Ocado Driver vs Just Eat

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As all my running race timing for this year has all folded I am looking for work so I am not just a tea boy to the wife at home.

I signed up to Just Eat, I have a Leaf and rapid charging is cheap and local. Just waiting for the insurance to come through and I am ready to go. I have just had a call from Ocado to go to an interview, I would think I would get the job.

Does anyone know if Just Eat has the potential to pay more with a low fuel cost or Ocado which will be a minimum of £20k by the look of it. Based in Hatfield.

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hyphen said:

Just eat- you go takeaway to takeaway collecting food, maybe delivering to rough council estates, time pressures.

Ocado, i imagine you take a load and go for the day/half a day, mostly be interacting with middle class milfs...

So would say forget any pennies difference, and go for ocado.

Thanks Hyphen, you have a point there! They did say I didn't have to load the van and it was automatic too. Cheers.

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Thanks Sammo I will let you know how I get on, they did mention automatic and pre loaded.

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Just signed the contract start next Monday if not next week. Thanks for the help and advice, should be a good time to start with emptyish roads and just dropping at the door.

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Thanks LudaMussa they just rang and I start on Monday now. Will update next week.

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Training nearly done, just need a site tour. Very impressed so far, due to corona we don't get accompanied on our first few shifts so tomorrow I am actually delivering.

I spent a very nervous 3 hours with an ADI today in a van, I was really pleased with the feedback although there was virtually no traffic. The rear overhand is 4m so just need to be careful about parking or reversing if at all is the advice.

Made the right decision to go with Ocado that is for sure, company shop, life insurance, 15% off Ocado deliveries. Pay not brilliant but I feel lucky to have got a job so quickly with rising unemployment.

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Thanks both, I am working from Hatfield and only a 10 min commute. I found the sat nav a bit lacking and will add my own and also have a look at streetview I think. Reversing tip noted!

I had 2 drops in the street no 31 and 41 and managed to get them the wrong way around, but spotted my error. An Ocado van flew by me on the A1 slip, when I got back I realised there was a massive queue of vans hence the rush. Had a box still on the van I found whilst waiting for the marshals, luckily it was on the van in error phew. Was in posh Mill Hill half the houses were self isolating.

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As we have gone straight out on our own I am learning from my own mistakes, rather than a buddy. Getting faster though.

The PDA gave me a slightly incorrect address as I was outside the wrong house, I didn't realise this. So attempted to do a drop at Jonathan Ross' house, got him out of bed. And an Ocado big boss lived next door, got away with that one.

Hampstead Garden Suburb not so good for tips as all the doors were opened by the "staff". Been in Ware and Hertford today, it's like the apocalypse on the road not a car to be seen at times. At least everyone is at home so am finishing early. Funny seeing both cars on a driveway unmoved for a long time, covered in dust.

One good perk is the company shop that sells excess food off very cheaply.

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uk66fastback said:

So, a year on Craig, are you still there and enjoying it?

Yeah still at it with Ocado. My mate who was recruited at the same time has just moved onto management, most of the others in my "class" have left. It is not a bad job, fairly stress free. Customers are usually nice, I only work pm as I find there is less chance of getting stuck in traffic/can't be arsed to get up early.

Basic rule of driving the vans is try to avoid reversing at all, or only a bit at a time and do a 20 point turn if needed as you have no rear view. There is a dashcam that goes off if you swerve or brake hard, you learn to brake softly for the first millisecond and it doesn't go off as easily. The are auto and easy to drive. In Christmas I nearly got stuck overnight in the flooding, I was told not to go through water higher than the wheel rim......

I have had one accident coming into some flats in Highgate there was a tree arch, someone had hit part of the tree and it was hanging down but hidden and I smacked the aircon cover on it. Funnily enough the tree has now gone. My mate had about 4 accidents in a month, it is pretty tricky to get fired.

You are rostered for 7.5hrs but it is unusual to take longer than 6 hours and only about 3-4 hours of that is lugging food. You can have some grotty shifts, in Islington/Camden or the hills of Muswell. Other shifts can be really easy. I am trying to get my house sorted for sale and I keep getting offered unpaid leave so am only working 3 days a week atm. In early June I have a knee op, so far they seem good about it. It is probably down to lugging shopping to the top of flats, and I have also got really bad tennis elbow in both arms which no amount of physio has shifted. I can manage both to these issues

Ocado is an excellent company to work for, if you stick the rules and don't cut corners. I maxed out my pension and shares, and could get private health insurance but already have that. And they gave me £200 free shares this year.

Running races are returning I have about 10 to time this year, this was my old job so I may just keep this 2 days a week. It has kept me sane in lockdown.

Thanks for asking after me!

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uk66fastback said:

That's good to hear Craig. And thanks for the feedback about how the last year has gone. I did come across the thread when doing an Ocado search and read it from the start and so glad to read the update. Of course, your wellbeing is top of the list but my search may have been slightly triggered by me starting at my Ocado branch in Peterborough next week. I was furloughed a year last April and then made redundant at the end of October, so have had three months notice plus the statutory redundancy for a good few years service.

I had been looking at driving jobs for a while as I wanted to leave the graphics/print industry which I had been in for 40 years and try something else. So I'm glad I just got this job and am looking forward to working for them - as they seem a sound company which you say they are.

I'll let you know how I get on! Glad to hear that on the whole, you've had a positive experience. I've noted the bit about the lack of reversing if you can avoid it! (Surprised there is no rear camera fitted).

We have about 5 vans with reversing cameras but I am so used to using the side mirrors it is more of a hazard than a help unless you are reversing right up to something. I try to work a Sat/Sun pm's as they pay is much better, and you can actually work 4 days and get paid almost 5 days salary. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I think Peterborough has fairly long routes, 50% of the times we go into London about 50 miles in total, and a long route would be 150 miles. Peterborough is usually well over 100 miles I think. The pm shifts make it like a part time job, you are only out between 3 and 9pm.

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okgo said:

Out of pure interest, what is the pay like?

Not terrible but I get London weighting.

Monday to Saturday hours worked before 6 pm will be £11.06 per hour

Monday to Saturday hours worked after 6 pm will be £12.28 per hour

Sunday hours worked before 6 pm will be £13.83 per hour

Sunday hours worked after 6 pm will be £15.35 per hour

I try to work weekend PMs.

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uk66fastback said:

Two days into the training now and I’ve done the driving test and all the DANI stuff, tomorrow the fun starts as I’m out on the road delivering (not too many first up). Great so far, enjoying it, and Ocado seem a very decent company to work for, which is good. They put driver safety way up front which is good to see.

I did my driving test in the first week of lockdown, saw one car! If you do have a knock in the first month or two the attitude will be that is expected. You have to be a really terrible driver to get fired, they send you on a driving refresher first Join the FB staff group some helpful posts on there. I max out the pension contributions as they match them to 8% I think, and the share scheme as well if I leave this money is tax free. I got £8 of tips last night, a bit of a rarity.

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Update! Been suffering with tennis elbow in both arms for 6 months, physio hasn't sorted it and they say as it is worse after a shift that the job is the issue. Not taken any time off but my sleep is interrupted by pain and it is very uncomfortable all the time, picking up a cup of tea is agony. And tomorrow I am in for surgery on my knee which is probably due to all the shopping I have to lug up stairs.

Work have been pretty good, recovery from surgery is 2 weeks to 3 months. I can drive when I am free of pain and can emergency stop. I get 4 weeks paid leave by the look of it if management agree, and then an insurance policy kicks in with half pay if you meet the criteria after that.

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uk66fastback said:

Sorry to hear about that Craig, that’s not good news. Hope it all works out. I’m two weeks in now and it’s going okay, getting out and seeing customers. Last week got harder as it went on culminating in a complete nightmare on Thursday when I got very behind on the clock and had to be rescued ... I’m still not quite sure what happened to be honest, one late delivery and it kinda spiralled with roadworks, difficult to find places and lots of totes as well.

Friday was 18 drops and it ran like clockwork. I’ve done one block of flats in a fortnight.

Today was under a dozen out in the sticks of Cambs and Norfolk but that seems par for the course for a Monday. It’ll get progressively more day by day ...

Hatfield seems to have got a lot busier, I was regularly doing 22 drops whereas 3 months ago it was regularly 17 drops. Still fairly easy start at 330pm finished by 9ish.

I find that only putting the boxes on the floor of the van so you don't get mixed up and deliver a wrong box, carry two totes sideways if you can saves a trip to the van, avoid the trolley if possible slows you down, always take totes to the door and stack them up it is faster and just rip the bags out and give to customer, don't go back in the van to sort the totes this means you are getting in and out the van an extra 20 odd times if you do. You will learn not to stress about it, it is only groceries at the end of the day. I make sure I am ready at the door, fire the stuff at the customer after checking the address is right, and leg it.

At least you don't have to go into London, chance of fines and tickets along with points is mega stressful. I got caught in the half term holiday exodus in Muswell Hill, felt very claustrophobic constantly stuck in traffic for 4 hours.

Let me know how you are getting on, the job can be a bit lonely as you don't really see anyone from the company.

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Dashnine said:

From the customer perspective I was wondering if there was a process to follow when drivers deliver to the door?

I know Covid changed things, but some drivers bring the bags from the van to the door, some bring the totes to the door and hand me the bags, some place the bags (from the totes at the door) on the doorstep, some want me to pull the bags out of the totes.

Don't really mind which way the driver wants me to do it, but it is a bit confusing with each delivery trying to work out what they want me to do!

Driver should have mask, you stand 2m back in house, driver gets bags out of totes and places in doorway for you. Not always possible of course, and often customers grab bags from your hands. My experience is the same as yours. I don't understand why drivers bring bags from van to door, it is slower tbh and customer hangs about waiting for trips to van. Some consolidate bags into one. I always tip and offer a cold drink. Just stand back and let them get on with it, you won't be able to change what individual drivers do. If you want the bags delivered in a certain way add a note to your account.