Does anyone know why maritime put ‘must live within a 40 mile radius for the Felixstowe jobs’? They have had vacancies up for ages and don’t seem to be able to fill them. You’d think they’d start looking further afield. I could understand if it was day work but tramping? I would definately apply if they opened the applications to further afield. Also, out of interest what are they like to work for?
Many thanks
Phil
Phone them up and ask… you never know , you could get a job.
So they can phone you up at two o’ clock in the morning on your day off and say “Get in here now, someone’s gone sick”.
I understand that Harry, but if your away all week tramping why would they phone! I did an O Licence search for something different the other day and found that they had applied to keep trucks where I live but continuation wasn’t sought. Such is my luck!
I called them, all they said ‘Do you live within a 40 mile radius of Felixstowe’, to which I replied ‘no’. End of conversation, I even offered to re-locate for the job after a job offer. Sorry they said, we will not interview you unless you have an address within the 40 mile radius! Yet again, another catch 22 situation.
I worked for Maritime out of Tilbury, Tramping so to speak. I live in Milton Keynes. Some weeks i’d only do 2 nights out and be in the yard at Tilbury the other 2, if it wasnt for the fact i lived in MK they’d have me out the truck and a night man use the it. I think thats why they say 40 miles in Felixstowe, because they can reasonably send you home and get a night man in your truck if needed.
You’re in Worksop, why not try Leeds, or Hams Hall, or even Northampton, All of them are closer than Felixstowe.
Fileep:
I called them, all they said ‘Do you live within a 40 mile radius of Felixstowe’, to which I replied ‘no’. End of conversation
In that case, your answer should have been “Yes”. 
I was working for them out of the Manchester depot which is around 15 miles for me, they then moved me to leeds depot which was over 40 miles each way for me, so they can’t be that arsed.
What they like to work for?? Depends on you really, decent kit, no defects go un fixed (unlike where I currently work), but you’ve gotta be a yes man and a brown noser to boot, I got the sack for ‘gross misconduct’ officially for ‘fiddling time sheets - attempting to defraud the company’ but he openly admitted it was because I’d come across a little abrupt on the phone to 1 of the soft ■■■■■■ planners in the office.
The job was fine - although they do think they own you rather than employ you - and the take home was between ok and good as a tramper - never took home under 400 quid - and, as I said, the kit’s good with microwaves and fridges in all vehicles and all depots have showers and cooking facilities and they don’t have you parking in layby’s or ■■■■, almost always either services or depots and all parking was on account so you didn’t have to take wads of money out of your account to pay for parking.
Honestly, if you could get a job with them and have the right attitude, I’d recommend it as a job, but you really do need the right attitude, cause they can - and will - ■■■■ you over.
For example, I gets interview, any hols etc booked? Yes, I have this holiday booked plus a few concerts, but they’re local and at night, do I need to book these days off? NO was the reply…
1st concert, reminded week before, reminded start of week, stuck in southampton at time of concert in manchester, 2nd concert, reminded week before, reminded same day, gets back in yard at 7.15pm for a 7.30 concert and they were doing me a favour? Holiday time, going away, gets back in yard at 8pm night before I go away at 4am, comes back off hols, rings up to get start time for Monday (remember, I’m a tramper at this point) 8pm … a week of nights after my hols and 1st I knew about it was dinner time on Saturday.
Get in truck Monday, Get out EITHER friday night or sat morning / afternoon, you’ll find out when you’re actually in the car, been back in yard at 7pm on a Friday night only to get sent down road again etc, then 1 week, I gets back in on a Friday night at end of a 15hr shift, so they couldn’t send me down road, and I get asked if I can work Sunday, I said ‘No I’ve got plans’ as Sunday is the only day I’ve ever been able to make plans that I can actually get to, they advised me that it would really be appreciated and insinuated that I really should do it, I refused, 1 week later I was fired.
I cant tell you why they put “must live within 40 miles” I don’t know!
I can tell you what they are like to work for,
As above, a good company if you get on with people easily, you don’t need to be a yes man, thats complete [zb] ! You need be approachable as it swings both ways. If you help them, I have found that they help you.
All the kit is top notch, slightest problem and its off to the fitters you go, no questions asked just get it done, some of the drivers even take it to the dealers to change bulbs or get the fitters in our yard to do it. Most cabs are clean, some are immaculate, but others leave something to be desired, when you first start you will be cab hopping for a while. Its a pain in the ■■■■ but not too bad if you are away all week.
No smoking in the cabs at all (even though some do occasionally), its a pain in the arse but saves you a fortune in smokes! and your bedding smells cleaner when you get in it!
Money is good; very rarely (in fact never have) bring home less than £500 even on a quiet week. Like Wayne said, no parking in lay-bys, if you’re caught doing that you get an almighty bollocking but they do like you to park in depots where you can, but it’s not too bad as long as you don’t talk to the bull ■■■■ merchants! Office politics can annoy you at times but if it does just turn your phone off and then report it as a defect, but it always sorts itself out before they look at it!
All breaks are paid; you will spend most of your day on break if you get some long tips. Sometimes there’s a lot of driving and very little sitting round but on other days it will feel like you have just sat round all day!
It not just boxes now either, you may get asked to drop your skelly and do curtains job (delivering decanted pallets to a customers or a RDC/store delivery for Tosco’s)
Not everyone likes it but I do and I intend to stay there quite a while now!
Lee G:
As above, a good company if you get on with people easily, you don’t need to be a yes man, thats complete ■■■■■■!!
You’re from down south though aren’t you? Ask any of the northerners the same question, you’ll see them often enough in Tilbury, Felix, Thamesport or either of the Southampton depots.
I never did any of the curtain work, so no idea how good or bad it is, but they bought around 60? tauts around xmas time ish, but as I was a Leeds driver, we didn’t really do it, there was 1 I think and it had a regular driver same as the Arla foods job we also did.
i now work for maritime out of leeds, been here 5 weeks already got my own cab, i was only cab hopping for 3 weeks, some new drivers have done it for 3 months, first week i was based out of liverpool, the rest out of leeds, this week i am on the curtainsiders, i plan on staying here, no more groupage or multidrop or pallet truck pulling 1 tonne ■■■■■■■ pallets about in back of trailers at back street shops, no doubt there will be good days and bad at maritime, 
Duplicate Post(coz im an idiot)
waynedl:
I got the sack for ‘gross misconduct’ officially for ‘fiddling time sheets - attempting to defraud the company’ but he openly admitted it was because I’d come across a little abrupt on the phone to 1 of the soft ■■■■■■ planners in the office.[…]
cause they can - and will - [zb] you over.
[…]
1st concert, reminded week before, reminded start of week, stuck in southampton at time of concert in manchester
2nd concert, reminded week before, reminded same day, gets back in yard at 7.15pm for a 7.30 concert
Holiday time, going away, gets back in yard at 8pm night before I go away at 4am, comes back off hols, rings up to get start time for Monday (remember, I’m a tramper at this point) 8pm … a week of nights after my hols and 1st I knew about it was dinner time on Saturday.
Get in truck Monday, Get out EITHER friday night or sat morning / afternoon, you’ll find out when you’re actually in the car, been back in yard at 7pm on a Friday night only to get sent down road again
waynedl:
I’d recommend it as a job
With all due respect, are you for ■■■■■■■ real? 
Rob K:
waynedl:
I got the sack for ‘gross misconduct’ officially for ‘fiddling time sheets - attempting to defraud the company’ but he openly admitted it was because I’d come across a little abrupt on the phone to 1 of the soft ■■■■■■ planners in the office.[…]
cause they can - and will - [zb] you over.
[…]
1st concert, reminded week before, reminded start of week, stuck in southampton at time of concert in manchester
2nd concert, reminded week before, reminded same day, gets back in yard at 7.15pm for a 7.30 concert
Holiday time, going away, gets back in yard at 8pm night before I go away at 4am, comes back off hols, rings up to get start time for Monday (remember, I’m a tramper at this point) 8pm … a week of nights after my hols and 1st I knew about it was dinner time on Saturday.
Get in truck Monday, Get out EITHER friday night or sat morning / afternoon, you’ll find out when you’re actually in the car, been back in yard at 7pm on a Friday night only to get sent down road againwaynedl:
I’d recommend it as a jobWith all due respect, are you for [zb] real?
If you read my post, I said if you have the right attitude.
The job is good, the kit is good, the takehome is good, you’ve just gotta be willing to take it up the arse.
In all honesty, my longest job in my life is 12mths, so I KNOW that I am not the ideal employee, but I turn up on time and do my job without crashing and return a good mpg, but I won’t let people take the ■■■■ out of me, and that seems to be a pre-requisite of working in haulage these days.
Fileep:
I understand that Harry, but if your away all week tramping why would they phone! I did an O Licence search for something different the other day and found that they had applied to keep trucks where I live but continuation wasn’t sought. Such is my luck!I called them, all they said ‘Do you live within a 40 mile radius of Felixstowe’, to which I replied ‘no’. End of conversation, I even offered to re-locate for the job after a job offer. Sorry they said, we will not interview you unless you have an address within the 40 mile radius! Yet again, another catch 22 situation.
I can give you my address in Felixstowe if it’ll help
I have a very good Friend who’s worked for these guys since before October out of their Thamesport depot. He’s been cab hoping since then and this week he’s based out of Southampton. They paid him 54p p/m to travel from his Home to Southampton last Sunday. He loves the job, lots of Zzzzzzzzs whilst being unloaded/loaded. Some very early starts, midnight and 2am.
All of his units have had Microwaves and Fridges and some have Coffee peculators.
Worked for them for 4 and a half years,very good firm to work for but very large now…as has been said you need to have the right attitude and be able to follow rules and company procedures.
i was a yes man in most cases,i have always worked hard and just get on with the job,lots of politics amongst some of the drivers who moan like ■■■■ about the slightest thing or if a new driver gets a newer truck than them etc they’ll be in the office moaning!!!
i got on well with most of the managers and was always willing and it benefitted ME in respect of my nights out and my overtime…if you’re a ■■■■ and take the ■■■■ they’ll park you in the yard on 11 hours if they choose to.
if you keep yourself to yourself,do what you can or are told to do and you
DONT go damaging the truck,you’ll be fine …all trucks are well kitted out as has been previously stated.
if you ask to be back for any appointment,holiday,concert,whatever then dont expect to be as 8/10 times you wont be,just the nature of the work…you could be back on the docks at 2:30 on a friday afternoon and dependant on the docks,tip and turn you might not be finished til 20:00.
i packed it in cause i moved 200 miles away after i split with my partner,Maritime offered me a transfer to Felixstowe and a brand new truck if i stayed but i needed a change,been doing containers for 6 years and had enough of the docks,Pentalvers and sitting around for hours and hours on end wasting away doing nothing but sleep and be bored,its the easiest job but not great for your health and well being by any stretch…Maritime were good to me but they are not for everyone and if you like to kick off at every opportunity then you wont be working there long!!!
waynedl:
I was working for them out of the Manchester depot which is around 15 miles for me, they then moved me to leeds depot which was over 40 miles each way for me, so they can’t be that arsed.What they like to work for?? Depends on you really, decent kit, no defects go un fixed (unlike where I currently work), but you’ve gotta be a yes man and a brown noser to boot, I got the sack for ‘gross misconduct’ officially for ‘fiddling time sheets - attempting to defraud the company’ but he openly admitted it was because I’d come across a little abrupt on the phone to 1 of the soft ■■■■■■ planners in the office.
The job was fine - although they do think they own you rather than employ you - and the take home was between ok and good as a tramper - never took home under 400 quid - and, as I said, the kit’s good with microwaves and fridges in all vehicles and all depots have showers and cooking facilities and they don’t have you parking in layby’s or [zb], almost always either services or depots and all parking was on account so you didn’t have to take wads of money out of your account to pay for parking.
Honestly, if you could get a job with them and have the right attitude, I’d recommend it as a job, but you really do need the right attitude, cause they can - and will - [zb] you over.
For example, I gets interview, any hols etc booked? Yes, I have this holiday booked plus a few concerts, but they’re local and at night, do I need to book these days off? NO was the reply…
1st concert, reminded week before, reminded start of week, stuck in southampton at time of concert in manchester, 2nd concert, reminded week before, reminded same day, gets back in yard at 7.15pm for a 7.30 concert and they were doing me a favour? Holiday time, going away, gets back in yard at 8pm night before I go away at 4am, comes back off hols, rings up to get start time for Monday (remember, I’m a tramper at this point) 8pm … a week of nights after my hols and 1st I knew about it was dinner time on Saturday.
Get in truck Monday, Get out EITHER friday night or sat morning / afternoon, you’ll find out when you’re actually in the car, been back in yard at 7pm on a Friday night only to get sent down road again etc, then 1 week, I gets back in on a Friday night at end of a 15hr shift, so they couldn’t send me down road, and I get asked if I can work Sunday, I said ‘No I’ve got plans’ as Sunday is the only day I’ve ever been able to make plans that I can actually get to, they advised me that it would really be appreciated and insinuated that I really should do it, I refused, 1 week later I was fired.
I remember your other post and your dismissal for fraudulent paperwork, yet you say that you were let go for not cowtowing.
How did you leave that? compensation or by rolling over?
Wheel Nut:
waynedl:
I was working for them out of the Manchester depot which is around 15 miles for me, they then moved me to leeds depot which was over 40 miles each way for me, so they can’t be that arsed.What they like to work for?? Depends on you really, decent kit, no defects go un fixed (unlike where I currently work), but you’ve gotta be a yes man and a brown noser to boot, I got the sack for ‘gross misconduct’ officially for ‘fiddling time sheets - attempting to defraud the company’ but he openly admitted it was because I’d come across a little abrupt on the phone to 1 of the soft ■■■■■■ planners in the office.
The job was fine - although they do think they own you rather than employ you - and the take home was between ok and good as a tramper - never took home under 400 quid - and, as I said, the kit’s good with microwaves and fridges in all vehicles and all depots have showers and cooking facilities and they don’t have you parking in layby’s or [zb], almost always either services or depots and all parking was on account so you didn’t have to take wads of money out of your account to pay for parking.
Honestly, if you could get a job with them and have the right attitude, I’d recommend it as a job, but you really do need the right attitude, cause they can - and will - [zb] you over.
For example, I gets interview, any hols etc booked? Yes, I have this holiday booked plus a few concerts, but they’re local and at night, do I need to book these days off? NO was the reply…
1st concert, reminded week before, reminded start of week, stuck in southampton at time of concert in manchester, 2nd concert, reminded week before, reminded same day, gets back in yard at 7.15pm for a 7.30 concert and they were doing me a favour? Holiday time, going away, gets back in yard at 8pm night before I go away at 4am, comes back off hols, rings up to get start time for Monday (remember, I’m a tramper at this point) 8pm … a week of nights after my hols and 1st I knew about it was dinner time on Saturday.
Get in truck Monday, Get out EITHER friday night or sat morning / afternoon, you’ll find out when you’re actually in the car, been back in yard at 7pm on a Friday night only to get sent down road again etc, then 1 week, I gets back in on a Friday night at end of a 15hr shift, so they couldn’t send me down road, and I get asked if I can work Sunday, I said ‘No I’ve got plans’ as Sunday is the only day I’ve ever been able to make plans that I can actually get to, they advised me that it would really be appreciated and insinuated that I really should do it, I refused, 1 week later I was fired.I remember your other post and your dismissal for fraudulent paperwork, yet you say that you were let go for not cowtowing.
How did you leave that? compensation or by rolling over?
Rolled over, couldn’t be arsed in the end, after the initial anger and frustration, I just moved on to another company.
As I said, the official reason for me getting the boot was fraudulent paperwork, and I have put that in this thread too, I’m not trying to hide it, but he told me straight that it was because I was inflexible or abrupt with the planners on the phone.
I don’t think I was inflexible, taking a weeks compulsory holiday, doing a week of nights straight after my hols, cab hopping between manchester, leeds and liverpool, even having 4 trucks in a week at 3 different depots with only 11hrs off between finishing at liverpool depot and starting at leeds depot, if I’d done like other did and put my working time from leaving home till getting home, I couldn’t have done that.
4 and 5 15hr shifts (using the split daily rest rules), I know a lot of the time is spent doing nothing, but it’s not the same as being off duty.
Only having 10hrs off 1 week from finishing at Manchester and starting at Leeds the next day (or the other way round, can’t remember which).
I’ve heard that other managers are really good and, as I’ve said before, I think any company that only specs the top trucks, makes sure drivers have fridges, microwaves etc, pays £500 / week holiday pay when the basic wage is only £375 (before bonus’ etc), then that sounds like a company that actually gives a ■■■■ about the drivers, just a shame the manager (at least up north) doesn’t.
I hold a grudge against the manager in the North, but don’t hold anything against the company and if anyone asks me what they’re like to work for, I’ll tell them the truth, if they want to know why I’m not there, I’ll tell them my side of the story, but if they ask if that means I wouldn’t recommend them, then I’d say that I’d still recommend them to anyone with the correct attitude for the firm.
Heard a rumour that they have merged with T D Williams,so a little birdie told me recently.
Don’t know if there is any truth in it though.
waynedl:
I’ve heard that other managers are really good and, as I’ve said before, I think any company that only specs the top trucks, makes sure drivers have fridges, microwaves etc, pays £500 / week holiday pay when the basic wage is only £375 (before bonus’ etc), then that sounds like a company that actually gives a [zb] about the drivers just a shame the manager (at least up north) doesn’t.
non of the depots gives a toss about the drivers, they have those style trucks for the maritime aftersales market. its the only place that you can order a top of the range scania and have it tomorrow.
i wonder how many drivers they would have if the ran daf cf’s or renault premiums.