QR Trainee Driver positions

Expost · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:34 pm

All I will say, from my first trip out in the real world last night is,

Walking a train in the rain at midnight is something to be experienced.

Cheers
Expost

Trenton · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:49 pm

PI_Dash_9 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:14 am

That's nothing mate, try walking a 2.5 km long ore train in the Pilbara and applying 234 hand brakes on the way when it is 47 degrees.

TTDWannabe · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:27 pm

What's the go PI, Do you have a handbrake on each Bogie?

Sometimes life is about doing things that we don't want to do.

PI_Dash_9 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:04 pm

No we have 234 x 120 tonne wagons on each train. The wagons are are lot shorter than coal wagons because iron ore is nearly twice as heavy as coal.

Good to hear you guys are enjoying your new jobs.

TheWeapon · Beginner Joined: May 30, 2008 Last Visited: Nov 29, 2008

Still no word, has anyone else heard anything lately?

pfor950 · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:17 pm

With ARG who know's what will happen with future training for freight depot's.
ARG seem to have the depot's that were in this years remaining choices.
The one's I was given earlier anyway.
Also QR have reorganised the application process so internals, I would guess, have first go at the new format.
When in doubt give HR a call.
Luckily i have signed my contract and start at the end of August at Bluff?
Anyone have any info on housing at Bluff. In my last correspondence from QR our group are housed in the quarters for stage 2.
Is there a chance of housing at the quarters when we finish stage 3.
Thanks,

Trenton · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:51 pm

PI_Dash_9 · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:13 am

coachdriver · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:00 am

Bye_Q_Health · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:08 pm

Hi Guys:

pfor50 -

ARG are taking over the running of freight at Mt Isa and Cloncurry. Guys from QR are being given the option of going to ARG, but by the sounds they have to quit QR and sign up with ARG - as to what benefits they take with them is still being thrashed out. Not a happy situation, and as to what happens to guys who do not want to go with ARG , well..................

As to the new version of the application process, last word I read was that apparently, noone gets first shot, it will be fair with releases of info to both internal and external at the same time. Probably for Mt Isda / Curry - they might logically go that way, as there is no other issues to carry over as completely new employees.

Coachdriver , yep there are separate agreements being made up and making separate entities business wise out of Freight, Coal and Pax with also admin and Access. The word is that QR wants to hang onto coal as such and still control (somehow) but have Freight and Pax run independently, probably along the same lines as QR owns ARG - who knows though.

AS to the contract - yeap, signed one. You're right, fail two, then give cause as to why you should not continue etc otherwise, you are given one weeks notice if not accepted. However, the trainers are very good, and are there to get you through, daunting and a little pressure - Yes? You always have the B paper to fall back on and then you brush up on your weaknesses.

As to driver tutoring - still waiting for a tutor on that one at Jilalan. 20 of us floating around for stage 4 tutorless. Then in about another 8 weeks or so another 27 odd will hit Jilalan and play the waiting game. You have some control in STage 4 in that you get assessed not just when your tutor feels you are ready but also yourself.

Something else, when the expansion at Jilalan is finished, the group performing the works will then move to Yukan and start laying track for PN. Word is at the end of the year they need 150 drivers and will start seeing if they can poach from the area, namely us at Jilalan, and those nearby.

Hope the wait is not long as long for others and that you guys get there soon. QR seems to be in a state of flux with new non QR guy at the helm with different ideas, and other competitors knocking on the door here as QR will not cope with some other 17 mines opening up in time to come.

Further, new word is Jilalan will now be 20 drivers or so short and therefore will need to now recruit a further 20 on top of all of us, so hope is not in vain guys.

Best of Luck
Glenn

pfor950 · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:32 pm

G'Day Glenn,
It doesn't seem that long ago that you were looking forward to your start date and searching for a house up there?
I've now only got 24 days to go Shocked

, with my father passing away recently and all thats involved trying to settle his affairs,time seems to be flying by and I'm trying to fit in everything before I go.
What's your shift routine like when you get to stage 4 and there's no tutor drivers?
I may be in the same boat at Bluff, as our class will only be 5 weeks apart from the previous mob and there's the Expost crew as well.

Regards,
Paul.

bundyfowler · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:36 pm

nic83 · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:15 pm

Hi everybody.
Welcome to the guys who started out at Bluff last monday. Hope it's all going well for you. Forgot to keep an eye out to say hi at the motel last Sunday night since I'm still living here waiting on the ladies quarters/ share houses to be finished.
Paul, just wanted to let you know my experience re: tutors. Who knows how it is happening for everone else. In my experienc, I have a tutor but he also has a trainee from the last group starting November so things tend to vary for me. Most times we get rostered on as a 3 person crew, other times I might get rostered on as a Driver's assistant for another qualified driver. Both sitations have been extremely beneficial for me. Going out as a 3 man crew is great because my tutor often gets the more experienced trainee to explain the road to me and various shut of points etc while I'm driving which obviously gives different driving techniques and helps to cement things in the other trainee's mind. And going out as a DA has also been great as I've gotten to meet more people around the depot and simply learning the routes just by riding along with the other driver can only benefit future driving I believe. So to cut a long story short. I believe that if it happens that tutors aren't available right away, there is no disadvantage to cruising around as a DA for a while.
Best wishes to everyone out there enduring the training.
Nic

Heavy Hauler · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:31 pm