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Freight drivers

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deltabravo

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I know FOC's such as DBS and Freightliner rarely recruit trainee train drivers externally, but do they ever train drivers internally?
 
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carriageline

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While we are on the subject... Do FOC's ever take on shunters "off the street", I.e. people with no experience what so ever? Imagine that's one of the only was in
 

E&W Lucas

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I know FOC's such as DBS and Freightliner rarely recruit trainee train drivers externally, but do they ever train drivers internally?

EWS did recruit trainees a few years back, but seem to be concentrating on making drivers redundant of late.

AFAIK, Freightliner, GBRF and DRS only recruit qualified drivers. They are not short of applicants either. I know plenty who have done a couple of years on units, then made the move, so that seems to be the way in.

Shunter - it's a decent job in its own right, if you like outdoor manual work. As a way into driving, I am less than convinced. Lack of responsiblity - the role won't give you the skills/ aptitudes if you don't already have them.
 

carriageline

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I would love to be a shunter anyway!! Do they take people off the streets for them? Trainee shunter jobs as it where!
 

Lanc688

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GA have very recently advertised Depot driver jobs (last week or so, closed now) and I assume that is a similar role. These were down south (Clacton/Ilford I think).

There are jobs popping up, you just need to check the TOC pages EVERY day.

PS....I expect some FTPE jobs to pop up soon for Manchester mainline.....a little birdy told me !

Regards
Lanc
 

GB

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EWS did recruit trainees a few years back, but seem to be concentrating on making drivers redundant of late.

AFAIK, Freightliner, GBRF and DRS only recruit qualified drivers. They are not short of applicants either. I know plenty who have done a couple of years on units, then made the move, so that seems to be the way in.

Shunter - it's a decent job in its own right, if you like outdoor manual work. As a way into driving, I am less than convinced. Lack of responsiblity - the role won't give you the skills/ aptitudes if you don't already have them.


Freightliner have advertised for trainees in the past. They also advertised externally for trainee drivers last year and recently taken on some of their shunters as drivers.

GBRf do not advertise externally for trainee drivers. To get a trainee driver postition with GBRf you have to have completed at least two years a shunter with the company. They do advertise for qualified drivers but only when the time frames are short.

While working a shunter may not give you aptitudes, it gives you the benefit of working in a safety critical role and a role that is often under pressure. You will also get the experience of working on your own and as part of a team and the shift patterns are similar to that of a driver.

There is also plenty of responsibility as a freight shunter.
 

tirphil

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EWS took on trainee drivers from 'off the street' as well as training up internal candidates about 7-8 years ago. As someone else has said they have reduced their driver compliment in the last 2-3 years.
 

E&W Lucas

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Freightliner have advertised for trainees in the past. They also advertised externally for trainee drivers last year and recently taken on some of their shunters as drivers.

GBRf do not advertise externally for trainee drivers. To get a trainee driver postition with GBRf you have to have completed at least two years a shunter with the company. They do advertise for qualified drivers but only when the time frames are short.

While working a shunter may not give you aptitudes, it gives you the benefit of working in a safety critical role and a role that is often under pressure. You will also get the experience of working on your own and as part of a team and the shift patterns are similar to that of a driver.

There is also plenty of responsibility as a freight shunter.

That's good news. I had GB big shot for a footplate trip a few years back, andf they were definitely just in the poaching market then. Sounds like things have moved on, and they've almost reinvented the secondman's job.
 

carriageline

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Yeah I have now set my browser to open each T/FOCs career page Everytime I open it, so it gets checked a few times a day!

Thanks for the help guys, funnily enough FL where hiring shunters a few days ago, was too far for me though :(
 

DI

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GA have very recently advertised Depot driver jobs (last week or so, closed now) and I assume that is a similar role. These were down south (Clacton/Ilford I think).

There are jobs popping up, you just need to check the TOC pages EVERY day.

PS....I expect some FTPE jobs to pop up soon for Manchester mainline.....a little birdy told me !

Regards
Lanc

FTPE don't have any depot drivers at Manchester. All the deprt drivers at the Ardwick depot are employed by Siemens.
 

Lanc688

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DI,

That's why I said Manchester Mainline!

PS...Jay G...where were these FL Shunter jobs advertised. Although I advise to search the TOCs career pages, I have never myself searched the Freight pages as I have always considered them a closed shop as such. Maybe I shall reconsider this belief?

Lanc
 

GB

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DI,

That's why I said Manchester Mainline!

PS...Jay G...where were these FL Shunter jobs advertised. Although I advise to search the TOCs career pages, I have never myself searched the Freight pages as I have always considered them a closed shop as such. Maybe I shall reconsider this belief?

Lanc

You just have to be lucky enough to be looking at the right time. I got my shunting job my continually looking at the GBRF recruitment page.
 

carriageline

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DI,

That's why I said Manchester Mainline!

PS...Jay G...where were these FL Shunter jobs advertised. Although I advise to search the TOCs career pages, I have never myself searched the Freight pages as I have always considered them a closed shop as such. Maybe I shall reconsider this belief?

Lanc

On freightliners career page! Didn't seem to need much qualifications eithet
 

Lanc688

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Yep sorry I was a little vague.

I meant that FTPE are set to be pushing out some Mainline Trainee positions soon and that is from what I believe to be a very reliable source (3 days left if they really are reliable)

GB.....thanks for the advice. I will certainly do the same and at least try...after all God loves a tryer!

Regards
Lanc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On freightliners career page! Didn't seem to need much qualifications eithet

JG...none of the jobs seem to require much in the way of paper quals, but I think as we all come to realise they all require the 'right' person, which sometimes becomes a harder qual to achieve than those on paper.

Lanc
 

DI

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TPE Manchester have just took on 3 qualified drivers and about 5 off the street started a week or so ago.Further recruitment will depend on how many go to the new depots at Preston and Liverpool which open next year.
 

Lanc688

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TPE Manchester have just took on 3 qualified drivers and about 5 off the street started a week or so ago.Further recruitment will depend on how many go to the new depots at Preston and Liverpool which open next year.

I trust your info and have heard the same reference the Preston/Liverpool depots.

The HR cogs certainly turn slowly in the Rail Recruitment world. I'll keep my eye out anyway.

Lanc
 

Rugd1022

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We've just recruited two more drivers from other companies at Rugby, one of whom I believe is a passenger man, so he'll need training on 66s plus freight handling before he becomes 'productive'. The management do prefer to take on fully qualified men but a lot of it comes down to how you come across in the interview.
 

deltabravo

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Thanks for all the answers guys, very informative.

I was aware that EWS/DBS took on trainees externally a couple of years ago, but I guess it will be long time before they do that again, what with all the drivers they laid off.
 

Lanc688

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Yep sorry I was a little vague.

I meant that FTPE are set to be pushing out some Mainline Trainee positions soon and that is from what I believe to be a very reliable source (3 days left if they really are reliable)

GB.....thanks for the advice. I will certainly do the same and at least try...after all God loves a tryer!

Regards
Lanc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


JG...none of the jobs seem to require much in the way of paper quals, but I think as we all come to realise they all require the 'right' person, which sometimes becomes a harder qual to achieve than those on paper.

Lanc

There you go; on the First Group FTPE career page now...... I guess I trust my little Birdy now!

Best
Lanc
;)
 

Lanc688

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The advert states that you must live within 50 mins of the depot you are applying for. I live 1 Hr 20 min form the nearest. Although I am willing to relocate, I wonder if I would be screened out due to location now?

Any advice at all greatefully taken.

Lanc
 

SkinnyDave

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The advert states that you must live within 50 mins of the depot you are applying for. I live 1 Hr 20 min form the nearest. Although I am willing to relocate, I wonder if I would be screened out due to location now?

Any advice at all greatefully taken.

I live in Scotland at the moment and would relocate to Chester/North Wales to be close to Liverpool and I would equally look for advice to clearly state that
 
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