We love all things transport and logistics, but when our amazing members of the team say it for us, it means the world. Here we look at two very different people’s experiences in our world; please meet 72-year-old Jack, and 30-year-old Ethan.
Jack was first employed with the business back in the early 1980s by founder Rhys Howells, and he spent many years moving automobile parts across Germany and driving a Scania 111.
Originally wanting to grow up to be a farmer, his mother said he was born with wheels in his head and so Jack finding love for the big road came as no surprise to his family.
In 2017 he retired and moved to Bangkok with his wife, but he missed the trucks too much and so he returned to Monex, and to this day, he’s still very much on the payroll! His favourite job is driving the lorry to Dover, as he enjoys getting the gossip from familiar faces when he arrives before he changes the trailer and makes the return journey.
When asked to give us some advice for newer members of staff Jack said:
Never be embarrassed to ask; don’t be thrown into the deep end and make sure you are trained. Use your head and ask smart people questions!
When reflecting on his time travelling around Germany, he says he was never upset going to work, even if it did mean being away two weeks at a time from his loved ones. He knew the whole community on his travels and made lifelong friends from those trips – he even thinks he had more friends in Germany than he did here by the end!
Jack said: “Things have changed a lot in these years though, we used to have to find a pay phone for calls but now we have mobile phones and added technology which is great, however with those advancements come some negatives such as more traffic jams, and fewer spaces to stay on route as all the stop places are far busier which is more stressful when compared to my early days driving.
A fond memory I do have is seeing James (today’s managing director James Howells) as a kid flying around on a quad, and how I have very much enjoyed working for him over the years and watching him grow. The Monex Group really does feel like an extended family, with loyalty and enjoyment of travelling and community being key values. Although you might be travelling solo a lot of the time, you’ll never feel alone with the team at home and the range of friends and colleagues everywhere en route.
Jack inspires everyone who works here at Monex Group with his enthusiasm, loyalty, and love of driving.
One of our youngest drivers is 30-year-old Ethan who drives an Artic HIAB, the Scania R450, with a cab mounted 65 crane. An avid car enthusiast, Ethan's favourite place is Silverstone, racing cars and being into anything with an engine.
Licensed to work with any size Hiab, he loves to travel to unique locations, with the GCHQ in Bude being his favourite one given that it’s a satellite disk right on the cliffs and is extremely guarded given its location.
So, what does a typical day look like for Ethan?
He’s likely to be up at 5am (depending on how much travel is needed for the next job) but he’ll be going up to C U Phosco Lighting in Coleford to pick up a loaded trailer. He’ll get the columns (lampposts) strapped down and then figure out the best route to successfully make all of the deliveries, which normally spans two-three days.
Deliveries will involve him driving to the destination, using the crane himself to unload them, before setting off for the next delivery. Ensuring he’s driving within the tacho limits, he’ll either drive to the next, or take a well-deserved rest stop until safe to continue.
When asked about working at Monex, Ethan said: “I’ve learned so much already and while I'd say my decision-making skills have come a long way since I started, the biggest improvement is critical thinking by a landslide. You must have good assessment skills to get the job done since the job is a constant evolvement of scenarios and working under pressure because you are the key to getting the job done, no one can help you or pick up the slack.”
If you’ve been inspired by Jack and Ethan and want to discover or develop your path and enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding line of work within a well-respected industry, then we have the Monex Logistics Academy.
Our dedicated training facility is part of the Monex Group and has a simple process - choose and apply for your required application, receive training and support from our highly skilled trainers here in Newport, and once you have passed, we will assist you in finding work. For more information or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us https://www.monexacademy.com/c...