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Trainee drivers at DB schenker
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RailUK Forums
Hi all, take at look at DB website TRAINEE DRIVERS WANTED but there is a pecking order, qualified first, DB employees, new entrants.
To be honest would have thought they would be able to fill those will qualified drivers and internal candidates.
Beveridges
Established Member
Hi all, take at look at DB website TRAINEE DRIVERS WANTED but there is a pecking order, qualified first, DB employees, new entrants.
Nothing new there then as every TOC & FOC uses that pecking order generally.
Note that they are advertising for Driver Operators - which is a Driver qualified to drive in sidings, yards and depots ONLY but not qualified to go on the mainline - so I take it qualified Depot Drivers from TOC's will be able to apply for these as a qualified candidate.
WestRiding
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why is a grade c needed for maths? I wouldn't mind but im a grade 7 signaller, and no grade c is needed in any subject.
Not quite.
Driver operators also drive within 20 miles 'of home depot' obviously on NR infrastructure.
Same rules, same assessments, less pay, less responsibility, better start/finish times.
Yes and many have.
Obviously, further training is required but that goes for TOC to FOC driving too.
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Lincoln_biker
Member
Can anyone out there tell me what it's like working for a freight firm like DBS, and suggest what sort of hours and shifts one can expect? Is a FOC driver more likely to be facing nights/weekends than a TOC driver?
I'd rather not apply if it's predominantly weekend work. I'd sooner be poor and spend time with the family than do a dream job away from them!
I'd rather not apply if it's predominantly weekend work. I'd sooner be poor and spend time with the family than do a dream job away from them!
No disadvantage starting with freight, you can start with freight and then move to pass, some drivers have done this in the past for numerous reasons, things to do with shift lengths, lodging, distances from home, van driving and not wanting to cover shunting duties. When on pass you tend to be more local and working to a timetable and normally end up back at your depot. But really no company wants to train a driver and then lose them to another toc/foc, but it happens.
Beveridges
Established Member
There is usually less weekend work for a freight company than there is for a TOC. But for a FOC there will be lots of night shifts, and worse still early morning shifts that can start at horrendous times like 02:00 or 03:00! There will be good shifts as well though not all will be that extreme, but the worst start times (on morning turns) and worst finishing times (on nights) are normally much more extreme with a FOC than a TOC.
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Silv1983
Member
The consensus in the industry at the moment is that freight is not a great place to be. Drivers' in FOCs are falling behind their counterparts in the Passenger game when it comes to working conditions. Im not suprised they're now considering trainees because a fair few drivers are leaving for the stability and conditions of passenger work. This was evident to me when a driver from DB Shenker joined my driver training course last year for 3 weeks when we were doing traction training. He said most nights he couldn't relax until 10pm had passed - as this is when he knew he was safe to leave his phone, have a beer, or go to bed. Until then he might a get a call for a job, and he wouldnt know when he would get home next to spend time with the family.
While it maybe true that freight have less conditions than passenger, it's unfair to take one focs t&c's and assume its the same for all focs, particulary when you are talking about DBS who seem to be having more trouble than most recently.
The phone thing is certainly not practice at my lot. If I'm at home in my own time the phone is either off or silent....I chose whether or not I answer.
If I am AV (Ie no booked job) on the roster then they have to give 24 hrs notice to call me in. If they call with less than 24 hrs notice I can refuse to come in (or just not answer phone) or I can agree at which point they must pay me rest day workng.
It's not all roses, but people are all to eager to get hung up on the negatives and don't look at the positives.
The phone thing is certainly not practice at my lot. If I'm at home in my own time the phone is either off or silent....I chose whether or not I answer.
If I am AV (Ie no booked job) on the roster then they have to give 24 hrs notice to call me in. If they call with less than 24 hrs notice I can refuse to come in (or just not answer phone) or I can agree at which point they must pay me rest day workng.
It's not all roses, but people are all to eager to get hung up on the negatives and don't look at the positives.
Hi all, take at look at DB website TRAINEE DRIVERS WANTED but there is a pecking order, qualified first, DB employees, new entrants.
This from the company that is finalising the redundancies of several drivers!:roll:
Hi, Whats your position driver/atm/tp/operative?
From the previous statement drivers cover a on call rota over generally 8 hour periods where i have worked which they have for covering late running, diversions and sickness, so if the driver is on call sat at home with family his social life is limited plus not banking full banked hours. If called upon he has to come in to drive and i think they can make the driver do 10+ hour shift .......... (correct me if i am wrong) seems to be a different agreement to yours.
Beveridges
Established Member
How much better are the hours?
Sounds like this could be the ideal job for me as a long-term aim (if I ever get bored of my current depot driving role which may take some years yet)
The DB Driver Operators role sounds like a good job, mainly marshalling freight on depots with some short-distance trips on the mainline with freight, and with better hours
anthony263
Established Member
I have decided that I am going to apply for this vacancy.
I might not have previous experience but i am very much willing to learn and driving trains is always something I have wanted to do.
I might not have previous experience but i am very much willing to learn and driving trains is always something I have wanted to do.
Yes Bev, interesting, are you jumping out the frying pan into the fire, depends on how much you rate your job, pay and the people you work with, but you could love it, i always remember shunting (as a shunter) in a yard 9 hour shift and did about 5 hours in one go and i just noted the forward and setting back moves,..................... 104 instructions i gave to the driver " ok draw forward when your ready please" "ok set back when your ready please" he must of got well miffed and fed up just keeping on drawing down to the same dolly and back. Some drivers hate yard shunting and sooner be on the mainline but some are really good and helpful. Not many local trip workings now days thanks to goverments past!!!!!
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Geargrinder
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So am I mate. If you dont buy a ticket you cant win the raffle ! Would be quite happy with driver operator role. Do you need to apply seperately for the trainee driver and DO roles ?
anthony263
Established Member
If that is the case I still wouldnt mind anyway since if I am sucessful I will be doing a job I like doing
rugi
Member
I would think so, as they are a seperate job.
doubleamber
Member
I am applying for the jobs as well, dont forget you are bonded to dbs for 5 years !!
Geargrinder
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I take that as a positive with regards to job security/redundancy at least for 5 years !
Quickthorn
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If it's the DBS trainee jobs being advertised, I think he means you have to sign a learning contract. As I understand it, it's actually for 3 years after you've completed training, and you agree to paying some or all of the training costs back to DBS if you leave within this period. It's not a guarantee of work for that period: DBS would still have the option to make you redundant within that time.
Scaramanga
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How long is the training period with DBS?
Have a look at the example contract on the site - It shows you what you would have to pay back..
doubleamber
Member
2 years, hence 5 year "bond" or as has been said before, a learning contract, which to me is the same thing, you still have to pay to get out!!!
Scaramanga
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£20k for two years whilst training then? Thats quite low across the board.
Beveridges
Established Member
The sound of this job now you've put it like that has put me right off, 104 moves backwards & forwards in a row, now that sounds very repetetive think I'll stick to my current depot driving role at least there is no monotony, and I'd rather not go through full training again and be a "new starter"
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Beveridges
Established Member
None of the tedious, repetetive, sort anyway - the type where you're doing exactly the same task multiple times in a row or over a long period of time.
Driving my car to work used to be by far the most monotonous thing about my job, don't commute now after relocating, the closest thing to monotony now is when on fuelling/toilet duties when its unshared; but thats more of a dirty, filthy, hard job than a monotonous one.
Driving my car to work used to be by far the most monotonous thing about my job, don't commute now after relocating, the closest thing to monotony now is when on fuelling/toilet duties when its unshared; but thats more of a dirty, filthy, hard job than a monotonous one.
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