I know theres been discussions on this before but yesterday was my first experience of this.
Backed on bay walked in warehouse to be greated with others drivers zooming around with their electric pallet trucks and thought this is going to be great fun.
Lady asked if I’d used one before and as its been many years asked for a quick refresher course. Two minutes later I was ready to go.
I must say its the best delivery i’ve ever done and even commented to the goods in that all companies should do this and why not have some manual pallet trucks in case anyone wants a good workout.
Beats vegitating in a waiting room anyday. Kudos to Aldi & also Lidl if they do this as well.
I think the problem for most people, certainly for me, was that you whizz the pallets off into the allocated space with the labels facing the correct way as instructed, only to have to wait for around an hour for someone to scan them and sign your paperwork.
I’d rather sit in the canteen / my truck for that hour than be a warehouse person for another firm.
The wait is probably the same as if we didn’t touch the load, so I don’t agree mate. You are the reason crap like this exists.
waynedl:
I think the problem for most people, certainly for me, was that you whizz the pallets off into the allocated space with the labels facing the correct way as instructed, only to have to wait for around an hour for someone to scan them and sign your paperwork.
True that was one downside, I mean why do all the work just to hang around, be better if we could check our own stuff in then get out the place quicker, someone could alwasy cross check later.
I’d rather sit in the canteen / my truck for that hour than be a warehouse person for another firm.
Not me I’m on it like a car bonnet, I’d rather have my breaks away from RDC’s.
The wait is probably the same as if we didn’t touch the load, so I don’t agree mate. You are the reason crap like this exists.
I can’t take all the credit surely but if I had my way all RDC deliveries would be done like this, the old ‘I’m only the driver’ mantra doesn’t fit with my ‘can do’ attitude.
It would be better if there was an option though, those that want to sit in their cabs can, those that want to get stuck in a bit receive some form of payment i.e discount coupon or something.
I should probably mention - the wife shops at Aldi and if they choose this method to keep shopping costs down I’m all for it.
Although I shop at Waitrose myself.
Dipper_Dave:
the old ‘I’m only the driver’ mantra doesn’t fit with my ‘can do’ attitude.
Glad I’m not the only one. It always makes me laugh when you get the ‘only the driver’ brigade moan about working for minimum wage and they can’t fathom out why that is.
Phew glad I’m not the only one also, I was a bit worried this thread might turn in to some virtual online pick on the bloke who wants to do stuff thread.
Come to think of it while waiting for my paper work approx 30 minutes I spent 15 of those in the cab having a cuppa planning my next delivery, which was Asda so I did have to at least open the curtains a bit, think the forkie at Asda may have hit me if I had asked for a go on his truck though.
I always find it funny that some get all upset when they are told “you’re only the driver” but are happy to say “I’m only the driver” when it suits.
As for self tipping I do it when it’s expected, we some times deliver into aldi at faverdale, Darlington. First time I went I didn’t know we had to tip so I got on a bay, handed in the paperwork & went to walk out, when the lass in the office told me about tipping myself I though she was kidding.
Personally I’ve always hated doing RDC work. I’ve hated that hanging about not being told anything and having no idea when you are going to get out of there. It was bad enough when you could wait in your cab, but these days you now have to sit in a waiting room.
I’ve done one load out of Lidl’s it was a Friday afternoon I didn’t want to be hanging about. from backing onto a bay to leaving was an hour. Personally like somebody else said I’d rather work at the delivery or collection get the job done and stop for my break where I want to stop.
I never said I’m against self tipping, I’m against THAT self tip, ie use my effort to tip then still wait around, whereas I could’ve just waited around.
Dipper_Dave:
I know theres been discussions on this before but yesterday was my first experience of this.
Backed on bay walked in warehouse to be greated with others drivers zooming around with their electric pallet trucks and thought this is going to be great fun.
Lady asked if I’d used one before and as its been many years asked for a quick refresher course. Two minutes later I was ready to go.
I must say its the best delivery i’ve ever done and even commented to the goods in that all companies should do this and why not have some manual pallet trucks in case anyone wants a good workout.
Beats vegitating in a waiting room anyday. Kudos to Aldi & also Lidl if they do this as well.
Aldi is a good tip, try going to Lidl, you que for hours for a bay, you then get a bay and wait for them to make some room, then you tip the goods, pull off the bay and go to the holding area, wait for at least an hour, go in to see if paperwork is done, surprise, surprise it isn’t, stand and wait upto 6 hours for them to check paperwork and finally escape. These are not exaggerated claims, I’ve done a 13 hour day to Enfield, 2 1/4 hours there, 2 1/4 back leaving 10 1/2 hours at Enfield. Had to bring Tesco Dagenham back as it was my last card.
My post on similar subject last Monday probably had folk thinking I’m one of the “Only a driver” brigade. I don’t mind tipping myself at the likes of Aldi, Netto and Lidil.
What I object to is being asked to strip down and restack pallets no matter how many when I’ve done nothing wrong to the pallet or loaded or just because they’re on the wrong pallets.
I don’t get paid any extra for it, the RDC don’t pay my wages, it could open up a huge can of worms later on if the RDC claim to be short of some stock or damaged and they say, " We’ll it was your driver who had stripped down and restocked them pallets" and more than likely watch the warehouse staff drink tea and eat sarnies while I struggle is not exactly my cup of tea.
I didn’t think that Steve. There’s a difference between removing 24 pallets with an electric pump truck and hand stacking 24 pallets because of somebody else’s ■■■■ up / a companies policy that seems designed to make things unnecessarily difficult.
I like self tip, bit of exercise, but then I also like the multidrop round London doing butchers shop handballing it off the back. Dare say I’m destroying the job for everyone, sorry all.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
My post on similar subject last Monday probably had folk thinking I’m one of the “Only a driver” brigade. I don’t mind tipping myself at the likes of Aldi, Netto and Lidil.
What I object to is being asked to strip down and restack pallets no matter how many when I’ve done nothing wrong to the pallet or loaded or just because they’re on the wrong pallets.
I don’t get paid any extra for it, the RDC don’t pay my wages, it could open up a huge can of worms later on if the RDC claim to be short of some stock or damaged and they say, " We’ll it was your driver who had stripped down and restocked them pallets" and more than likely watch the warehouse staff drink tea and eat sarnies while I struggle is not exactly my cup of tea.
Nope I didn’t think that either, theres self-tipping then theres M & S self-tipping (or taking the ■■■■ as I like to call it).
Nothing worse IMO than being told ‘your only the driver’… like a red rag to a bull for me and is usually followed by an expletive, informing the other person they are just a glorified tea boy on work experience, chopping their head off if I’m off me meds, or imagining them in all sorts of painful scenarios later on when I’m having a good chunter to myself about what i should have said at the time.
It comes off the back directly into A (that’s 1 or 2 lines) row in line with the bay your backed on to not spread around the warehouse floor because you have 12 different products. and if their doing self tip they might as well self scan where you get a printed receipt at the end of it so your not hanging around…
Just remember you’ll be splitting down and loading it onto cages next ready for dispatch
I can’t understand why Aldi, Lidl etc don’t get the supplying drivers to take a load out with them & drop it off at one or two of their stores on their way home, they could even get them to put the Bloody Stuff on the shelves as well !
That’ll show some good old German Efficiency in the supply Chain.
I had a tip at Aldi Swindon once & I got there 10 minutes after my booking time (got held up on the Poxy A34 near Oxford) & they refused it, even though it was a self tip !
So I hav’nt got a lot of time for these so called Super Efficient Cheap Supermarket Chains, don’t even like most of their products. !
I don’t mind self tip now & again, as long as it’s not uphill with a manual pump truck & 26 pallets of Coke or Heinz Beans.
Dont you feel like they are taking the ■■■■ a bit ,you are unloading the lorry and they are stood with clipboards chatting to each other while you are lifting the electric barrow up and breaking the euro pallets
