Freightliner Various Trainee Drivers

[Stigy]

I am guessing you applied for the mendip roles? If so I am in the same boat and have been chasing for around 4 years now.
It depends where you are but if you are in the somerset area then GWR and the mendip freight work are your only choices unless you find a job which will let you relocate.
Definately disheartening considering how far I got last time I applied to freightliner..

Pretty much the same for me too. I have SWR as the main TOC in my area with a lot of Freight (but not as much as up north) too. I was lucky to get a conditional offer with GWR as they literally only operate out of one location which is commutable for me.

 

[RobG]

I am guessing you applied for the mendip roles? If so I am in the same boat and have been chasing for around 4 years now.
It depends where you are but if you are in the somerset area then GWR and the mendip freight work are your only choices unless you find a job which will let you relocate.
Definately disheartening considering how far I got last time I applied to freightliner..

Yes the Mendip role. I’m in Wiltshire, but pretty much the same for me - Freightliner and GWR are the only choices. I did set up a job alert with GWR about 18 months ago, but still no joy. Would have thought they’d be looking for more drivers with the modernisation of the line, but clearly not. As for relocating, that’s not an option for me. As I said above, been hunting for roles like this for 2+ years, but it’s probably closer to 3. They just don’t seem to come up and now have to wait 6 months before I can try again, by which time the role will probably have been filled. So frustrating!

 

[Stigy]

Yes the Mendip role. I’m in Wiltshire, but pretty much the same for me - Freightliner and GWR are the only choices. I did set up a job alert with GWR about 18 months ago, but still no joy. Would have thought they’d be looking for more drivers with the modernisation of the line, but clearly not. As for relocating, that’s not an option for me. As I said above, been hunting for roles like this for 2+ years, but it’s probably closer to 3. They just don’t seem to come up and now have to wait 6 months before I can try again, by which time the role will probably have been filled. So frustrating!

GWR recruited for a talent pool at Westbury not long ago, as that not in your neck of the woods?

 

[RobG]

GWR recruited for a talent pool at Westbury not long ago, as that not in your neck of the woods?

Yeah that’s closer to me than the Mendip role. Never got a job alert from them and didn’t see it advertised. Where was it advertised?

 

[Stigy]

Yeah that’s closer to me than the Mendip role. Never got a job alert from them and didn’t see it advertised. Where was it advertised?

It was on their website (FirstGroup) as a stand-alone vacancy (just for Westbury) a month or so ago. I wouldn’t rely on alerts, but manually check from time to time as they often close well before the date they say they will.

 

[RobG]

It was on their website (FirstGroup) as a stand-alone vacancy (just for Westbury) a month or so ago. I wouldn’t rely on alerts, but manually check from time to time as they often close well before the date they say they will.

Didn’t see it and didn’t have Westbury added to job alerts. Have just gone through my profile and gone through every station/centre within 60 minutes of me.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

Hello
I have an assessment day for the Mendip advert this wednesday. In terms of the interview on the day if I get that far is it conducted by OPC around the examples you give or will there be any interviews around knowledge of Freightliner as a company. Is it just the one interview?.
Thanks

 

[Stigy]

Hello
I have an assessment day for the Mendip advert this wednesday. In terms of the interview on the day if I get that far is it conducted by OPC around the examples you give or will there be any interviews around knowledge of Freightliner as a company. Is it just the one interview?.
Thanks

You’ll have the MMI (Multi-Modal Interview) which is part of the psychometric assesments and conducted by OPC, and if you pass that, you’ll have a DMI (Driver Manager Interview) which isn’t part of the testing and is done by Freightliner themselves. I wouldn’t worry about the interviews yet though as you have stage one assesments to undertake and pass before being invited to stage two, which is when you’ll sit the MMI.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

Really appreciate your reply. So when I go on the assessment next week it will just be an interview by OPC around some written examples.?
Cheers Adam

 

[Stigy]

Really appreciate your reply. So when I go on the assessment next week it will just be an interview by OPC around some written examples.?
Cheers Adam

Sorry I’m confused, I may have had the wrong end of the stick. Is it just an interview you’ve been invited to? Have you passed the Psychometric assessments previously within 5-years? If you’ve not done any of these assesments before you won’t be doing an interview on this date, however it sounds like you’ve been invited to stage 2 assessments? If that’s the case, then you’d probably do the MMI and DMI on the same date. The MMI is the one I think you’re referring to when you say about written examples. Hope this makes sense.

It should be clear in your invite email what you’ll be expected to do on the day, if it isn’t, you need to contact OPC to clarify so you know for sure.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

Hello
Sorry I have not been clear it is the first assessment I have passed two online tests. The invite states
- The Multi-modal interview (MMI)
- Manager interview (please bring your CV with you on the day for this interview)

So that reads to me there are two interviews on the day that is why am asking if anyone knows.
I have emailed OPC but they have not got back to me.

Thanks

 

[Paulm36]

Hello
Sorry I have not been clear it is the first assessment I have passed two online tests. The invite states
- The Multi-modal interview (MMI)
- Manager interview (please bring your CV with you on the day for this interview)

So that reads to me there are two interviews on the day that is why am asking if anyone knows.
I have emailed OPC but they have not got back to me.

Thanks

Hello mate
When I did my assessments with freightliner last August, they broke it down into 2 days, first stage is the paper and pencil tests, if you pass them you get invited to stage 2 which is the computer tests, the mmi and the managers interview. Does the email state how long to expect the day to last? If it says 4 hours it will probably be stage 1 only, if it says expect to be there all day, then freightliner may have combined the 2 stages and you should expect to do both stage 1 stage 2 which includes the mmi and then the managers interview last thing. The mmi interview will be conducted by the opc, and will be all questions such as tell us a time when you've dealt with an emergency situation, and the managers interview will be more along the lines of what you know about freightliner, why you want to be a driver and why freightliner. Good luck.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

Thankyou
Im glad I asked now yes it says 09.00 til 17.30. So I should expect someone from Freightliner there then.
How does the second interview differ from the MMI is it similar but a bit more detailed. Any tips?

Thanks again Adam.

 

[Paulm36]

Thankyou
Im glad I asked now yes it says 09.00 til 17.30. So I should expect someone from Freightliner there then.
How does the second interview differ from the MMI is it similar but a bit more detailed. Any tips?

Thanks again Adam.

It sounds like they are trying to get it all done in 1day, and they've asked you to prepare for a managers interview, so yes definitely expect to meet a manager and normally someone from HR.
For me the mmi was quite intense, so learn your answers well and think of a couple of examples for all the questions as it's quite common place for them to ask for a different answer, this I think is just to test your nerve. The managers interview, again for me, was extremely relaxed, they put you at ease very quickly. It was nothing like the mmi to be honest and was more geared around me, my understanding of the role, why I wanted it and what I had bothered to learn about freightliner as a company. There was a couple of competency type questions as well, but nothing to stress about if you've prepared well for the mmi. Other tips would be try and get a good night's rest, go as smart as possible and try and stay calm. Good luck mate.

 

[Stigy]

Hello
Sorry I have not been clear it is the first assessment I have passed two online tests. The invite states
- The Multi-modal interview (MMI)
- Manager interview (please bring your CV with you on the day for this interview)

So that reads to me there are two interviews on the day that is why am asking if anyone knows.
I have emailed OPC but they have not got back to me.

Thanks

So they are doing then? Have you done any paper tests? Sorry if I reading this wrong?

With Freightliner when I had mine, it was over the two days. You progress to stage two once the stage one has been successfully completed. Then stage two are the computer assessments and assuming you pass them, you’ll go for your MMI, then the DMI. Or the other way around.

I only had to do the interviews as I’d already passed the other tests. I heard the results of my MMI less than 5-minutes after sitting the interview (couldn’t even make a cuppa!). Then I was straight in to DMI. I’ve heard some don’t get the MMI results until a few days later though so I guess it just depends.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

It must be all on the same day as the computer stuff is on same day as paper stuff.
Other than google and Freightliner website are there any other sourses of info around the company.
How much detail/info do they require.
One question I have is around customer service. It plays a massive part of passenger companies will they expect me to mention this in the answers.

Cheers

 

[Paulm36]

It must be all on the same day as the computer stuff is on same day as paper stuff.
Other than google and Freightliner website are there any other sourses of info around the company.
How much detail/info do they require.
One question I have is around customer service. It plays a massive part of passenger companies will they expect me to mention this in the answers.

Cheers

To be honest mate, different managers will have different outlooks on how much is enough, but there's plenty of information on their website. That's all I used. As your interviewing for a depot that's going to be doing a lot of the mendip work maybe learn a bit about that as well.

 

[Adam Mcgregor]

Thankyou

Really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Stigy]

It must be all on the same day as the computer stuff is on same day as paper stuff.
Other than google and Freightliner website are there any other sourses of info around the company.
How much detail/info do they require.
One question I have is around customer service. It plays a massive part of passenger companies will they expect me to mention this in the answers.

Cheers

Just research their routes/depots/traction and goods they carry. Mention about them being part of Genesee & Wyoming (since 2016?) etc etc. You don’t need to go in too too much detail, but show you’ve done your homework.

Customer service is as important to a FOC as it is a TOC, it’s just that their customers aren’t commuters or the travelling public necessarily (not all the time, as sometimes FOCs haul charter services). Use customer service and safety as the basis for all your examples/answers and you’ll not go far wrong. I should say at this point that I was unsuccessful with Freightliner at my DMI....but I keep telling myself it is just the luck of the draw with these things sometimes lol. Good luck!

 

[Nic nic]

GWR recruited for a talent pool at Westbury not long ago, as that not in your neck of the woods?

I know the advert was up for around 30 hours by the time I had the time to apply the advert was pulled. Lesson learnt and all set up on the first site now just hoping Bristol or Exeter come on again (think I am in for a long wait )

 

[TheNewGuy]

This waiting in the pool is painful!

I assume HR are busy getting everything ready for the May course. Anyone heard anything beyond that? Or when future courses are likely to be?

 

[crebbs1]

It is really painful, I agree, I’ve not heard a thing since January.

 

[Lenny_1986]

I didn’t even know a May course had been confirmed yet.

 

[crebbs1]

I didn’t even know a May course had been confirmed yet.

Same here, haven’t heard anything about a course in may.

 

[GLENMAYE77]

Not heard anything re a course either although I fear those of us not in the pool for London or Bristol areas may have a longer wait yet......it’s almost 8 months since my stage 1 assessments.

 

[Westcoast-ting]

I spoke to them in feb about the shunt opportunity and nothing since !

I was thinking new financial year and things will move forward ! Yes oh well

 

[Jordan ruck]

This waiting in the pool is painful!

I assume HR are busy getting everything ready for the May course. Anyone heard anything beyond that? Or when future courses are likely to be?

Haven’t heard a single thing since being told I was placed in the talent pool. Happy to wait however it would just be nice to be kept in the loop of things.
Does anybody have an email address for HR they can send over? Thinking about dropping them an email to see if they have any kind of idea whatsoever when we will hear something.

 

[Lenny_1986]

I emailed them a couple of weeks ago and to my surprise they got back to me straight away, sadly it was not very informative and I was told that no information was available reference future courses or locations.

 

[GLENMAYE77]

Haven’t heard a single thing since being told I was placed in the talent pool. Happy to wait however it would just be nice to be kept in the loop of things.
Does anybody have an email address for HR they can send over? Thinking about dropping them an email to see if they have any kind of idea whatsoever when we will hear something.

The email should be the same one they sent you your congrats your in the talent pool email from.
traineetraindriver something.

 

[Kieran66200]

I've applied for the trainee train driver with Feightliner for the mendip work and passed all the OPC tests and have been invited to take the train driver test in May with Freightliner. However I'm sure I read that they accept previous train driver results from upto 5 years? I ask this because I did all the train driver tests with DBC 4 years ago and passed so would they accept those results or ask me to resit them?
Thank you for any help.