Having recently passed my class 2 and soon to do class 1 having been egged on by my friend and neighbour who does a class 1 trunking job.
I wouldn’t mind that type of job empty trailer down, full trailer up bobs yer uncle, but as a low life no experience soon to be agency fodder who will have to take all the crap jobs going how bad is multidrop work and would an oldish ■■■■ 43 be able to pull this sort of work off.
When Gordon the afore mentioned talked about getting into this he was talking class 1 agency work and the that newbies started with the “agencies”. Maybe things have changed but having come on here It seems like no job or really crap jobs are the “open” options, i.e falling apart deathtrap truck and a killer multidrop route. is this what I can really look forward to and how far off is that “easy trunking job”.
It’s a horses for courses thing really. I would be happy to do more class 2 work but it just doesn’t pay as much and quite often in my opinion, class 2 work should pay more than many class 1 jobs as it can be considerably harder. There’s quite difference between driving jobs and it’s only by doing them you’ll find out what you really like doing. At 43 you should still be up for it!
Hi Im similar age and if I can cope anyone can Ive mangaged to bag myself some trunking now so very happy the multidrop is hard work but I lost weight doing it so plus side you`ll get fitter
Jennie:
Hi Im similar age and if I can cope anyone can Ive mangaged to bag myself some trunking now so very happy the multidrop is hard work but I lost weight doing it so plus side you`ll get fitter
all the best
Jen x
Hi Jen glad to hear you got a trunking job, could you expand on “the multidrop is hard work” bit. To be honest when I started the ball rolling I had no thoughts of “multidrop” just naive visions of the open road and a big bendy (oh er missus) .
I now know I will have to accept anything “legal” to gain experience but the thought of multidrop gives me a stress migraine .
There’s generally two things that make multi-drop hard work. One is not knowing where all the drops are and the best ways into them. The other is that it can be physically hard graft, handballing gear off or fannying about with a pallet truck on a tail lift with a pallet that weighs more than RobK’s wallet! One more thing can be constant phone calls asking where you are and when are you going to get there, nip that bollox in the bud straight away! Check your paperwork before leaving for a customer contact number, that can save you a bit of grief. There’s more but that will do for now!
I’m in similar boat. 46 & quite unfit! Passed class 2 in December, did a couple of agency jobs then got the tip that Palmer & Harvey were looking for drivers…and they take on noobs! Got the job but only lasted a fortnight. First week was on the job with another driver to learn the basics (he had a regular route). Then week two I was out on my own. BLOODY NIGHTMARE! I did 5 runs, all different. Never went to the same place twice so never got the chance to plan a route in advance. Had to rely on Sat Nav (not Truck friendly!!!). Post codes (if they were right) may get me to front door, but often not accurate enough or no good for back door loading bays. The cages were VERY heavy, ground at small shops often poor quality and as for kerbs!!! I also had to handball everything into the store (often cages had to stay outside because of access problems) A 5:30 start that was supposed to finish at 2pm took me until 7,8 even 9pm to finish!! I lasted a week then walked. I was physically exhausted
I am now at Wiseman Dairies, the hours are crap (2, 3, 4 am starts) but you get a couple of regular runs to learn and they keep someone with you who knows the route until you get the hang of it. The cages are a lot easier, but it’s still crap surfaces, kerbs, nowhere to park, etc. but I guess that’s always gonna be the case with multidrop. At least there’s no handballing! I’ve also been driving a '10 plate Scania with only 50k on it. Sweet
So yes, multidrop is/can be very hard. But there are options out there. Maybe I’ve been lucky, or maybe my persistence and preparation before interviews payed off. I have to drive 50 mins each way to get to work as I couldn’t find anything closer, but I reckon 6 months of this & I should have enough experience to at least get my foot in the door of more local companies
Good luck, I’m sure it’ll be worth it long term…it’s just a case of roughing it out for a while
Jennie:
Hi Im similar age and if I can cope anyone can Ive mangaged to bag myself some trunking now so very happy the multidrop is hard work but I lost weight doing it so plus side you`ll get fitter
all the best
Jen x
Hi Jen glad to hear you got a trunking job, could you expand on “the multidrop is hard work” bit. To be honest when I started the ball rolling I had no thoughts of “multidrop” just naive visions of the open road and a big bendy (oh er missus) .
I now know I will have to accept anything “legal” to gain experience but the thought of multidrop gives me a stress migraine .
Personally I did not like the multidrop and yes when first started I had dreams of the open road and to honest had a major shock being on agency you never get the same run twice so never knew where I was going and ended up on max hours and always felt like was letting myself down as taking too long to unload everything one thing you learn on multidrop work is that the people you deliver too think your the scum of the earth and tobe honest some of them i wanted to slap in the face the way they spoke to me but rose above this At 5`3 nearly 4 sometimes could not move a pallet and would have to handball a lot off with a sack truck so backwards and forwards took time !!! occasionally now I get a couple of runs from the place where I work that involves unloading to cafes etc mostly underneath Gatwick Airport but you find a way of doing it that makes it easier and know most of routes now so not getting lost now so get done quicker and have learned that you dont let them speak to you like a muppet I call the shots as soon as I get there I tell them what I will do and up to them to move from where I leave it if you let these people take advantage they will, never be rude just firm !!! but as I say like the trunking now and have earned my place there i do a good job and love the fact you see the reg people you know can build up a repore with and lifes good now there is always something you have to sort out with driving a truck its never straightforward driving drop off and return home but to be honest got used to that now and have learned to speak up as if you dont you will get taken advantage of Im still as helpfull as I can be but wontjump through hoops !!! if your fit enough you will be fine and if your not it will get you fitter better than any gym workout !and yoiur getting paid ! you will be fine as Isaid if i can do it anyone can !
Believe it or not, there are several types of ‘multi drop’. 1st is 10 or so drops, 10 pallets, 1 pallet per customer, which has probably gotta be at the easy end of the scale…if you can read the invoice address, your pretty much home and dry. At the bottom end of the scale, you have the foodservice. Anything upwards of 20 drops per day, 20 odd cages (veg, chilled, frozen, hub and ambient) to sort through just to end up with a complete order for your 1st drop, and thats months after you’ve spent day in, day out reading invoices and getting to know thousands of different products…imagine 20-30 drops where you do this at every one! I did it for about 22 years and it was very tiresome but also very rewarding. It is not a job for everybody because driving is about 5% of the days work…the rest is in the back of the truck, picking the load (loosing the head) running the gear up/downstairs (loosing the head) endless amounts of paperwork/credit notes (loosing the head) but if you fancy it, give it a whirl. I know of some guys who have been doing it for 20 odd years and still enjoy it…and there 50+. If you can do food service multi drop, you can do any multi drop (within limits). You will sharpen your driving skills up no end as lots of the drops are in places where a truck shouldn’t go, but if you don’t fancy dragging cages over gravel car parks, you get the truck to the back door! And as jennie said, free gym membership!!
Try 3663…their reply when you tell them that a Scania wont fit somewhere is “Well the rep managed to get there so you should be ok” when the reps drive their own cars…eejits
Thanks for the heads up guys all of this is good and new to me. Just seen mikey-t post about his new job having just aquired his class 1. I hope to be doing my class 1 in the next few weeks so fingers crossed truth be told I would only do multi to get a foot hold in the industry.
The thought of mega multi around Glasgow city centre would bring on a heart attack.
