I’ve been asked in by Wren for a driving assessment next week, As a newly qualified driver what should I expect on it?
I’ve also scouted a bit on here as to working for them, heavy graft, driver camera’s etc but starting pay is £14 an hour for 45-48hrs per week. Anyone on here work for them? It’s Lanark depot Scotland
On the assessment dont forget to check for knobheads dancing on the roof 
Flip flops paradise. A company that thought in the past it was a good marketing ploy to have a picture on the driver’s door of a toilet making it look like the driver was sat on it taking a dump imo has got to be questionable.
I worked at Wren in barton for a short while, it was a nightmare from start to finish. Now I was doing runs in an artic where some others were using draw bar units and boxes. I think the trunking runs were ok on the road trains but I would not touch an artic job with them as the HSE bs is really bad as well as cameras dotted all over the place including driver facing cameras. All cameras are live viewing and each driver is monitored on them. The money was good but the hoops to jump through makes it a bad job. It might suit some but it wasnt for me along with umpteen others who came and left in my short spell there. Always advertising is never a good sign.
Hey jimmea
Don’t know if you’ve seen this thread? Pages 4&5 there is some chat about the cameras and from what it sounds like, one or two (in addition to Yorkshire Tramper) who work for them have commented:
What is the advertisement for? Class 1 or class 2 Home Delivery?
Assesment is OK when I did mine in Manchester for class 2 Home Delivery.
Just a general chit chat when I did mine and then a drive around the area lasting no more that say 30mins. My total time was about 3 hours but that was due to having a good chat about the job.
Job will be paid 48hrs garenteed however overtime is none existent as they pull your hours back the next week if you gave gained any. Overtime is placed In to a banked hours pot, then if you fall below the 48hrs total work time they will use the ot to pull it back up.
Don’t get me wrong it is very manual handling, however you will have a porter that will do most of the work while your in the box scanning off items with the flexipod.
You will 9 time out of 10 work more towards WTD as apposed to Drivers hours, so remeber to take 15 min breaks for every 3/4 hours is what I was told on my induction unless driving time hits 1st.
It is a bit of a graft with it being built kitchen units or flat pack.
Cameras are on the outside, front, rear, in cab and in the DEMOUNT box. All apart from the front and interior cameras record sound.
Some roads will be tight due to cars depending on what time it is. You can start from 4am till 6am depending on distance to 1st drop.
If your offered the job I would take it and get the experience of driving doing home delivery on tight roads. And it’s not everyones Cup of tea but you never know unless you give it a try.
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Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the job 
drover:
Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the job
I fully support this. The more of you that don’t the more well paying jobs there are for those who aren’t bothered by them.
Thanks for all the input.
Regarding the camera’s in the cab, almost every company I’ve applied for has them, Bidfood, Brakes, Co op plus lots of other local companies, I think it’s their way of reducing insurance costs. Yes, I’m not happy about them but as I’ve said most of the guys who deliver to me in my current job have them in their trucks.
I’ve not decided if I’ll take the job anyway as it’s a bit of a commute and coupled with the early start time it would mean getting up at silly o’clock for it. I’m going to give the assessment a go anyway just to see what’s involved as since i passed my test I’ve not sat in another truck!
drover:
Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the job
We’ll said Drover
A friend of my wife worked for Kingstown Furniture in Hull, when the company went into liquidation, Wren offered to take some senior staff on for their knowledge of the industry, he started work and didn’t last the week with all the bull shine and regulation.
Wheel Nut:
A friend of my wife worked for Kingstown Furniture in Hull, when the company went into liquidation, Wren offered to take some senior staff on for their knowledge of the industry, he started work and didn’t last the week with all the bull shine and regulation.
There’s a reason Kingstown Furniture went pop just like Hygena did and both Howdens and Wren continue to grow…all that stuff your mate called BS which was put in place as a direct result of damage and loss of stock, customer claims and employee accidents over the years. Quite why people are against stuff that keeps them in a job and means they go home safe every day I do not know. Actually I do know, they’re lazy, bone idle and often not the brightest bulbs in the pack and in fact are often themselves the reason some of the stuff gets brought in but they’re too thick to realise.
The main problem is that companies don’t do what Siniat at Ferrybridge do and show you why they brought stuff in. Do an induction at Siniat and they show you the reason why they have drivers who are loading do what they do, it’s quite a shocking video and about as near to being killed/seriously injured at work as you want to be and the driver wasn’t doing anything you’d normally think would be doing anything wrong.
If you need a job then go for it,drive as you did to pass your test. Ask questions and if you don`t like the answers then turn it down. If your successful try it out and if its not working out to what you thought, leave its that simple.
Conor:
There’s a reason Kingstown Furniture went pop just like Hygena did and both Howdens and Wren continue to grow…
The reason Wren continue to grow has nothing to do with all of their BS mate. They have huge contracts and an American contract much bigger than the
UK market. Their over the top H&S bs is to prevent them from being sued for any damage or injuries like most H&S. It is an insurance saving excercise and makes your work hell working for them. They prosper by employing eastern Europeans and their wages are fantastic to them. The wages are ok and on the decent side, I worked for them as a driver and I can assure you that the bs is not designed to keep you any safer than anywhere else. They use the H&S bs to take away any bonus that you are trying to earn and hold it against you in case of any disputes you may have with the management. Nothing to do with being lazy or otherwise. Working for WREN is not a great experience and the driver facing cameras in the trucks are to catch you out at any slightest thing that they care to use against you. Not a safety thing at all. I lasted a month and got bogged down with their policies and spying tactics.
It really is no fun at all. The management run the company like a victorian work house.
drover:
Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the job
While I, and many others agree with this, unfortunately it won’t make a difference. Those cameras are here to stay, and will likely become more common. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if regulations make them mandatory within the next 10 years
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By driver-facing…is it literally looking back at your face, or just in-cab looking at the driver?
TruckerGuy:
By driver-facing…is it literally looking back at your face, or just in-cab looking at the driver?
mine was central on the windscreen, one lens forward facing the other lens facing straight at you but wide angle lens which covers your face and majority of the cab.
I would suggest a £1.2 million pound fine shows that Howdens Joinery are not squeaky clean either when they overload fork lift trucks, they were prosecuted when Rich Brown was killed in Workington.
Terry Cooksey:
drover:
Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the jobWhile I, and many others agree with this, unfortunately it won’t make a difference. Those cameras are here to stay, and will likely become more common. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if regulations make them mandatory within the next 10 years
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Sadly i guess you’re correct, but what if we all stupid together and refused to drive! Oh yeah this is drivers we’re talking about here
Conor:
drover:
Driver facing cameras? Do us all a favour don’t take the jobI fully support this. The more of you that don’t the more well paying jobs there are for those who aren’t bothered by them.
Some of us place self-respect above money.