Depot driver position.

[kleb15]

ye i applied and am still waiting, i wouldn't mind but this is ridiculously slow, in the time i've been waitin for them to get back to me, i did stage 1 assessment for another job, then travelled to do stage 2, and will find out if i'm through to stage 3 all before i find out from northern whats going on

 

[Beveridges]

I can confirm that they are SLOW. When I (successfully) went for this job back in 2008, I applied in early May. Didnt hear anything worth hearing until August despite mithering HR. Interview/Medical in August. Didn't hear anything else until late October when the contract was issued.
I already had the psychometric tests bagged before I even applied, and I was an Internal applicant, the job was advertised Internal Only and the process was still that slow.

 

[kleb15]

I can confirm that they are SLOW. When I (successfully) went for this job back in 2008, I applied in early May. Didnt hear anything worth hearing until August despite mithering HR. Interview/Medical in August. Didn't hear anything else until late October when the contract was issued.
I already had the psychometric tests bagged before I even applied, and I was an Internal applicant, the job was advertised Internal Only and the process was still that slow.

it's just ridiculous, do they not realise people won't wait forever, i mean it's a good career in the rail indsutry but there are other jobs that pay as well and are easier to get through, suppose the thing with the rail industry is it's quite enjoyable, i'd hate to be stuck in 1place all day like an office, but with that you're travelling all over the place, that's what appeals to me

 

[Beveridges]

What other job pays an instant 30k from the day you start training (or 50k with overtime once qualified) without requiring applicants to already have any of the required skills ?
None that I can think of.
Yes there are other jobs pay just as well but they certainly aren't accessible without previous skills/training.

 

[GB]

it's just ridiculous, do they not realise people won't wait forever, i mean it's a good career in the rail indsutry but there are other jobs that pay as well and are easier to get through

If thats the case why do 1000's apply for rail jobs each year and why is unemployment through the roof?

 

[NHG66]

What other job pays an instant 30k from the day you start training (or 50k with overtime once qualified) without requiring applicants to already have any of the required skills ?
None that I can think of.
Yes there are other jobs pay just as well but they certainly aren't accessible without previous skills/training.

I thought training pay was more like low 20's but was 30k if already qualified from another TOC, traction etc. Happy to be corrected.

 

[Beveridges]

Your confusing it with Mainline Driver training. In Depot Driver training you go straight onto the top rate from Training Day 1. The only difference in pay when passing out is the overtime, if you want it. None of this nonsense of having a lower trainee rate then going up in stages each year. That is because we have different terms and conditions in the Engineering Dept.

 

[kleb15]

What other job pays an instant 30k from the day you start training (or 50k with overtime once qualified) without requiring applicants to already have any of the required skills ?
None that I can think of.
Yes there are other jobs pay just as well but they certainly aren't accessible without previous skills/training.

Well to be honest mate i applied for Air Traffic Control, 5 GCSE's needed, starting wage £10k ye, then £34k, then £43, then £100k when fully qualified, you learn everything in house, paid for by them, and you earn at the same tiem, and shift patterns are almost identical to train drivers, concentration levels need to be similar, overall similarish jobs only ATC is maybe slightly more difficult

 

[Beveridges]

Thats the difference, £10k starting training wage, Depot Driver role pays an instant £30k from day 1, which is good if you've got no patience. Also Depot Driving (which is the role we're discussing here, not Mainline) is a hell of a lot less stressful than ATC. Your not stuck in an office, but instead working outdoors for a lot of the time, doing a variety of tasks, many of them not requiring much concentration at all - i.e. fuelling, pulling points, waiting half an hour for main res air pressure to build up on some demic unit, or walking half a mile across the yard to pick up your next unit.

 

[kleb15]

Thats the difference, £10k starting training wage, Depot Driver role pays an instant £30k from day 1, which is good if you've got no patience. Also Depot Driving (which is the role we're discussing here, not Mainline) is a hell of a lot less stressful than ATC. Your not stuck in an office, but instead working outdoors for a lot of the time, doing a variety of tasks, many of them not requiring much concentration at all - i.e. fuelling, pulling points, waiting half an hour for main res air pressure to build up on some demic unit, or walking half a mile across the yard to pick up your next unit.

Fair points, and if i got the chance to do the depot job i probably would do it, but out of the 2 i'd choose ATC even if the moneys crap at the start cos it feels like you're always aiming towards something and always learning new things, and you also get trained to use equipment that is highly advanced, plus the stress thing doesn't bother me too much, i always end up doing jobs where i don't need to think and it bores me, would rather do somet mentally taxing for now

 

[Beveridges]

Depot driving certainly has times when you have to really think and concentrate - such as driving around the yard when it's busy and you've got 6 conflicting moves to worry about and the radio is going off constantly with all sorts of info you need to take in - so you definetely get times when you have to think. However the good thing about it is that it's not constant for very prolonged periods (unlike ATC) as you have other easier, more relaxed tasks to do as well. I like the variety myself.
In this job you can still learn new things even after doing it years. However, I cannot say the job involves working with highly advanced equipment!

 

[badassunicorn]

I'm really excited after reading this thread to start my training in 3 weeks to be a depot driver with Greater Anglia =D Gonna be a complete change from chef-ing ^^

 

[shedman]

I've been depot driving for around 9 years and love it. There is always the chance to go mainline should I wish to take it but whilever I'm happy here I'll stay. I'd advise anyone to give it a go, its the non glamorous side to driving but every day is completely different.

 

[Beveridges]

Have you done any mainline cab rides shedman?? You'll find mainline driving is no more glamerous than depot driving - at least in the case of driving class 2 passenger trains. I think with depot driving the work is more varied as well.

 

[skinnymat]

I'm still waiting to find out if I have been short-listed or not. Anyone else heard back yet?

 

[shedman]

Have you done any mainline cab rides shedman?? You'll find mainline driving is no more glamerous than depot driving - at least in the case of driving class 2 passenger trains. I think with depot driving the work is more varied as well.

Yeah I've front ended loads, I say non glamorous because to many its not "proper driving". I love the job even though we have to empty the toilet tanks or fuel but I'm never far away from a cup of tea and a proper kitchen to cook a decent bit of grub on a long shift! (Can't beat the morning fry ups at a weekend!)

 

[notadriver]

Have you done any mainline cab rides shedman?? You'll find mainline driving is no more glamerous than depot driving - at least in the case of driving class 2 passenger trains. I think with depot driving the work is more varied as well.

There's always the chance to progress to better work later on and train drivers usually have better terms and conditions than other grades.

 

[Beveridges]

Our Depot driver terms & conditions are better in my TOC than Mainline drivers west side, its in another league. We get:

- 8 weeks worth of annual leave (instead of 6)
- all annual leave is floating days. None of this nonsense about having to book a week at a time off, or having to book weeks at certain times of the year.
- no spare turns - your hours cannot move at all, ever. Mainline west you can think your coming in at 0600 spare and just a couple of days before it changes to 0300!!!!!
- never have to stay behind an hour after your shift if you run late or need to fill in reports
- average 3.5 day week, 35 hrs
- no training salary, full rate from day 1
- entilted on the last 30 minutes of your shift to have a shower and get changed every time
- entilted for the first 30 minutes at the start of your shift to book on and get changed
- shift swapping is far easier
- notice period is just 4 weeks if you want to leave. NOT 6 months like mainline west!!!
- no booking on at stupid times

Yes, there are advantages of going mainline, like a higher salary (but thats only after 3 years in my TOC) and the chance to progress to better work. But I dont think I'm bad off where I am now in comparison to any other train crew positions in my company really, and our T&C's are FAR better than mainline west, enough to make up for the difference in salary.

 

[shedman]

I agree with what you say, we are better off where we are and I think that's one of the main reasons I'm happy here. As is said we get the chance to move on and one day we might but at the minute I'm happy emptying toilet tanks and prepping trains!

 

[185]

15/Oct/12 - Vacancy Withdrawn, change in business requirements.

I also believe in the tooth fairy, santa claus and that FirstGroup are here to improve travel.

 

[skinnymat]

Gutted!! Just got the same email.
Waited for nearly 3 months to get this far and then they pull it

I applied for the trainee driver position that they put up the other day for 24 hours and the application is still ongoing so fingers crossed for that one now.

The various tasks involve in the depot driver would have suited me more but I just want to get my foot in the door any way I can, so will have to see what happens.

 

[Beveridges]

"Change in business requirements" what a bad excuse, the number of Drivers has to stay the same and the vacancy would have somehow been filled Internally, either an Internal applicant got it, e.g. promotion from other grades, or some Driver transferring from another depot got it, or maybe even a certain Depot Driver that got demoted earlier this year was allowed to reapply for his job and got it back as rumours suggest. Those are the most likely guesses anyway.

 

[skinnymat]

"Change in business requirements" what a bad excuse, the number of Drivers has to stay the same and the vacancy would have somehow been filled Internally, either an Internal applicant got it, e.g. promotion from other grades, or some Driver transferring from another depot got it, or maybe even a certain Depot Driver that got demoted earlier this year was allowed to reapply for his job and got it back as rumours suggest. Those are the most likely guesses anyway.

Any ideas on how often these depot driver positions come up?

 

[Beveridges]

They are rare and often go internally, and due to the fact that there are far less depot drivers than mainline drivers, they do not come up often at all. These jobs also often go to mainline drivers who have been taken out of that grade due to SPADs, though vacancies are so few and far between that these drivers often end up having to take another role instead, such as conductor or station staff.

 

[Orange Donkey]

Any ideas on how often these depot driver positions come up?

It varies between depots, but at Blackpool there have been four new starters in the last two years with two of them positions going external and the the others internal.