Trainee drivers Freighliner HH

[Marky82]

Bet you're glad that's over Marky. Dreading mine the week after next, I thought it might be an advantage with more time to prepare but on the flip side it is also more time for the nerves to build up!

How fast does the reaction test get? Does it get to a ridiculous speed or can you keep up for the most part. Comforting that most people seem to be passing this particular test.

Certainly am glad it's done and out the way. The reaction test doesn't get stupidly fast that you can't keep up, it does stay within the limits of realism but everyone I spoke to and including myself made mistakes by pressing the pedals when you hear a tone in the headphones. It just seems natural to want to do that and I don't know why as the pedals are for the yellow boxes that appear bottom left or bottom right.
The test is designed to confuse you and you will make mistakes but its how you recover that they want to see.

 

[FlamTap]

Thanks for this. Is this the test but obviously without any feedback to the computer to record actual performance.

More to get you used to what to expect on the screen and how you'll be expected to react?

Exactly. The practice tool is passive. It is designed to get you used to the layout of the buttons and the actual mechanics of the test.

 

[Casey Jones125]

Exactly. The practice tool is passive. It is designed to get you used to the layout of the buttons and the actual mechanics of the test.

I have downloaded it but there is no instructions ie, what do you press for the yellow squares that appear and when do you use the pedals, i presume for the hi lo sounds?

 

[choochoochoo]

Yellow boxes = press L or R pedal
Hi/lo noise = press button
Colour = press button

 

[Casey Jones125]

Yellow boxes = press L or R pedal
Hi/lo noise = press button
Colour = press button

Thanks CCC

 

[choochoochoo]

Back to CBI...

Do you get asked all 5 of the questions in the 90 odd minutes?

Or is it say 3 out of the 5 ?

Even with 5 questions I'm struggling to see how I'm going to talk about them for 90 mins. 18 mins on each topic!! If they don't fall asleep out of boredom I think I will !!

 

[SkinnyDave]

Back to CBI...

Do you get asked all 5 of the questions in the 90 odd minutes?

Or is it say 3 out of the 5 ?

Even with 5 questions I'm struggling to see how I'm going to talk about them for 90 mins. 18 mins on each topic!! If they don't fall asleep out of boredom I think I will !!

You get asked all of them mate and sub questions..

It is a grilling and I found it hardest part of assessment but weirdly enjoyed it

 

[choochoochoo]

Great.

I've prepared examples for all 5 questions and even factored in the 'how did it make you feel' probing, and still can't work out how I'm going to spend the good part of 20 mins talking about each !

 

[Marky82]

Great.

I've prepared examples for all 5 questions and even factored in the 'how did it make you feel' probing, and still can't work out how I'm going to spend the good part of 20 mins talking about each !

You will get grilled on all 5 questions in great extensive detail.
The interview could last from anywhere between 40 minutes up to 90 mins, the guy in before me was in for 1 hour 15, I was in for 50 mins.

Be prepared for them to ask for more examples, I'd have at least 3 ready for each question as you may be told to "Think of another time....."

They are very blunt and repetitive and will not let you get to the end of your sentence as they will cut you off with "And then what happened?"

 

[choochoochoo]

You will get grilled on all 5 questions in great extensive detail.
The interview could last from anywhere between 40 minutes up to 90 mins, the guy in before me was in for 1 hour 15, I was in for 50 mins.

Be prepared for them to ask for more examples, I'd have at least 3 ready for each question as you may be told to "Think of another time....."

They are very blunt and repetitive and will not let you get to the end of your sentence as they will cut you off with "And then what happened?"

Cheers Marky

Got to get more familiar with my examples then.

One of the standard five is 'Describe a time you've been on a training course for over 2 weeks or your greatest achievement' - Is this the exact question ? ie do I get to choose whether I describe a course I've been on OR a greatest achievement. Or is it one or the other depending on random selection on the day?

 

[Marky82]

Cheers Marky

Got to get more familiar with my examples then.

One of the standard five is 'Describe a time you've been on a training course for over 2 weeks or your greatest achievement' - Is this the exact question ? ie do I get to choose whether I describe a course I've been on OR a greatest achievement. Or is it one or the other depending on random selection on the day?

It is more meant for the training course part of the question than the greatest achievement part but it is your choice which you choose.

On the form you fill out you only provide one example per question but you're not restricted to just that example, you will get the chance to expand and venture into others you have.

 

[at60]

Great.

I've prepared examples for all 5 questions and even factored in the 'how did it make you feel' probing, and still can't work out how I'm going to spend the good part of 20 mins talking about each !

Chooch, you'll have no choice but to talk ! I was in 80 minutes, & had to rethink one of my examples because the first one I chose didn't quite fit the scenario she was looking for. I asked if we could move on to the next one while I thought of another.
Luckily, another, more suitable example came to me almost straight away, & even though it wasn't a Pre-prepared example, it was still quite fresh in my mind & I was able to talk on it quite easily.
Overall I hope I did enough, but I still have the feeling that I could have prepared better for the interview. However, a combination of 6 days notice to attend, & me working away from home & being gerally very busy meant that I could only prepare in the hotel room the night before. It wasn't the DTG that flummoxed me, I had no trouble with that, & the lady told me I'd scored well there, it was the dam**d interview !

All the best for your interview.

 

[Lincoln_biker]

Great.

I've prepared examples for all 5 questions and even factored in the 'how did it make you feel' probing, and still can't work out how I'm going to spend the good part of 20 mins talking about each !

More than anything else, it'll be evident that you've made the effort to prepare. For each example you give, be prepared to give detail as though you were giving a statement to the police. You seem to have done plenty of preparation much like I did and I was in for about 1.45 hours. As they probe your answers and you need to move from one scenario to the next without stopping to go "errr, ummm" it can only look positive right? LB

 

[choochoochoo]

Cheers for the tips guys.

Not so worried about the reactions test. I'll still have a few practices of it. Much easier than bop-it !

Will focus on making my examples water tight.

Good luck to you all

 

[Brinners81]

Has anybody that has sat the CBI heard anything back from freightliner??

 

[Fergie87]

Well I have just got back from stage 2 and it was interesting The reaction test was quite straight forward but the interview was quite intense and I am glad i prepared 3 answers for each question.

I have holiday booked for the start of october and having just spoke to HR i may have to cancel it if I am successful. HR said they are looking to start the course at the end of october.

 

[choochoochoo]

Well done on nailing the reactions test.

Did they say when you'd find out about how you did at stage 2 ?

 

[Fergie87]

Well done on nailing the reactions test.

Did they say when you'd find out about how you did at stage 2 ?

Thanks ccc.

They said within 5 working days but judging by last time it could be weeks lol.

 

[choochoochoo]

I hope its not a few weeks, that wouldn't give them very long to do the DM interviews if they plan to start a course at the end of october. - Especially if successful candidates need to work their notice period.

 

[at60]

Hi Fergie, how many were there with you today ? I'm just trying to get a picture of how many have sat phase 2.

 

[TDF]

I hope its not a few weeks, that wouldn't give them very long to do the DM interviews if they plan to start a course at the end of october. - Especially if successful candidates need to work their notice period.

I'm hoping for this too, my notice is 8 weeks. I haven't been notified on an interview date yet and I'm out of the country for pretty much all of October.

 

[Fergie87]

Hi Fergie, how many were there with you today ? I'm just trying to get a picture of how many have sat phase 2.

There were supposed to be 8 of us for freightliner but only 7 turned up and there was another 2 for first. I did have a peak at the list whilst she was crossing my name off and for the rest of the week and it shows 4-6 each day. How many of them are for freightliner I wouldn't know, it might have been frowned upon to lean right in and have a good read

 

[NI 271]

I spoke to HR today (patience ran out, I rang to check my result from stage 2), and the lady who answered seemed a little uneasy about OPC having given definitive timescales for response from them, suggesting it may take that time for the result to reach FLHH, but that wasn't necessarily the time at which they would be contacting candidates to pass the results on.

So I decided not to push for further info, but I would suggest they will get back to everyone when they are ready, I assume that to be when they've got all the results to hand.

 

[choochoochoo]

There were supposed to be 8 of us for freightliner but only 7 turned up and there was another 2 for first. I did have a peak at the list whilst she was crossing my name off and for the rest of the week and it shows 4-6 each day. How many of them are for freightliner I wouldn't know, it might have been frowned upon to lean right in and have a good read

Sneaky. But shows initiative

Say average 6 per day for 2 weeks (although maybe it was 3 weeks?). Makes 60 (or 90 for 3 weeks) by my reckoning. With almost nobody failing reactions test by the sounds of it.

So a brutal cull is going to be needed, to get numbers down to those needed to fill the course. Especially if internals are pretty much already in.

Thing is though, if you pass the CBI, is it just a simple pass / fail or are they given a scale of how well you did. Because if it is the former, then the only place you can make a cut it at the DM interview. Unless they're planning to have a hold pool.

 

[142094]

From a recent intake for a different operator I was told:

c. 5000 applied

c. 150 sent for tests

c. 15 jobs.

 

[Marky82]

I think somebody posted that their stage 2 date is the 25th so still a while to go for some. Do you think they'll only tell us results after everyone is assessed???

 

[choochoochoo]

i'm wondering if you gave the OPC a call say 5-6 days after you sit your stage 2, will they give you feedback, knowing they've sent the results to FL, because they don't know when the FL HR are sending out the letters.

 

[Marky82]

i'm wondering if you gave the OPC a call say 5-6 days after you sit your stage 2, will they give you feedback, knowing they've sent the results to FL, because they don't know when the FL HR are sending out the letters.

You've got a very good point there!

 

[TDF]

It's all well and good plucking random numbers out of the sky and saying this is how many people applied, this is how many people have been sent to testing and this is the number of jobs available. There are far too many doom-mongers on this forum with the sole purpose of posting constant streams of negativity, if you're good enough you'll get the jobs hence the whole drawn out thorough recruitment process.

 

[142094]

It's all well and good plucking random numbers out of the sky and saying this is how many people applied, this is how many people have been sent to testing and this is the number of jobs available. There are far too many doom-mongers on this forum with the sole purpose of posting constant streams of negativity, if you're good enough you'll get the jobs hence the whole drawn out thorough recruitment process.

Take it from someone who has the experience of the whole process. There are plenty of applicants who pass all the required tests and are good enough to do the job, but who are not successful in getting the post. The fact of the matter is that the testing at Doncaster or wherever is a **** poor way of figuring out who has the necessary skills to be a driver, which is why

a) The pass rate is so high

b) The tests are soon changing to make it harder to pass.

By all means I'd encourage anyone to keep applying for jobs, but to say that "if you're good enough you'll get the jobs" is ridiculous.