Hi all, I’ve had a turn around and again with my driving. I was inconsolably gutted after the fail and the realisation that the money was running out. Then I went in to work and a couple of the shunters at work were saying they would try and sort me out with some driving and pointers if they could ( they would have to do it unofficially, but they said they would try and sort me out tomorrow if they can manage it. I’ll be sure to write about it if they do) and then one of managers asked me how I’d done, when I said I’d failed again he said he’d see our main manager to try to get me some time with the site driver trainer for officially sanctioned training! Even better!
Today we had a driver backing onto the dock where I work, and he hit the guide barrier four times before he backed it in. I was a bit made up, I was thinking ‘I could have got that in from there in one shunt! They’ve given him a job, I’m a shoe-in!’
Then it all turned around again. I was talking to the union rep for the drivers and he reckons due to the stipulations of the company insurance policy they can’t employ drivers with less than two years experience. Totally bummed out.
Since I’ve got home I’ve been thinking about it and there are some hints of light at the end of the tunnel. The main transport manager said to bring in my license as soon as I’d passed and they would take me out for an assessment drive. If I was any good they would be able to call on me whenever they needed a driver. Surely he knows the limits of the company insurance policy as well as anyone.
Also there was that initial conversation I had way back, when I still worked nights, with that shunter. I was asking if it was worth taking the training and if DHL/Iceland employed new drivers. He said it was and they did, citing a recent case of a chap who had just passed his test (after being a welder by profession) and got his first driving job at ours, after passing the assessment drive. The story hadn’t ended well, he had a roll-cage full of stock fall on him and break his leg so they had sacked him (he was still on his probationary period). The point I was focused on was that they had given him a job with no experience.
Lastly there is the ‘warehouse to wheels’ scheme. If they are taking people off the shop floor and putting them through thousands of pounds of training to get them their artic license, it seems unlikely they are then going to say ‘off you trot to some other firm for two years while you get some experience.’ Logic would suggest that they must,therefore, employ new drivers.
Long and short of which is; I have grounds for hope, but cause to worry. Should I ever pass my bleeding test I will be straight into the office to find out where I stand. I have (a different) union rep rooting for me, that manager who is trying so hard to help me, as well as some of the drivers I know who will put a word in with the transport manager for me. On top of that I will be going straight to H&R. If they are doing ‘warehouse to wheels’ at our site, as H&R said they are, I would be willing to jump onto the end of that. If I could see me getting a driving job by the end of the year I’ll stick it out at our place. If that is not going to happen I’ll just have to take what I can get to get the experience. Even if the pay per hour is actually a cut, the amount of hours I expect to be doing should cover it.
Good news is, I have a spiffy red artic toy truck. It’s about two feet long and it’s well cool. The only problem with it is it’s left hand drive! Damn the French! No wonder my reverses aren’t looking so clever!
Well those are my worries, but as Wendy would quote, ‘sufficient onto the day are the evils thereof’, no need to go looking for more.
Later,
Buck.
PS now Sunday night. The drivers didn’t come good, I’ll have to see that manager tomorrow. However, the other union rep did say today to ignore that two years experience thing. So mixed opinions, but not a definite ‘no’.