• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Freightliner Various Trainee Drivers

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,882
8stewartt said:
This is getting boring now. Waiting for Birmingham since 28th September 2018 after giving up two holidays to attend both assessment centres. I’ve had two emails since, one asking for those certificates in January and the latest one saying no courses coming up anytime soon.

Have since found out Birmingham have taken on a load of ex tamper drivers to fill the vacancies faster as they are classed as 75% trained, and the mendip training is being done first. Also there is a severe lack of mentor drivers for training.

So much for the DMI where I got told if I make it into the pool I will be guaranteed a job very soon as Birmingham we’re desperate.

Not be long till our physcometrics start running out.
Click to expand...
If you say all the assessments this time round, they’ll still have 4-years on them for Freightliner.

I know what you mean though, although not placed in a pool anyway as I wasn’t offered a position, the DM did say if I was successful and placed in a pool it would literally be a couple of months and even said it’s not like other companies where you could be waiting years.

I can only assume a lot has changed and their priorities have too? In hindsight I’m kind of glad I didn’t get offered a place in a pool with them. The irony is that I was out in a pool with GWR and was assuming it would be one of those ones the DM mentioned about being years, yet it was barely a couple of months. For me anyway. If I had been placed in a pool for FL, I probably wouldn’t have applied to GWR as I did so a month after the rejection from Freightliner. I’m a believer that all things happen for a reason, so chin up definitely.

Good luck to you and all those still waiting. I’d certainly be applying elsewhere too if I were still waiting.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

G

GLENMAYE77

Member
Joined
28 Sep 2017
Messages
320
Stigy said:
If you say all the assessments this time round, they’ll still have 4-years on them for Freightliner.

I know what you mean though, although not placed in a pool anyway as I wasn’t offered a position, the DM did say if I was successful and placed in a pool it would literally be a couple of months and even said it’s not like other companies where you could be waiting years.

I can only assume a lot has changed and their priorities have too? In hindsight I’m kind of glad I didn’t get offered a place in a pool with them. The irony is that I was out in a pool with GWR and was assuming it would be one of those ones the DM mentioned about being years, yet it was barely a couple of months. For me anyway.

Good luck to all those still waiting. I’d certainly be applying elsewhere too if I were still waiting.
Click to expand...

Sitting in the pool and others are getting positions with other TOCS and leaving....I can’t even get an interview with another TOC.
 
B

bwlv9

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2018
Messages
49
Not great reading for us in the pool if vacancies are being filled en masse with qualified drivers.

I was also told in the DMI that it would be a matter of a few months.
 
M

Matt85

Member
Joined
10 Mar 2019
Messages
65
OPC told us Crewe wanted a quick turnaround, doesn’t seem that way now. Only hear off them if I email with a question and it’s hit and miss if they respond or not
 
B

bwlv9

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2018
Messages
49
What will be will be, but have put off booking family holidays etc in case of being called up for a course.
 
B

Brummie85

New Member
Joined
17 Jun 2019
Messages
4
8stewartt said:
This is getting boring now. Waiting for Birmingham since 28th September 2018 after giving up two holidays to attend both assessment centres. I’ve had two emails since, one asking for those certificates in January and the latest one saying no courses coming up anytime soon.

Have since found out Birmingham have taken on a load of ex tamper drivers to fill the vacancies faster as they are classed as 75% trained, and the mendip training is being done first. Also there is a severe lack of mentor drivers for training.

So much for the DMI where I got told if I make it into the pool I will be guaranteed a job very soon as Birmingham we’re desperate.

Not be long till our physcometrics start running out.
Click to expand...
This is correct, Birmingham now have no vacancies in the link.
 
8

8stewartt

Member
Joined
18 Mar 2013
Messages
75
From within the railway world. But thought I would share here as there are so many of us waiting for Birmingham.
 
J

Jordan ruck

Member
Joined
26 Jan 2019
Messages
29
I’m still sitting in the pool for Reading too since January. Think I was just a little too late as I heard they had a course starting in May for my depot. How hard can it be to just reassure us with an update of what’s really happening behind the scenes?
 
N

Nic nic

Member
Joined
29 Jun 2014
Messages
125
cossie4i said:
Is anybody actually on a course for the Mendip work ?
Click to expand...
Not sure everyone I know who applied didn't get through the testing stages. I would be intrested to know as they should be in the classroom by now to hit the november target.
 
K

Kittman10

Member
Joined
2 May 2019
Messages
31
8stewartt said:
This is getting boring now. Waiting for Birmingham since 28th September 2018 after giving up two holidays to attend both assessment centres. I’ve had two emails since, one asking for those certificates in January and the latest one saying no courses coming up anytime soon.

Have since found out Birmingham have taken on a load of ex tamper drivers to fill the vacancies faster as they are classed as 75% trained, and the mendip training is being done first. Also there is a severe lack of mentor drivers for training.

So much for the DMI where I got told if I make it into the pool I will be guaranteed a job very soon as Birmingham we’re desperate.

Not be long till our physcometrics start running out.
Click to expand...
Hello
I thought the assessment pass lasts 5 years. Why does the physcometric aspect run out. Does this run out sooner.
Cheers
 
C

Coach Carter

Member
Joined
21 Sep 2018
Messages
227
GLENMAYE77 said:
I thought they all class as one and are valid for however many years from the date passed....??
Click to expand...
Psychometrics are valid with the opc for 5 years but that doesn’t mean a TOC/FOC has to except them when that old. A lot of them will require you to re-sit them if more than a couple of years old.
As for the freightliner talent pool I have no idea how long they will keep people’s applications active.
 
TheNewGuy

TheNewGuy

Member
Joined
5 Nov 2018
Messages
60
Anyone heard this???



June 30 (Reuters) - Investment firm Brookfield Asset Management Inc(BAM) has agreed to acquire U.S. freight railroad owner and operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc(GWR) for close to $9 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Genesee & Wyoming's (GWR) decision to sell itself comes after its string of acquisitions of short-line railroads made investing in the maintenance of its expanding network more expensive, amid weakness in some of its core North American markets for the transport of steam coal and agricultural products.

Some buyout firms such as Brookfield specialize in helping companies they buy bankroll further acquisitions to consolidate their sectors. The deal shows Brookfield is not fazed by the uncertainty that the trade war between the United States and China has cast on Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) business.

A Brookfield infrastructure fund has agreed to pay more than $110 per share in cash for Genesee & Wyoming(GWR), the sources said, requesting anonymity ahead of an official announcement expected as early as Monday. Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) shares ended trading on Friday at $100.

Toronto-based Brookfield declined to comment, while Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Based in Darien, Connecticut, Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) owns or leases 120 freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Britain and continental Europe.

The company's revenues have increased at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% since it floated in the stock market in 1996, rising to $2.3 billion in 2018 from $77.8 million, according to Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) latest annual report.

Much of that growth was fueled by Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) acquisition of short-line rail assets from "Class I" carriers in North America, the biggest operators focusing on longer routes. The transport of many commodities relies on the short-line rail roads that Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) operates.

"Medium-term growth opportunities (for Genesee & Wyoming(GWR)) remain solid, including a healthy North American pipeline of industrial development projects and spot-coal haulage contracts in Australia," Morningstar analysts wrote in a research note last month.

The acquisition of Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) would be the latest big leveraged buyout by Brookfield, which agreed last year to buy Johnson Controls International Plc's(JCI) power solutions business for about $13 billion.

Bloomberg News reported last week that an affiliate of Brookfield was "the frontrunner" to acquire Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) following an auction for the company. (Reporting by Joshua Franklin and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney)
 
U

UTV

Member
Joined
22 Jun 2019
Messages
16
TheNewGuy said:
Anyone heard this???



June 30 (Reuters) - Investment firm Brookfield Asset Management Inc(BAM) has agreed to acquire U.S. freight railroad owner and operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc(GWR) for close to $9 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Genesee & Wyoming's (GWR) decision to sell itself comes after its string of acquisitions of short-line railroads made investing in the maintenance of its expanding network more expensive, amid weakness in some of its core North American markets for the transport of steam coal and agricultural products.

Some buyout firms such as Brookfield specialize in helping companies they buy bankroll further acquisitions to consolidate their sectors. The deal shows Brookfield is not fazed by the uncertainty that the trade war between the United States and China has cast on Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) business.

A Brookfield infrastructure fund has agreed to pay more than $110 per share in cash for Genesee & Wyoming(GWR), the sources said, requesting anonymity ahead of an official announcement expected as early as Monday. Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) shares ended trading on Friday at $100.

Toronto-based Brookfield declined to comment, while Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Based in Darien, Connecticut, Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) owns or leases 120 freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Britain and continental Europe.

The company's revenues have increased at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% since it floated in the stock market in 1996, rising to $2.3 billion in 2018 from $77.8 million, according to Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) latest annual report.

Much of that growth was fueled by Genesee & Wyoming's(GWR) acquisition of short-line rail assets from "Class I" carriers in North America, the biggest operators focusing on longer routes. The transport of many commodities relies on the short-line rail roads that Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) operates.

"Medium-term growth opportunities (for Genesee & Wyoming(GWR)) remain solid, including a healthy North American pipeline of industrial development projects and spot-coal haulage contracts in Australia," Morningstar analysts wrote in a research note last month.

The acquisition of Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) would be the latest big leveraged buyout by Brookfield, which agreed last year to buy Johnson Controls International Plc's(JCI) power solutions business for about $13 billion.

Bloomberg News reported last week that an affiliate of Brookfield was "the frontrunner" to acquire Genesee & Wyoming(GWR) following an auction for the company. (Reporting by Joshua Franklin and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Click to expand...
As far as I'm concerned this is good news for Freightliner. G&W investments are solid and this new company obviously sees this and wants a piece of the action long term. Could.mean more driver jobs for FL too if more money coming in to invest over the long term.

personally think FL are looking more and more like a solid freight company to work for.
 
C

cossie4i

Member
Joined
2 Jun 2014
Messages
314
Location
Somerset
I heard today that 37 FL drivers have been resourced from around the country to start route learning for the Mendip contract.
 
M

M2man

New Member
Joined
2 Jul 2019
Messages
3
Not sure on the numbers but yeh drivers across the country have volunteered to work the mendip contract. Some will be on 2 week rotations between mendip and their home depots.

Shouldn’t make a difference to those in the pool, this will just be cover until enough permanent drivers in the region have been sourced/trained.
 
crebbs1

crebbs1

Member
Joined
21 Aug 2018
Messages
164
Why would they not ask people in the pool whether they would relocate, there’s plenty in the pool waiting around and ready to go.
I know relocating isn’t for everyone but I’m sure there would be some willing.
 
M

M2man

New Member
Joined
2 Jul 2019
Messages
3
Probably because theres a course running at the minute at reading for mendip work. They can only train a certain amount of drivers at one time due to mentor availability.

I’m sure the people in the original pool and mendip pool will get their opportunity, it’s not a fast process training the new trainees unfortunately so kind of need to wait towards the end of their driving hours before getting the next batch going.

Have you told freightliner you would relocate?
 
M

Mgv1349

Member
Joined
10 Oct 2018
Messages
191
crebbs1 said:
Why would they not ask people in the pool whether they would relocate, there’s plenty in the pool waiting around and ready to go.
I know relocating isn’t for everyone but I’m sure there would be some willing.
Click to expand...
At the moment getting qualified drivers route learning for it will be the priority.

Company’s won’t usually take people relocating because a lot of people say they will do it then once get the job decide not to.
 
J

Jordan ruck

Member
Joined
26 Jan 2019
Messages
29
M2man said:
Probably because theres a course running at the minute at reading for mendip work. They can only train a certain amount of drivers at one time due to mentor availability.

I’m sure the people in the original pool and mendip pool will get their opportunity, it’s not a fast process training the new trainees unfortunately so kind of need to wait towards the end of their driving hours before getting the next batch going.

Have you told freightliner you would relocate?
Click to expand...
I am also in the pool since January but my chosen depot was also Reading. Would you know if this something I should be slightly concerned about as I haven’t heard a thing and a training course has started for that depot?
 
L

lampsr5

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2018
Messages
30
M2man said:
Probably because theres a course running at the minute at reading for mendip work. They can only train a certain amount of drivers at one time due to mentor availability.

I’m sure the people in the original pool and mendip pool will get their opportunity, it’s not a fast process training the new trainees unfortunately so kind of need to wait towards the end of their driving hours before getting the next batch going.

Have you told freightliner you would relocate?
Click to expand...

I have put down for Bristol myself, I was told they havent sorted out mendip trainees yet mate. Where did you hear that theres a course for it already?
 
S

Steve Dolby

New Member
Joined
11 Jul 2019
Messages
1
Jordan ruck said:
I am also in the pool since January but my chosen depot was also Reading. Would you know if this something I should be slightly concerned about as I haven’t heard a thing and a training course has started for that depot?
Click to expand...
By what we was told couple weeks ago by our instructor is the Reading guys have been picked and they started the Reading course soon, I only have wagon training and theory of routes to go then im onto driving hours in about 3 weeks so that should roughly be when the Reading course starts if it hasn't started already. I was in the talent pool for a couple of months before I got offered a position, so anyone in the pool that haven't heard back yet, just be patient, your in the pool cause they want to offer you a position but they have to wait until a position opens up, there are a lot of guys taking retirement currently and there are also a lot of newly qualified guys that have and are moving to passenger TOC's now that they have passed out so don't give up. It is a long process but believe me, it is really worth the wait. and Good luck to everyone in the pool.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top