I am fully aware that many hauliers have some sort of assessment. In the old days someone would just have a five minute trip in the cab with you to make sure you were relatively safe. Nowadays they want you to have an induction of some description which I am cool with.
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I am fully aware that many hauliers have some sort of assessment. In the old days someone would just have a five minute trip in the cab with you to make sure you were relatively safe. Nowadays they want you to have an induction of some description which I am cool with.
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Yep thats the norm m8,dot the i.s and cross the t,s …usually find the assessors are bang on and just doing a job,everybody covers their back nowadays ,everything they show you ,you will have to sign for aswell.
LIBERTY_GUY:
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Seems reasonable unless you’ve worked there before and know all the admin and company procedures inside and out. Plus they’re sending someone they’ve never met before out with £100,000 of wagon plus whatever the load is worth. One way to see how you truly drive is to send a trainer with you for a couple of days. Anyone can wing a 30 minute run around the block but you can’t for 2 days…
Holding a HGV license for over 25 years doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at it.
LIBERTY_GUY:
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Seems reasonable unless you’ve worked there before and know all the admin and company procedures inside and out. Plus they’re sending someone they’ve never met before out with £100,000 of wagon plus whatever the load is worth. One way to see how you truly drive is to send a trainer with you for a couple of days. Anyone can wing a 30 minute run around the block but you can’t for 2 days…
Holding a HGV license for over 25 years doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at it.
LIBERTY_GUY:
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Seems reasonable unless you’ve worked there before and know all the admin and company procedures inside and out. Plus they’re sending someone they’ve never met before out with £100,000 of wagon plus whatever the load is worth. One way to see how you truly drive is to send a trainer with you for a couple of days. Anyone can wing a 30 minute run around the block but you can’t for 2 days…
Holding a HGV license for over 25 years doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at it.
It not the initial two days of someone going out with me I was questioning, so much as the ongoing monthly assessments (see thread title).
True holding a HGV license for 25 years doesn’t mean someone is good at it, but have never hit a bridge, flipped it over on roundabouts, demolished roller shutters or bollards, or trashed the truck or mis-delivered a load, which so many drivers seem to excel at nowadays.
LIBERTY_GUY:
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Seems reasonable unless you’ve worked there before and know all the admin and company procedures inside and out. Plus they’re sending someone they’ve never met before out with £100,000 of wagon plus whatever the load is worth. One way to see how you truly drive is to send a trainer with you for a couple of days. Anyone can wing a 30 minute run around the block but you can’t for 2 days…
Holding a HGV license for over 25 years doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at it.
It not the initial two days of someone going out with me I was questioning, so much as the ongoing monthly assessments (see thread title).
True holding a HGV license for 25 years doesn’t mean someone is good at it, but have never hit a bridge, flipped it over on roundabouts, demolished roller shutters or bollards, or trashed the truck or mis-delivered a load, which so many drivers seem to excel at nowadays.
I had a driving assessment recently which I passed however as being a new driver he was unsure to pass me regarding my reversing. (which I admit is not brilliant.) Its as the saying 3/4 of the job is driving forwards 1/4 in reverse. However they are giving me a chance and can not be happier. On my assessment we actually went and did a pick up which was not part of it. Just give me more driving experience. I want to improve my reversing but unfortunately in this day and age with fuel costs and delivery times its not possible. I will be asking for help when I get to places and have to reverse onto bays so please be patient, help me and not taking the ■■■■. After all we all had to start somewhere.
There was nothing mentioned about coming out with me again, however would not bother me in the slightest as just want to pick up sensible tips
Don’t move the steering wheel too much and give the trailer time to start reacting to what you’ve done before adding or removing more steering lock. Depending on the wagon if you’re doing 1/2 turn it can be too much. Too many people start spinning the steering wheel three turns left, three turns right because they don’t give the trailer time to react so the cab does a mile going left to right for every 10ft the trailer goes backwards.
LIBERTY_GUY:
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
Seems reasonable unless you’ve worked there before and know all the admin and company procedures inside and out. Plus they’re sending someone they’ve never met before out with £100,000 of wagon plus whatever the load is worth. One way to see how you truly drive is to send a trainer with you for a couple of days. Anyone can wing a 30 minute run around the block but you can’t for 2 days…
Holding a HGV license for over 25 years doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at it.
Monthly checks seem a bit extreme.
We get checked annually and occasionally have assessors watch us operate equipment or coupling up. Anything less than 6 months seems OTT. If you don’t have enough faith in your staff that you feel the need to monitor them so closely then maybe they’re employing the wrong people to do the job in the first place.
Its the trainer/assessor(s) finding themselves lots of work to do, but yes monthly re-assessment is way over the top, 6 monthly is now quite normal where the trainer has a job he she or they want to preserve.
If the company’s prepared to pay well one or several people to sit beside drivers, inspect and assess delivery points, then write reports, who can blame them making sure their jobs are seen as vital upstairs.
Our trainers are decent enough, no complaints from me, it’s a cushy very well paid number but it would bore me to hell.
LIBERTY_GUY:
I am fully aware that many hauliers have some sort of assessment. In the old days someone would just have a five minute trip in the cab with you to make sure you were relatively safe. Nowadays they want you to have an induction of some description which I am cool with.
This week however, an haulier I had an informal interview with stated new starters would be with a ‘trainer’ for a couple of days, then would have regular assessments every month or so? Has anyone else ever encountered this, as seems a bit over the top to me? Incidentally I have held a HGV license for over 25 years.
I think you will find that its not so much assessment,more of a “probationary” period which has been around for years,usually 3-6 months,in which time the Boss man can get shot of you if he thinks your not suitable.
m1cks:
Monthly checks seem a bit extreme.
We get checked annually and occasionally have assessors watch us operate equipment or coupling up. Anything less than 6 months seems OTT. If you don’t have enough faith in your staff that you feel the need to monitor them so closely then maybe they’re employing the wrong people to do the job in the first place.
Thing is, this job was being advertised at £500 to £650 week. A ‘proper’ company with a tidy yard and reasonable trucks, primarily hauling steel. Whilst the whole regular assessment thing was a bit off putting for me, what was perhaps more of the surprise was the pay rates of £7.25 for rigids and £8 hour for artics?? Overtime started after 50 hours. Jumping through hoops to keep a good well paid job is one thing perhaps, but these rates are typically £2 hour down on what others in this part of the world pay.
Just a thought aren’t we all under constant monitoring, taco, trackers, sign written vehicles and the public, customers.
As I see it, drivers need to drive, be courteous to other road users, add some customer service, be a perfectionist at paperwork, drive the vehicle in a manner that it stays out of the garage and achieves a mpg rate of a push bike, achieve all that and “you’ll do” as a driver.
As an example myself & a friend had exact same vehicles similar mileage he had 6 clutches I had 0, when I had new pads on the front I winged about the price, mate replied “I know but they don’t tell you you’ll need pads every 6 months do they”
6 months ? it was 4 years old 1st set 91,000 miles
I would suspect that the driver trainer has what he regards as a cushy number which he doesn’t want to lose, he’s probably a savvy guy who has realised that if there’s not enough work for him then the bean counters will have him working as A. N. Other driver to justify his wages. So to combat that he’s persuaded the suits that ongoing assessments are the way forward, the suits are gullible idiots who believe such stuff and think it’s a jolly good idea ( especially if the DT is really savvy and can convince them that THEY actually thought of it!).
There was one assessment I went on had an office chat first to out line the job and the benefits, then asked to go out with a trainer to which I was up for, told them I was a new drive but that didn’t seem to matter.
Got out to the truck and told jump in and off we go… to which I told the trainer that we are not going anywhere until id done my full vehicle checks… was told don’t bother with that it was done that morning…
Stood my ground and told him well this truck isn’t moving anywhere until Ive done my vehicle checks, its my licence if you don’t like it…find some other mugg
I would maybe be willing to jump through hoops in respect of periodic assessments if the pay rate was good, so the firm in question demanded top drivers, but if it was 7quid an hour or something that would be different, what would be the point.
robroy:
I would maybe be willing to jump through hoops in respect of periodic assessments if the pay rate was good, so the firm in question demanded top drivers, but if it was 7quid an hour or something that would be different, what would be the point.
My thoughts exactly. Its only any use having a policy to have well trained staff on board, if the pay rates are good enough to retain those staff. At £7.25 hour for rigids and £8 hour for artics, it really is a question of who is doing who the favour? Heaven knows where they got the salary figure of up to £650 week from, as by my reckoning an artic driver doing 50 hours would earn £400 week, before the overtime rate kicked in.
