the box around for you.
With some depots you got to try and get there early for parking or ring ahead to get your free parking space. and if you go to seafore docks, Liverpool you might have to show them your passport as a form of I.D. as they won’t except your RHIDES card as I.D. unless its been all change since I’ve been there ?
Great trucks and the pay is not bad aswell, watch out for damage on your truck at the end of your weekly shift, they are [zb] hot on all that, that’s when you will get reprimanded by your depot manager if they find any chips or scratches on paintwork, which you can’t blame them really being brand new to 2 years old, top spec trucks with Fridges and Microwave ovens in each truck.
I hope this helps you out a bit and if it sounds a bit daunting you can ask other drivers at the docks they will always help you out with advices or how the VBS system works etc etc etc if you are new to that type of industry.
Good luck
Fatboy slimslow:
ENJOY
to tell you the truth i do far less hrs than i ever did with the green machine
cliffton is the man to ask, he’s still at Maritime Manchester.
I was previously there, the ‘bulldog’ container lock that toby is talking about is supplied by the company, they expect you to use it and get ■■■■■■ off when you send it to the US of A on the back of a container full of medicine 
Trucks WERE all top end motors, topline Scania, Globby spec Volvo’s, XXL MAN’s, Megaspace Mercs and SSC Daf XF’s - but I know that is changing since I’ve seen some MAN’s that are ONLY XLX and a Scania that wasn’t a topline
I’ve no idea if this has changed the spec inside or if they’re still kitted out.
They did have some (h)Axor’s but I believe this was some kind of deal with Tesco and not used on the box work.?
Keep your nose clean, keep your mouth shut, don’t break stuff and make damned sure your paperwork and tacho’s tally and you’ll be fine.
The job’s a doddle, as is most container work (some European container work can have the driver involved in the loading / tipping, but I’ve never done any of that), lots of time to yourself to do your blog or whatever, but usually long days for a low(ish) hourly rate - normally guaranteed between 55 and 65 hrs per week to give you a clue on the hours you’d do.
Containers is NORMALLY Monday to Friday, but with running in on a Sat morning and some can run out on a Sunday night.
The planners at Manchester were decent enough but remember, as with most planners, they’re getting it in the neck from both sides, so don’t take it personally if they’re a bit abrupt, just politely explain that you’re not the cause of their heart attack so you’d appreciate it if it wasn’t took out on you - rather than threatening to go in there, rip their head off and ■■■■ down their neck, they don’t like that.
Felixstowe is a bit daunting at first, but you soon get used to the port. Ask for a map when checking in at the security booths.
Southampton is Vehicle Booking System or VBS, your line manager or planner books all that in for you.
At Southampton, you have many takeaway joints and pubs at Eling Wharf, and a good pub by the toll road for cars only, if walking, there is Goaty Beach with a good view of the large ships in the docks.
Isle of Grain or Thamesport, they give you a pager that buzzes when ready to go in.
There are yards all over that the UK that you may go to collect empty or loaded boxes inland, some are a bit tricky to find the first time.
In Southampton, you have a multiplex cinema within walking distance to the port.
What’s night work like? and the money?
Cheers
everything wayned said is pretty much bob on expect to cab hop for a while and be sent to different depots ( you get fuel money for this )all units top spec and when its busy you can earn well
we just took a load of drivers on so im wondering were we gonna put them all 
Even if the container is empty, you are still required to stay in "safe " parking, or with just a skeletal trailer on.
If you are not sure how to shorten a trailer with a 20 foot box on, most drivers will show you how to do it.
With 45 foot boxes, it is best to extend the rear bumper guard at the back of the trailer chassis,if it goes up the rear end, it will not be looking pretty.
When collecting a container, write the number and lettering codes, so if anybody rings to ask what container you have, there is no need to pull in at the next layby to ring them back and tell them.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet is that you’ll never know if anything could fall out the back of a box so take care when opening the doors as you don’t want 2 ton of boxes falling out on you, as soon as you feel the doors free, be prepared, that or use a strap around the handles.
When the box gets placed make a clear action to show it’s not in place, it’s very common to see some flapping of arms that don’t make much sense only to see the straddle carrier leave.
Thanks very much everyone, very informative and much appreciated.
waynedl:
and a Scania that wasn’t a topline
They’re called Highlines & I think they look nice, both 4 & 6x2, never seen trampers in them though.
Pimpdaddy:
waynedl:
and a Scania that wasn’t a toplineThey’re called Highlines & I think they look nice, both 4 & 6x2, never seen trampers in them though.
I didn’t know if they were highlines or streamlines, just knew they weren’t toplines 
Streamline Highline maybe…I don’t know:)
there highlines / streamlines we have 2 at manchester but i have seen trampers in em although i have tramped in highlines before they are perfectly fine for the job with all the kit fitted in em at maritime there is no storage at all