Just to keep Carry up to speed an interview I just did went remarkably well (van driver for organic food shop). They are letting me know by end of week, which actually left me feeling a little deflated, but I have to keep reminding myself being given jobs over the phone as I usually have isn’t exactly normal! That’s probably only the 2nd or 3rd interview of my entire life! Almost everyone else just gave me a job over the phone. Once normal in this daft industry, is it still that way? Was it ever for you? Actually it was 4th interview, previously for Clarke’s of London (coaches), Selwyns (National Express) & HSF.
Never had one for any driving job. That’s not me bragging or anything, just the simple truth, it’s always been a mate or a mate of a mate type thing.
Two of my…
Interviews consisted of ‘can you ship out tonight?’ over the phone.
Good luck Switchy.
Had loads of interviews over the years , Irlams, salvos , treasures , Corby chilled , dhl , brakes , night freight , Tesco , maritime , asforby haulage & storage , B&Q , wincanton etc etc etc
yourhavingalarf:
Two of my…Interviews consisted of ‘can you ship out tonight?’ over the phone.
Good luck Switchy.
Hahaha yes! So many jobs doing international work started out like that when someone has failed them and they desperately need you! Normal people with normal jobs are amazed when I tell them stuff like this. For instance I handed my notice into HSF on a Wednesday, moved out of Truck Friday in UK and was moving into a truck in Ireland next day and shipping out of Dublin that night for Virginia!
Hope you get it and start putting your finances and life back to normal…well what passes for normal among us lot.
Never got a job over the phone, always had an interview of some sort even if the nod was already given via recommendation.
Landed one job out of 65 applicants via newspaper ad back around '81 in the middle of one of the numerous recessions of varying severity, lasted 3 months cos the job was groupage crap, the office there never spoke a word to me after i put my notice in, childish or what.
Thank you all for kind wishes. I’ll keep you posted!
(On my blog and YouTube people often ask if I’ve Licence back which makes me laugh as I point out it’s me, NO ONE will miss that happening being the bigmouth attention seeker I am)
Juddian:
the office there never spoke a word to me after i put my notice in, childish or what.
I’ve had that happen a few times and it’s just so idiotic, you’d think you were going through an acrimonious divorce rather than leaving a job.
To my eternal shame l got my first Euro gig following a newspaper article of a dreadful tragedy many years ago where two Brits (double man op) drove off a Pyrennean cliff top in Spain and duly perished.The firm they pulled for just happened to be local,Bacup/Lancs so,such was my burning wish to break into Euro work l got an interview and the job the next week to be placed on Tesco fridge trunks to Scotch on the most ludicrously tight tacho times.Lasted a week.There never was a Euro job,l had to wait for Dentressangle opening an Aylesbury operation for that opportunity to arise.Turned up for my first day being pulled by a tow-truck when my Citroen conked on the M40 and proceeded to my new depot,under cover of darkness thank frick.
All my jobs have been interview based but with the caveat of it very much being a box ticking exercise as I’ve often had someone on the inside putting me forward.
I guess the most recent “proper” process was with RM where I eventually got offered the job after about two months of process and about five weeks after starting a job elsewhere due to my refusal to be willing to wait idly by while some selection process takes place.
Be prepared to meet the real world that us mere mortals know.
Usually call you back to let you know means more applicants than they know what to do with and it’s then a lottery.
Having said that I did get the general haulage job over the phone from a Jobcentre lead and then I realised why.
Luckily I then got another phone call as promised to go back to Carryfast, after a temporary layoff to save a senior driver’s job after his depot had closed and he wanted to move to Feltham.
…On the same day that I’d just finally walked away after an argument about how many runs he wanted done in a shift between Weybridge and Watford hauling skyscraper loads of new pallets each load obviously taking ages to rope properly.
Then his son, who actually knew more about how to run a truck than his Dad did, called me back apoligising asking me to go back and promising not to take the ■■■■ again.My answer was no chance I’m out.
So not as ‘unemployable’ as some try to suggest.
Yes there are a lot of timewasters out there when all that’s needed for all sides to be happy is a job trial and the non HGV sector really is an over subscribed lottery.
But with the upside of relatively less face fits recruitment policies because too many applicants to pick any particular ones.
Or obviously downside depending.
Give BCA logistics a call.They are always advertising for car trade plate drivers but, as often, it’s actually the role of mobile vehicle condition assessor/valuer for car driver money, which is why.
During an interview for a car transporter driver, an emergency collection came up and they needed someone to take a 4x4 and trailer from Leicester to Carlisle to take a Ferrari off a transporter and deliver it somewhere further south (can’t remember where) as it was urgent and the driver was going to be out of hours before he could get it there.
They didn’t have any drivers available so asked me if I was busy 
That was a bloody long interview. Yes, I got the job…
Carryfast:
Be prepared to meet the real world that us mere mortals know.
Usually call you back to let you know means more applicants than they know what to do with and it’s then a lottery.
Having said that I did get the general haulage job over the phone from a Jobcentre lead and then I realised why.
Luckily I then got another phone call as promised to go back to Carryfast, after a temporary layoff to save a senior driver’s job after his depot had closed and he wanted to move to Feltham.
…On the same day that I’d just finally walked away after an argument about how many runs he wanted done in a shift between Weybridge and Watford hauling skyscraper loads of new pallets each load obviously taking ages to rope properly.
Then his son, who actually knew more about how to run a truck than his Dad did, called me back apoligising asking me to go back and promising not to take the ■■■■ again.My answer was no chance I’m out.
So not as ‘unemployable’ as some try to suggest.
Yes there are a lot of timewasters out there when all that’s needed for all sides to be happy is a job trial and the non HGV sector really is an over subscribed lottery.
But with the upside of relatively less face fits recruitment policies because too many applicants to pick any particular ones.
Or obviously downside depending.
Give BCA logistics a call.They are always advertising for car trade plate drivers but, as often, it’s actually the role of mobile vehicle condition assessor/valuer for car driver money, which is why.
How you getting on with that game cf ? Done any hitchin? 
I managed 7 years of that lark,driving literally anything that moves with copious hitchhikes from Lands end to John o whatnot.Nearly killed me but l thrived on it for years.Kind of interested to know how it still is,morbidly so, as l remember it turning incrementally into an OAP,pensioners driving club towards the early noughties with little scope to make a reasonable income.I’ll hazard a guess that there’s not been much of an improvement? 
Years ago went for interviews. And used get a letter or phone call saying sorry your unsuccessful but we will keep your details on file.
Last time was looking for job had plenty interviews and didn’t even get a no thanks. Just heard nothing.
Carryfast:
Give BCA logistics a call.They are always advertising for car trade plate drivers but, as often, it’s actually the role of mobile vehicle condition assessor/valuer for car driver money, which is why.
That’s a good tip thank you
Oh just remembered another that I might have mentioned before. Murfitts when I was 23 desperately trying to get my first truck driving job. ‘Come in for an interviewz’……AMAZING i thought as they won’t be dragging me the full 5+ hours width of the U.K. (their yard from home in West Wales) if they weren’t serious………I can still picture him and every bit of that office it’s been seared onto my brain. First thing he said? ‘Well, we can’t give you a job as you’ve no experience’……….I nearly exploded with rage, as if my experience of driving people on holiday across Europe wasn’t enough to drive one of their scabby Iveco drawbars, stormed out, got a bit weepy, stormed back in and demanded my CV back………’but we’ll keep it on file in case something comes up’ to which I replied I wouldn’t work for this tin pot company now of it were the last job on earth. Ripped it up, stormed out! Got into my V8 Range Rover (I’ve always been weird) and drove to London to go back to work as I couldn’t afford the petrol to go home then back to London in a few days.
Apart from the last one my first three interviews (in 1966, '74 and '75) were done face to face, my fourth and final one (in 1997) was conducted while on the road via the CB.
Pete.
Always have had interviews of some sort, Mostly for the big companies. Asda was a funny one, as I had done nearly a year of agency there and been tipped the wink it was very much a box ticking exercise.
Lately for the 2 applications I put in, one that I passed on and one I am now working for, it seems to be more of a phone chat followed by “do you want to come down the yard for a coffee and have a look at the truck you will be driving” both for small family type hauliers and both with the feel of the job is yours for the taking. Maybe the driver shortage kicking in?
Whatever it is, I’m glad to be out of the big company bureaucracy and back to the leave me to it small firm. Started last Monday, had exactly 2 messages from the gaffer so far, 1 to see how the first day went and 1 to give me the pins for the fuel cards 
Never had a phone interview or a CV,always gone round to the company,shown my face,laid a few passports down,maybe some photos of trucks I had driven,explained what I had[and had not]done and let them decide on that basis
Just a wee heads up for the youngsters. Firms arent allowed to keep your details any more. Some data protection nonsense.