Hello all, has anybody got any experience of working for Solstor!? What are they like to work for, what’s the pay rates like? Do they shovel the hours at you? Etc etc. Have made enquiries direct, just waiting for response!! But any info from anyone prior would be much appreciated!!!
Rearrange the following to make a well known phrase or expression.
Touch.
With.
Them.
A.
Don’t.
Bargepole.
Understood!! That bad then!?
Yes my mate worked for them out of Boston tramping , but for whatever reason ( think it was to do with where trucks were parked ) his truck was moved to p/ bro so he left as he didn’t want the traveling there and back fro where he lived at skeggy , his biggest issue was the late starts on a Friday , say 9/10 am out of Bristol ( half the time load wasn’t ready , then take it to dart ford Sains , then get a tesco load out of Thurrock and deliver and if he got back to Boston it could be midnight , if he didn’t he’d normally do a hour back on sat morn ( sure it was £150 for a sat which he was paid for the the hour .
I never really understood why he got so wound up as he only worked tues- fri so he still had 2 days off whatever , and he got £150 for a hour or so work .
Nb he’s actually just rang today to go back as staples didn’t work out , but he’s also on about jack Richards as well
Anything else feel free to ask , if I can’t help I’ll ask him as speak nearly every day
25 years ago they were possibly the best paying company going, after Ford Truck Fleet. That was then and apparently its a totally different set up now. T/N member Truckboy worked for them. Im sure he will catch this and give you an insight. Take note of Harrys word game! 
Was potentially looking at running out of Crayford, if he could get any info on what they are like out of there!! Would also potentially be looking at Friday Saturday Sundays.
But after the word game I am not so sure!! mind u, I suppose you have to find out what places are like for yourself!! But will take into account advice from previous / current employees!!
Here I am Folks, thanks for the into 
I worked for them when they were a great firm to work for, and i carried on after i retired too as they offered me what i wanted. The money was crap though, the work clean and tidy, was all fridge work, now they have tauts as well, all trailers and units changed after 3 years, possisbly five now…but decent kit, Mercs and Dafs i believe. They want their pound of flesh, push you to the max, and yes it is 5 over 7, but are starting drivers on a tues, to get their weekend out of you for the same money, BUT, if you want weekends only, they will acommodate you, or go via agency ( not sure what ones ) as its a lot more money, ( a weeks money for the same as mon-fri ) I enjoyed the work, but was better when it was the old days, on international, and tank work…we had a weak transport manager who was a clerk who was promoted, i wrote a letter to a driver who was off, that his truck was in a terrible mess, but used swear words, i left the note as i wasnt able to speak directly which i would have done, when he came in the next day, he cried like a baby to the weak manager, who reported it upstairs, and i got a disciplinary and sacked on the spot…he has since been sacked, and a ■■■■■■■■ from Turners took over ( we all knew that he would ) and never had a clue about transport, brought in new measures about coupling up, and switching the engine off in between coupling, suzies, etc, i told him what i thought, and he didnt like it up em as they say…ha ha same as running the engine before bed, he pulled me on that, so next night out, i phoned him at 0400 to tell him the truck wont start…when he asked why, i told him because i never started the engine before bed…cost the company £350 for a call out…funny he never bothered me again, more than one way of skinning a cat eh !..just shows you what theyre like…with Monitors too, if you stop they will ring you…if you run late, they will ring you…no phones, only yours…so be very aware…mixed drivers on there from Bulgarians to Polish, lithuanians, and what ever…a very international company indeed, but no international work in house anymore, all covered by subbies.
Truckyboy - thanks very much for that, on that note, think I will swerve them then!! Could do with finding something else than I currently have though, what a bunch of Muppets I am with at the minute!!! Haha
I remember years back one of theirs got hit by an aircraft near Duxford…
truckyboy:
Here I am Folks, thanks for the intoweakmanager, who reported it upstairs, and i got a disciplinary and sacked on the spot…he has since been sacked, and a [zb] fromTurnerstook over ( we all knew that he would ) and never had a clue about transport, brought in new measures about coupling up, and switching the engine off in between coupling, suzies, etc, i told him what i thought, and he didnt like it up em as they say…ha ha same as running the engine before bed, he pulled me on that, so next night out, i phoned him at 0400 to tell him the truck wont start…when he asked why, i told him because i never started the engine before bed…cost the company £350 for a call out…funny he never bothered me again, more than one way of skinning a cat eh !..just shows you what theyre like…with Monitors too, if you stop they will ring you…if you run late, they will ring you…no phones, only yours…so be very aware…mixed drivers on there from Bulgarians to Polish, lithuanians, and what ever…a very international company indeed, but no international work in house anymore, all covered by subbies.
I had quite a heated row with one of there drivers once . I told him I used to bump into occasionally a solstor driver in Greece pulling I’m sure it was a powder tank he swore blind they never had tanks I’m sure they was based Croydon back then
It wasnt Solstor…we started off in Charlton/Woolwich…Warspite road when it was Chingford and most of the work was subbed out …then they moved to a purpose built packhouse in Crayford, kept the Chingford name, but went in house with the transport which was called South London Storage…( SO…LS…TOR ) never had a depot in Croydon, but now has a depot in Yaxley ( when they bought out Funstons ) and possibly others now…also had a packhouse in spain too, which they still have. Whilst i was there they got a contract with a French Sugar company, and thats where the tanks came in, they rented the tanks, drivers got trained on tanks and procedures etc, and it was a great job, but when the contract came up for renewal, the french wouldnt meet solstor rates so we ended up dropping the work…it was on the cards as we took the work from nobby dressingtable…and he wanted it back…they lost it because of bad timed deliveries…
chester1:
… I told him I used to bump into occasionally a solstor driver in Greece pulling I’m sure it was a powder tank he swore blind they never had tanks I’m sure they was based Croydon back then…
How long ago would this have been? Im intrigued as Im from around that area, although I moved away in 2000, and if there was anyone runner powder tanks to Greece im sure I would have know as I would have been knocking on the door for a job! 
The only person I can think of who did Greece (along with Spain, Italy and Portugal) from that area was an O/O by the name of Ken, KBM International, who had a few trucks and trailers which he used to park on the Purley Way when they were home. No powder tanks there though. There was accompany in Whytleafe that did Austria with tilts but that’s about it. Maybe it was an O/D who did a bit for Solstor too.
bullitt:
chester1:
… I told him I used to bump into occasionally a solstor driver in Greece pulling I’m sure it was a powder tank he swore blind they never had tanks I’m sure they was based Croydon back then…How long ago would this have been? Im intrigued as Im from around that area, although I moved away in 2000, and if there was anyone runner powder tanks to Greece im sure I would have know as I would have been knocking on the door for a job!
The only person I can think of who did Greece (along with Spain, Italy and Portugal) from that area was an O/O by the name of Ken, KBM International, who had a few trucks and trailers which he used to park on the Purley Way when they were home. No powder tanks there though. There was accompany in Whytleafe that did Austria with tilts but that’s about it. Maybe it was an O/D who did a bit for Solstor too.
This was 93-4 ish maybe the driver was from Croydon but is was long before they was in Crayford as trucker boy said it was a short lived thing for solstor. KBM did they park behind what is now the John Lewis opposite the hare and hounds on the purley way
We only ever did France to uk with tanks, It was Sugar and we ran out empty to collect it, the only other firm i worked for in that area , and ran to Greece was : Reeve Freight Services, who subbed to D.A.P, and George Dole did the Greece work with a LHD 3300 Daf the only left ■■■■■■ we had in Erith.
truckyboy:
…the only other firm i worked for in that area , and ran to Greece was : Reeve Freight Services, who subbed to D.A.P, and George Dole did the Greece work with a LHD 3300 Daf the only left ■■■■■■ we had in Erith.
Yep, I remember Reeves doing it for D.A.P. Im sure it was when George Dole left or something that “No Neck” started doing it, he used to think of it as his own personal run, but they were in Earith. Don’t think Mondials near the Blackwall tunnel ever ran powders down there either. Maybe as Chester said, it was the driver and not the company that was from the Croydon area.
chester1:
…This was 93-4 ish maybe the driver was from Croydon but is was long before they was in Crayford as trucker boy said it was a short lived thing for solstor. KBM did they park behind what is now the John Lewis opposite the hare and hounds on the purley way
Chester, KBM used to park in what was the middle, rough land, truck parking of the Purley Way, as it was in the 80`s. Couldn’t tell you where that is in regard to John Lewis as I haven’t been back there for years. then it the parking moved to the back, a few roads up from where Phillips / London Carriers used to have there base, maybe a cash and carry warehouse now.
bullitt:
chester1:
…This was 93-4 ish maybe the driver was from Croydon but is was long before they was in Crayford as trucker boy said it was a short lived thing for solstor. KBM did they park behind what is now the John Lewis opposite the hare and hounds on the purley wayChester, KBM used to park in what was the middle, rough land, truck parking of the Purley Way, as it was in the 80`s. Couldn’t tell you where that is in regard to John Lewis as I haven’t been back there for years. then it the parking moved to the back, a few roads up from where Phillips / London Carriers used to have there base, maybe a cash and carry warehouse now.
Can’t be the same guy this bloke was there late 2000s the John Lewis is sort of waddon / beddington farm lol