Qualified Driver trying to relocate

[Siony_Gh]

Hello all

I am currently a mainline driver up North and need to move down south ASAP.
I have several options for TOC and FOC within the area I'll be moving to (W. Berks), these are; GWR, SWR, GBRf and DB Cargo. I've managed to get a speculative CV off to both GBRf and GWR but can not for the life of me get in touch with SWR (Basingstoke) or DB Cargo (Didcot) at a local level.

I've emailed both companies recruitment teams and had the standard response of please check the website.

Any suggestions for getting a message to either depot would be greatly appreciated.

TIA!

 

[357]

I did the opposite to you a couple of years ago - fortunately I was flexible about where I was moving to as long as it was north.

I would suggest trying LinkedIn if there are managers at depots you want to go to that are active on there.

I just kept checking the careers websites and in the end had 3 offers - I very much think I chose the best of the three and I'm very happy with the TOC I moved to.

Having been in your position I'd strongly recommend also speaking to drivers at these companies/depots if you can. I took a pay cut to go where I am now but it was well worth it for the less demanding roster and work content, and more time at home with family.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Hello all

I am currently a mainline driver up North and need to move down south ASAP.
I have several options for TOC and FOC within the area I'll be moving to (W. Berks), these are; GWR, SWR, GBRf and DB Cargo. I've managed to get a speculative CV off to both GBRf and GWR but can not for the life of me get in touch with SWR (Basingstoke) or DB Cargo (Didcot) at a local level.

I've emailed both companies recruitment teams and had the standard response of please check the website.

Any suggestions for getting a message to either depot would be greatly appreciated.

TIA!

HR manages the recruitment mostly at SWR so if they've mentioned to wait for a job listing it will be as so. Potentially opportunities by the later half of this year to early next year due to retirements.

As 357 said above LinkedIn is a great tool, you'll be able to speak to drivers at the depot you're interested in and some managers too.

 

[StaffsPM1]

Know how you feel, been looking for the whole of this year and more or less no qualified jobs at the moment only trainees. Emailled all the TOCs and just get no reply or generic check website. Seems to be a trainee market these days.

 

[Siony_Gh]

Thank you for the replies.
LinkedIn is a great shout but as I'm not from the area and don't have a professional network down there yet I have been struggling to identify managers from these depots.
Will keep at it though

 

[StaffsPM1]

best bet I have found, although it hasn't really helped is to contact the ASLEF sec for the depots you are looking at to try and find out the recruitment situation. keep in mind though, most managers just say to me speak to recruitment

 

[Jaytrains]

Yeah linkedin is definitely the best way of getting in touch with managers and recruitment

 

[Siony_Gh]

best bet I have found, although it hasn't really helped is to contact the ASLEF sec for the depots you are looking at to try and find out the recruitment situation. keep in mind though, most managers just say to me speak to recruitment

This is how I've managed to get in contact with GWR and the reps were extremely helpful!

 

[20atthemagnet]

As others have said LinkedIn is a very, very powerful tool. When I used it, I received several emails from HR staff asking to forward CVs over when companies were previously going through large expansion over the years. Especially in the freight sector. This is definitely your best place to go, as you can often speak directly to the person administering the recruitment. The more connections you have on there, the better. Nearly all of the people who I know that moved on, they left through speculative approaches.

Know how you feel, been looking for the whole of this year and more or less no qualified jobs at the moment only trainees. Emailled all the TOCs and just get no reply or generic check website. Seems to be a trainee market these days.

Indeed. Because of the fact that there are significant financial incentives for companies to deliver trainee drivers under the name of apprenticeships, qualified drivers have gone down the pecking order. Even though technically they could be productive faster and cost less to train.