Meet Darran Carvell, Roadsweeper Driver

Darran joined TJ in 2018 and has enjoyed working for TJ over the past year or so. Outside of work Darran loves tinkering with cars and has recently gotten his own classic car – a vintage Mini – on the road after 12 years of hard work! He also enjoys spending time with his grandchildren at the weekends.

What does your role involve?

Driving the road sweeping vehicle! Clients employ my services to go to their sites and sweep the roads and to keep the site clean and clear. Quite often this will be for construction companies, but it can also be for other businesses or public events. My days basically involve going to the client’s sites, liaising with the foreman or contact person to confirm what needs doing, then getting on with doing a good job!

Sometimes if my workload is lighter or the skip hire service is particularly busy, I will step in and provide cover as a skip lorry driver. This involves delivering, collecting and swapping over skips from locations all over the south. This can be for domestic or commercial customers and I will usually complete between 6 and 12 jobs per day.

In both of these roles, my primary concern is always ensuring that the client is happy and providing them with a sterling service usually does that!

What’s your career background?

I’ve had various driving jobs over the years and have a great deal of experience. I’ve worked as a delivery driver for several companies and I was a roadsweeper driver in Portsmouth Dockyard for many years. I’ve always been vigilant at keeping my driver training up-to-date to ensure that I meet all the safety requirements within any driving role.

When I joined TJ I had to do assessment training to allow them to check the standard of my driving; this is really good as it is a surefire way of ensuring all drivers are of a high standard.

We also have to complete CPC training every five years, which is the certification that allows drivers to drive commercially. TJ also carry out occasional driver assessor spot checks to make sure every driver’s skills are up to scratch and that no bad habits have been picked up. Although it sounds daunting, it is really good from a safety point of view.

What are the most challenging and rewarding elements of your role?

The most challenging aspect of the role is when you turn up to a construction site and the road is caked with two inches of mud and they ask you to clean it off! It is doable but it takes a lot of effort and patience, but it’s worth it when the client sees the clean road at the end of it! That’s the most rewarding bit – seeing satisfied customers and also knowing in yourself that you’ve done a good job for them.

What is the importance of your role?

The role of roadsweeper driver is an essential one as it enables companies to keep their sites and premises clean and clear and prevents complaints from surrounding businesses and residents.

Why is TJ a great place to work?

There is a really friendly atmosphere here and the people are great; everyone pulls together to do a good job at all times and you always feel part of a proper team.

TJ are also very flexible in that if you need occasional time off or support with a personal issue, they are happy to give that. They also provide a range of comprehensive training, which not only allows me to keep my skills up-to-date, but also makes me feel valued.

Learn more about TJ Waste as a company and the services they offer…