just be careful with the cages ask “semtex” 
ooh did he have a bad experience with their cages
will let him explain
Squiddy:
Whenever it seems like hard work try to remember you could be sitting in a mundane office job or on a tedious factory line. When I worked in offices/factories I was always looking at the clock waiting for 5PM. Now I look at the clock and think ‘Holy cow its 11AM and I still have 6 drops to do’ This is a job where you pray for more time instead of praying the day would finish faster!Good luck!
I used to be an engineer working in factories on machinery. Clock watching is terrible, used to literally count the minutes to next break and home time. That’s no good for your soul. It’s good though because I have something to compare to driving. My father has been on the road since he was 17. Started on vans then Class 2 for 20 odd years and finally Class 1. He comes home moaning most days and I sit there thinking “If that’s what you call a bad day you should try standing next to a machine for 8 hours”.
Some people don’t know how good they have it. I used t be a Temp as a drivers mate so I’ve been out with a fair few drivers. Biggest moaners I’ve ever worked with.
Congratulations natsdad,keep positive you seem to have a good atitude,trust me it is hard graft but ask all the questions you think of the first couple of weeks while training and hopefully you have a positive trainer not one who justs tallks doom and gloom about the company and like some other comments on here after a couple of months or so you will start to learn different routes and pick up valuable experience which will help you one day if you decide to move on,keep your head down,dont moan and it will become easier,all the best let us know how it goes mate
congratulations natsdad & good luck with the job 
ruddio, bonnie lass,
thank you very much. i think youve got to have a popsitive attitude and make up youre own mind. If peolple who work there are complaining, i cant see why they are still there but like ive said alla long, im looking forward to it and i will keep my head down and get on with it.Its the foot on the ladder i need and its a company that are going to give me the chance
Ill keep you posted on how it goes.
Paul
Paul
I wish you all the best - your approach is perfect. I had interview and assessment at 3663 about 8 weeks ago for Banbury but didn’t get in … their loss…I hope you have a fruitful learning experience - GO FOR IT FELLA !
Good luck with the job.
When I was with the assessor on my first drive with them, the first thing he said was you have to give the job a chance. The driver that took me out on my 2 weeks training had been there for 10 years and he enjoyed his job. I didn’t really give it enough time but it was the hour commute at 1am that was killing me.
Its very hard work (give yourself a couple of minutes in the cab after a drop to get your breath back) but you do get paid well.
Oh and watch those pallets of drink on the tail lift when its been raining. They weigh a ton and my trainer showed me a very quick way of getting the pallet (and bottles) on the pavement 
Thats what i want to do, go for it and its good advice to take a minute to get my breath back after a delivery plus ill be watching the other driver like a hawk and getting as much from him as i can.
Its a totally new line of work for me so i want to make it work and enjoy it at the same time, but itll take a bit to find my feet, but bring it on.
Thanks again everyone for your wishes.
So how’s your first week gone?
Wouldn’t mind a crack at 3663 or Brakes myself once I get a bit of 18 tonne driving experience under my belt.
How many drops do you do in a day and what are the start times? Also is it 5 or 6 days a week?
hope its going well
Natsdad,where are you its been two days,hows it going,are you still able to walk 
Hi all,
Tha first couple of days havent been to bad. Inductions for us both on Tuesday and Wednesday and out with the drivers from today for the next 2 weeks, then i think its out by ourselves.
Squiddy, the 2 of us that started on Tuesday havent got ant experience so its a big learning curve for us and im not sure how many drops a day it is, i think it varies but its Tuesday to Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off.
Ruddio, yeah can still walk…just but ask me in 3 weeks time lol.
Paul
natsdad:
Hi all,Tha first couple of days havent been to bad. Inductions for us both on Tuesday and Wednesday and out with the drivers from today for the next 2 weeks, then i think its out by ourselves.
Squiddy, the 2 of us that started on Tuesday havent got ant experience so its a big learning curve for us and im not sure how many drops a day it is, i think it varies but its Tuesday to Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off.
Ruddio, yeah can still walk…just but ask me in 3 weeks time lol.
Paul
Well done mate,Its all experience
natsdad:
i think it varies but its Tuesday to Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off.
I like the sound of that actually. My mates all go out Sunday nights and go to work Monday morning like zombies. Monday off would be great. Don’t do much Saturday day anyway and when you do you can book the day off.
My old man is always getting calls to go and work there from agencies so they must be desperate for workers. I’'ll be keeping an eye on this to see how it goes, there isn’t too many places offering us noobs work.
i have got a days work at 3663 tomorrow in bradford, is it really as bad as i have been reading■■? 
thought i would give it a go and see how it goes
No i dont think it is, although ive only been there a week. They make no bones about it being hard work, but i think itll be ok. They are one of the only companies that give you the chance, oh and also reply to phone calls, application forms etc.
Give it a go, you never know, but i know the Plymouth depot doesnt take on agency staff.
2 of us started on tuesday and we are doing CPC tomorrow.
Hope it goes ok.
It’s a starting point & at least you’d be getting experience, you can always keep looking around for better job if you find that you dont want to stay in this particular one. Hope it does work out for you, good luck
i am only there on class 2, cant get any class 1 work at the mo, so just doin what i can. although agency told me as soon as my class 1 is on the DVLA system(they done a LICENCE check and me passing my class 1 still isnt on the system) they are gonna give me some class 1 work.
i done similar work with brakes when i lived down south and hated it, but willing to give 3663 a go n see how it goes. gotta get up at 4:30 am, not lookin forward to that after 2 weeks off
selby newcomer:
i have got a days work at 3663 tomorrow in bradford, is it really as bad as i have been reading■■?thought i would give it a go and see how it goes
Basically - If you’re used to doing stuff like RDC work or very light multi-drop then it’s very hard work yes. Not only the physical aspects (heavy pallets) but it can be an absolute nightmare if you’ve got a big run and don’t know any of the drops. Speaking from my (limited) experience; it’s not a nice job to do on agency. Like most jobs though, once you’ve been doing it a bit and you get to know all the drops and how things are done etc. it’d be a piece of cake. I know a guy who’s nigh on 23 stone who used to do foodservice and he managed alright!