They promise the earth, claiming to be a caring company they just drop you like a hot stone if you fall ill. A colleague of mine had cancer and after working at Fowler Welch for 5 years and not a day off sick, statutory sick pay only, nearly lost his house, no compassion whatsoever. Long hours maxed out at every opportunity and a poor driving bonus £250 quarterly which you can lose very easily. Drivers get the blame for everything and pay is poor. Avoid like the plague.

Pros

None

Cons

Long hours

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Avoid avoid avoid

Hgv class 1 driver (Former Employee) - Washington, Tyne and Wear - 31 December 2021

A good company being dragged down by shambolic management and planners. These people have no idea how to run a transport company plan 15 hour shifts regularly expect you to bend over backwards to help them but will do nothing for you. If you want to be treated like you are a worthless piece of fecal matter then this is the job for you

Pros

Absolutely none

Cons

Poor management clueless rude foul mouthed planners

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Warehouses

WAREHOUSE TEAM LEADER (Former Employee) - Newton Abbot - 10 November 2021

Bad management. Bad environment. Poor work continues. Disorganised. Transport supervisor has to many dirty way's. Smells. Disorganised. All ways needs help to do is job

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Work balance

HGV 2 Driver and warehouse (Former Employee) - Washington - 21 September 2021

To earn a good wage here you gave to do many many hours as the hourly rate is quite poor and to hit a different rate was 50hrs a week. On the plus side the actual manual handling and health and safety was very good

Pros

None

Cons

Very long hours for a decent wage

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What a terrible place

Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Spalding, Lincolnshire - 1 August 2021

When I worked here I got just over the NMW, not NLW like you would expect. Your expected to work 15 hour days 5 days a week and get shouted at for telling management NO! You get forced to night out if your not a tramper. Trucks are ok, trailers are falling apart, the whole place needs a change of management. Management are a joke. The only good side of working here are some of the other drivers and the food truck that is here.

Pros

Not that many

Cons

Too many to mention

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Good place

Customer Service Operations Administrator (Former Employee) - Spalding, Lincolnshire - 30 June 2021

Amazing team. Good managers. Not bad salary. Have benefits. Not often but anyway. If you show yourself as a good employee you can be nominated for award.

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It’s a job. Nothing special

HGV Driver (Former Employee) - Washington, Tyne and Wear - 26 June 2021

Great for new starter drivers as training is good and plenty of help there. The job itself is ok. Wages are poor as every other hgv job out there. if you have the right coloured eyes or play golf you will go far especially at the Washington depot. Work life balance is below average due to the early starts so your are always tired. Office staff are friendly enough but the planners mostly haven’t got a clue always running drivers hours to the max. Washington depot is a very clicky place as I said earlier. Play golf or have a family member on the management side then you will be ok otherwise stay clear. But. It’s a job and we all have to work to pay bills so make your own mind up.

Pros

Driver training

Cons

Management

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Poor wages , no compassion, and very petty rules

Warehouse Operative (Former Employee) - Rochdale - 19 June 2021

Poor wages for night shift, management are none caring and very petty with company rules, some of us have had extremely difficult times and family issues during lockdown and COVID but the senior staff and management are unsympathetic and very demanding putting a lot of staff on disciplinary’s .

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Alright to start

Class 1 Driver (Current Employee) - Spalding - 6 June 2021

Bad planning and lowest wages round The hours are usually very long.unfortunatelly company deducts 30 min for your brake so they don't pay you for it.

Pros

Good trucks flexible with start times

Cons

Long hours bad planning extremely low wage

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Awful

Ex driver (Former Employee) - Teynham, Kent - 25 April 2021

New trucks and trailers,very dirty,was a lovely job many years ago,but now a driver is regarded as a skinny by many young people in the office,often given a job nr end off day and if you challenge it answer is "your the only driver we have mate" when office staff are polite to you,you know they have had a bollocking! Avoid this place if you can!

Pros

Many including docking your money for breaks

Cons

Long hours

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Jobs at Fowler Welch

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Very poor

Class 1 driver (Former Employee) - Washington - 24 April 2021

Very poor working conditions, always pushed to work maximum hours and you'll get suspended for refusing reasonable request when you decide not to work over 10 hours. Pay is terrible, was lucky to clear 350 a week for class 1. Planners will send you out as many times as they can and it makes the job stressful as you never know when you'll finish, you always expect 15 hour shifts.

Pros

The lads

Cons

Long hours, pay, management

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Badly run depot

Warehouse Operative (Former Employee) - Linton, Kent - 28 January 2021

The only good thing about working here was the pay. There are too many managers, who don't know what's going on half the time. Then there is the back stabbing that cost me my job when I had done nothing wrong! Thanks a lot Fowler Welch @Linton.

Pros

Pay, easy workload

Cons

Poor management, terrible colleagues.

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Ex Driver Employee Washington

Driver (Former Employee) - Washington, Tyne and Wear - 25 October 2020

Watched this company go from very good to worse than bad. Office staff have no idea how to route runs, talk about saving diesel! All they are interested in is having you drive as though your a robot. Training officers, that couldn't train a puppy to sit. No appreciation for going out of your way to get a delivery done, when others couldn't. Laurel and Hardy aren't as funny as these lot. Do yourself a favour and work for a company that appreciates you and knows exactly what they are doing.

Pros

free parking

Cons

no appreciation

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Inclusive, fast-paced company

Learning & Development Manager (Current Employee) - HQ - 2 October 2020

This company gave me a foot back onto the career ladder after taking a break to have my children. They were able to accommodate my need for a work:life balance whilst allowing me the independence and autonomy to grow a small team. It is very fast-paced and wont suit everyone but I have really enjoyed the challenge and stimulation. My manager is the best I've ever had and I've benefited from a cohesive team of peer and a brilliant team working with me.

Pros

Opportunity to impact positively, flexibility, career progression

Cons

The office environment isn't the most plush!

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Teynham Clueless office staff

Driver (Former Employee) - Teynham, Kent - 28 August 2020

Plenty of waiting about for units and or trailers then expected to carry on as you haven’t been waiting around for 3 hours.communication between Transport office And warehouse is non existent transport give out impossible jobs for day work Like the 3rd drop is in Leicester 11 hours into the shift question it and the answer you get is don’t worry we’ll sort something out like what a helicopter??

Pros

Units are new and clean

Cons

The whole thing

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No management support

Sales Ledger Administrator (Former Employee) - Spalding - 12 July 2020

While working at Fowler Welch there was no support from my team supervisor even when verbal bullying was happening. It seemed as though she was afraid to say anything as the person in question covered for her when on holiday. My supervisors boss also was unapproachable. I got to the point I didn't want to go into work so ended up leaving my position. A very clicky company

Pros

Close to where I lived

Cons

No support from supervisors or higher

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nice people

Transport operator (Former Employee) - Portsmouth, Hampshire - 28 June 2020

was an ok company to work for, didn't like the hours i was working as i lost a lot of social life. would suit someone who doesn't mind sacrificing these

Pros

good people

Cons

long hours at social times

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Not reccomended

Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Heywood, Greater Manchester - 24 May 2020

I enjoy the work but found the planning to be lacking. The team of drivers was very supportive and great to work with, but with a few exceptions, the supervision and expectation was unworkable and unrealistic.

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Changes required

Warehouse (Current Employee) - Heywood, Greater Manchester - 21 May 2020

Where should i start? Limited training, limited opportunities, poor MHE, cold, old and dated. Management are poor, like to be seen to be acting proper, but anything to save there own skin. Too many managers - this leads to no consistancy. Pherhaps looking at this could save a lot of money. Invest in people who do a job there

Pros

Canteen

Cons

Toilets are rotten, old, long hours

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Approach to the workplace

Warehouse Operative (Former Employee) - Teynham, Kent - 20 May 2020

I like company and i would like to comeback, but to go to work to Paddock Wood is too far. I was working Teynham warehouse, small very friendly team, but all staff had to leave a work because that closed.

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Bad place to work

Goods In Operative (Former Employee) - Heywood, Greater Manchester - 18 March 2020

Very clicky mamagement, dont appreciate any agency workers although its the agency workers that have the hardest jobs in there. Very dangerous place to work as not the best with on site safety. Managers more interested in themselves and their image.

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