Evening all,
I have been offered a job working for Matthew Clark drink wholesalers, the position is a class 2 driver. Can any one give me any advise/experience on a job like this? I’m currently a delivery driver for tesco 3.5t so will be a massive step up. Bit concerned about the physical nature of the job.
Cheers
worked in pubs for years so i took many deliveries. never done it as a driver though. theres not much lifting carrying really. the full kegs are pushed off the wagon onto a mat then rolled to where they need to be. eg beer garden cellar door/trap. if its a trap it gets pushed through onto another mat then handled by the pub staff. all youll need to lift really is crates onto a sack wagon or pull it off with a pumptruck on a pallet if theres a lot. empty kegs are lifted back onto the wagon. not sure on their exact weight but i used to lift one with each hand onto the bed.
youll probably go into some tight pub car parks or down back alleys to get to delivery point. nothing drastic though. dunno how it works at the depots though im afraid. when ive done pallet deliveries to breweries theres been Flts about so there shouldnt be too much lifting at that end. there will probably be an element of cash handling to it as well.
hope this helps
forgot to say. we dealt with clarks in kirkham quite a bit. dunno if its the same place youve seen advertised but the drivers and mates were a good bunch and the warehouse staff always seemed cheerful when ive delivered pallets to them. the road theyre on there is a bugger though
I have done cash and carry deliveries which is heavy going in terms of hand balling. Been in to Matthew Clark on agency and was fearing the worst. It’s really not bad at all. The biggest case you’ll lift would be a 24 pack. Kegs are big and heavy but you roll them off onto the Matt and then can roll them into the premises or can put 2 onto a sack barrow and roll them in with that. If you’ve used a sack barrow before you’ll be fine. You’ll get good at building the stacks evenly. You get a full induction before you start including how to roll the kegs. You bring back empty kegs and put them onto pallets by coloured band. Whatever you do, strap everything down. Pallets are wrapped by still strap to the body. Heard a few drivers being stopped and fined as no straps.
Hope that helps
Out of Runcorn depot??
I work for them as class 2 expect tight spaces upto 10 tonne all handball cases and kegs and upto 20 drops a day not a bad place to work if planned picked and loaded rite which depo you going to
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Thanks for all the replies, has given me a slightly better insight in what’s involved.
This will be my first Hgv job so slightly concerned about the early starts/physical side and gaining experience in driving a Hgv.
The depot is in Shepton Mallet
Cheers
I’ve heard they give it some hammer out of there.
I think you will find a bit of variety regards the physical demands, as every site is going to be different. Just be sure that it’s going to be a bit of graft compared to some Class 2 work, so try to think of it as a free gym! 
Do it for the experience mate, as even a few weeks will give you confidence and change you from ZERO experience, to SOME experience!
The more experience, the more doors open…
Best of luck! 
eagerbeaver:
I’ve heard they give it some hammer out of there.
If you were my dog, I’ve have you put down out of sympathy!