i know that these posts are quite old but i still wana post a reply. in my experiance a firm like richard long will probably get more than their fair share of dreamers and time wasters. i don’t mean to take anything away from all the people that have already posted but put your self in their shoes, drivers ringing up full of dreams and big ideas and when it comes to the crunch their bottle goes, they’ve probably had trucks dumped all over europe. like the other fella said if you act like an idiot then you will be treated like an idiot. i used to work for thorburn international and before i started i heard all sorts of stories about him being a real b*****d but he was a really good bloke when he got to know you, they just want to make sure that you know what you’re doing. i might be totally wrong but try and look at the job from the other side.
I’ve worked for them.
Best JOB I’ve ever had in haulage, most enjoyable. Shame the haulier didn’t match.
Well that’s ALL the good points done. 
If you can get a start, give it a go. Unless you give it a go, you have no reason to slate the company and you will always ponder what it would be like.
If like myself you become one of his LONG term SENIOR drivers (I lasted 4 months, which incidentally is less time then I lasted working in West Africa for Falcon Drilling on 6 weeks offshore and 2 weeks at home rotation)
My only tip is this…
WHEN you quit (not if) make sure you take all relevant paperwork, Tacho’s and truck keys home with you, and refuse to return them until you have been paid in full. If you choose to derive from this tip in the slightest, make sure you thank him for the experience unpaid. 
Point taken fingersdaily, but I still see no reason to treat ALL drivers like [zb] because of a few possible dreamers.
After all the time they’ve been in business I would have hoped they could sort out the wheat from the chaff withing about 15 seconds of them walking into the yard! But by all accounts, they don’t, and one or two posts on here make it very obvious that they prefer to treat their drivers as sub-human.
Unfortunately, with the way of the economy today, there will always be people who don’t have the financial resources or self confidence to boycott operators like the Longs. More’s the pity!
But I note your second post on the forum has been in defence of the indefensible fingersdaily… You don’t live/work anywhere near Besthorpe do you?
I have noted that employers are afraid to call the individual driver into the office to discuss an issue, they prefer to send memos to everyone in the hope that this will solve the problem. I have also noted that this course of action very rarely works.
dont apply if you like a kebab or 2 as you wont get the job for being to rotund to attach the chains.
my brother in law worked there a few years ago,
he said the same, great job, top notch trucks (fully loaded) but the attitude from the office staff was just something else!!! .
Had a spell earlier this year.
Attitude from office; Had worse had better.
Equipment; Had worse had better.
Work; Had worse had better.
Pay; Had worse had better.
Conclusion; Had worse had better, the reason for leaving under good terms with the offer of the door is always open was the same pay for 7 days as for 5 days. A matter of principle for me. If was paid extra for being away weekends would probably still be there.
jessicas dad:
dont apply if you like a kebab or 2 as you wont get the job for being to rotund to attach the chains.
can we take from this, you applied and was refused for being a fatty?
I had a short spell ther last year and agree there attitude towards drivers is not the best.but once out of clownthorpe you were left to get on with it… only spoke to office when tipped or loaded. i enjoyed it while i was there and glad i did it… but the offer of more money and time at home was to much to turn down…
heard all the stories while there some true some not.
The job was what you made of it…as the fitter told me “you get no medals here”
First time poster hope it worked l ol
shuttlespanker:
jessicas dad:
dont apply if you like a kebab or 2 as you wont get the job for being to rotund to attach the chains.can we take from this, you applied and was refused for being a fatty?
No not me, I wouldn’t work weeks away at a time for any amount of money, it was a very good friend of mine.
jessicas dad:
shuttlespanker:
jessicas dad:
dont apply if you like a kebab or 2 as you wont get the job for being to rotund to attach the chains.can we take from this, you applied and was refused for being a fatty?
No not me, I wouldn’t work weeks away at a time for any amount of money, it was a very good friend of mine.
Limeyphil,Toby ■■?
so basically most of you lot on here have never worked for them and are just listening to drivers nonesense again. if you dont want to be away then obviously dont apply to work there, it may not suit you but thats no reason to slag the job off. you do get paid extra for being weekended and there are firms out there that pay much less for the same type of work. some people just like to get out of the house and get down the road driving to countries like italy, spain and greece etc and some people dont but i dont see how some of you can rip the job apart when youve never done it and have nothing but uk work to compare it too.
fingersdaily:
so basically most of you lot on here have never worked for them and are just listening to drivers nonesense again. if you dont want to be away then obviously dont apply to work there, it may not suit you but thats no reason to slag the job off. you do get paid extra for being weekended and there are firms out there that pay much less for the same type of work. some people just like to get out of the house and get down the road driving to countries like italy, spain and greece etc and some people dont but i dont see how some of you can rip the job apart when youve never done it and have nothing but uk work to compare it too.
Hear Hear, good response
fingersdaily:
so basically most of you lot on here have never worked for them and are just listening to drivers nonesense again. if you dont want to be away then obviously dont apply to work there, it may not suit you but thats no reason to slag the job off. you do get paid extra for being weekended and there are firms out there that pay much less for the same type of work. some people just like to get out of the house and get down the road driving to countries like italy, spain and greece etc and some people dont but i dont see how some of you can rip the job apart when youve never done it and have nothing but uk work to compare it too.
At least one has worked for you and for 4 months at that! And a rep is a rep! 
Two things put me off working for them, 1) The attitude of Lorraine at the interview and 2) the absence of a driving assessment.
waddy640:
Two things put me off working for them, 1) The attitude of Lorraine at the interview and 2) the absence of a driving assessment.
Women in transport normally wear the trousers
Wheel Nut:
waddy640:
Two things put me off working for them, 1) The attitude of Lorraine at the interview and 2) the absence of a driving assessment.Women in transport normally wear the trousers
Phillipa at Edmonds was the same.
waddy640:
Two things put me off working for them, 1) The attitude of Lorraine at the interview and 2) the absence of a driving assessment.
Absolutely correct on 1) but I had an assessment, about half an hours drive with the loaded wagon I then took to Spain a couple of days later. I’ve worked for a lot worse.
waddy640:
Phillipa at Edmonds was the same.
I like the Edmonds, Phillipa ran the money and Graham kept the fleet running, they use to
have a decent business there , Graham was a character , I think they split up in the end
which is a shame.
Suffolk ReeferBoy:
waddy640:
Phillipa at Edmonds was the same.I like the Edmonds, Phillipa ran the money and Graham kept the fleet running, they use to
have a decent business there , Graham was a character , I think they split up in the end
which is a shame.
Graham seems to be in the property letting business now.