Prospective Trainee Driver

[Albert]

Hello Everyone

This is my first post. I have been thinking about a career as a train driver for some time now, but was never sure how to get into the industry. I have been doing a lot of research lately on the web, so have found quite a bit of information. I am 42 next month and am worried that might be an issue, also I have no experience in the rail industry unless riding on trains counts! I do have a lot of experience in dealing with customers during the 10yr I ran my own business. I have worked for long periods on my own and worked funny shifts during the 20yrs I have held my HGV licence. I do have a bit of knowledge of how to fix things when they go wrong and don't ring the depot every 5 minutes. I am educated to degree level.

I have looked into sitting the assessment at Doncaster with DB Schenker, but would there be an advantage to doing this?

How many trainee driver jobs are advertised externally each year on average?

How do other staff take to the 'newbie' drivers from outside the industry? Personally I have always got on with most people (apart from the ones nobody gets on with).

Is there scope for doing overtime after the 35hr week?

 

[navydavy1968]

Sounds like you're just the man for the job!!!


Behind me in the queue of course!!!

 

[Fig]

I concur with Ravey Davy from The Navy.
You seem to be ticking a lot of the boxes that recruiters look for.
If you haven't already, check out http://www.railwayregister.care4free.net/
Don't worry about your age. I'm 40 and it hasn't been an issue so far.
Vacancies appear to be on the rise at the moment. Check out each TOC's website weekly, at least.
See other threads for info on assessments at DB Schenker.

Good luck, and welcome.

 

[trainspotter375]

Hi, Dont let the age thing bother you, i didnt get into the rail industry till 40 & made the driving grade at 46 so you got plenty of time..Apply for everything, definately easier getting an assessment when your foots in the door. I never see the point in the private assessment thing anyway, why spend £200 when a lot of tocs dont recognise it & make you take it again...

 

[E&W Lucas]

Hi, Dont let the age thing bother you, i didnt get into the rail industry till 40 & made the driving grade at 46 so you got plenty of time..Apply for everything, definately easier getting an assessment when your foots in the door. I never see the point in the private assessment thing anyway, why spend £200 when a lot of tocs dont recognise it & make you take it again...

Age definitely not an issue. In fact, you'd be pretty typical.

I've never heard of a TOC not recognising the assessment, and I know people that doing it privately has worked for. I'd suggest a CV to every suitable TOC first, and then if that doesn't get a result, try doing the tests privately. Suitable candidates from outside still seem to have just as much chance of being accepted.

I wouldn't wait for companies to advertise vac's. Many either aren't advertised, or it's done in such a way that they don't get inundated with applications. Get your CV on file with everyone, and re - submit it every 6 months.

Best of luck!

 

[Albert]

Thank you all so much for the feedback. I shall spend some of the £225 I will save by getting a cv professionally done and send one to all companies before I consider the DB private assessment. I have found the website you suggest and have read the trainee driver's blog, as well as traineetraindriver.com. I am practising the GBT and SCAAT test daily and will be buying a bop-it as suggested somewhere to help with the reaction test, as you can't start practising soon enough. Once again thanks!

 

[Flyboy]

I don't know how the rail industry works in regard to CVs but in aviation your CV MUST NOT be more than a single page, more than that and it goes straight in the bin. It's an extremely good way of cutting out the waffle.

Albert - sorry to be picky, but so as not to confuse anybody else reading the topic I think you mean "traindrivertrainee.com".

 

[Albert]

Thank You Flyboy. You are correct about the website, I always get it the wrong way around. If anyone has information regarding the CV situation I would be grateful for it, as the companies that do the professional CVs are talking about 3 pages when you get to my age with a lot of work history!

 

[Flyboy]

I'm actually a couple of years older than you Albert and can still fit everything on a single page, 3 sounds a little OTT and I suspect would not sustain the interest of the HR staff for more than half of it, especially if there's a lot of them to sift through. That's probably why most Companies now only deal with more standardised application forms.

 

[navydavy1968]

I've always been told no more than 2 pages. I've got lots of work experience and a number of different jobs but I crammed it into 2 pages and it looks ok.

 

[Greenback]

We are facing redundancies in work now, and the external assistance for those opting to go states that 1 page on a CV is excellent, 2 OK, any more than that will not be read!

 

[TDK]

Hello Everyone

This is my first post. I have been thinking about a career as a train driver for some time now, but was never sure how to get into the industry. I have been doing a lot of research lately on the web, so have found quite a bit of information. I am 42 next month and am worried that might be an issue, also I have no experience in the rail industry unless riding on trains counts! I do have a lot of experience in dealing with customers during the 10yr I ran my own business. I have worked for long periods on my own and worked funny shifts during the 20yrs I have held my HGV licence. I do have a bit of knowledge of how to fix things when they go wrong and don't ring the depot every 5 minutes. I am educated to degree level.

I have looked into sitting the assessment at Doncaster with DB Schenker, but would there be an advantage to doing this?

How many trainee driver jobs are advertised externally each year on average?

How do other staff take to the 'newbie' drivers from outside the industry? Personally I have always got on with most people (apart from the ones nobody gets on with).

Is there scope for doing overtime after the 35hr week?

From the above as I have done train driver recruitment if I received this I would refer as a guard/train manager to start out. This sin't an insult or anything but your description of your history screams guard/train manager to me. Maybe you should try this first and get some experience under your belt, I recruited drivers up to the age of 55 so the age isn't an issue.

 

[herdster]

That's interesting TDK as I am in a similar position to Albert .
If that's what they are looking for to be a guard perhaps you could enlighten us as to what experience you would be looking for to become a train driver off the street.
I had the same instinct as the other posters on this thread that Albert was just the guy they would be looking for but obviously i'm missing something and as you've been at the sharp end any advice would be appreciated .

Herdster

 

[culvers]

Got to agree about the advice given with regards to CV's... would aim for 1 to 2 pages maximum. I cant see a railway HR person reading through more than that, they have important stuff to do like drinking coffee and playing solitare!!

 

[markfraser]

From the above as I have done train driver recruitment. I recruited drivers up to the age of 55 so the age isn't an issue.

Please recruit me then TDK lol.

 

[lauraGeeGee]

Hi there.
My first post on this forum!
I passed out as a mainline driver July 09, after spending 10 months as a Depot Driver. That's how my company works, depot first then mainline.
In my training group there were mixed ages. I was actually the youngest at 34 when I joined. One of my fellow trainees was 52. Don't let your age worry you!

It certainly sounds like you'd be ideal based on your previous experiences. My colleagues come from all walks of life: bank managers, army, police, bricklayers, one ran an off licence, the list goes on. We were all from the street or "boil in the bag drivers" as my instructor called us!

Good luck!

 

[Flyboy]

Firstly congratulations on your achievement Laura; secondly which Company are you with?

 

[lauraGeeGee]

Thank you. . It was such hard work to get there but I love it!!

Not sure I should say really but I'm with NXEA.

 

[Flyboy]

I doubt that mentioning which Company you're with will get you into any trouble, but obviously what you say about them is another matter. However, given your initial comment I think we can safely say that you probably don't have a bad word to say about them at this moment in time.

Anyway, well done again and welcome to the forum.

By the way, I was going to send you a short PM but this facility isn't available until you posted 5 times.

 

[lauraGeeGee]

True. I've nothing negative to say. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best job I've had. I've worked for some companies, I can tell you!

I'll work on making more posts!!!

 

[E&W Lucas]

My colleagues come from all walks of life: bank managers, army, police, bricklayers, one ran an off licence, the list goes on. We were all from the street or "boil in the bag drivers" as my instructor called us!

Firstly congratulations!

The best route into train driving occupies an awful lot of bandwidth on this site. What you have written echoes my own experience, ie your work experience certainly does not have to be on the railway.

I can see some things in common to all the jobs that you have listed above - you have to be self - motivated, able to self - manage, probably take decisions and be responsible for them.