Trainee train drivers wanted...

[RB5Bird]

Well. . . . . got a phone call of DBSchenker last week inviting me back to complete the rest of the tests. I'd got a borderline pass on the group bourdon test, which they said wasn't good enough for them, but they have had a change of policy or something.
Or it's just to get a pool of people ready to go for next time, she said all the positions had gone for now. If successful in the tests this time we would be keep in a "talent pool" for the 3 years the tests are valid for.
In the meantime there would be nothing stopping you applying for another driver job, with the added benefit of already having passed the test.

Hmmmmmm.

[oddjober]

Damm Manchester positions closed. Didn't know about it till last week.

how often do these recruitment drives happen? Once a YEAR?

OK THX

[Jaroon]

Nice phone call out of the blue (applied several months ago and was told they were not proceeding) from East Midlands Trains inviting me to a 2 hour driver assesment next week. Waiting for the email confirmation but I don't think there's any interview at this stage. Any ideas on what to expect?

[Craphouserat]

Hi all

Been keeping any eye on this thread for quite a while now and sent an application in last week for a trainee driver out of Waverly in Edinburgh.

I just checked the status of my application and it says - awaiting shortlisting - I'm presuming that means they are still reading them all? I appreciate they'll get a hell of a number of applications for these positions. Just wondering if someone might know if this means if they have read it and haven't yet chucked it in the bin !

Cheers

CHR

[Stedman]

Craphouserat said:

Hi all

Been keeping any eye on this thread for quite a while now and sent an application in last week for a trainee driver out of Waverly in Edinburgh.

I just checked the status of my application and it says - awaiting shortlisting - I'm presuming that means they are still reading them all? I appreciate they'll get a hell of a number of applications for these positions. Just wondering if someone might know if this means if they have read it and haven't yet chucked it in the bin !

Cheers

CHR

It can mean either they haven't read it, or they haven't chucked it in the bin. My first application from FCC was 'awaiting shortlisting' for 12 months. As you can imagine, I was gutted when I finally got the email from them whilst I was at their competitor's training school

It's just one of those things that can take a while.

[Craphouserat]

Stedman said:

It can mean either they haven't read it, or they haven't chucked it in the bin. My first application from FCC was 'awaiting shortlisting' for 12 months. As you can imagine, I was gutted when I finally got the email from them whilst I was at their competitor's training school

It's just one of those things that can take a while.

Thanks for that info - my hopes haven't been high since the application was a bit rushed. Its been a week so I'm kind of thinking it has been binned.

Anyway - thanks again for that info.

[Craphouserat]

Bit quicker with the email than 12 months ! Got one today - unsuccessful. Bugger it...gave myself to much to do in a short space of time. Keep my eye on the site and can apply again after 3 months.

Good luck to anyone else from here who might have applied for the Trainee jobs out of Waverly. Back to the lab for me !!

[wobman]

Just been informed freight liner heavy haul are recruiting trainee drivers !!! That's a rare thing nowadays, good luck to anyone applying ; )

http://www.freightliner.co.uk/en/jobs/offer/offer/...

[Craphouserat]

wobman said:

Just been informed freight liner heavy haul are recruiting trainee drivers !!! That's a rare thing nowadays, good luck to anyone applying ; )

http://www.freightliner.co.uk/en/jobs/offer/offer/...

In for a penny.....thanks for the link. Worth another pop !!

Cheers

[Chicken Chaser]

Craphouserat said:

In for a penny.....thanks for the link. Worth another pop !!

Cheers

Very tempting indeed.

Potentially have a dream job lined up at work, but to do so, have to pass a course and then wait upon a space sometime next year. No change in pay. This train job which sounds very interesting itself, would increase my wages by 50%.....

Tough choices.

[RemyMartin]

I'm genuinely gutted about this....

I'm being made redundant at the end of next year and I doubt they'll be this opportunity as I want to change careers. I can't afford to lose the redundancy pay as its going to have to offset my career change for a couple of years. I doubt they will wait 18months for me to start the training....

fking bugger!

[baldy1926]

Any idea what depots as the website does not say

[Craphouserat]

RemyMartin said:

I'm genuinely gutted about this....

I'm being made redundant at the end of next year and I doubt they'll be this opportunity as I want to change careers. I can't afford to lose the redundancy pay as its going to have to offset my career change for a couple of years. I doubt they will wait 18months for me to start the training....

fking bugger!

You never know - I've been keeping an eye on this thread for a while - applied for a trainee driver out of Waverly about a month ago and then this other one comes along.

If I were you I'd stay at work take the redundancy all the while keeping an eye on all the railway sites.

All the best.

[wobman]

I presume they are creating a pool of new drivers to fill vacancies across there depots, most TOCs have this system so looks like the FOCs are going the same route.
This save them advertising all the time & a lot of freight lads lost there jobs during the recession so have jumped ship to passenger work, now the contracts & work has picked up looks like they are desperate for drivers !!!!!

What harm is there applying if you are interested as trainee freight jobs are rare

[BMR]

Just spent a couple of hours going through the application process. A bit nervous as there was no option to save progress and go back later. Would have been my luck if there'd been a power cut.

[Emeye]

A guy I know, a friend of a friend, has just recently passed the interview process and got a job working as a train driver. He left his job as an armed police officer which is some major career change!

I'm very tempted as I'm fed up with working in IT.

Any idea how long the training process would last, as I would have to work out how to pay the bills for that period - maybe a mortgage holiday or something?

Edited by Emeye on Friday 5th July 15:29

[wobman]

The training is usually around 1 year, that is all aspects from Rules / routes / traction etc there's far more to the job than people think !! They don't look at qualifications I find they look at your character & ability to follow procedures correctly, you sit alone for very long periods of time so you have to like your own company.

One way to look at it is the cost of training up a driver is approx £100,000 they say, so you get a wage while training & they pay for the training ! Plus you can move FOCs or TOCs once your probationary period is up

Hope that helps

[BMW3s6]

apparently up to 18 months at freightliner HH...and if its anything like my toc...after your training is complete and you pass out...you will get a pay rise, but not on full pay as your on probation and only after your probation period is complete will you go on to full pay. ( FL might be different I'm not sure) but they never advertise that at our company in the recruitment adverts.

A trainee from our last batch failed his final exams, and a trainee at another depot failed his final exams too...so whilst training you have to really keep up the revision as there is so much you will be tested on...the final exams last 5-7 days at our toc...Best of luck its the best job in the world in my view, I love it...and Glad I made the career change when I did.

Edited by BMW3s6 on Friday 5th July 13:07

[Silent1]

Applied!
I quite enjoyed the maths/work this out questions but hated the tell us why you're good for this role ones!

[ED209]

I have applied on a whim, would be quite a pay cut initially but a bit sick of being in the police!

the website doesnt give much detail about how the scheme works or how you would progress.

Has anybody on here got any further info?

Edited by ED209 on Saturday 6th July 19:33