One year in.

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

So I passed my C test last June. Since then, I have been working hard for Aptus Personnel.
I have learnt curtain sided, roll cages, rope and sheeting, rigid, multie drop, distance work and the dreaded working time directive.

I have worked very hard, not taking the michael with my hours to push up overtime.
A fair days work for a fair days pay :smiley:

I decide to work for an agency to gain valuable experience in the haulage buisness.

I have worked for Jewsons, Buck/hickman in one, Minster, Route 1, Parceline, and finally ready to sign a contract with DHL EXEL Supply chain with a basic of £15000.

Now please do not take this as a statement of big-headedness (a new word ? call oford english dictionary :laughing: ) but I have worked hard and kept my head down to gain respect of any future employers.

So, I am ready to sign this contract with Dhl Exel and out of the blue, I get a phone call from Touchstone in London who I have never had any dealings with, offering me a job with Brakes with a salary of £23000 for a standard 48 hour week, doing about the same job as I`m doing now.

As I have a contract ready to sign with Dhl Exel, do I sign, or go for the £23000 ?
Answer = I have an interview with Brakes on wednesday.

So I have worked hard, taken a load of crap (agency drivers get a bad rep because of a lazy few) to finally get the job that I have aimed for. Let`s hope all goes well wednesday.

I may have passed some of you on the road, as I have my name plate in the window, white with black lettering.

Now where`s that spell checker ?

2

on the face of it it is easy-
£23k vs £15K …

But ( there always seems to be a But!!)

I would , and have many times taken less money for more job satisfaction, taken a huge drop in wages to spend more time at home, Money isnt everything, if both jobs are similar and you enjoy each equally then go for the money, but if you can afford too and the less money job means that you are happier and enjoy the work more … then…

at the end of the day it is only a decision you can make.

3

Stuff the job satisfaction. Go for the money, bank as much as you can ( presumably your share of the £8000 after Gordon has had his ) then when you can afford it take the cut if necessary and go for the job satisfaction.

4

Depends. The difference is so large, that I can’t help but wonder why. Where’s the catch?

Perhaps they pay different overtime rates (e.g. Brakes not paying for overtime, but DHL paying proper overtime). Perhaps the Brakes pay rate is including anticipated overtime. Make sure that you know the true facts before you jump.

Whenever I’ve done Brakes (on agency), it’s been early morning starts delivering chilled and frozen food to lots of drops - particularly pubs. It’s [zb]ing hard manual work. Some may like it; I don’t.

15k does seem obscenely low, though.

5

I used to get offered Brakes quite a lot for £23k when I was on DBC. Basically it’s similar loads of drops of chilled / frozen foods silly o clock starts and (certainly round here) everything loaded on pallets on the motor. You have to pick the orders from the pallets and sack barrow the gear into the kitchens.

Probably be schools, colleges, prisons, offices and canteen type environments.

Get your own route and you shoul dbe able to wangle free tea and the odd sausage roll, bacon sarnie or even a whole plateful. One of the guys at DBC was a master at this, if I ever helped him I used to come home stuffed. In fact I’m sure he never took food to work with him.