got interview and driving assesment on wednesday 
in widnes depot but know nothing about firm 
so asking the normal question 
anyone know about them, working conditions etc… only info on internet seams that they have taken over a number of firms over the last few years.
thanks… have looked on their site but thought some drivers may use this site. better to get info from drivers who work there.
i think gorby1 is the present truckneter there at the moment and he doesnt speak to highly about the job. wheelnut has a mate who used to work there be he wasnt keen either.
will just have to see for myself 
its a full time job so better than agency work 
it will have to do till things get better. 
Last year during the new year slack time, I went to the Monkton coking plant for an interview etc with Hargreaves.
Sat thru the interview, all seemed to go well. When I asked about the T&C`s money etc, I found out its around £7 p/hr and somewhere in the region of time & one third for overtime after 45/48hrs. After the interview I was asked to wait in reception until they could take me out on the driving assesment. needless to save I made my excuses and left before it was my turn.
Seemed at the time, most weekends they where interviewing 8-10 drivers, and where lucky to get 4-5 to start work on the following monday, and where lucky if by the friday 1-2 of those where still driving for them.
However a mate of mine DOES work for them, has done so for the last couple of months, mainly running recycled coal for the local pit up to ferrybridge 4 runs per day, working 4on - 2off. on your last day of 4, you only do 3 runs. Hes taking home around £300 p/week however with the recent blockade of ferrybridge by the tree huggers. Theyve had him working mon-fri, but are moving the shifts back towards 4on - 2off . he was working for a local agency before working for Hargreaves, and is contemplating going back to the agency now that the novelty has worn off Hargreaves
Another mate is an O/O working on the same contract, tied to company, driving and ex Hargreaves scania
However Im told there seems to be a waiting list of drivers desperate enough to want to work for Hargreaves
Something else thats got the drivers grumbling, is that Drivers who leave used to hand in their uniform, but a lot didnt, so some bean counting shirt in the head office, has decided that because of the high turnover of staff, its costing em money for the lost uniforms. So theyve sent out a memo stating that they`re going to deduct £100 from the final wages to cover the cost of the uniform, irrespective of wether they hand it back or not
I did a week at Hargreaves a few years ago now working out of Darrington, to be honest I didn’t rate it that much.
From what I can recall the wage wasn’t that good (£6.96p/h) and the contract of employment was packed full of clauses to enable them to take money out of your wages. For example, they will deduct £15 a week (an alleged “housekeeping” bonus, for keeping the wagon clean inside) if they deemed that your vehicle wasn’t clean. If you underload by 300kg or more they would deduct monies for lost revenue. Damage to the vehicle was also deductable etc and so on, you get the idea?
The hours were 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and we were “expected” to work Saturday mornings on top…very long hours for not a lot of money in my opinion. Although I suppose something is better than nothing in the current climate?
When my contract arrived after my first week, and after me and the wife had read through it, I decided not to bother and rang them up and told them what I thought about all the clauses. Even our lass said not to bother going back, and believe me, she NEVER says things like that!
The training if you can call it that, was a day in a classroom where the bloke told us basically nowt at all. He even refused to discuss rates of pay.
Im currently on for them, though off sick. JD’s right. So is Pierre.
They do take £100 off your last wages for uniform, ive got the memo.
They also make you pay for any damages…ive got to pay for a sheet i lost (even tho the trlr was defective).
They had me and another lad on nights and they had us starting at 7pm going to B/Ham tip, reload at 8am at Derby in a day cab and taking it up to Leeds to wait to be picked up as they didn’t want us going over 10 hrs driving (but failed to grasp the fact that we hadn’t signed the opt out agreement, and we were still booking 15 hrs by the time we got back to the yard)
They are going on to monthly pay come Jan.
Oh and a couple of drivers have rang up vosa to complain.
One lad started 7pm, finished at 2pm next day and was back in work 4 hrs later…
The wages are different for all drivers , i have just sorted myself out with alternative employment, thank god.
Other than that a good firm!
When I see them they dont look like they have a minute to spare, still whatever turns you on
my boss has them working for us in stranraer there back loading contaminated soil for middlesbourgh saw 5 of them lying in car park earlier
the day lads get 25 quid bonus if they do 5 loads a day there encouraged to take there tachos out when there getting loaded 7 enter a manual break on the back theydo this 3 times a day?
whats the point in taking tacho out surely this is illegal and mr vosa man would like to see them last year when i was running 2 middlesbourgh they were tipping at port clarence and they were always running over loaded and flat out
What is the soil contaminated with, I suppose it is ok though its only going to Middlesborough
gorby1:
the day lads get 25 quid bonus if they do 5 loads a day there encouraged to take there tachos out when there getting loaded 7 enter a manual break on the back theydo this 3 times a day?
I dont get this? Do you mean there loading/tipping off the card? Driving whilst supposedly on there daily rest?? SUrely this will bring up missing mileage? Are people that thick?? All this for a poxy £300 a week?
we load waste in our yard to landfills, its 1&half hour round trip(driving) so when they get back to the yard they take there card out close it down then a shunter loads the truck whilst the driver goes for a cup of tea etc, driver gets back in cab re-opens card on the back enters a manuall break so they can crack on & get 5 loads a day in ! this is why all the drivers walked out of the canteen when a driver said he,d spoke to vosa the zb is going to hit the fan ! 
Is it illegal to do that?
hargreaves think its legall, but these drivers do it 3 times a day also the shunter doesnt use a card whilst he loads & weighs the trailer then parks it up for the driver to return to after he,s had his break !
From what youve said id say the only thing that may be illegal is the shunters not using cards, then again in any big yard ive been to where units are being used as shunter motors have never had cards in them, and these are big named companies using DIGI motrs for shunting??
i do know of a big company that got there coller felt by vosa for doing exactly that shunting trailers without using digi cards etc, still not my problem im out of that place now anyway if you dont check your wheel nuts every week or break any speed limits you end up on a disciplinary…not my cup of tea i worked the lastbank holiday for normal timepay whilst everyone else got double time & a day in lui.it took me 3 weeks to get paid for working a rest day after i proved id worked it to my manager he called me a lier. like i said it turned out to be a very stressfull job doing 16-17 hour night shifts theytake the zb becouse they know they can get away with it as there arnt many jobs about
fuse:
What is the soil contaminated with, I suppose it is ok though its only going to Middlesborough
its contaminated with old gas it used to be gas works whare its comeing from and its seeping into the sea its like waste oil smells like diesel ?
Didn’t they have their knuckles rapped by the TC a few months ago for speeding etc, looks like they will have to stand in the “naughty boys” corner next time