Any of you guys heard this. Or AG Thames has brought Produce world. But A guy who runs an agency came to me today to ask what they are like to work for. A question i asked only 3months ago. As he obviously has a vested interest, So any of you Marshall drivers on here. Any news.
Yep,bought Marshalls this week. As for working for them,well,ask Truckyboy
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Re: Solstor What they like to work for. Do they have trampers.
Postby truckyboy » Sat Nov 21, 2009 2:40 pm
Hi Ya little john…well here is the run down…most drivers on solstor at the moment would find another job if they could…we have heard that for the waitrose contract which they got because marshalls and other companies turned it down, due to the fact £15 a pallet was only good enough for Solstor. You have NO chance of getting on the international work which is only being run from Crayford anyway…unless you want to buy your own unit and sub for them…Polish companies are being paid £900 round trip to spain…can you compete with that.
The planners are absolutely useless, but i understand that the new job is being run from Peterborough (yaxley)
Your vehicles will be DAF C.F.s the very basic model with no air-con, wind deflectors, etc…with a very basic engine which couldnt pull you out of bed when fully loaded.
With these heaps of [zb], you will be expected to save fuel, by not getting any overspeeds, turning off the engine as soon as you stop…and the best bit is when coupling up to a trailer…1. start the engine…back up to the trailer…turn off the engine…put the air lines on…start the engine…reverse under the trailer…stop the engine…put on safety clip…number plate…wind the legs up…take off the trailer brake… do the vehicle checks…you may then re-start the engine…if your ready to go…after a 4.5 hour journey…switch off immediately…without letting the turbo cool down…thats what they want…thats what they get…(21 year old operations manager ex turners )
You will eventually get our old vehicles…whilst we get the new ones in crayford…and i am told that your wage will not be compatable with our £32 grand…but a mere £76 a day…we run 100% legal…and any infringements will be dealt with…we are on a points system whereby you get 3 points for every infringement…after 18 points…you will get a disciplinary…we get infringements for being 1 minute under our daily rest period…
You will be expected and told that a 15 hour day is the norm…and you will be expected to reduce your rest period from 11 hrs to 9 hrs…unless your truckyboy…and stand up to them and tell them you dont reduce. drivers have been reprimanded for failing to work 15 hr days…and disciplined for not using the rest mode when on a loading bay. This is to benefit the company in allowing a driver to be on duty for between 70 and 80 hrs a week because when they take away the rest periods…you will in effect have only worked 37 hrs a week…we have argued about this but they will only tell you…theres the gate
Of course we have heard that Funstons is calling it a day, and the drivers have to be offered first refusal for the jobs available…we have heard that the drivers are on night work, and they sleep in the trucks during the day…thats fine in your big DAF`s…Mercs…etc…but in the little rabbit hutches you will be supplied with…that will be a nightmare…but at the end of the day…,a job is a job…take it or leave it…and bear in mind that a lot of what i have written is only hearsay…have the interview…ask your own questions…and judge for yourselves…what i do know is, i wont be doing nightwork for them…
I do wonder where they are going to park the supposedly 37 units and 30 trailers…we have bought British and Brazillian…but theres not enough room there the last time i looked…good luck…and keep us informed…and goodbye to another great company forced against the wall.Funstons.
one of the old school…whats a test â– â–
Cheers innova.
I work for solstor,(ex Funstons), Although you need,nt have posted the other bit, as poor truckyboy is still being hunted by the top brass. Apparently they think it was unflatering so to speak. I,ve been working for solstor 4 three months today. Same job But i was kinda hoping it might have got better organised but that did,nt happen seems they are more interested in personality rather than skill.
Maybe i,m a hopeless romantic but maybe nextweek they,ll send me off to spain to give me a break from the muppets in the office who i,m afraid ain,t up to the job. They struggle to organize the day let alone the one after.
Anyway thanks for letting me know.
Cheers fella Johnny 
Apparently they think it was unflatering so to speak
Truth hurts!
Hi i worked for Solstor from 1987 to 1998 ,it is sad to read that the firm has come to this level it was one of the best jobs ever, it was hard but was allways fun we had a great team, 
innova:
Apparently they think it was unflatering so to speak
Truth hurts!
I’m sure Truckyboy is quaking in his boots… 
Well apparently it is true, All signed n sealed last friday. Although they have only brought the transport side of Marshals. Wonder if they will sub out all there spanish work to Johnnie foreigner for 900 quid ago. Give it another 10 years and i,ll run out of places to get a job. Although i aint tried stobbies yet. Only cause that green shirt would make me look ill.
Think i,ll become an mp theres a few of them jobs up for grabs.
VOTE JOHNNY VOTE UKIP
Johnny aka Little John:
Same job But i was kinda hoping it might have got better organised but that did,nt happen seems they are more interested in personality rather than skill.
trouble is johnny it may be a different brewary but it is the sane muppets trying to organise the booze up, at least darren had half an idea of what was going on and could keep the plates spinning for 98% of the time!!
errrrr personality? carl? 
I was on the same time as papa numpty great job good transport manager mark viner dont know about now
Hey caveman yer muppet why didnt yer tell me you go under that name on the phone earlier. 
Oh n by the way apparently big brother is watching us.
Maybe they might hire some ef…in planners then. 
oooooooooo spys on TN will have to get rikki to find em and bin em!! 
Produce firms around this area have been finding it hard to make ends meet (the most high profile failure being MBMG Produce ex FW Gedneey) and I heard back in February that Marshalls were going to stop running their own transport operations. What with Funstons/Solstor hauling for Marshalls parent Produce World, Solstor was always going to haul for Marshalls as Produce World looks to integrate its businesses together for further cost savings.