hi all just wondering has anyone started working for the agents in
milton keynes latley,they are supplying drivers for
nedexco/visbeen/and another dutch company ?
ive spoken to stu but keep getting told they had over a 1000 applicants
and that they will get in contact,i know they were after 45 driver
for nedexco alone but not sure when for …
I got an application form,and sign a mobile workers night shift agreement.£200 deposit you get back after 8 weeks to cover fines and truck getting impounded for ciggies and booze.Optimum European must have contract for running fruit and veg to the UK markets and maybe fresh flowers for multi drop to shops all over the UK.Bet the trucks are top rate LHD Scanias and Volvos.
toby1234abc:
…£200 deposit you get back after 8 weeks to cover fines and truck getting impounded for ciggies and booze.
WTF!!!..well whoever thought that little scam up deserves a medal!!..and do you also get back the interest that yours and everyone elses £200 has earnt while its been safely banked away from you!!!
45 drivers (minimum) X £200 = £9000…now stick that in an account paying say 4%ish for 2 months!! Maths was never my strong point but if you are the agency owner, and you keep the interest that this (other peoples money) has earned then thats easy money in your pocket with zero outlay!!! 
Did you pay the £200 Toby■■?..tell us you didnt!!
No.Smelt a rat with this one,was the same with an Irish company that wanted 200 euros a week or month,cant remember which,as a retainer for damaging the cosmetics on the fleet motors,he said the Eastern european drivers were forever ripping off bits that cost a lot to replace.Also the TM said,if i minded NOT taking 45 weekly rests,as with the size of the fleet,they could not afford that.And running for ferries,it was ok to go over driving times.ING direct are paying 3% interset,and some good fixed rate bonds are paying up to 5.25% on a 4 to 5 year investment.Money supermarket.com.That guy from the TV,Martin Lewis advises the best building society rates such as Chelsea,Yorkshire,Santander,ICICI etc. 
Friends Provident for offshore investments in the Channel Islands and Lloyds bank in Gibraltar. 
Also they take £25 a week from your wages for holidays!!!
Griff82:
Also they take £25 a week from your wages for holidays!!!
is that legal? or are they saving it so you have more money when you go on your jollys?
So do the likes of Visbeen, Post Kogeko, Heisterkamp & HSF etc only recruit Brit based drivers through this or anyother agency or do any of them recruit direct if a Brit based driver filled out an online application with them?
jimti:
Griff82:
Also they take £25 a week from your wages for holidays!!!is that legal? or are they saving it so you have more money when you go on your jollys?
This is a standard thing here in Holland, your employer keeps 8% of your wage and gives it all back to you usally on or around the first of June, strange I know but the Dutch social even do it with social security payments!
Erm lads as it has been pointed out none of the big boys are looking to the UK for drivers at the moment, there looking east insted. I’m applying direct myself, but most of the big boys are even buying truck in Poland now too.
Sib
p.s Heisterkamp do want cover drivers, but im not too sure how much work there is as its mainly stand by for sick drivers on a monday etc
I would stay well clear of that outfit mate, the money is OK if you become self employed and set up at companies house, as a registered director. I know that if you choose paye, then it is less than 400 net. The 500 + that they are on about is the self employed, director ltd company, is it worth it. ■■?
IF you look on trucker sites from Holland or Germany you will
find that hiesterkamp is not well liked , they are a firm who will
take you on and use you to the Limit and if possible beyond,
Hi all i have just finished working for them. The Pay is £450 a week topline plus an additional £120 if you work over 8 hours on a sat.
This does not include running home.
Plus every week they deduct £25 for holiday pay it was said earlier this is common in holland but you are employed through a uk agency!!
Not bad work but they do try pushing you as far as possible!!
I received a night worker opt out form to be sent back,is the work fresh flowers and fruit/veg to all night markets in UK and Scotland.Seen the vehicles at Spitafield/Leyton etc markets.?Top of the range high powered trucks.
Optimum is supplying Nedexco,Van voorst and i believe tundermanns Nedexco is mainly frozen work but can load anything .
Nedexco’s motors are mainly Volvo 400 ok in holland but can be a pain in the uk when you are running at full weight
uvox82:
So do the likes of Visbeen, Post Kogeko, Heisterkamp & HSF etc only recruit Brit based drivers through this or anyother agency or do any of them recruit direct if a Brit based driver filled out an online application with them?
HSF dont take on brit drivers anymore only poles and the other dutch co. that is employing thru the agency is van voorst ive worked for both and wouldnt go back
Are the HSF drivers in the trucks with ‘UK LTD’ on the door Poles aswell then? Ive seen a lot of them running up and down the A120 so guess their based down Harwich way or are they based with the Blakenham lot?
Why wouldnt you go back to either kerwyn?
Hsf have a depot in coventry and all the drivers are poles
Time to put a few things straight i think…
I worked for Nedexco for a year and a half through AGS agency who have now lost out to Optimum Recruitment. IMO it was the best european job i have ever had, as with all Dutch companies they do push you but i told them from day one i would not “run bent” and they never asked me to, once you do it once with these guys they expect it all the time. Not only that but all but 1 or 2 of their trucks are digital tacho’s so if you do run bent you are a fool. Yes their trucks are all Volvo FH13’s at 400 Euro 5’s, but even when pulling a full load of potato products i never had a problem with the power, even in the UK.
Incidentally, Optimum do recruit for another Dutch company called Van Voorst, but most of their work is subbing for Nedexco.
Since i left in November last year i have heard nothing but bad things about Optimum, worst one being that some guys have been waiting for their expenses to be re-imbursed for 6 months, so i wouldn’t be surprised about some of the other things already mentioned. Also heard they insist on drivers doing one saturday in every three, which IMO isn’t too bad, but if you are just running home you don’t get paid extra for it.
I now work for Visbeen, directly, i think i was one of the last to get in this way as every new driver i have met since i started is employed through Optimum.
Most of Visbeens work is fruit/veg/flowers for UK markets and is night work. They do have a contract with Morrisons which is mainly day work. They also do Coolboxx containers which could be anything but again is mainly fruit coming up from Morocco.
Just recently they have been running turf for major sporting events in Europe, including the turf used for the recent world cup qualifier between Scotland and Holland, and 2 weeks ago 20 trucks ran down to the Bernabeu stadium in Madrid (nice work if you can get it).
Personally i don’t like market work or nights but until things pick up i will stay where i am. As mentioned previously, they do push you to the max and try to push you further, but if you stick to your guns they leave you alone.
Post Kogeko do not use Optimum AFAIK, and because of the Dailyfresh agreement between them and Visbeen you cannot leave one and work for the other until you have left for 6 months. Post Kogeco pay much better than Visbeen but their trucks are only 380 Scanias.
HSF generally do not employ English drivers but there are 1 or 2 guys on there, think they may be left overs from when they did a couple of years ago.
Last i heard Stuart was leaving Optimum due to the large number of complaints about him.
Hope this info helps 
Six months for expenses ■■?
You gotta be kidding me
Post Kogeco pay much better than Visbeen but their trucks are only 380 Scanias…
whats the engine size got to do with it?
you go where the money is, or am i wrong? 
Trust me there are are quite a few people struggling to get expenses out of them!!!
I left there over a month ago and have had to call everyday to get my holiday pay from them!!!
And they thought it was funny…