…supermarket driving work or general haulage? I guess supermarket work is better hours and better pay, but then I also imagine general curtain sider work is better experience, more nights out (more money), more variation.
I’m a newbie weighing up my potential decisions. Which would you do, and why?
What do you want from life or your work/life balance, do you have a partner and is the current relationship sound?..not being nosey these are questions to ask yourself.
Supermarket work will generally give you some reasonable hours, if at unusual start/finish times, maybe it could be classed as boring but i don’t think it is, i have one destination when i start work, thats going home at the end of my day every day.
General haulage means often not knowing when you will be going home, usually involve a lot longer hours of work then the hell that is the reality of living in a tin can, by the time you’ve got some night out money then you might take more money home this way…so long as you live like a hermit…it used to be interesting (and bloody hard filthy work to boot) but in the world of RDCs is possibly more boring than the supermarket job but longer.
For me, shortest hours possible with the best terms and conditions i can find, and going home after every shift wins hands down.
Juddian:
.For me, shortest hours possible with the best terms and conditions i can find, and going home after every shift wins hands down.
I’ll second that!!
Personally I’d stay clear of supermarkets, the boredom would kill me & they pay ain’t really that great when you look at the whole picture…
Having worked for both there are pros and cons to each. Supermarket work in the end got to me as I could not cope with the any 5 from 7 rota. Yes the hours were shorter the work easiers but the rota more than ruined an otherwise good job. Yes the general has longer hours but if I don’t want to work a Saturday or a Sunday I don’t have to!
I found in general that employers are more likely to take newbies on general than supermarkets.
If you like regular laborious work then supermarkets are gonna be your thing.
If you are looking for a challenge, general haulage is something to aim for.
I worked for a supermarket 1977-1980 (yes a lifetime ago) but was going nowhere, no prospects of promotion.You are just a number to fill shelves, money was crap, only had enough left over for my ■■■■ & beer after paying my Mum for the pleasure of staying at home.
Got offered a job as a Self Employed Motorcycle Courier where I could earn ‘Loads of Bucks’ (Yea Right) that did’nt work out 
(Broke my leg in Fleet Street, right outside the Daily Express Offices)
Then, when I was around 22 I got involved with Transport, 1st of all loading vehicles using all sorts of equipment Handball,Forklifts,pallet trucks,mobile cranes,overhead cranes- onto all sorts of vehicles/trailers Flats,Tautliners,Tilts, Containers, open Top containers, Flatrack Containers. I then started to drive 7.5 tonners followed by 10 tonners learning the ‘Ropes’ for around 5 or 6 years.
All this set me up fo a couple of very good jobs I had in my 30s & 40s. 1st was for an engineering firm as a transport Coordinator where I had to organize all the loading of their conveyor systems, money was ok & the overtime was good.
I payed for my own Class 1 licence around 1990. Then I worked in the waste industry for 15 years earning reasonable money. Now I work for a medium sized General Haulage/Palletline company & get home most nights without even getting dirty.
I always said that I would pay my Mortgage off by the time I was 50 & I only achieved this because I did’nt work for a low paying Supermarket.
So there’s my answer to your original post, get as much experience as possible, if you don’t mind hard work & long hours or if you want hard work & regular hours for poor pay- work for a supermarket.
P.S.- Don’t forget- they are ripping off Growers,Farmers,Suppliers & Hauliers by dictating what they will pay them, so why should employees be any different ? 
ive been driving lorrys since 1988 and have done a variety of work within our industry now in supermarket distribution and i dont think 32k a year is poor for a average 48 hour week.
dar1976:
I found in general that employers are more likely to take newbies on general than supermarkets.If you like regular laborious work then supermarkets are gonna be your thing.
If you are looking for a challenge, general haulage is something to aim for.
I’ve got an interview for my work (Iceland) for their “warehouse to wheels” programme, I’ve also got a few fingers in other pies thanks to the father in law who’s already a driver at Fowler Welch, both different types of work. I imagine the Iceland drivers must get bored doing mainly local work and although the hourly rate is excellent there’s no chance of a night out or a 15 hour day. Where as the father in law was telling me yesterday that he was down in Devon last week and today he’s starting up in Scotland. The idea of long distance appeals to me as I’ve always wanted to travel the country. The wife wants me to earn as much £££ as possible (no surprise there 
) to get our finances sorted.
I’m not guaranteed these jobs, both might fall through and I’ll be back to square one, just thought I’d get people opinions. Supermarket drivers probably get a good screw money wise, but being tied to them for the monotony of a few years doing the same stores doesn’t sound as appealing as doing a bit of tramping and gaining valuable experience.
Decisions decisions. Will just have to see how it all pans out I suppose.
westham67:
ive been driving lorrys since 1988 and have done a variety of work within our industry now in supermarket distribution and i dont think 32k a year is poor for a average 48 hour week.
Sorry, read it wrong, thought it was about shelf stacking 
Driving would be the only way I’d work for supermarkets.
NJDav:
Juddian:
.For me, shortest hours possible with the best terms and conditions i can find, and going home after every shift wins hands down.
I’ll second that!!
Exactly why I do supermarket work as well.
As others have said, it all depends on your family life. No partner or kids then go on the distance. If you have a partner or kids, or if you are planning to have a family any time soon, then get on the supermarket stuff.
I started off doing distance when I began my driving career. Its all i wanted to do.But I met a woman:twisted: (who is now my wife) and she nagged at me so much to get off the distance. I reluctantly agreed and found a job doing bulk with Lynx Express. About 2 years later, we had a child. Being home every night with my family made me realise that distance would have been no use to me being a family man, and in a way, I’m glad the Mrs moaned at me to get off the distance when she did. Still doing local work these days doing pallet network stuff and I wouldn’t even consider distance anymore.
Tarrman:
I’m a newbie weighing up my potential decisions. Which would you do, and why?
Some sound advice already been given, and a difficult decision to make when a newbie to the game. Good luck in whatever you choose to do tho’.
I’ve got a wife and 2 boys (3 & 4). I’ll have to see how it goes. I’ve a good chance at my work to progress as a driver but it’s never that simple lol. If it falls through I may have to settle for whatever gets thrown at me. Thanks for the advice so far everyone 
In the nicest possible way, Tarrman , your choice will probably be made by what’s on offer, not what you want.
The way jobs are at the minute and in your situation you gotta take what you get.
Best of luck in all your efforts.
Jim
Supermarkets or General?
One involves too many Saturdays and Sundays; the other too much flying around.
I’ll stick with firms that make and deliver their own product with their own fleet,
admittedly there’s not many left nowadays but my present job suits me fine.
Me personally, supermarket all the way. Been driving 8 years and done plenty General but fewer supermarkets.
General is mostly RDC’s as others have said and usually long hours. Lots of General Haulage companies are moving toward 7 day operations so the benefit of a weekend off is coming to an end. I found on General, I went to the same RDC’s frequently but with supermarkets it was weeks before I went back to one I’d done so it was different every day.
general for me different loads different places plenty of challenges your pretty much on your own and not being monitored the whole time
general for me too
mon-fri…days
There are other types of work out there, although as said you’ll not be spoilt for choice. However the good thing about being a driver is that you couldn’t get a more diverse occupation, one thing that attracted me to it.
It’s not as if you take one path supermarkets, general, tippers etc and stay with it for ever, if you try one and don’t get on with it have a look around and move on.
I started out aiming to do plant & Hiab work, couldn’t get anywhere so ended up multidropping food. Now that taught me a lot, not least that the work was not what I wanted but I got experience and soon moved to a job that I wanted. That turned sour and I ended up on scrap metal skips for a couple of months, knocked on some doors and was in the right place at the right time 6 odd years ago when someone needed a plant driver.
Take what you can get and keep your eyes open for something else.