Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone could offer any info on how things are at Widdowsons at the minute regards to pay and conditions etc as I’m thinking of sending in a CV. Any information appreciated.
I know they have suspended their LGV training section with no clear re-instatement of it so that may tend to suggest that they are not short of drivers
£8.50 for the 1st 50, then £11.50 o/t. £11.50 sat, £14.00 sun. Monthly pay, they take off your 1st 45m break, they’ll feed you like mad at 1st then when the honey moon period is over then you’ll be as an when. Just laid a few drivers off, month to month contracts, not had a pay rise since sept 2005 ! You can be out all week one week, and home all the next ! I had 10 year on there, but that was in the good old days 
Hope this helps ! Usual stuff like do everything your given and don’t moan and you’ll get on fine… But just be aware that they can be ruthless when work is slack 
gunnerheskey:
£8.50 for the 1st 50, then £11.50 o/t. £11.50 sat, £14.00 sun. Monthly pay, they take off your 1st 45m break, they’ll feed you like mad at 1st then when the honey moon period is over then you’ll be as an when. Just laid a few drivers off, month to month contracts, not had a pay rise since sept 2005 ! You can be out all week one week, and home all the next ! I had 10 year on there, but that was in the good old days
Proof then that drivers do ■■■■■■■■ over their hourly rate! 
I was tipping at Asda IDC Lutterworth and a Widdowson driver was saying he was on £12 an hour! I new it was bullcrap cause I could smell it at the time! 
gunnerheskey:
£8.50 for the 1st 50, then £11.50 o/t. £11.50 sat, £14.00 sun. Monthly pay, they take off your 1st 45m break, they’ll feed you like mad at 1st then when the honey moon period is over then you’ll be as an when. Just laid a few drivers off, month to month contracts, not had a pay rise since sept 2005 ! You can be out all week one week, and home all the next ! I had 10 year on there, but that was in the good old days
Did 4 years there and what Gunner says is spot on, but be aware they take on this time of year every year and bin you in January, just binned 5 lads last month and sent 3 trucks back. Use to be a good score and some good lads, i’ll be on their Xmas do again this weekend coming so I know what’s happening there fella.
Nights out are a bit hit and miss, I know lads that are lucky to get one a week every week.
■■■■ good canteen!! 
Thanks for the replies all.
not like the good old days then gunner when i was there on a rigid i was getting brilliant money we used to have a basic go to london most of the time you got a 1 1/2 hrs pay for the 1st drop 1 hr for your second and if it was in the london post code are a 1 hr for everyone, every where else is was 1/2 hr with 10 drops around london postcode you could knock spme money up in a week on top of that you had nights out aswell then if you did over 500ks and got home that was a kilometer night out
excellent xmas partys usually at the big hotel just of the m69 with buses laid on from leicester plus a hamper every year for every memeber of staff looks like things have changed a bit.
Noticed they’ve stopped buying scanias and got Renaults in.
hanson:
not like the good old days then gunner when i was there on a rigid i was getting brilliant money we used to have a basic go to london most of the time you got a 1 1/2 hrs pay for the 1st drop 1 hr for your second and if it was in the london post code are a 1 hr for everyone, every where else is was 1/2 hr with 10 drops around london postcode you could knock spme money up in a week on top of that you had nights out aswell then if you did over 500ks and got home that was a kilometer night out
excellent xmas partys usually at the big hotel just of the m69 with buses laid on from leicester plus a hamper every year for every memeber of staff looks like things have changed a bit.
Too right Hanson !!
Them KM Bonus’s really made your money up, 10 drops and 500ks for london = KM bonus
1 hit toys r us cov + a cat southampton = 600 plus Ks = KM bonus
700Ks and back to the yard £25 KM bonus
Loading a flat at Desford tubes, without a sheet 2hrs pay
With a fly, 4hrs pay, They were the days
starfighter:
Noticed they’ve stopped buying scanias and got Renaults in.
And they’ve had a few teething problems with them.
And a few lads i know on there have told me that they’ve got 20 new Scannies coming, a mixture of rigids, 6 wheel rigids and midliner units !
dessy:
gunnerheskey:
£8.50 for the 1st 50, then £11.50 o/t. £11.50 sat, £14.00 sun. Monthly pay, they take off your 1st 45m break, they’ll feed you like mad at 1st then when the honey moon period is over then you’ll be as an when. Just laid a few drivers off, month to month contracts, not had a pay rise since sept 2005 ! You can be out all week one week, and home all the next ! I had 10 year on there, but that was in the good old daysProof then that drivers do [zb] over their hourly rate!
I was tipping at Asda IDC Lutterworth and a Widdowson driver was saying he was on £12 an hour! I new it was bullcrap cause I could smell it at the time!
Believe me dessy, been on there 4 times !
If you saw him after about wed’ afternoon, then he might have done his 50hrs and bin on overtime £11.50 
I do know they have struggled to get drivers for there crimbo rush, and a good job to as i be leave they havnt been as busy as they thought.
i used to be on for them many moons ago (4 years) well after the days of that good bonus you guys speak of but still in the era of weekly pay. was a decent outfit to work for but you will get messed about and they have massive lack of respect for drivers. Still know alot of lads on there and they get on ok, but if you were to start now ud defo be dropped in jan, so not worth it imo.
Last time i was on there was from june 07, and i got dumped with 11 others in jan 08 ? 
I was on the agency there back in 2010 with Pertemps, we were on £11 an hour straight threw so might be an agency driver on £12 , was one of the better agency jobs