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FCC On Hold!
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Karmakanik
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- 5 Mar 2012
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- 29
+1 here, been courting other toc's though!
Karmakanik
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- 5 Mar 2012
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Been on hold since May last year, keep phoning in every few months but no news so far!
Polar
Member
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- 10 Jan 2013
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- 146
I am on hold though only since the beginning of this year. So probably in for a long wait if it ever does happen.
Karmakanik
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I suppose it depends on which depot. I'm waiting for Bedford but I think Brighton were recruiting again recently?
Anthonyekwe
Member
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- 15 Oct 2012
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So sorry everyone to seem so dumb but i am astonished to here people have been on hold for so long especially as i have a manager interview for the brighton depot next month and i see on here some people have been on hold for more than a year.....if you passed the interview and everything else why are they advertising and recruiting more people. Does this mean I could pass and be on hold for a long time
When I used to put people on hold they passed all the tests, interviews and all but they were not in the top batch that were employed. They were put on hold to save money if the company needed more or any dropped out.
So for example, you need 10 drivers, you get the 10 but 15 pass everything but not quite as good as the 10, they go on hold.
However the drivers that were put on hold when I was doing recruitment most of them were contacted at a later date for jobs as more were needed, one dropped out and one failed the medical.
In my opinion it is only in case someone fails the medical, fails to turn up, has a bad reference etc. If you are on hold for more than say 3 months then if the company you are on hold with does another recruitment drive and do not contact you I am afraid its not a good place to be!
theageofthetra
Established Member
Out of interest you mentioned that some fail the medical. What sort of thing do people fail on? I am aware of course of a drug and alcohol check and an eyesight test but what else is tested?
Anthonyekwe
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Hearing is tested as well as the sugar levels in your blood. I know you can be failed for the hearing but not sure of the blood thing
Beveridges
Established Member
Just to add my experience to the discussion:
I was put "on hold" very often in the 'bad old days' when I was trying to get any form of Driving role before I finally "made it" as an Maintenance Depot Driver.
Nothing ever came from most of them!!
But my reason for being put on hold is exactly as quoted above. Passed tests/Interviews, but not in the top batch of people.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It normally goes off the Interview scores. My Interview skills are only "average" at best. I'm amazed I got in as a Depot Driver as there was only 1 vacancy so I had to be in the top 1 basically. Your talking Lottry Jackpot odds to how I have ended up where I am now.
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carlejo
Member
Urine sample, blood pressure, 12 lead ECG, height, weight, quite a rigorous eye and hearing test and perform some simple bending exercises to prove your are mobile...... they did not take blood sample.
theageofthetra
Established Member
Thanks for that. Am surprised its a urine and not a blood sample, I wonder what security checks are in place to prevent someone suppying a third party's urine to get round the drugs/alcohol checks?
carlejo
Member
you have to take off jacket and turn out pockets and you're also searched/frisked.....
theageofthetra,
I'm surprised that the urine test/saliva test seems to be the most popular choice of the TOC. Whilst a little more expensive, many companies are using hair follicle tests these days as the detection window for many drugs increases from days/weeks to months.
Given the responsibility entrusted to a train driver (and the 'relatively' low number of medicals I 'assume' they get through, combined with the fact it generally occurs at the end of the process), it does strike me as odd.
Going off topic here anyway!
I'm surprised that the urine test/saliva test seems to be the most popular choice of the TOC. Whilst a little more expensive, many companies are using hair follicle tests these days as the detection window for many drugs increases from days/weeks to months.
Given the responsibility entrusted to a train driver (and the 'relatively' low number of medicals I 'assume' they get through, combined with the fact it generally occurs at the end of the process), it does strike me as odd.
Going off topic here anyway!
To sum up the medical - many fail of colour blindness, heart condition, BMI, hearing and eyesight. The main failure rate by far is blood pressure.
Statistically 1 in 5 will fail a medical for a train drivers role.
To anybody concerned about their blood pressure, don't underestimate the effect of weight loss on same.
March 2012 saw my BMI at 28, blood pressure 140/95. This was for an aviation class 1 medical renewal. The medical examiner passed me (most medical exams take into account 'white count syndrome' having some effect on your blood pressure on the day) but recommended, even though I wasn't 'fat', losing weight as it had worked for his higher than average blood pressure.
These days my BMI is circa 21, blood pressure a perfect 120/80. I've done nothing else to help reduce it, just improved/reduced my diet over the past 18 months and my blood pressure has reduced accordingly.
This is also helpful for a healthy heart. The basic principle of an ECG is to pass a small electric current through your heart and upper torso, the idea being that if the current shows any 'discontinuities', it could indicate tissue damage resulting from a heart attack/disease etc. Obviously such tissue will have a different electric conductivity than healthy tissue.
When I queried common failing points to my medical examiner, his reply concurred with TDK's response above - blood pressure is by far the most common failing point, followed by unhealthy BMI, with things like colour blindness and heart problems generally being quite rare, but picked up because the candidate hasn't been examined in this way recently, and most probably wasn't even aware of any issues.
Ironically, I was that worried about the ECG (fear of the unknown), it took us a good ten minutes of ECG printouts until my heart rate was considered acceptable. I'm not sure if BUPA (or the respective TOCs) accept this, but I believe that to cater for those who suffer badly with white coat syndrome, some examinations require the candidate to wear a 24 hour heart monitor to confirm whether it is just down to nerves, or if the high rate is actually an issue.
Either way, every medical I have attended has never been as bad as I thought it would be, so it's best not to think about it to much... For your heart rate's sake!
March 2012 saw my BMI at 28, blood pressure 140/95. This was for an aviation class 1 medical renewal. The medical examiner passed me (most medical exams take into account 'white count syndrome' having some effect on your blood pressure on the day) but recommended, even though I wasn't 'fat', losing weight as it had worked for his higher than average blood pressure.
These days my BMI is circa 21, blood pressure a perfect 120/80. I've done nothing else to help reduce it, just improved/reduced my diet over the past 18 months and my blood pressure has reduced accordingly.
This is also helpful for a healthy heart. The basic principle of an ECG is to pass a small electric current through your heart and upper torso, the idea being that if the current shows any 'discontinuities', it could indicate tissue damage resulting from a heart attack/disease etc. Obviously such tissue will have a different electric conductivity than healthy tissue.
When I queried common failing points to my medical examiner, his reply concurred with TDK's response above - blood pressure is by far the most common failing point, followed by unhealthy BMI, with things like colour blindness and heart problems generally being quite rare, but picked up because the candidate hasn't been examined in this way recently, and most probably wasn't even aware of any issues.
Ironically, I was that worried about the ECG (fear of the unknown), it took us a good ten minutes of ECG printouts until my heart rate was considered acceptable. I'm not sure if BUPA (or the respective TOCs) accept this, but I believe that to cater for those who suffer badly with white coat syndrome, some examinations require the candidate to wear a 24 hour heart monitor to confirm whether it is just down to nerves, or if the high rate is actually an issue.
Either way, every medical I have attended has never been as bad as I thought it would be, so it's best not to think about it to much... For your heart rate's sake!
I would take it that the medical for a conductor is the same?
Can I ask, how long can you be on hold for regarding conductor roles, is it six months max?
I passed my conductor assessment in June and was told that I was being put on hold as they had to assess conductor requirements at the station I applied for.
It was for one of three roles and only one of the three successful candidates has gone on training so far, this being on 8th July, I was on holiday just before then which they new about.
Have emailed HR a few times and they say they cannot. Confirm the start date yet due to a train crew plan, whatever that is.
Thanks in advance
Can I ask, how long can you be on hold for regarding conductor roles, is it six months max?
I passed my conductor assessment in June and was told that I was being put on hold as they had to assess conductor requirements at the station I applied for.
It was for one of three roles and only one of the three successful candidates has gone on training so far, this being on 8th July, I was on holiday just before then which they new about.
Have emailed HR a few times and they say they cannot. Confirm the start date yet due to a train crew plan, whatever that is.
Thanks in advance
carlejo
Member
Yep. Colour test. Forgot about that
Polar
Member
- Joined
- 10 Jan 2013
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- 146
Out of interest why are the train companies so strict on the eye and hearing tests?
As in as far as I have read you cannot become a train driver if you have had laser eye treatment or if you have a hearing aid, when from my experience of friends who have these have as good if not better sight/hearing as any one else.
Surely if you have had the corrective treatment then its nothing short of discrimination?
As a hgv driver who had to pass a medical to get my license which was no where near as strict, yet I would think that eyesight is much more important to a hgv driver.
As in as far as I have read you cannot become a train driver if you have had laser eye treatment or if you have a hearing aid, when from my experience of friends who have these have as good if not better sight/hearing as any one else.
Surely if you have had the corrective treatment then its nothing short of discrimination?
As a hgv driver who had to pass a medical to get my license which was no where near as strict, yet I would think that eyesight is much more important to a hgv driver.
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