Shunting job

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

2

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

I’ve never actually done an assesment for a shunters job, although i have been a shunter and took our driver trainer on a run through of what we did and how we did it. Aside from the usual physical stuff to do with regards to hooking up, detaching trailers we also had demountable wag and drags, so done that bit with them too. Showed them what to do if you like :laughing:
I’m certain with your experience you’ll fly that bit.
Problem for you is gonna be the part where you may have to liase with other drivers, not just fron your own company but maybe outside hauliers, and then liase between them , the security and the transport office. Also be aware as a shunter you will be the general dogsbody for the transport office, so if someone reports a pallet in the middle of the yard thats fallen off some truck, guess who’ll be expected to move it ? I won’t mention bins :smiley:
I hope it goes well for you and i look forward to the questions !! :laughing: :laughing:

3

Thanks mike ,but I’m no- body’s dogsbody ,just thought shunters ordered everyone else what to do,not them telling me what to do ,back too the drawing board then .

4

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

The one I did involved picking up and dropping a trailer with a tug and doing a blind side reverse into some bays on a trailer park where the bays were on a 45 degree angle with plenty of room inbetween each trailer and nice lines to guide you.

Given how crap the other two shunters I had to train were at reversing onto loading bays using tugs with massive amounts of lock and a massive yard with plenty of space, the inability to reverse didn’t seem to be a problem or at least at Stobarts it didn’t.

5

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

Turn up with bad attitude & the job is yours:)

6

Conor:

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

The one I did involved picking up and dropping a trailer with a tug and doing a blind side reverse into some bays on a trailer park where the bays were on a 45 degree angle with plenty of room inbetween each trailer and nice lines to guide you.

Given how crap the other two shunters I had to train were at reversing onto loading bays using tugs with massive amounts of lock and a massive yard with plenty of space, the inability to reverse didn’t seem to be a problem or at least at Stobarts it didn’t.

Yeah like i say the physical limitations of the job are not usually a problem for an experienced driver. How did you get on with the interactions with other drivers and members of staff ? I heard you got the sack for your attitude, any truth in this ?

7

The ability to hide yourself and the tug, ignore your radio, have a unfortunate attitude and be able to drink huge amounts of coffee.

All or some of the above and you’re in, it ranks thus in my all time list of things to be avoided in transport.

  1. General haulage
  2. Nights out
  3. Shunting
  4. Drawbars
  5. Handball
  6. Radio 2
  7. Scanias
8

Mike-C:
I heard you got the sack for your attitude, any truth in this ?

Jesus! Just how bad an attitude can it be possible to get before you get sacked as a shunter? With a few notable exceptions shunters seem to come with an inbuilt ability to get right up my nose within 10 seconds of meeting them!

9

the maoster:

Mike-C:
I heard you got the sack for your attitude, any truth in this ?

Jesus! Just how bad an attitude can it be possible to get before you get sacked as a shunter? With a few notable exceptions shunters seem to come with an inbuilt ability to get right up my nose within 10 seconds of meeting them!

Funny that when I was shunting there were a few “drivers” who did the same to me …

10

A shunter is a driver that can’t get a proper job.

11

wheelnutt:
A shunter is a driver that can’t get a proper job.

WOW… :smiley:

12

Pimpdaddy:

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

Turn up with bad attitude & the job is yours:)

Apparently not otherwise Conor would still be in a job. :smiling_imp:

13

You have got to like reading old daily sport news papers and showing birds with their norks out to each driver who pulls up,usually making a face a noise like les dawson,uuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrgggghhh what would u do with that m8 :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

14

Pimpdaddy:

dozy:
What’s the normal assessment for a shunting job :question: ,ta

Turn up with bad attitude & the job is yours:)

I agree i fell out with the shunter in our yard last week thinks he can shout at me across the yard, all hell broke out. :imp:

15

done a few shifts at Tesco Widnes and found the shunters nice, kind, sympathetic and professional.
Its a shame they all take their breaks together at the same time.
the agency know not to send me to unknown, unlit yards for shunting night shift.

16

Euro:
done a few shifts at Tesco Widnes and found the shunters nice, kind, sympathetic and professional.
Its a shame they all take their breaks together at the same time.
the agency know not to send me to unknown, unlit yards for shunting night shift.

Why,are you scared of the dark,dont tugs have lights and havent you got a torch :wink: :wink:

17

Mike-C:
Yeah like i say the physical limitations of the job are not usually a problem for an experienced driver. How did you get on with the interactions with other drivers and members of staff ? I heard you got the sack for your attitude, any truth in this ?

No other than I’d been a bit sharp with one of the shunters one night when really I was too ill to work, who decided to try and talk to me despite the fact I was stood there with a clipboard and radio writing down a load of trailer numbers the warehouse was giving me and as I had a banging headache I abruptly asked him to wait until I’d finished. He was known as a grade A backstabbing [zb] when he was at a Baylis when I used to go to on agency several years earlier so it came as no surprise he went straight to management. The reasons given in the interview was that I was seen in the warehouse twice by the general manager which was a no-no and then this incident was tagged on. What the general manager and the manager at Stobbies didn’t know is that both times I was asked to go in by the shift manager, the first to say hello to the team leaders who I’d be talking to and the second time to put some internal straps in a trailer that hadn’t got its full compliment.

The incident with the shunter was mentioned at which point I mentioned what happened and that I was quite ill when it did and I’d asked the team leader for some paracetemol which he confirmed I had done. When I told them why I’d gone in the warehouse and that it had been at the request of the RDC shift manager, the smile was wiped off the Stobby managers face when he realised he’d dropped a bollock by not investigating first and telling the RDC general manager I’d be gone. They gave me a month’s pay in lieu of notice, just over £2500, even though I was only entitled to a week. Make of that what you will.

18

Conor:

Mike-C:
They gave me a month’s pay in lieu of notice, just over £2500, even though I was only entitled to a week. Make of that what you will.

they thought it was worth it to be rid of you :question:

19

green456:

Conor:

Mike-C:
They gave me a month’s pay in lieu of notice, just over £2500, even though I was only entitled to a week. Make of that what you will.

they thought it was worth it to be rid of you :question:

yep,they wanted rid,thats what i make of it :neutral_face:

20

wheelnutt:
A shunter is a driver that can’t get a proper job.

Get a life been there out on the road for 37 years, nothing wrong with most shunters just some drivers with attitude and always running out of time