Trainee drivers Freighliner HH

[Rugd1022]

Not quite, they often allocate a van to a job to get you back so a diagram may be (for example for a dagenham driver) drive van to hoo junction, park it, pass to Finsbury park. Relieve and work train from Finsbury park to hoo junction, drive van back.

Nearly all of our jobs at Rugby HH are one way so there's a lot of van driving involved, at one end of the shift or occasionally both. Puts a lot of folk off but you get used to it, I find it more pleasurable than travelling pass most of the time. We're also allocated individual fuel cards to fill the vans up, but woe betide anyone who uses it for their own vehicle...

We're about to lose three of our lads to Intermodal at Lawley Street, hence the vacancies at RY.

 

[Dave1987]

No passengers, most weekends off, no passengers, fairly fixed roster, no passengers, no silly phone calls at 0330 saying "your working at 0500 today", no passengers, fixed timetables so you dont get shoved out the way for 3 hours because a signal wire broke, oh and did I mention no passengers.

I know of a few down Pompey way that are looking at Intermodal but wont consider HH despite the higher pay.

Lol did you see the Beeb documentary on London buses? Looks like passengers on the buses complain even more than they do on the railway! I really didn't think that was possible.

 

[DunfordBridge]

There will be something like 50 drivers to one vacancy,so they can pick and choose who they like

The odds do not seem to bad. I once read that the average drivers job attracts over 300 applicants for every vacancy. I was actually feeling quite confident until I saw the question with the different shapes on the Mechanical Comprehension test.

 

[MCW]

The odds do not seem to bad. I once read that the average drivers job attracts over 300 applicants for every vacancy. I was actually feeling quite confident until I saw the question with the different shapes on the Mechanical Comprehension test.

perhaps i should have paid more attention to those damn squares...

 

[JAMBO]

What's this test you are doing on the application on line?!

 

[GazUk]

I've applied for this job, previously applying for the recent trainee driving job at LM and only getting a "thanks for applying but no" reply kind of a swerve ball aswell with the Mechanical test at the end of the application.

Nearly all of our jobs at Rugby HH are one way so there's a lot of van driving involved, at one end of the shift or occasionally both. Puts a lot of folk off but you get used to it, I find it more pleasurable than travelling pass most of the time. We're also allocated individual fuel cards to fill the vans up, but woe betide anyone who uses it for their own vehicle...

We're about to lose three of our lads to Intermodal at Lawley Street, hence the vacancies at RY.

Whats it like to work for Freightliner HH Rugd1022? I've got a few links with the railway at Rugby

 

[daddy_badger]

glad that barons book of spatial tests came in handy

 

[Geargrinder]

What's this test you are doing on the application on line?!

One of the last sections of the application form is a mechanical comprehension test. I'm good at those normally but found this one difficult .

 

[Daniel84]

Did anyone get a confirmation email after submitting the application? I didn't, but I don't remember a section where I actually entered my email address. I also think I completed the test way too quickly for them to be correct and should have used the given time a little more wisely.

 

[chris89]

Did anyone get a confirmation email after submitting the application? I didn't, but I don't remember a section where I actually entered my email address. I also think I completed the test way too quickly for them to be correct and should have used the given time a little more wisely.

No i hadn't either.

Chris

 

[DunfordBridge]

What's this test you are doing on the application on line?!

There was actually a hand full of questions on something like the seventh stage of the application for which you were allotted 15 minutes. This seemed like a long time for such a small list of questions so I expected to see more questions on the next page but there were none.

To echo the sentiment expressed by Daniel84, I could have used my time more wisely had I not been expecting to see more questions. I shall not lose sleep over it.

 

[daddy_badger]

Er what were the other questions, I had 9 minutes left when I answered the Mech questions. never got confirmation but a generic screen saying that I would be contacted after 214t July.

 

[DunfordBridge]

There were no other questions as far as I could see, just the five or so. For a 15 minute test, I would have expected to see at least twenty questions. On the other hand, not all of the questions were straight forward.

 

[JAMBO]

In other words its just another way for HR to bin applications using the test as a scoring tool. To be honest after the initial screening if you pass that you will prob be sent down to OPC to do the full tests which will include the mechanical tests, that's what the internals had to do.

 

[westbrom]

I was also expecting a lot more questions,but they did say it was being timed so if somebody took 15 mins and got them all right thats probably an indication they tried to google the answers,only one I wasn't sure of and had to make an educated guess.

 

[Rugd1022]

I've applied for this job, previously applying for the recent trainee driving job at LM and only getting a "thanks for applying but no" reply kind of a swerve ball aswell with the Mechanical test at the end of the application.



Whats it like to work for Freightliner HH Rugd1022? I've got a few links with the railway at Rugby

Has it's ups and downs and a lot depends on your attitude / flexibility. A lot goes on behind the scenes too which I can't say anything about on here, suffice to say a few of our longer term residents are now leaving for one reason or another. For me, I'm glad I made the move from EWS to FLHH seven years ago (Rugby EWS Depot is sadly no more), but one or two things are starting to niggle away at my good will and flexibility.

The jobs we have at the moment are fine (mostly) so I'll probably stay put for now. One thing I can vouch for, referring to another thread there's no 'glamour' or 'glory' in this job anymore...

 

[JAMBO]

I will second that! everything from shocking diagramming to shambolic corrupt rostering has left a Nasty taste in a large number of drivers, several at every depot have had enough and walked. In the last 12 month or so the attitude of nearly every driver you come across has changed, lost some very good lads, and management have only themselves to blame,all these problems just fall on deaf ears! Bit in the arse is what I would call it

 

[Rugd1022]

I will second that! everything from shocking diagramming to shambolic corrupt rostering has left a Nasty taste in a large number of drivers, several at every depot have had enough and walked. In the last 12 month or so the attitude of nearly every driver you come across has changed, lost some very good lads, and management have only themselves to blame,all these problems just fall on deaf ears! Bit in the arse is what I would call it

Just what I was hinting at.... and there was me trying to be oh so subtle....!

Sorry to say but behind the scenes, things are going the same way as EWS were in recent times, hence why I left EWS in the first place!

 

[MCW]

Er what were the other questions, I had 9 minutes left when I answered the Mech questions. never got confirmation but a generic screen saying that I would be contacted after 214t July.

i got told the 22nd! strange that...

 

[daddy_badger]

damn smartphone yes 22nd is correct

 

[class303]

Applied for the Hell of it. Would love the job, but can't see it happening. I noticed one of the questions was "have you ever had laser eye surgery?". Is it still the case that even those with corrected sight are banned from becoming drivers?

 

[Dave1987]

Applied for the Hell of it. Would love the job, but can't see it happening. I noticed one of the questions was "have you ever had laser eye surgery?". Is it still the case that even those with corrected sight are banned from becoming drivers?

Depends what type of eye surgery you have had. The general concensious is no but check the RSSB website. I believe there are certain types that you will be ok for. There is an issue with the surgery affecting colour perception.

 

[class303]

Depends what type of eye surgery you have had. The general concensious is no but check the RSSB website. I believe there are certain types that you will be ok for. There is an issue with the surgery affecting colour perception.

i haven't had laser eye surgery so answered no. I am short sighted though and legally need glasses or contacts to drive. this didn't come up though.

 

[Dave1987]

i haven't had laser eye surgery so answered no. I am short sighted though and legally need glasses or contacts to drive. this didn't come up though.

Best option is to not have it then.

 

[TDK]

i haven't had laser eye surgery so answered no. I am short sighted though and legally need glasses or contacts to drive. this didn't come up though.

There are some restrictions - do a search for Railway Group Standards Eyesight requirements and you will then know for sure if your sight is Okay.

 

[JAMBO]

If your eyes are corrected with either glasses or contacts then you will be fine. Its something like 6/9 or 6/12 on the chart.

 

[Flyboy]

How long can one expect to be on the £18k 'training' salary?

As the sniper said in post 2 of this thread: "It'll inevitably put some quality candidates off, though maybe they don't want pilots, bank managers, Doctors et al applying. :razz:"

If the training salary is for any longer than a year then this particular pilot would indeed be put off. Freightliner has been one of my target companies since they last hired some 'off the street' trainees in 2008.

 

[Scaramanga]

Bloody Mechanical test! Lots of head scratching and toe counting!
Applied for Bristol but mate of mine says they've had a recent influx of qualifieds there so not many vacancies at all. Bummer.

 

[JAMBO]

How long can one expect to be on the £18k 'training' salary?

As the sniper said in post 2 of this thread: "It'll inevitably put some quality candidates off, though maybe they don't want pilots, bank managers, Doctors et al applying. :razz:"

If the training salary is for any longer than a year then this particular pilot would indeed be put off. Freightliner has been one of my target companies since they last hired some 'off the street' trainees in 2008.

Depends how much you want the job,do you expect to jump to 46k after a few weeks while sat in a classroom? Look at XC,you could have 20 years driving under your belt but it still takes 2 years productive driving for you to get to full salary. If you want a career then you have to make sacrifices. How much do you think trainee solicitors earn,or a junior doctor,takes a lot longer than a year believe me to earn anywhere near the driver salary. The last trainee intake at freightliner was intermodal,which is a completely different company with much better terms and conditions compared to heavy haul. The two are very different in lots of ways.

 

[Monty]

I also filed a speculative application, like others have said I don't think it will amount to much. The Mechanical test was a bit of a curve ball I didn't expect at the application stage!