Good on ya Harry. I don’t do RDC’s, but am well aware of the horror stories. I reckon if more followed your lead this thread wouldn’t exist.
Quick question though; how did the staff react when you told them you were pulling out? I’d have paid to see their faces. 
the maoster:
Quick question though; how did the staff react when you told them you were pulling out? I’d have paid to see their faces.
Not as impressive as you might have imagined, “not bovvered” would sum it up. But she was a teenage girl, on her own, probably on the Minimum Wage, working full-time in a place we can’t stand for much more than two hours.
I imagine some Stuffed Shirts will be discussing it later 
No RDC is consistent in my experience. As a general rule I found the Asda RDCs (food and clothes) to be above average, Morrisons well below average and Tesco just average, depending on which one. I’ve only done one Sainsbury’s that I can remember and that was the one at Stoke and I had a horrible experience there. The worst of the supermarkets BY FAR are the Netto RDCs, particularly South Elmsall where it is run by Little Hitler’s and your hi-viz is not for hi-viz purposes but for rank. I have never been happy with the self-unloading idea there but having also done a bunch of Aldi RDCs as well who have the same procedure, I started to come round to the idea as Aldi always seem to have you straight on a bay, a pallet truck with charge in it, space to put your stuff and once you’ve finished unloading there’s usually someone who’ll start checking it off right away, which is all you could ask for. Netto, on the other hand, keep you waiting hours before getting on a bay, there is never a spare pallet truck - and if there is it will be dead - and there is NEVER EVER EVER anywhere to put your stuff so you have to wait another 2 hours for someone to clear some space, and then another 2 hours to get someone to check it off. Oh and don’t get me started on making sure all the pallets are in an exact straight line at Netto !!! A story which has been well documented on here before ! 
For non-food stuff, Argos RDCs are always a full day job and a pain in the arse. Wasn’t so bad a few years ago if you were on hours as you could get your head down for 4 hours but now you have to sit in that waiting room it just ■■■■■. I’m just glad I’m out of it now.
Rob K:
Oh and don’t get me started on making sure all the pallets are in an exact straight line at Netto !!! A story which has been well documented on here before ! .
I’d forgotten that particular foible, although it was Lidl in Weston where they were weird about that, and I remember seeing some poor warehouse person having to open every single pack of computer mice to remove a picture that was deemed offensive…(it showed a man holding a baby, no kidding!)
Rob K:
For non-food stuff, Argos RDCs are always a full day job and a pain in the arse. Wasn’t so bad a few years ago if you were on hours as you could get your head down for 4 hours but now you have to sit in that waiting room it just ■■■■■. .
Can’t argue with that, either. Argos Bridgewater with ladders from Germany was never pleasant. I could never see how it could take 15 hours to unload them…
Rob K:
No RDC is consistent in my experience. As a general rule I found the Asda RDCs (food and clothes) to be above average, Morrisons well below average and Tesco just average, depending on which one. I’ve only done one Sainsbury’s that I can remember and that was the one at Stoke and I had a horrible experience there. The worst of the supermarkets BY FAR are the Netto RDCs, particularly South Elmsall where it is run by Little Hitler’s and your hi-viz is not for hi-viz purposes but for rank. I have never been happy with the self-unloading idea there but having also done a bunch of Aldi RDCs as well who have the same procedure, I started to come round to the idea as Aldi always seem to have you straight on a bay, a pallet truck with charge in it, space to put your stuff and once you’ve finished unloading there’s usually someone who’ll start checking it off right away, which is all you could ask for. Netto, on the other hand, keep you waiting hours before getting on a bay, there is never a spare pallet truck - and if there is it will be dead - and there is NEVER EVER EVER anywhere to put your stuff so you have to wait another 2 hours for someone to clear some space, and then another 2 hours to get someone to check it off. Oh and don’t get me started on making sure all the pallets are in an exact straight line at Netto !!! A story which has been well documented on here before !For non-food stuff, Argos RDCs are always a full day job and a pain in the arse. Wasn’t so bad a few years ago if you were on hours as you could get your head down for 4 hours but now you have to sit in that waiting room it just ■■■■■. I’m just glad I’m out of it now.
Welcome back Rob. 
Harry Monk:
I arrived at Sainsbury, Charlton at 19.08 for a 20.00 booking this evening and I pulled out at 21.35 because I was out of hours at 22.00, there were still seven in front of me.This was a “consolidation load” too, among which were 14 pallets of nappies, a “must never run out of” line for all supermarkets, I know that by pulling out, the knock-on effect will be that hundreds of shoppers will find Sainsbury’s shelves empty of their most important purchase this week and will shop elsewhere for nappies on this occasion, and possibly every time they shop in future, and I know that I have caused thousands of pounds worth of loss to Sainsbury by pulling out tonight.
Still, never mind, eh!
Well if those doing the deed a while back had taken a leaf out of your book and pulled out, they probably wouldn’t need the nappies
Wheel Nut:
Welcome back Rob.
steve o:
on a tesos note the one in newcastle under lyme is BRILLIANT, very helpful kind staff and amazingly clean premises.(and i dont work for tescos they just seem to be the ones i visit the most)
You sure your not thinking of Asda?
Tesco don’t have a site (to my knowledge) in Newcastle, Staffs.
Not really an RDC as such but…Pearson Books at Rugby.
Backed straight onto a bay…booked in at office…had to hand keys in which really pees me off…but not worth the arguments…so i said “ok mate, just give me a knock when you’re done…”. I had planned to shove something in the microwave while i was being loaded…only to be told “oh no drive, you can’t stay in the motor while its being loaded…health and safety mate.”
I said “what? are you worried a pallet might come through a solid steel container into the cab?..ok, i’ll drop it on the bay then?” …" Sorry drive, can’t load it if you drop it…" this despite 4 of their own trailers being loaded whilst dropped…
I gave up at that point…mainly because the fire alarm sounded and the whole site got evacuated for 20 mins…well…i presume it was the fire alarm, of course it may just have been someone not wearing a hi viz!
Oh, and they did have a room, with a free coffee machine, where you were supposed to wait…it was clean and warm, but no TV, hard chairs and pretty bleak.
Worst was somerfield in east kilbride. had 2 pallets with 1 layer on each, tunes or chewits or something. took all in over 2 hours. after an hour and a half i went 2 see what was keeping the guy and he was opening every box and counting the packs inside. only time ive lost it and started shouting 
. try to be pleasant even if they wont. wouldnt let me pull out without paperwork ( had a timed collection ) so missed said collection.
Best was sainsburys east kilbride, got there a couple of hours early so security said i had 2 wait outside. was due a break so asked if there was a good snack van around, they said just park up across the road and you can use canteen. great meal for about 2 quid . having said that had the usual keys on a chain and wait in the room once i got in but was only about 40 mins.
Hi all, all the loads i do are chilled but got to highly praise Coop at Harthill normally in and out within 25mins max, Morrsions at Bellshill isnt too bad either and good food full breaky £2 (all barr sundaydays which they dont tip till 11am) 
Sainsburys East kilbride (DHL) is good too not bad breaky either
Normally 20 mins max.
The worst RCD ive been to is Sainsburys at baskingstoke they are just unhelpful and the waiting room is a box with some chairs into i would be warmer to sit in the freezer.
Tesco at Livingston has its days and those stupid telecoms at the gate are a royal pain when someone pulls up next to you with the frigde going hell for leather you cant hear a ■■■■ thing. Depending what shift is on as to how helpful they are.
DonutUK:
‘…had to hand keys in which really pees me off…’
Me too, it’s something to do with events being controlled, making us powerless & is effected by ‘grown-ups’.
However, I use what little control that is mine by turning any lights off - thus to pathetically deny the whole of that DC my battery power to power my lights in my trailer when I’m doing them a favour by fighting through traffic, etc to bring them their crappy kit into their crappy yard. I turn into a two-year old throwing a tantrum when I can’t see respectful logic being granted whilst the circumstances feel sooo insulting because their scribblies in their office treat this big boy like a glove-puppet.
Denying the bay lads any dim glimmer from a couple of iffy light bulbs is an arguable H&S risk to them(?), but until I’m told otherwise, my fightback to the insult of ‘hand the keys in’ nonsense is to enjoy my role as being the light-daddy in my (radio-less & lecky window inert) combination.
[Sidetrack issue: I suspect the answer to why this occurs is because society - and thus our industry, applies the logic of knowing the financial cost of everything (accidents, paperwork saving, insurance premiums, etc) yet cares little about what qualities of life that might remain, ie, ‘so what if we do diss the driver by taking away the traffic reports on his radio’: Will this cutting edge, but naff period one day be known as the ‘money before people’ era?]
Praise.
TESCO DIDCOT; I’ve been going in there on & off for the last 15yrs on nights {last 5yrs every working day} with 3 different employers I’ve found the office staff, managers & not forgetting the warehouse staff all very helpful & ready to past the time of day with you & the odd joke or 2. A quick turn round OK the odd time when they have been short of space you have to wait. Not keen on the new system on waiting in the waiting room BUT safty comes first. Didcot change the TV for a flat screen one.
shuttlespanker:
dustylfc:
ive found all tesco to be good, even the shunter drivers help you, what i have seen is alot of anti stobart in various locations luckily i dont have a uniform, but am sure stobies has stepped on many toes but just as tnt and dhl have and there not british companies, i have recently done a few tesco express deliveries all cage work and it was excellent no stress happy banter and a free cup of tea made with proper coffee and kettle, i work weekends and find the staff at weekends just hate to see the sight of you, but i suppose i would feel the same doing there job, if i come across i really awful one i will post it, same as if i come across a goodinbet that tasted a bit wierd
ok, ok, back on topic now
praise
Tesco Magor, i arrived 18 hours early (18:45 on Tuesday, booked for 13:00 wednesday) with a 40 foot container full of rose wine, they let me in and tipped me and i was out again within 45 minutes (30 mins of that was trying to open and close the doors
It’s kicking time
the worst RDC was Tesco again, this time at Middlewich, i arrived 1 hour early for my booking time, i was actually doing this job as a favour to a friend (i know, some friend
), when i got there, i was told that the yard was “in lock down”, basically, nothing was going in, there was already too many vehicles in the yard, i sat there for nearly 2 hours waiting at the gate before i was let in, went in, parked in a parking bay, walked over to the goods in office, handed over the notes only to be told “you’re gonna have to wait drive, you’re late!”
to say that i was not amused, would be a slight understatement
that particular goods in clerk came very close to finding out if he would actually fit through the little window that they used to have there
i wonder if thats the same one i had a run in with 
running trailers from livingston to drift (i think) then the unit to middlewich. i was told they would provide transport or they would give me money for my train fare. this one tried to get me dropped off at crewe train station. luckily the driver i was sent with mentioned this beforehand so i sent him on his way and had a word with the guy at the window and i am not in the best of moods after a 15 hour day
scanny77:
i wonder if thats the same one i had a run in with
running trailers from livingston to drift (i think) then the unit to middlewich. i was told they would provide transport or they would give me money for my train fare. this one tried to get me dropped off at crewe train station. luckily the driver i was sent with mentioned this beforehand so i sent him on his way and had a word with the guy at the window and i am not in the best of moods after a 15 hour day
Lads, please re-read this thread. now ask your mates who don’t work in transport if they’d put up with your treatment ! I THINK NOT, why do you? 
wibble:
Lads, please re-read this thread. now ask your mates who don’t work in transport if they’d put up with your treatment ! I THINK NOT, why do you?
so in other words what you are saying is we should all stop whinging and put up with the way drivers get treated at some rdc’s 
Why dont the Road Haulage association get involved with this handing the keys in and having to sit in a room, surely if a driver is allowed to rest or sleep in his own cab it allows him to be refreshed for driving, therefore more alert, which is far more important.
Royal Mail everywhere is great. It’s how transport should work, ok there will be people knocking them BUT.
- YOU HAVE AN ARRIVAL TIME
2 YOU HAVE A DEPARTURE TIME
3 ANY DEVIATION IS QUESTIONED
4 CLOSED DOOR POLICY (If it’s not ready or tipped in the stated time, pull out)
I know most on here will say it’s not possible to operate a closed door policy but until you do you’ll continue to sleep in Industrial estates and not at home where you should be.
5 You are treated as a person, not a number. (This may seem strange as it’s one of the largest employers in the country. I was so shocked when I first worked for through an agency I thought I’d gone to heaven)
6 Well maintained kit, if it has a defect, it’s done before it goes out again.
I could carry on but I’m sure there’s an old hand at R M who remembers the good old days to put you right. The old hands that still want to strike to find out what it means to really be a truck driver.
Sorry It makes me so angry that the union I’m a member of is determined to loose me my job.
GOOD.
iceland warrington,tipped in an hr on all recent visits,canteen/drinks/toilets all clean and drivers free to use
allowed to stay in yr cab
batleys/parfetts cash n carrys,canteen facilities for drivers,stay in cab.
farmfoods warrington,large drivers waiting room,decent toilets,not a bad tip,usually within hr
BAD
sainsbury haydock,no facilities,sat in a freezing goods in office
tesco mwich,3.30 delay on last visit,1 ■■■■ infested toilet,15 drivers in a 7 seat waiting room
spar preston,■■■■ infested toilet,nightmare parking,no pleasing the beetroot faced flt driver!
booker haydock,brew machine robs u,loooong delays,toilets stinking
HIT N MISS
asda wigan,never can tell if going to be delayed or not,toilets/brew machine ok
somerfield st helens,not so many delays,toilets bad,canteen ok
as for arsey goods in staff,all deliveries have em,make it yr business to be jovial as poss(even tho a kickin may be in order)it winds em up even more
and leave happy in the knowledge,they have to go there EVERY day!