Southeastern - Trainee Driver - Recruitment Discussion

[RDJW18]

Hi guys, I’ve got my medical in a couple of days. I’ve passed all other stages. One thing I’m worried about is BMI as I’ve seen other pages on here stating a BMI of 33 is the limit and anything over is a fail. I’m not severely overweight but you could with losing a few kgs . I’ve already lost 6 kg in preparation for it. Is there a weight limit with southeastern medicals ?

 

[Pablo 45]

Hi guys, I’ve got my medical in a couple of days. I’ve passed all other stages. One thing I’m worried about is BMI as I’ve seen other pages on here stating a BMI of 33 is the limit and anything over is a fail. I’m not severely overweight but you could with losing a few kgs . I’ve already lost 6 kg in preparation for it. Is there a weight limit with southeastern medicals ?

Hi congrats on your medical. Would like to ask you, how long you wait since you passed all the stages until you got your medical call?
Thanks

 

[RDJW18]

Hi congrats on your medical. Would like to ask you, how long you wait since you passed all the stages until you got your medical call?
Thanks

Hi bud, didn’t have to wait. I booked my medical straight away when I passed DMI.

 

[Lukeyp]

Thats interesting. Mines thursday at 9am. Youll have to let me know how you get on and who your interviewer was.

Cheers

How did you get on mate? I had my interview today at 10.30, I think you left just as I was coming in. I had Wednesday wrote in my diary so was a good thing I checked!

 

[Twin82]

How did you get on mate? I had my interview today at 10.30, I think you left just as I was coming in. I had Wednesday wrote in my diary so was a good thing I checked!

How was the interview? Dmi or MMI?

 

[Lukeyp]

How was the interview? Dmi or MMI?

It was the Dmi. Went well, got the pass phone call 4 hours later. There were some nervy parts in there with some on the spot questions that I didn’t anticipate going off other people’s experiences. But the interviewers were a good bunch, some good general chat mixed in with the interview.

 

[Twin82]

It was the Dmi. Went well, got the pass phone call 4 hours later. There were some nervy parts in there with some on the spot questions that I didn’t anticipate going off other people’s experiences. But the interviewers were a good bunch, some good general chat mixed in with the interview.

Congrats. Glad to hear you got through it and it was a pleasant experience for you. Have you done your MMI already? If so, the next step is your onboarding emails followed by medical, which is where I’m at. Got mine in a few weeks time.

 

[Lukeyp]

Congrats. Glad to hear you got through it and it was a pleasant experience for you. Have you done your MMI already? If so, the next step is your onboarding emails followed by medical, which is where I’m at. Got mine in a few weeks time.

Cheers mate. Yeah MMI done aswell. I won’t hear about the medical for a couple weeks as the lady that usually emails me is away on annual leave and will get in contact once back. Good luck with your medical!

 

[Twin82]

Cheers mate. Yeah MMI done aswell. I won’t hear about the medical for a couple weeks as the lady that usually emails me is away on annual leave and will get in contact once back. Good luck with your medical!

Well the hard work is done for now, congratulations again! Was it Kenna or Kayleigh you’ve been liasing with? That timeline sounds about right. Were you told when to expect getting out on a course? We might end up on the same course. There’s a lot of movement happening so I wouldn’t be surprised if they started recruiting to replenish the talent pool again.

 

[Cookie_Monster]

Well the hard work is done for now, congratulations again! Was it Kenna or Kayleigh you’ve been liasing with? That timeline sounds about right. Were you told when to expect getting out on a course? We might end up on the same course. There’s a lot of movement happening so I wouldn’t be surprised if they started recruiting to replenish the talent pool again.

I passed today as well, glad to hear

How was the interview? Dmi or MMI?

I passed mine today as well. Looks like January intake for a few of. Congrats on everyone else that passed. Kayleigh is going on holiday so waiting 2 weeks as well to book the medical.

 

[Lukeyp]

Well the hard work is done for now, congratulations again! Was it Kenna or Kayleigh you’ve been liasing with? That timeline sounds about right. Were you told when to expect getting out on a course? We might end up on the same course. There’s a lot of movement happening so I wouldn’t be surprised if they started recruiting to replenish the talent pool again.

It’s Kayleigh mate, she said there was no rush for the medical as nothing until next year. The DM on my interview asked about any holidays next year which I have one in June, he said that’s fine, I had a feeling he was implying a course early next year by what he was saying but I could be wrong. Early next year would be nice though. What depot are you going for?

 

[Twin82]

I passed today as well, glad to hear

I passed mine today as well. Looks like January intake for a few of. Congrats on everyone else that passed. Kayleigh is going on holiday so waiting 2 weeks as well to book the medical.

Congratulations bud. Onwards and upwards. Was it a good experience? Will you be based in Dartford? Dartford seems to be the popular depot in this particular drive.

 

[Cookie_Monster]

Congratulations bud. Onwards and upwards. Was it a good experience? Will you be based in Dartford? Dartford seems to be the popular depot in this particular drive.

Yeah interview was great, Tony and Jack were interviewing with a lady who works at one of the stations but I cant remember her name, all lovely. Yeah I will be based in Dartford. Yeah seems so in regards to Dartford trainees.

 

[Twin82]

It’s Kayleigh mate, she said there was no rush for the medical as nothing until next year. The DM on my interview asked about any holidays next year which I have one in June, he said that’s fine, I had a feeling he was implying a course early next year by what he was saying but I could be wrong. Early next year would be nice though. What depot are you going for?

Kayleigh is who I’ve been liasing with as well. Was told the same thing no courses till next year so no rush for the medical then out of nowhere, I got invitation for medical. They want to get it out of the way. It’s just a waiting game now. I’m in the Victoria/Charing X talent pools. Any one that has a spot first, then I’ll be joining them. Did you mention the depot you’ll be based at?

 

[Purplerain77]

I did think there’s a lot of us going for Dartford, congrats to Cookie_Monster and Lukeyp hope to see you in the future! I had my DMI early July and just passed my medical last week. I’ve been told nothing exact in regard's to when I’ll start but there’s been many comments to suggest January/February without them saying directly. I’m sure we will all find out fairly soon!

 

[typicalalex1]

I did think there’s a lot of us going for Dartford, congrats to Cookie_Monster and Lukeyp hope to see you in the future! I had my DMI early July and just passed my medical last week. I’ve been told nothing exact in regard's to when I’ll start but there’s been many comments to suggest January/February without them saying directly. I’m sure we will all find out fairly soon!

I got offered September which I took. I was also given the option for Jan/Feb next year. But I was also told it was too early to say if there would 100% be a course in Jan/Feb. It all depends on how many new starters they have at that time. Highly likely there will be but too early to guarantee.

 

[Lukeyp]

With the starting salary now at £33510, is the allowance (£2297, being dartford based) included in that or is it additional

 

[ollie_3D]

With the starting salary now at £33510, is the allowance (£2297, being dartford based) included in that or is it additional

I’d imagine that would be ontop of the 33510 as I’m at Ashford and I’ve been told I’ll be getting 33510 so I assume you’ll get the 2297 added on top

 

[mickeyC]

With the starting salary now at £33510, is the allowance (£2297, being dartford based) included in that or is it additional

Regional allowance is in addition to base salary.

 

[GemmaLouise]

Good afternoon everyone,

I'm new here!

I applied to be a Trainee Train Driver for Southeastern (Ashford Depot) around a year ago. After I applied, I was invited to an assessment day on the 18th of February 2026.

I passed the two government required assessments (I can't recall the exact names), and I passed the third assessment which was Southeastern specific to be able to work for them. So I'm all good I believe on that front. After the assessments, I followed up with them and they said I must now wait for either the multimodal interview or the driver manager interview to be set-up.

Fast forward a little, I received an email on the 2nd of July from them just generally stating the following:

"We would like to reassure you that you will be invited to attend an MMI; however, at this stage we are unable to confirm when this will take place."

Is anyone here at this same stage? Or know roughly how long the process could take from this point? I've been debating phoning up and just checking in (it's now 2 months since getting that email).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Lewis

Hey. Well done on passing your assessments.
Try not to worry about it too much, everyone's experience is different in terms of how long the process takes. I had my assessments in October 2025 and then had my MMI last month. Still waiting for my DMI.
In the meantime you can search through this thread for tips and advice. There's also a list of the questions you will be asked in your MMI so you can prepare your answers.
This forum has helped me so much with the whole process. Everyone is extremely helpful and supportive.

 

[Chibi_robo]

I'm on an October course so I'm assuming this would be the last course for the year. Also wanted to ask anyone who has started the course what kind of hours they do while training like 9-5 etc... I'm assuming they will send me all this info nearer the time but just wanted to get an idea, many thanks!

I'm on the course at Orpington at the mo and the official times are 8.45 to 15.45 but in practice it often finishes earlier and it's good practice to be slightly early. Do not ever be late.
Some days have run later than 15.45, a handful of times so far.
You will need to set aside some study time each night too though - some nights two hours and quite a lot if time on weekends.
Good luck and congratulations on getting on the course

 

[Twin82]

I'm on the course at Orpington at the mo and the official times are 8.45 to 15.45 but in practice it often finishes earlier and it's good practice to be slightly early. Do not ever be late.
Some days have run later than 15.45, a handful of times so far.
You will need to set aside some study time each night too though - some nights two hours and quite a lot if time on weekends.
Good luck and congratulations on getting on the course

How are you finding the course? How long have you been on it? I’ve got my medical soon.

 

[Chibi_robo]

How are you finding the course? How long have you been on it? I’ve got my medical soon.

Been on it 5 weeks. It's a lot more intense and harder than I was expecting. Not so much the individual complexity of things but the sheer volume of content and the need to be very precise in your understanding, terminology and answers. Everyone is different of course and some people pick some things up faster than others, but be prepared to put your life outside work on hold for a while.
Good luck with the medical

 

[Chewie]

I'm on the course at Orpington at the mo and the official times are 8.45 to 15.45 but in practice it often finishes earlier and it's good practice to be slightly early. Do not ever be late.
Some days have run later than 15.45, a handful of times so far.
You will need to set aside some study time each night too though - some nights two hours and quite a lot if time on weekends.
Good luck and congratulations on getting on the course

Thank you for the info and much appreciated! But yeah from reading this forum and hearing from others who are on the course i understand I'm going to have to study when I'm home and on weekends. I'm definitely prepared to do this and put in the effort for this job. Thank you for your advice and keep us updated on how your getting on during the course!

 

[Twin82]

Been on it 5 weeks. It's a lot more intense and harder than I was expecting. Not so much the individual complexity of things but the sheer volume of content and the need to be very precise in your understanding, terminology and answers. Everyone is different of course and some people pick some things up faster than others, but be prepared to put your life outside work on hold for a while.
Good luck with the medical

Ok so are you going into module 5? How are you finding the entire experience? Is the passmark 90% for modules 1-4 and 95% for module 5? Is it all multiple choice? What strategy have you been using to retain the information? Sorry for all the questions. Haven’t been in education for over 25 years so I’ve been anxious about the intensity of the course.
Thank you. I hope the outcome is good when I do go for it

 

[Mrworldwide]

It’s Kayleigh mate, she said there was no rush for the medical as nothing until next year. The DM on my interview asked about any holidays next year which I have one in June, he said that’s fine, I had a feeling he was implying a course early next year by what he was saying but I could be wrong. Early next year would be nice though. What depot are you going for?

Hi mate,
I’ve tried to message you privately & it’s not working, Any chance you can drop me a message just wanted to ask you a question

 

[Chibi_robo]

Ok so are you going into module 5? How are you finding the entire experience? Is the passmark 90% for modules 1-4 and 95% for module 5? Is it all multiple choice? What strategy have you been using to retain the information? Sorry for all the questions. Haven’t been in education for over 25 years so I’ve been anxious about the intensity of the course.
Thank you. I hope the outcome is good when I do go for it

Hi Twin82, no we just finished mod 2. The mods don't have the same number of learning days before the exam, it depends on how long they are and how much they have to cover. Mod 2 is a long one. The passmark is 80% for the first 4 modules and 90% for mod 5. They want you to be in the 90s for mods 1-4 so it isn't such a shock when you need 90% for mod 5. They also start off with a single exam, mostly multiple choice, then it gets to 2 exams with more free text answers with the multi choice. I think one of the mod 3 exams is entirely written.
In terms of exam strategies, your trainers will help you and you do have to trust the process. I was recommended flashcards and that's worked really well for me. If you are committed and willing to put the work in you'll be fine

 

[hardistyl95]

Hey. Well done on passing your assessments.
Try not to worry about it too much, everyone's experience is different in terms of how long the process takes. I had my assessments in October 2025 and then had my MMI last month. Still waiting for my DMI.
In the meantime you can search through this thread for tips and advice. There's also a list of the questions you will be asked in your MMI so you can prepare your answers.
This forum has helped me so much with the whole process. Everyone is extremely helpful and supportive.

Thanks for your reply!

That's reassuring to know I can't be too far off the MMI then. Are there any specific things I need to watch out for in the MMI?

How are you feeling about the DMI? Did they give you a rough timeframe?

Thanks!

 

[mickeyC]

Hi Twin82, no we just finished mod 2. The mods don't have the same number of learning days before the exam, it depends on how long they are and how much they have to cover. Mod 2 is a long one. The passmark is 80% for the first 4 modules and 90% for mod 5. They want you to be in the 90s for mods 1-4 so it isn't such a shock when you need 90% for mod 5. They also start off with a single exam, mostly multiple choice, then it gets to 2 exams with more free text answers with the multi choice. I think one of the mod 3 exams is entirely written.
In terms of exam strategies, your trainers will help you and you do have to trust the process. I was recommended flashcards and that's worked really well for me. If you are committed and willing to put the work in you'll be fine

After Mod 4 you’ll do the PTI written exam, this is fully written, about 10-12 questions and 1hr long.

 

[Twin82]

Hi Twin82, no we just finished mod 2. The mods don't have the same number of learning days before the exam, it depends on how long they are and how much they have to cover. Mod 2 is a long one. The passmark is 80% for the first 4 modules and 90% for mod 5. They want you to be in the 90s for mods 1-4 so it isn't such a shock when you need 90% for mod 5. They also start off with a single exam, mostly multiple choice, then it gets to 2 exams with more free text answers with the multi choice. I think one of the mod 3 exams is entirely written.
In terms of exam strategies, your trainers will help you and you do have to trust the process. I was recommended flashcards and that's worked really well for me. If you are committed and willing to put the work in you'll be fine

Thanks for you input bud. Well written. Lots of helpful points. Anxious but looking forward to starting!