Junior Driver - DB Cargo UK

[Stigy]

All I got was .....

Good Afternoon

Hope this email find you well?

We just wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with further feedback in regards to your Junior/Trainee Driver application

Currently the business is placing the following regions on hold due to contractual changes that have recently taken place.

Westbury and Eastleigh have been effected by these changes and the business has now made a decision to freeze all Junior Driver and Trainee Driver recruitment.

We will keep your details on file and contact you again once we are in a position to progress your application.

Unfortunately we can not provide timescales for when this will happen.

If you would like to discuss this further please do not hesitate in contacting the recruitment team on 01302 575027.

We appreciate that is will be disappointing news and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your application to join DB Cargo and also attending the assessments centers.

Good Luck and all the best for the future

That’s the one I got a couple of months ago.

 

[Jmtleigh]

That’s the one I got a couple of months ago.

Yeah that's the one I got. Applied for Westbury. Did the tests in December, awaiting a date for DMI then got this late January. Was to be expected I guess after the Mendip contract changed hands.

 

[train_lover]

All I got was .....

Good Afternoon

Hope this email find you well?

We just wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with further feedback in regards to your Junior/Trainee Driver application

Currently the business is placing the following regions on hold due to contractual changes that have recently taken place.

Westbury and Eastleigh have been effected by these changes and the business has now made a decision to freeze all Junior Driver and Trainee Driver recruitment.



We will keep your details on file and contact you again once we are in a position to progress your application.

Unfortunately we can not provide timescales for when this will happen.

If you would like to discuss this further please do not hesitate in contacting the recruitment team on 01302 575027.

We appreciate that is will be disappointing news and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your application to join DB Cargo and also attending the assessments centers.

Good Luck and all the best for the future

Yes I have been told by DB that recruitment is on hold. They also told my I can only be in a talent pool for 12 months.

 

[Tz55uk]

Well looks like we be in pool for the twelve and that's it , so it's time to look at other option , not very professional of the company and alot will be very disappointed

 

[Atishyou]

Well looks like we be in pool for the twelve and that's it , so it's time to look at other option , not very professional of the company and alot will be very disappointed

You'd rather they took you on to make you redundant?

 

[Tz55uk]

I'm saying don't advertise some thing that's not in your hands yet, there will be loads disappointed ,and days of work to get to assessments etc , it's just a kick in the teeth really and very unfair on individuals

 

[rail roader]

So let me get this straight every depot is froze for the time being? Or just west bury and Eastleigh? Train lover said he applied for Toton but in his email it never stated Toton and I never got that memo so a tad confused ‍♂️

 

[rail roader]

I’m getting wires crossed here, Deltic Dan stated Toton, Numb nuts stated westbury and Eastleigh. Got there in the end

 

[Stigy]

I’m getting wires crossed here, Deltic Dan stated Toton, Numb nuts stated westbury and Eastleigh. Got there in the end

Westbury and Eastleigh are the only two on hold, probably because of the Mendip contract (or at least that’s how it comes across in the email....I’ve not heard of others being on hold though). The other ones people have mentioned are for talent pools. If you’re in a talent pool it’s a better position to be in as they’re not saying recruitment has been frozen, just that there’s not necessarily a vacancy at your chosen depot. With a recruitment freeze, the initial vacancies may never reopen.

 

[Stigy]

Yeah that's the one I got. Applied for Westbury. Did the tests in December, awaiting a date for DMI then got this late January. Was to be expected I guess after the Mendip contract changed hands.

I applied for Eastleigh and had my DMI in December, only to be told the bad news in February. I didn’t have to take any other assessments as I had current passes which were still valid. I was gutted as I apparently scored well at the interview too so who knows what might have happened had they retained the Mendip contract

Oh well, keep on trying!

 

[rail roader]

Thanks for clearing that up Stigy!

 

[saracen]

I applied for Eastleigh and had my DMI in December, only to be told the bad news in February. I didn’t have to take any other assessments as I had current passes which were still valid. I was gutted as I apparently scored well at the interview too so who knows what might have happened had they retained the Mendip contract

Oh well, keep on trying!

You should definitely contact the Freightliner HR team. They’re desperate for trainees to cover that work

 

[Stigy]

You should definitely contact the Freightliner HR team. They’re desperate for trainees to cover that work

Really? I’ve not seen that advertised other than northern/western based vacancies? I took a DMI for Freightliner for Eastleigh back in October but was unfortunately unsuccessful. I have all assesment passes so can technically reapply in April I think? Having said that they may have a load of trainees due to start from the intake I applied for. I’ll keep an eye out though. Thanks for the head’s up.

 

[train_lover]

So let me get this straight every depot is froze for the time being? Or just west bury and Eastleigh? Train lover said he applied for Toton but in his email it never stated Toton and I never got that memo so a tad confused ‍♂️

I didn't apply for Toton, Eastleigh or Westbury

 

[rail roader]

Yeah sorry train lover I got my wires crossed with peoples names.

 

[GLENMAYE77]

Really? I’ve not seen that advertised other than northern/western based vacancies? I took a DMI for Freightliner for Eastleigh back in October but was unfortunately unsuccessful. I have all assesment passes so can technically reapply in April I think? Having said that they may have a load of trainees due to start from the intake I applied for. I’ll keep an eye out though. Thanks for the head’s up.

Freightliner is currently advertising for trainees in the Mendip Hills area.

 

[Stigy]

Freightliner is currently advertising for trainees in the Mendip Hills area.

I saw this, but that's too far west for me, it would need to be Southampton/Eastleigh area for me to be elegible.

 

[Dieseldriver]

I saw this, but that's too far west for me, it would need to be Southampton/Eastleigh area for me to be elegible.

It would probably be worth ringing them up about Eastleigh Heavy Haul on the off chance, nothing ventured and all that.

 

[Atishyou]

I'm saying don't advertise some thing that's not in your hands yet, there will be loads disappointed ,and days of work to get to assessments etc , it's just a kick in the teeth really and very unfair on individuals

That's not how it works, which is plain to see in the way many of the FOCs approach contract bids. They bid for work they can't staff and then expect existing staff to TUPE across.

 

[train_lover]

Contracts come and go. I'm aware that DB have recently won a large contract in the East Midlands in partnership with Maritime. I've also heard they've won some sort of contract in connection with HS2 in the Midlands although that's yet to be confirmed.

 

[cossie4i]

Westbury and Eastleigh are the only two on hold, probably because of the Mendip contract (or at least that’s how it comes across in the email....I’ve not heard of others being on hold though)..

The Mendip contract will not have any effect on Eastleigh.

 

[Stigy]

The Mendip contract will not have any effect on Eastleigh.

Oh right, a wrong assumption on my part probably then. I assumed it would have at least had a knock on effect because of location (not that far from there in the grand scheme of things)? Seems strange to place both locations on hold which are the closest to each other geographically (I believe)?

 

[TrainBod]

Any JDs on here..... as I wanted to know a typical shift pattern of Junior Drivers??

 

[Tony*1]

Any JDs on here..... as I wanted to know a typical shift pattern of Junior Drivers??

After training and being with a mentor it,
6-2 2-10 10-6 but I’m not sure if it depends on location or not

 

[Atishyou]

Any JDs on here..... as I wanted to know a typical shift pattern of Junior Drivers??

After training and being with a mentor it,
6-2 2-10 10-6 but I’m not sure if it depends on location or not

Training school, then hours handling with a mentor (amount depends on location). Then out route learning.

Shifts total depend on location. The ones I know vary in length from 6 hours to 11 hours. Earliest start 05.20, latest finish 20.00. Average shift length is probably about 8 hours. Not sure about other areas, but ours don't currently do nights.

 

[Tony*1]

Training school, then hours handling with a mentor (amount depends on location). Then out route learning.

Shifts total depend on location. The ones I know vary in length from 6 hours to 11 hours. Earliest start 05.20, latest finish 20.00. Average shift length is probably about 8 hours. Not sure about other areas, but ours don't currently do nights.

Where are you based?

 

[Atishyou]

Where are you based?

South Yorkshire

 

[TrainBod]

Does anyone know if the JDs do the full rules course or does it depend where you are based?

 

[Tony*1]

Does anyone know if the JDs do the full rules course or does it depend where you are based?

Depends on where you are based

 

[Atishyou]

Does anyone know if the JDs do the full rules course or does it depend where you are based?

I believe most drivers are going to be doing full rules from now.

It all depends on location as if there's a business need to get you in sooner and driving, you might just do a basic course first, then an extension later.