Culina Group Employee Reviews for Driver
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Productive workplace
Driver (Current Employee) - Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire - 10 September 2021
Indeed featured review
The most useful review selected by IndeedThey good people to work with, professional and listen to your work concerns. So far my working experience I haven't had any problem. Somedays are long and other are nice and quick
Pros
Listen to your concerns
Cons
Long hours
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Good place to work
FLT Driver (Former Employee) - Tilbury, Essex - 9 August 2023
Decent people good pay but be prepared to pick even if you’ve joined as a FLT Driver. Picking rates are high and only getting higher which makes a causing issues with workforce
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Insights into Culina Group
Areas for improvement
- Sense of belonging
- Support from manager
- Trust in colleagues
Worked on the agency
Good people easy agency helped along the way by the staff Like everyone the same all helpful and frendily. It was irritating having to drive home during the holiday thats all.
Pros
nice people
Cons
driver
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Unhealthy work/life balance
Start times are given last minute and messed about regularly. Lorry drivers are not machines and good sleeping patterns are essential for health. This company has a good focus on safety but very little on health.The industry needs an overhaul if it's going to attract young, fit and healthy long term workers. Especially if it expects to retain them and keep them healthy.Health checks, toolbox talks, healthy schemes, gym discounts, paid reserve commitments would go a long way.
Pros
Very easy work
Cons
Very unhealthy working hours and conditions.
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Official response from Culina Group
2 August 2022Good Afternoon,We are very sorry to hear that your experience with us was not as positive as it could have been.If possible could you email us some further details about your experience to reviews@culinagroup.com?We can then look into this further and make improvements.Many Thanks,Culina Group
Amazing
Driver (Current Employee) - Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire - 4 December 2021
It’s well paid with the most organised office team I have had the pleasure to experience most are ex drivers and actually have a clue for once! Great team always friendly with other drivers and not rushed around as routes are easily doable within time frame given often early back unless unlucky waiting for other trucks (not the companies fault). Never feel tired or stressed from working unlike many jobs and the manual handling side is nothing more than a couple trolleys off a tail lift or it’s tipped for you at warehouses. Always same start time and fixed routes which I love and is easy to work around home life. Really feel valued here. Company also has great internal progression system and training opportunities as well as strong rewards/benefits programme.F.Y.I Its mainly milk run for muller to the major supermarkets, they also do runs with various other chilled/ambient pallets for rdc
Pros
Pay especially OT, fixed hours and routes, manageable work load
Cons
Pay could be better for weekday workers
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Official response from Culina Group
30 May 2022Hi Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review - it's much appreciated!Many Thanks,Culina Group
Great place money great pension great
Shunter Driver (Current Employee) - Minworth - 24 April 2021
Been here for nearly 18 months. Management are great certainly have your back if you need them there on it .my advice if you want to fit in do your job and shine. Go the extra mile .I don't mean be a muppet or jobsworth but just crack on with no drama and you'll be fine
Pros
Overtime .uniform .pension .management support
Cons
None
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Class 1 C + E Artic Chilled driver CML Telford
C + E Artic Chilled Driver (Former Employee) - Telford, Shropshire - 17 January 2020
Very rude people works here in Transport department. Very stressed Class 1 ( C+E) driving hours. They don't like talking to their drivers on the phone. They look down at their drivers who are doing a very highly skilled job compared to them in the office. Expect to work 15 hours days/night work, 5 days a week. They pretend to follow the Tachograph/working times rules but don't. They don't appear to maintain their HGV's or trailer very well as they have high turnover of drivers that appears to damage them on the regular basis. They employ a lot of Agency drivers but they don't follow the rules of tachograph so they gets a lot of infringements that could cause a lot of problems with VOSA DVSA if stopped by them.
Warehouse loading the lorry/trailers with chilled food were regularly loading them with broken pallets/goods to German supermarket Distribution Centres that Drivers were expected to replace the goods onto new pallets everyday.
Everyday you had to go in a different lorry Scania, Mercedes, Volvo. Too long with the debriefing twice everyday where the office staff makes you feel bad every day with the waiting and derogating have we done this or not! Recently they had a lot of drivers and workforce with Flu illness, but they didn't allow the workforce to have time off to recover properly. In fact they sack them as they did with me. A lot of emails or mobile ringing is needed every day?
Collecting food from the suppliers was a slow job as they weren't always aware we were coming for the collection as the office haven't told them so had quite a few cancelled -
Pros
Salary.
Cons
Long Hours, stressful job, Bad office and transport department.
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Official response from Culina Group
30 May 2022Hi,We are sorry to hear that your experience with us wasn't positive.If possible could you email us some further details to reviews@culinagroup.com so that we can look into this further?Many Thanks,Culina Group
Poor place to work
At the Stafford depot transport and planning Office staff , very very ignorant,
Always pushing you to do more , go faster , paperwork is a nightmare , they don’t just let you get on with the job they are always on ur case , they break their own rules often and when it suits them . Hey give u a job and say when ur done your done but this is not the case . Most drivers on different wages
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Management bad
Driver (Current Employee) - Market Drayton - 20 December 2019
Good company but very bad management. There way is law. Good kit different shift patterns. Can be long hours. No real home time when on shift. And don't do anything wrong and if your face fits you should be okay
Pros
Good pay
Cons
Stress
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Fantastic company to work for
HGV1 Driver (Current Employee) - Haverhill - 4 December 2019
Fantastic company to work for, with excellent Management and work culture. Career prospects are also encouraged with adequate support wherever needed.
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Jobs at Culina Group
Driver positionsRather have diarrhea into my hands and clap
Driver (Former Employee) - Stafford, Staffordshire - 31 October 2019
Agency been here 3weeks (ish) and my god i cant wait to be put elsewhere. Lets start from the beginning.
Trucks share the carpark so trucks are hard to get out and park up.
The interview was simple, fill a few pages in, then a 4 page questionare while they copy your licences. They take you to a room for drug and alcohol testing. Pass that then you go out with the inteeviewer for a shifr.ge then assess your driving then start next day.
Evry day you have to hand over all 3 licences to bevscanned with dvla licence check codea and repeat this every shift.
Working houra can ne 8 hours, 15 or night out but dont tel you.
The teucks range from 17 to 69 pla
Tes, but you cant just get in and go, you have to be assessed on each truck, so 1 for merca, 1 for mann, 1 for daf etc. You then have 1 defect sheet to do your truck to show damage (which is alot of) then ypure expected to pull 4 different trailors in a shift but only 1 diagram to highlight damage.
Trailors are battered, covered in gouges and sxrapes.
The runs are simple BUT youre either waiting about for hours to be loaded or tipped or sent on runs that push you to uour time linits. I regularly do 11 to 15 hour shifts.
The people can be nice, but really dont care about uou. They moan when you have time off. I really cant qait to leave.
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Morons
I worked for these idiots for 6 years through the last recesion , i would of left a lot sooner if there were more jobs around. Treat you like scum , always on your back , no set start time, no sick pay no canteens no decent pension , no benifits to working there what so ever, oh and another reason they always want drivers is because there is 5000 on the banned list for minor infringements , offences or just telling them what they think about things. Typical german dictators! AH would of been proud!
Pros
None
Cons
Lots
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There are worse places to work.
Driver (Current Employee) - Stafford, Staffordshire - 3 April 2019
Been here at Stafford for nearly 3 years.
Once you get to know the job it’s fine.
Expect a 12 hour day and you won’t have any problems. Most days work average is around 10 hours.
Very easy work just driving very rarely have to use a pump truck. Office staff are fare. Place is strict but that’s a good thing. Follow the rules and ultimately stay legal. Work both for you and Culina. Take the good day with the bad. Overall loving it and hope to retire here at Stafford.
Pros
Good kit to work with. Clean work.
Cons
Sometimes have longer days but with average out over the week.
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Working for the gestapo
Ex driver (Former Employee) - Stafford, Staffordshire - 20 December 2018
Pay ok management benefits ok morale is really low,left after 12 years as it was getting worse by the day ,i ran out of the stafford depot and you are now being told that they can change your job start times by up to12 hours so not family orientated and you are just a number, the slightest thing that you do wrong or accused of doing wrong you will be sacked so good luck if anybody wants to work here best thing i did when i left
Pros
Good pay if you can finish early
Cons
Long hours
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Over worked
Driver (Former Employee) - Bristol, Bristol - 22 July 2018
I recently done a very briefe stint with them. Easy job it’s self main reason I left was they were sending me back out after 9 hours, always getting back with barely any working time left so always nearly a night out. Wouldn’t of minded so much if it was paid hourly but your constantly doing 12 hour days for 31500. There’s a lot better out there. Rules and regs also abit military. Nice trucks tho!
Pros
Expierience
Cons
Long hours
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Management are busking it oppressive culture shameful morals
Driver (Former Employee) - Avonmouth, Bristol - 23 June 2018
I tried god knows i tried but so oppressive the culture and naive management structure leads to terrible staff bullying and a massive blame culture.
My father died i was given 3 days off and asked to provide a death certificate,dont go near this shower.
Pros
non at all
Cons
Draconian practices and low grade management
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Poor
Driver (Current Employee) - Haverhill, Suffolk - 16 June 2018
Have not got a clue on how to look after staff. High turn over of staff anyone who's good at there job will leave within months. For such a large company they are clueless.Don't listen to staffs concerns. STEER WELL CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!
Pros
3 days off
Cons
To many to list
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2.7 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
2.9 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
2.6 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
2.4 out of 5 stars for Management
2.4 out of 5 stars for Culture
Questions about Culina Group
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