Hello everyone so I’ve just landed my first class 2 job through an agency to get experience. I will be delivering milk on NIGHT SHIFT.
So I was just wondering If any of you guys can give me any tips or advice, anything would be much appreciated.
I.e advice on drivers hours to regards night shift and weather I need to make a manual entry on Tachograph ect. I do know that night shift drivers can only work 10hours in a 24hr period if starting between the hours of 12am and 4am.
Like I say any advice no matter how small would be very grateful. Thanks
Something else I’m not sure of as regards with agency Is do agencys try to not pay you for any POA within a shift. 1 more thing with regards to working time directive If I need a working time break would I just take a 15min recorded on my Tachograph?
With Manual entry something I want to get my head around Is say If I start work at the company I’m sent to from agency at 8am for example but I have a little induction and a run though health and safety ect when I eventually get to truck to do a walk around and vehicle checks say by this time Its 9am, would I then need to make a manual entry to tell the Tachograph that I started work at 8am ■■? Hope this makes sense people.
Thanks again people look foward to reading your replys
Never had an agency not pay for poa. But you are unlikely to want or need to use it. So dont. I used it today whilst waiting for 4 hours to be loaded and lying in the bed. But you are unlikely to get that.
Best advice I can give is take it nice and slow. If in doubt get out and check. Dont rush at all. Use google maps on your phone to look at where you are going before you head off (satellite view is ace).
Personally unless it’s for a massive company I’d ignore wtd. But even then it’s not that hard. Before 6 hours after your shift starts take a 15 min break. Before 4.5 hours driving take a 45 etc.
Another tip is to lock the cap when you leave it. As you will be leaving it a lot. Oh and dont rush - seriously dont rush.
Manual w tries… I’d not bother unleas for a big firm. My first shift I forgot to put my card in, or close the doors! So make it simple for yourself.
Ahhhhh Sammym that’s great thanks so much for that, that instantly put my mind at ease I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to answer them few questions for me, that’s a good bit of advice. Thanks buddy
LeeMc:
I do know that night shift drivers can only work 10hours in a 24hr period if starting between the hours of 12am and 4am.
I’m surprised the agency didn’t give you a waiver to opt out of the 10 hour rule for WTD. If you opt out, you can ignore that rule.
Take it easy, ask questions if you aren’t sure and take it easy if you’re delivering milk cages with those tiny wheels - they go over very easily.
Make sure someone shows you how to set the chiller correctly and how to do temperature printouts, should the customer ask for one (Never had a customer ask for one but have had customer come and check the temps of chilled sandwiches with a temp probe before)
Good Luck and if in doubt, get out and look
Edit: Take some gloves with you for the cold cages.
LeeMc:
I do know that night shift drivers can only work 10hours in a 24hr period if starting between the hours of 12am and 4am.
I’m surprised the agency didn’t give you a waiver to opt out of the 10 hour rule for WTD. If you opt out, you can ignore that rule.
Take it easy, ask questions if you aren’t sure and take it easy if you’re delivering milk cages with those tiny wheels - they go over very easily.
Make sure someone shows you how to set the chiller correctly and how to do temperature printouts, should the customer ask for one (Never had a customer ask for one but have had customer come and check the temps of chilled sandwiches with a temp probe before)
Good Luck and if in doubt, get out and look
Edit: Take some gloves with you for the cold cages.
Thanks for that Hyh another great bit of advice there, temperature printout NOTED ! and thanks about them little wheels on the milk cages good advice.
You know what thinking about It I did sign a waiver to opt out of the 10hour rule… So what does that mean ■■ I can treat It like normal day time hours where I can have 11 hours daily rest or can reduce that to 9 hours daily rest for 3 days of week ■■?
I appriciate that Hyh oh and I certainly will be taking gloves lol thanks again
Lee one last thing… And something that is really important.
If you are delivering milk you say nights - but I assume most of your deliveries will be early morning. As I used to do a lot of supermarket driver and saw the milk drivers all the time.
If you are unsure of anything ask any other driver who is around. Nearly all will help you. And the foreign blokes who’s English isn’t as good as ours will be the most helpful people you can ever meet. I go a lot to a place which is a UK depot of a Euro operation - so many of the bays are designed for LHD trucks… And it’s always the Polish/Bulgarian etc lads who jump out of the cabs to help with a nasty blindside. So ask for help from whoever.
And backdoor staff are your best friends to begin with. They will help usually if asked. If you want them to watch you back when reversing then ask. They will nearly always help. If you are not sure the best way around the yard again ask them. (I have done this when driving for supermarkets!) they will have seen the delivery done a huge number of times.
Remember my first post - don’t rush. And don’t worry. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed (and we have all been there) then take 5 mins and chill. It’s not a race - you are being paid by the hour. Try and enjoy it, and come back on here and tell us how you got on.
No matter what… you won’t be worst than me. I forgot to put my tacho card in, drove around the yard with the doors open and flapping - and even ended up crashing the truck! That was my first shift, and somehow I’m now considered an okay driver. So you will be spot on mate.
LeeMc:
Thanks for that Hyh another great bit of advice there, temperature printout NOTED ! and thanks about them little wheels on the milk cages good advice.
You know what thinking about It I did sign a waiver to opt out of the 10hour rule… So what does that mean ■■ I can treat It like normal day time hours where I can have 11 hours daily rest or can reduce that to 9 hours daily rest for 3 days of week ■■?
I appriciate that Hyh oh and I certainly will be taking gloves lol thanks again
If you opted out, you can treat it like a normal day with normal breaks and rest etc
As you’re new, I wouldn’t be looking to do reduced daily rests at the beginning or the company might come to expect it.
The only milk delivery guys I know of that start in the evenings were the ones delivering to airports over night - The rest usually start early in the mornings from my understanding.
There was one guy who did a Heathrow and Gatwick run, he would mix up which he would do first, which generally worked when traffic flowed, or he’d get to Gatwick a tad late - Not that it mattered as Goods In at DHL Gatwick almost always had long delays before unloading - 1 poor Artic was parked up for 6+ hours waiting to be unloaded once.
Well what can I say sammym and Hyh I cannot thank you’s both enough for taking time out of your busy lives to help answer my questions, giving me some great advice and just generally putting my nerves at rest.
I will be sure to update you’s and let you’s know how It goes I start at 12am tomorrow night.
I will remember to insert my tacho card lol, check doors are locked and secure, won’t do reduced daily rests any time soon, ask If not sure or ask for help when reversing, take my time, get out and check If not sure, get someone to show me how to set the fridge or get a temperature print out, don’t use my POA oh and remember my gloves lol.
I will be sure to update you’s with all the details after tomorrow as I’m unsure myself at the moment. I find with agency staff they tend not to disclose every detail to you they seem to like to leave a bit out, Its almost as If they like you to turn up to a company not knowing the full Ins and outs lol.
All I know at the min Is that Its delivering milk for a dairy company and they want me there at 12am tomorrow night then maybe a 4am start on Monday onwards.
I asked the agency where does this dairy company deliver to and they responded “All sorts of places, I know they deliver to Bookers the wholesalers”
In the ad for job that I applied to It said delivering locally In the North East.
So yeah that’s that.
But we’ve all got to start somewhere I guess, thanks once again for that advice and yes I will try and enjoy It.
LeeMc:
I will be sure to update you’s with all the details after tomorrow as I’m unsure myself at the moment. I find with agency staff they tend not to disclose every detail to you they seem to like to leave a bit out, Its almost as If they like you to turn up to a company not knowing the full Ins and outs lol.
All I know at the min Is that Its delivering milk for a dairy company and they want me there at 12am tomorrow night then maybe a 4am start on Monday onwards.
I asked the agency where does this dairy company deliver to and they responded “All sorts of places, I know they deliver to Bookers the wholesalers”
In the ad for job that I applied to It said delivering locally In the North East.
So yeah that’s that.
But we’ve all got to start somewhere I guess, thanks once again for that advice and yes I will try and enjoy It.
I’d expect some sort of initiation/training and then general milk deliveries. Not the worst job. The guys I used to speak to seemed happy enough.
However they treat it as job or knock. Don’t until you know the ropes.
Agencies are buggers for not giving you all the details. Even this week I found myself in a 7.5ter handballing pop and frozen food to kebab shops! To say I was shocked was an understatement. I reckon you will be fine tomorrow.
Dealing with the silly little milk cages is something I’ve not mastered - so I can’t offer any advice. I’ve seen experienced drivers come unstuck when handling many empties. So ask the lads who know the job how to deal with them.
LeeMc:
I will be sure to update you’s with all the details after tomorrow as I’m unsure myself at the moment. I find with agency staff they tend not to disclose every detail to you they seem to like to leave a bit out, Its almost as If they like you to turn up to a company not knowing the full Ins and outs lol.
All I know at the min Is that Its delivering milk for a dairy company and they want me there at 12am tomorrow night then maybe a 4am start on Monday onwards.
I asked the agency where does this dairy company deliver to and they responded “All sorts of places, I know they deliver to Bookers the wholesalers”
In the ad for job that I applied to It said delivering locally In the North East.
So yeah that’s that.
But we’ve all got to start somewhere I guess, thanks once again for that advice and yes I will try and enjoy It.
I’d expect some sort of initiation/training and then general milk deliveries. Not the worst job. The guys I used to speak to seemed happy enough.
However they treat it as job or knock. Don’t until you know the ropes.
Agencies are buggers for not giving you all the details. Even this week I found myself in a 7.5ter handballing pop and frozen food to kebab shops! To say I was shocked was an understatement. I reckon you will be fine tomorrow.
Dealing with the silly little milk cages is something I’ve not mastered - so I can’t offer any advice. I’ve seen experienced drivers come unstuck when handling many empties. So ask the lads who know the job how to deal with them.
Yeah I would of been shocked just as much but at least you must of just cracked on and got the job done eh ?
Yeah deffo not the worst job delivering milk It carnt be that hardly surely but them are the famous words lol. I know what you mean about them milk cages especially on uneven ground.
And yeah good advice If Its job and knock I won’t take any notice of that I’m not gonna run around just to finish an hour early I’d rather use your advice and take my time. Job and knock Is for when you know your route and just become quicker by doing It for a while. Cheers sammym
I’m all for hourly pay. Why rush? I’m fairly new at this game but I’ve learned that one very quickly. No rewards for rushing generally. And there’s no shame in asking somebody to watch you back. I offer it now to other drivers and it’s rare they say no. Did an assessment drive for Argos and they had a driver who reversed into a yard and didn’t bother to get out to check before he reversed. Squashed an elderly bloke on a mobility scooter and killed him. Got 7 years. Stupid thing is he had a drivers mate with him.