R T Keedwell Ltd Employee Reviews
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5 out of 10
Tramper (Current Employee) - Uk - 23 February 2023
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The most useful review selected by IndeedThis job is no different to any other. I’ve had better, I’ve had worse. The money is ok but the trucks are terrible.You’re left to just get on with it.
Pros
Money
Cons
Trucks
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
9 August 2023We have had over 80 new trucks this year and they are continually coming in
If you like driving the worst trucks on the road and have your wages deducted from you this is the place for you
HGV Driver (Former Employee) - Devizes - 13 October 2023
The trucks are awful like the worst out there hangin and I’ve seen they are getting new trucks they are near enough exactly the same inside it’s a Mercedes truck probably the worst trucks on the road along with the Renaults pushed all the time you have your breaks deducted I worked here for a month and the turn over in staff is incrediable why don’t you look at why people leave all the time trucks and wages and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad there are trucks with out fridges microwaves I mean that is not on in 2023 I no you get an invertor but 95% of companies put in microwaves and fridges as standard
Pros
When I left
Cons
To may to list trucks wages
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Insights into R T Keedwell Ltd
What people like
- Fair pay for job
Areas for improvement
- Sense of belonging
- Energising work tasks
- Ability to learn new things
Bullying culture!
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Hensall, North Yorkshire - 23 July 2023
Equipment is well past its due date, The trucks are appalling inside and out. They give a truck, you have to spend your own money on stuff to clean it with! If your truck becomes dirty again inside, they then charge you for cleaning it after providing you with nothing! Straps/ratchets are in short supply, constantly searching for enough to strap your load. Drivers to contribute up to £500 towards accident damages. Management constantly lying to drivers, will turn even the slightest responsibility into the drivers fault, and take zero responsibility themselves, they don't look at drivers hours when planning.Unless you are one of the favourites, you're treated as a disposable bum on a seat. Proper rank treatment from top to bottom of management towards drivers.
Pros
Going home at end of the week
Cons
Pushed constantly into going over hours
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Unattainable goals
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Kingston upon Hull - 20 July 2023
From my first day it went downhill,first day in and nobody had told me the vehicle I was driving or even the codes to get on site.Planners with no experience of haulage and unrealistic timeline’s definitely the “it’s only this far on the map” type.They were using computer maps set up for cars to plan hgv routes.Every email from HR was threatening to deduct money for even minor infractions and they knew nothing about the job you were doing(I doubt HR even knew what a truck looked like).The driver team were excellent but beyond that the company as a whole were clueless.It’s a job and a means to get experience but nothing more
Pros
All snap parking
Cons
No home life and treated poorly
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They not pay fare full of clowns
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Hensall, North Yorkshire - 15 April 2023
If dvla check your wagon you can lost your driving licence and they do not care. Bonus for perfect driving is 15pounds no coments. Push you to MAXIMUM 68h no problem for minimum wage.
Pros
Better to steal than work for them
Cons
All
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
8 August 2023Would like to see your Tacho card and happy to discuss hours !
Avoid avoid avoid
HGV Driver (Former Employee) - Hensall - 4 April 2023
One the worst firms in Yorkshire to work for.Units are old and desperately need attention.You will be laid of if it quiet.Bullying culture Wages short every week.No management in hensall.
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
8 August 2023We have a good Management team in Hensall - A lot of new units now arrived - Any driver that phoned to qustion wages is dealt with straight away and corrected if wrong.
Fast paced constantly evolving workplace
HGV Driver class 1 (Former Employee) - Hensall, North Yorkshire - 6 February 2023
New challenges and obstacles to overcome daily. Exciting place to work where all staff go above and beyond to help where possible.New job opportunities arising all the time to help with progression.
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General haulage
HGV Class 1 Driver (Current Employee) - Highbridge, Somerset - 4 February 2023
It's general haulage, so if your a family person and like to be home it's a definite no go even on days . But if you like to be away all or most the week 👍. Hours can be extremely demanding when busy 60 + and reducing 3x a week is common but that's general haulage be prepared it takes it toll.But no worse no better than most general haulage jobs .
Pros
Pay is good, new trucks starting to arrive
Cons
Very long hours, lack of communication with drivers, parking is poor for tramping.
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Think again
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Highbridge - 8 December 2022
The longer you here the worst you are treated. Dont get your own unit and have to constantly share them. Certain office staff have very bad people skills and talk to you lije u shouldn't exisrlt
Cons
Long hours, old lorries. Rude staff
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
9 August 2023All trampers have their own trucks - day men that have been with us for a while also have their own trucks
Poor company
Class 1 tramper (Former Employee) - Highbridge, Somerset - 29 October 2022
Where to start the pay is average but you do need to be hitting the 60-70 hour mark a week to make decent money as it’s different rates for the wheels rolling, which is fine if they had a decent planning team that actually planned ahead a lot of time is wasted waiting for them to find the next job. You could find some days to get your full hours in and another to be sat for 10+ hours waiting to load because they haven’t planned any jobs in. Be expected to roll in/work every other Saturday on top of that long week. PPE issued is actually good as is the handbook. Trucks mate improving with the new fleet, trailers are a shocking state though. Traffic team are beyond useless none of them communicate or even look at a map. They will stitch you up if you get on the wrong side of them. They have favourites so they get the better jobs and more driving time etc or put you on stupid jobs to make sure you don’t make it home on the Friday. Although from speaking to drivers it seems that highbridge is the issue as all other locations have decent planners. Overall Manager is great totally understanding and fights for his drivers, really great bloke. The own yards they will try to make you stay in are absolutely grim, toilets broken or just never cleaned, showers never cleaned and broken. Carlisle was the best kept year and looked after. If money was spent doing these up it wouldn’t be so bad, a hot shower in the evening is all you want. Overall it’s a good company to start in the industry or go back to if you need a place to go.
Pros
Good PPE
Cons
Really poor planning team and yard facilities
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
9 August 2023We had new toilets built in Highbridge for Drivers only in 2021 - they are cleaned daily. if dirty it is only how drivers have left themIn Highbridge we have the best traffic team we have ever had speak to people like you want to be spoken to
Jobs at R T Keedwell Ltd
Great company to work for
HGV Class 1 Driver (Current Employee) - Highbridge, Somerset - 22 May 2022
There are always drivers that whinge and moan..... My experience of RTK has been overwhelmingly positive. Yes they push you to get the job done and the hours are long, but isn't that what the job is about? Money is good, transport office are friendly and management are supportive. Trucks and trailers are being updated.
Pros
Good money
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
9 August 2023Thank you for your positive comments. 80 new trucks coming in this year
Not best place I’ve worked. Planning office seem to have no idea.
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Highbridge, Somerset - 9 May 2022
Poor Company they bill you for damage even if it’s not your damage. Equipment is shocking and old. Always taking trailers to be fixed drivers don’t care. The lorry’s are old and all limited to 53 witch is simply dangerous.
Pros
Money
Cons
Long hours
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
9 August 2023A driver has never been billed for damage that isn't theres - plenty of new lorries coming through now - had a problem like everyone during covid
Long hours, low pay. Monday to Friday job. They load your vehicle and have your run ready every morning.
HGV Class 2 Driver (Current Employee) - Glasgow - 19 April 2022
It's not a bad place to work if you don't want that much money. Even if you work 50-55 hours per week your still going to end up with about 410£-440£ per week in your account. I can see that there are jobs with much better pay out there for hgv drivers than this one.It's Monday to Friday for class 2 hgv drivers. It's usually 8am-6pm shift. But maybe 1-2 times p/week they call you 6am, so you do a 12 hour shift (6am-6pm). Once a week you'll probably do a 13-14 hour shift.They don't bother you much if you get the job done, they have your run ready every morning. You just grab the keys, check the pallets and go. They don't pay for breaks.Offloading 1 ton pallets with a manual pallet truck at random houses, shops or small farms that you can't even drive in with the lorry, is the hard part of the job in my opinion, but this doesn't happen too often. Maybe you'll have 1 of these difficult drops per day, or 1 every 2 days. It's random.Other than that, it's ok to work there. Again: if you don't want to have much life Monday-Friday and you don't want that much money.You also work alone which is great. If you get the drops and do the job, no one bothers you.
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Awful
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Hensall, North Yorkshire - 26 February 2022
Horrendous, my first job as a class 1 driver. Was promised support and a mentor for at least the first week. Got absolutely nothing other than 30mins on the first day and was then criticised once mistakes were made. Found another company where I was given the proper support. Best thing that happened getting away from the company.
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Many areas to improve on
HGV Class 1 Driver (Former Employee) - Highbridge, Somerset - 25 February 2022
• I asked for training in the interview and didn’t get any. I was thrown straight in the deep end from day 1 (however, I did see 1 other driver receiving training whilst I was there). • Unrealistic workload, and will even try to add some more on top of that. • They have a system that can see when you put your card in the tacho, so you get paid from that time. I made the mistake of going to the office to pick up paperwork first, then I’d go to the truck. • Force you into reduced rests as much as possible. Will take you as close to 60 hours as they possibly can (and more in my case because I was naive). • Will tell you that you’ve still got 3 hours left…at the 12 hour mark. • A lot of the office staff are very nice, but, some of them like to bad-mouth drivers if they aren’t the fastest (even if it’s not the driver’s fault).• 45 mins unpaid break. • Ratchet straps are like hens teeth. Some trailers have none, some drivers have 40+ in their bins.
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Work Hard = Good Pay
Worker (Current Employee) - Somerset - 16 February 2022
R T Keedwell is a general haulage company, which means the work is varied, you could be in cornwall Monday, Kent, Tuesday and Scotland Thursday. Drivers typically work long hours (the lorry needs to earn its way) If you do a few nights out a week and work hard can earn £40-£50K
Pros
Good Pay rates, Meal Allowance, Night allowance
Cons
Long Hours (as every transport company)
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Good place to work
Admin Assistant (Current Employee) - Highbridge - 12 January 2022
Had no issues with the company at all.Always been fair with regards to working hours and pay. Always something to do and there is always someone willing to help
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Good place to work.
HGV Class 1 Driver (Current Employee) - Hensall, North Yorkshire - 9 January 2022
Started at R.T.Keedwell 4.5 years ago and still enjoy it, has planning problems sometimes but all logistics do.If you work with the office staff not against them, it becomes give and take.As for work/life balance, i chose to be a tramper not them.
Pros
meal allowance / good pay strusture
Cons
long hours sometimes.
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Terrible terrible terrible
Professional HGV driver (Former Employee) - Hensall - 5 January 2022
Health and safety none existent. Liars. No idea about drivers hours and work life balance. Shoddy equipment and vehicles. High turnover of drivers. Profit over safety.
Pros
Are none
Cons
Everything. Avoid like the plague.
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
28 January 2022Health and safety is in place for all staffdrivers hrs are very important to us and Compliance are there to help if drivers don’t understand Drivers are drivers - some drivers look after their lorries others don’t we are in the process of replacing some our vehicles but because of Covid we are up to 2 years behind We have increased our wages in the last 6 months by 40%
Fast Moving Environment
Driver (Current Employee) - Highbridge - 10 December 2021
Good fair Company, they want their pound of flesh but who doesn't in this industry! If you do whats expected of you, you're respected for it. The hours can be long at times but its all about getting the right life balance. I've asked a couple of times to be home and if you're prepared to start a bit earlier and put yourself out it happens, its all about give and take.
Pros
Good wages and recently introduced meal allowance too
Cons
Can be long hours, but it is wherever you go
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Tramper
HGV Class 1 Driver tramper (Former Employee) - Devizes - 1 December 2021
Great place and great people to work for.Enjoyed my time there. Ups and downs as life goes on. Enjoyed most of the time . Can be easy day sometime unexpected hours.Salary was increased twice while there. Enjoyed my time. Left due to some on personal issue.
Pros
Great people and colleague, nice and easy work.
Cons
Depends upon the personal circumstances . Nothing much.
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Official response from R T Keedwell Ltd
2 February 2022welcome back anytime glad you enjoyed your time with us. Have some very good work that drivers enjoy delivering
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Ratings by category
2.7 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
2.7 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
2.9 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
2.6 out of 5 stars for Management
2.7 out of 5 stars for Culture
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