Anybody worked or work for JM? Bagged myself a job with them - looks like a decent outfit, good tackle and nice enough transport staff. Wouldn’t mind getting onto their tankers eventually.
Anybody got any useful/interesting/uninteresting story’s?
I have worked for millers. Good firm, quite old school in there ways. I only left due to a leg injury. Motors have fridges and only do 52mph but you are paid by the hour for all hours(paid breaks). If you like driving you can certainly put some miles in. Closest you get to London is Walthamstow. Only timed bookings I ever did were with a tautliner.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Phil
They said a lot of driving is involved, which suits me down to the ground. HATE jobs that involve spending most of your day parked up waiting to load/unload. Aye, 52mph mercs, but alas, I couldn’t care less about going faster. Seemed like a chilled place - start on Monday. The further north they send me, the better.
Cheers Phil.
Well done. Not a bad outfit. I worked there years ago but on the timber side. I believe they are a bit more laid back than some of the other places you looked at [WINKING FACE]
happysack:
Well done. Not a bad outfit. I worked there years ago but on the timber side. I believe they are a bit more laid back than some of the other places you looked at [WINKING FACE]
I’d have preferred 4 on 4 off or even 5 on 3 off, which they don’t seem to offer, but it’s a small gripe given the other options that were available. Got messed around something chronic by a different company in Dalbeattie that does milk tanks
(Not TP Niven) so I jumped at this chance.
Hi Endgame,
When do you start on Millers?
Sparkyphil:
Hi Endgame,
When do you start on Millers?
Already seen my arse with them.
Yesterday, turned up at 8 (as advised) then witnessed a argument between the transport planners because I should have been in at 6 (not my fault) then I was meant to be trained for 3 days, but that went to pot because the trainer was training the new night man. Got shown my truck - no fuel. Off I went to fill it up, then get told “hurry up pal, this needed to be in Falkirk for 9” so, filled up, went to Falkirk, I rings in to tell them that’s finished, then they say go to the sawmill in Dalbeattie, swap trailer and take it to South Wales. The trailer was ■■■■■■. Internal straps were knackered and the guy in Falkirk, who told me I couldn’t climb the flatbed had kept the ratchet straps. I went into the miller shed, spoke to Derek, told him I had no straps and I was told to “improvise” by this time my patience was wearing thin. By this time I’d clocked up just shy of 9 hours driving and was on 13 hours, so went to park up on the 75 to discover the cab had no curtains and the heater didn’t work. Rang the office and was told “it is what it is”
So I drive it back to Lockerbie, got my stuff out and went home. Got a call from them this morning telling me it was a misunderstanding, they were short staffed and they appreciated me been thrown in the deep end - like that would pacify me. Tossers.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated the opportunity and the work itself didn’t seem too bad, but I don’t like being treat like a mug and whoever it was I spoke to at that traffic office is a grade A ■■■.
Just to add, that job came in at the same time as another job more local and I chose JM because a fair few people had said they’re alright. I rang the Scottish Fuels back this morning and they were still happy to let me work for them. I get that a job is what you make of it and I’m quite a chilled person, I speak to people with respect and expect the same back. I got the name wrong in the last comment, it wasn’t Derek in Dalbeattie, it was Kenny. Derek was actually a nice Bloke. Whoever it is that I spoke to about the heater and curtains seemed like he’d taken a instant disliking to me for whatever reason.
At about half 8, they were squabbling amongst themselves and I heard one of them say “how much ■■■■■■■ training does somebody need to use a flatbed”
A little bit of tact and respect goes along way.
Sorry for the rant, but you did ask!
Sounds like you had a bad day. They gave my mate a really filthy motor, I didn’t see it but he said it was filthy inside and stunk really bad.
He went mad about it and told them it needed valeting, anyhow after a bit of negotiation he took it back to there yard and was given another motor. They did agree it was in a shocking state.
But like I said I had no trouble off them.
Good luck on the next venture.
All the best
Phil
Sparkyphil:
Sounds like you had a bad day. They gave my mate a really filthy motor, I didn’t see it but he said it was filthy inside and stunk really bad.
He went mad about it and told them it needed valeting, anyhow after a bit of negotiation he took it back to there yard and was given another motor. They did agree it was in a shocking state.
But like I said I had no trouble off them.
Good luck on the next venture.
All the best
Phil
The motor was pretty clean, it was just electrically faulty on multiple things. They seem to be desperate for drivers, and that’s how they treat new ones. Blew my mind when I was told “it is what it is” in regards to no curtains or heater. I’d have still probably stuck out the 1 cold/privacy less night if I’d been spoken to with a bit of respect.
Not to worry, hopefully somebody got a bollocking and they’ll avoid that attitude in the future with new drivers.
I understand where you’re coming from. It’s a pity because it is one of the better general haulage jobs I have done.
Phil
If they had expected me to night out in a truck with no curtains or heater, and had given me all the attitude and answer of “It is what it”, my response would have been “It is on ■■■ road, and I isn’t, Bye bye!”
No wonder they are struggling for drivers! 
I don’t get why traffic planners act like their jobs are so difficult and stressful. They’re sat in offices, reflecting their bad attitude/temper onto drivers, who are essentially risking life and limb out on busy roads, and they get paid more money than we do. Perhaps people skills and a crash course in good manners should be part of their training.
Saying that, some planners are sound as a pound, but recently, with a few companies, all I’ve dealt with is bad tempered toss heads with attitude problems.
It’s a good job I enjoy driving!
Endgame:
I don’t get why traffic planners act like their jobs are so difficult and stressful. They’re sat in offices, reflecting their bad attitude/temper onto drivers, who are essentially risking life and limb out on busy roads, and they get paid more money than we do. Perhaps people skills and a crash course in good manners should be part of their training.Saying that, some planners are sound as a pound, but recently, with a few companies, all I’ve dealt with is bad tempered toss heads with attitude problems.
It’s a good job I enjoy driving!
In my limited experience it seems a lot of these planners have never even driven a transit on the road and have never done deliveries. Their knowledge of the roads is limited to their route home from work.
I often wonder how they get the job.
‘So Mr Smith have you ever done delivery driving before’ “Nope!”
‘Have you ever driven before?’ “Does a Bicycle count?”
‘Do you have any understanding of driving hours’ “Nope!”
‘Can you use complicated software that requires years of training such as Microsoft Word and Excel and do you know how to use a phone!’ “YES AND YES!!!”
!!!HIRED!!!
Edit:
Just found a job description for a traffic planner. Lol.
Requirements:
Experience of Transport Planning or a Logistics environment would be advantageous.
Ability to work with others in an office environment.
Excellent Microsoft Office and general computer skills.
Attention to detail and organisational skills.
Quick learner who is receptive to feedback and development.
This role is Monday to Friday during office hours working for a vibrant company with a great culture!
So if you have excellent Microsoft Office skills this may be for you.
Are so many people in the UK computer illiterate that this is the only requirement lol?
Don’t get me wrong, some TM’s are sound. I worked at ISO tanks when I passed my test, and I spent half hour in their office and some of them planners are constantly drumming up work and juggling phone calls whilst conveying messages to customers and drivers and it does seem hectic, but it’s not as stressful as being a driver.
On reflection, I feel bad for walking. I should have probably just wrote it off as a bad day, but the curtains and heater issue meant I’d have had a bad night, which in turn would have meant another bad day! I value my sleep - especially when tramping.
Not to worry, I walked into another job the same day - the same hour infact! Which is lucky because before the JM job, I’d been juggling agency jobs.
I would never want to work as a tm or planner etc. I don’t really like people and really really can’t do with whine arse drivers. It would burst my head in hours. I don’t find driving stressful. Tbh driving is the easiest thing I do.
The actual driving part is the only reason I do it. Loading/unloading, the hanging about waiting on flt drivers and getting spoken to like a inconvenience is stressful sometimes.
I think given the circumstances, I stuck it out longer than most would. Overhearing conversations criticising you for something beyond your control before you’ve even started the job should have been the first and final straw. Given battered trailers with no ratchets, a cab with no heater or curtains and attitude from jumped up whopper planners was just too much. Especially for £8.26 p/h flat rate.
That wasn’t aimed at you by the way. Just a general comment.
I actually felt bad for sacking it off. I felt like I should have stuck it out and questioned my own conscience thinking I might have acted a bit rash.
I know what you mean about whining drivers. I’ve not been driving trucks long, but I have met proper moaning ■■■■■■■■■ Complain about their hours, places they’re being sent, living conditions, etc. I wouldn’t do the job if it all did was make me miserable.
I just genuinely didn’t expect that kind of attitude towards a new driver.
£8.26 an hour as a an artic driver is reason enough to jog it on.
Might be a ‘fair’ rate for a van driver but I wouldn’t get in any vehicle bigger then a van for that rate.
Does the CPC not make this a skilled job now? Is so why do we often get paid peanuts.