I have heard people joke about these firms but what are they really like to work for?
LASHHGV:
I have heard people joke about these firms but what are they really like to work for?
I’ve never worked for Irlams but Stobarts is good. Won’t go into the waffle but its ok and good work.
I too have worked for Stobarts through the agency a few times now & i would say they are good people to work for with really decent kit.
what sort of money do they pay and can you get a job with them direct without going through a agency?
yes mate you can get a job straight through them stobarts pay varies alot depending which shifts you decide to do and i was told that irlams is £8 but that is only wod of mouth
Dave555 where are you based??, i drive from the appleton thorne depot when driving for them. You could call in & fill in an application form & see what comes from it, iam happy doing agency work for now.
they have a sliding pay scale ie…one for nights, one for days, one for weekends & one if you have early starts 4am, they pay meal allowance as well.
They have a big board when you go into their drivers entrance with all the hourly pay rates on it and what ever other payments, meal,nights out etc…
One of the guys i was talking to when i was there a couple of weekends ago told me he gets a flat rate of £12 an hour for doing sat & sun only, thats the only 2 days a week he does.
I’m in south Wales, Stobarts have a yard in Newport so i was wondering about that
They have 2 in Wales dont they?, call in to the yard & fill in an application form, you have nowt to loose
stobarts have got two yards in wales dave, one in newport in the hasbro factory the other up the road in cwbran in the knauf factory, worked for them for 9 months and was ok work wise
Now I’m probably going to get shot down for this,but these are the rates according to my mate who works for Stobarts.But before you read them,don’t ask if there is time and a half after 8,or double time on Sunday’s etc,as what is quoted,is how/what they pay:
Monday to Friday,6am-6pm £7.20
6pm-6am £8.10
Sat 6am-3pm £9.50
Sat 3pm-Sun 6am £11
Sat over 8 hours per shift,and extra £30
Sun 6am-Mon 6am £10.50
Bank Holiday £81 if you work it or not,but if you do,and extra £11 per hour.
Meal allownace £9 per day
Attendance bonus £5 per day for your shift days,and including days you are on holiday,but NOT your rest days.
Like I say,the above is what I’ve been told,but if you want confirmation,you’re either going to have to speak to a Stobbies employee,or get a job there.
What I will say,is that some people will say that £7.20 is too low,but if you add up the meal allowance,and the daily attendance allowance,and then divide them by a 10 hour shift,and add it to the base rate,it effectively gives you £8.60 per hour on days,for 10 hours.Obviously if you do more than 10 hours,it reduces it slightly,but i’ll let you do the maths for the other shifts.
Ken.
Quinny:
if you add up the meal allowance,and the daily attendance allowance,and then divide them by a 10 hour shift,and add it to the base rate,
Then take away the number you first thought of… 
drove for irlams when id just passed my test and it was the only firm i later refused to drive for , ive never had the phone ring so much in my life with where the zb are you .it may of been i was young as new but i never gave them another chance
it got me that stressed out when i was asked what truck i was in [reg no ] i said a red artic [que lots of swearing and are you taking the ■■■■ ] 
I’ve worked for both in the past (mid to late 90’s). Stobart’s was far better than Irlam’s. 
I only stopped working for Stobart’s because of a house move. I left Irlam’s because of an argument over a maintenance issue with my truck - I said it needed a job done (and the fitter agreed with me) but they said it was fine and to go get on with another load.
I left.
It was only after I left I realised how peaceful life can be without the two-way ringing every 20 mins (I kid you not!!).
Being single at the time, Irlam’s money was fine for me but I was doing the absolute (legal) maximum hours every week. IIRC those with a family to support weren’t too happy with the wages.
Have never driven for Irlams but having listened to their drivers moaning constantly about the company practices I put them one rung above MacFarlanes…
…which is pretty low on the ladder!!
Stan