Before I Jumped - 16/10/25

Today is October 16th

I applied for Calor via Manpower October 4th

I applied directly to Calor on October 10th

I spoke to Emma from Manpower on October 13th and the opportunity sounded promising.

The very next day I had this email from Calor 

My heart sank

I forgot I applied via Manpower as well as directly through Calor's recruitment portal

It seemed like a closed case when I got that email

I've gotten so used to having my ADR applications ignored on the basis I lack experience that having the door closed once more was almost expected

Today, Emma called me and said she has sorted out an interview for me with Calor, and on the day I will also be completing a driving assessment

I was a little surprised since the email from Calor suggests the job had gone to someone else

Perhaps, my resume is the one that is more closely aligned?

Recap

• Class 2 ADR Tanker Driver ✔️ This is what I want
• Smedrock ✔️ Local, this will help a lot with those shifts
• Temporary ✔️ Not committed for a death sentence
• Full Time ✔️ Gets me the experience; 6 mth under belt
• Days ✔️Consistent with my preferences
• 42 hours ✔️ Standard
• 4 on 4 off ✔️ Suggests long shifts, and wagon sharing
• 6am Start ✔️ Perfect
• Weekends ✔️ Shift allowance paid
• £16.63 - £24.94 p/h ✔️ The experience is my main reward
• 28 days holiday increases with service ✔️ I don't plan on having time off
• Example 1 - £698.46 basic and £872.97 based on 42 hour a week. ✔️
• Example 2 - £997.80 basic and £1,247.10 based on 60 hour week. ✔️
• Bonuses: Up to £1000 every six months ✔️ I should get this at contract's end
• New opportunity ✔️ Just what I need to advance with ADR
• Local Team
• PPE Provided
• Comprehensive Training ✔️✔️✔️
• Multi drop tanker deliveries to farms and commercial premises ✔️
• Cat C driving licence ✔️✔️
• Digi card ✔️✔️
• DCPC card ✔️✔️
• ADR licence in class 2 in tanks ✔️✔️
• Familiarity with drivers' hours legislation and tachographs ✔️✔️
• Successful candidates require a DBS check ✔️✔️✔️✔️
• New / inexperienced drivers who hold the relevant truck / HGV licences are welcome to apply. ✔️ Excellent, this is what I want
• Must have relevant HGV experience ✔️ 4 years now

Calor has to come through!

More on this in the coming days

I major advantage I have here is that I did a driving assessment for Hermes before it became Evri and I failed it in the final moment. I did a perfect drive and got back to the depot, but after being told where to stop I volunteered to reverse the wagon back into the bay I took it out of and the assessor agreed. Upon doing so I backed into the bay way too far and was centimetres from taking out a lamppost. The assessor said he had to fail me. I agreed, because he yelled stop and I actually kept going

My next driving assessments were with Muller and Tesco, both of which were a success and I was offered jobs that I refused

The forth was with CCF but it was easy by this time

Hands down I am a decent driver .. unless I choose not to be

I can ace a driving assessment and that's not me being being big headed

I had to spend a day with my previous transport manager and he didn't fault my driving ability at all

I've had my fair share of incidents on the road but it happens to the best of us. Even those with decades on the road have had a bump or two - some worse than others. Spending so many hours out on the road increases the chance of something happening

Time to wrap this one up also