hello guys found a similar post but it was dated 2012 so thought ide get a fresh approach.
I have a driving assessment tomorrow at Owens transport Wrexham for a 5 on 3 off night driver.
usual questions realy typical hours, wage expectations, non pressurised? just some sort of idea realy as it’ll be a rather big commitment for me to swap jobs so close to Christmas and I don’t want to end up regretting this.
Thanks!! 
Can’t answer your question too specifically but I was talking to one of their drivers based out of one of the South Wales depots and whilst I can’t quote exactly it was pretty standard for general haulage in terms of everything.
In the region of £9 per hour basic, bit more after 8 or 10 hours, bit more for Saturdays.
Probably a premium for nights.
He said everything was legal and above board so I’d be guessing your not pressured too much as they want you to stay legal.
I’m sure someone else can answer you better than that, but I guess it gives you an idea and a starting point.
O dear, Grap a seat, get a brew, and brace yourself, somebody’s put £9.00 ph.
Usual responses awaiting.,
Do what you need to do, for your family.
biggriffin:
O dear, Grap a seat, get a brew, and brace yourself, somebody’s put £9.00 ph.Usual responses awaiting.,
Do what you need to do, for your family.
Oh yeah, wait for the whole “I wouldn’t get out of bed for less than £15ph” to start, even though pretty much all general haulage is about the same. Take home ends up about the same no matter how it’s arrived there whether it be a higher hourly rate or made up of tax free allowances. More people actually do get out bed for £9 per hour than will admit.
Is £9.00 The new £7.50?
It isn’t that £9 an hour is common in general transport, its that with shifts weekends and nights that all the hard won proper rates for weekends, nights, overtime @ proper X1.5 or X2 (plus the weekend/night premiums) calculated on a daily not weekly or even worse monthly basis, all have been eroded along the way.
Too many drivers only looking at the net figure in their pay packet, and not working out when and for how long they are working, then the bods who include night out pay in their wages.
5 on 3 off will see one working a bloody lot of weekends over the course of a year, the majority in fact, nights too, no doubt bank hols as well.
That wants to be paying a very decent rate, i suggest the wage divided by hours worked calculation (ignore poa) should see that job averaging £15+ an hour with £13 the very minimum average and anything above £17 an hour good.
And without fail, up pops the ■■■ packet accountant.
Dragging the thread back to the OP’s question…
The work from Wrexham is easy enough, usually full loads. They have the empty cans contracts for Guiness, InBev etc so that’s a big part of the work. Also go out of Plastipak alot with bottles (preforms) and runs down to Newport depot are common too.
I did a bit there for a couple of years up to last Christmas so I imagine the work is still pretty much the same.
The yard is too small for the amount of trucks, all newish Mercs when I was there, although I’ve seen a few different ones on the roads. 12 hour shift was expected and the norm and if you do a shorter day they might find you some local work when you get back. That was the most annoying bit for me.
Office staff weren’t bad but I think many of them will have left by now so I can’t really comment on that side of things.