Allo noobs (me too)
So, what happened was, I was working for a general haulage firm in Park Royal, and on my way home I would see lots of John Lewis 7.5t driving about looking very smart in their new black and white livery.
I thought to meself “Hmm, they look good, I’d like to drive one of those babies”
2 days later I get an E from Indeed advertising jobs at John Lewis, Park Royal.
“Oho! I’ll have some of that!”
Applied, got invited for a, paid, assessment, took a day off me job and went.
Passed, got signed up, and started on the following Monday. Perfect timing as the job before had just finished on the Friday.
It’s through Blue Arrow (Now Guidant) Agency but the wages are the same as John Lewis drivers get. £14.34 ph.
11 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off:
I could have gone for the 06:00-17:00 shift but instead chose the 10:30-21:00 shift. I’m using public transport cos I have a free pass and 06 00 is a tad early.
11 hours guaranteed, can finish early if your drops are done, or on OT until you get back and clock out.
Walking through the front door on the first day, everyone has to go through the main doors:
Impressive, proper offices, with reception staff, automatic doors, nice signage, subsidised canteen/cafe just up the stairs to the right.
Bollox, I need a pass or someone to sign me in! All doors are electronically locked.
Lovely lady at reception phoned agency office and Grant came to get me. We buzzed in.
Got the first day briefing: Safety, customer care, tacho MUST be downloaded end of every shift with at least 15 mins other work at start and end of shift, and don’t ■■■■ up 
Took about 3 minutes 
Got taken into the main warehouse section. This is home of the BIG screen. The BIG screen has all the info we need to be able to go out and do the job.
Who is working with who, what bay your puddle-jumper is on, Team number, number of drops, any wet connections or TV installations. Just a general meeting place and info point.
Every truck is double manned, and for the first 2 days i am assigned to one of em as a “Buddy”, to learn stuff. So there’s 3 of us heading out for the days work in a snazzy, black liveried John Lewis 7.5t truck
How ■■■■■■ happy am I?
That lasts until we get to the first job 
One out, one in, wet connection.
Old washing machine out, new washing machine in, driver connects up new washer, job done.
Heavy, those washing machines!
Next job, 12 minutes later…same
and then…
Ok, first day nearly over. I’ve done ok for an old ■■■■ tbh, the guys seem happy enough with my performance, but mebbe, in the bar, they’ll have a laugh
Ok, last job of the day. Been on the road for 11 hours, going into overtime now, been a long, heavy day.
It’s a mattress. Ok I can handle that. This one weighs 100Kg. Wait…what?? 100Kgs■■? Yep, 100Kg.
FFS! 3k worth of mattress!
Turns out that the most expensive mattresses are filled with frikkin lead!
ANyways, the job got done. BEAUTIFUL house btw!
Back to base, dropped off all the old white goods, cardboard and packaging, refuelled, parked up, went to debrief.Clocked out 22:15.
TBH I thought I’d be a total wreck after that but I walked up to the station quite sprightly. Must be just first day, new job, good pay, attitude.
Day 2:
My second, and last, buddy day, so I’m number 3 in the cab.
I’ll skim over today because it was a …well…really hard work.
All white goods, all one out one in.
All up stairs, flats with no lifts.
On the last job of the day, Marlon (proper big guy) said "I have NEVER delivered this many washers in one day! He was nearly in tears because he has a sciatica problem.
Ok, back to base, and Jimmy the driver managed to whack himself on the eyebrow with the…dunno what you call it…a pole that you use to lower the flaps on the loading bay onto your opened box on the back?
30 mins extra on the clock, nice one, collected his bag and personal stuff for him, took it inside. He’s off to Hospital so me and Marlon closed stuff out for the shift. Handed phone and Handheld terminal thingy, paperwork, debrief, Clocked out 22:30.
3rd day:
First day as a driver:
2 of us, my partner was a lovely, LOVELY guy, called Balosh. He was supposed to be driving but Agent said no, this idiot has to get experience driving! ummm, no I don’t!
anyways…we worked, we humped stuff in and out of houses and flats, we met some really nice people and we also met some ■■■■■■■■ too
This was a good day. Nowhere near as heavy heavy lifting as the previous two days.
Day 4:
This was a fun day.
Partnered with Danny, a Romanian guy, built like a horse, 6’ 2" ish, knows all the wrinkles t get stuff in and out of houses.
He drove.
He seemed to have an uncanny ability to find where we were going. He’d just park up, take the package out of the back and stride off into the distance. Come back, and drive on.
Last job of the day? Washer Dryer 5th floor, no lift, (I have a photo, its that bad )
The poor lady was so apologetic about the stairs and stuff, she’d told John Lewis about the stairs, no lift etc, poor soul. anyways, we got the job done, and I taught Danny a little wrinkle of my own. Turn it sideways, slide it downstairs.
He did have a bit of a short fuse though and, after damaging the truck going through a width restricted barrier, wanted to blame me for everything bad that happened after that. Luckily, I am a fully confident, older, mature, person, and told him to ■■■■ off more than once 
He seemed to appreciate that and, at the end of the shift, shook my hand and said “I work with you anytime, old man”
I’d work with Danny anytime, too.