Having read this board on and off for the last 5/6 years the amount of bad press agencies get is quite alarming, thankfully I’m out of the agency business now have no axe to grind either way, but I like to think in my previous role drivers liked the way we did things, got paid on time (and correctly) and found them as much work as we could. We also provided free uniform and cpc training!
Surely there most be some good news stories?
Truckntrailerman
well,here’s my input…
i’ve been with the same agency, full time since 2002,
we get hi viz, polo shirts, trousers, jumpers and fleeces supplied, ( although it’s been a while since i’ve had any new stuff)
the full time drivers are guaranteed 40 hrs…
we get all our holiday pay.
we have weekday daytime rates, weekday night time rates, saturday rates and sunday/bank holiday rates.
and travel expenses
the only downside is that we aint had a pay rise for 5 yrs.
but i’ve been here for 11 years, so it can’t be too bad.
I loved working on agency. Loads of variety of work, never really got bored. Whilst agencies would tell you all kinds of things to get bums on seats and work covered, very few firms are any different.
Always felt I got paid a fair rate, never had any aggro over holiday pay. Never really felt like I was treated how some say they are by the places I was sent to and I was very rarely given sheds to drive. The only downsides were stuff getting cancelled at the last minute and being woken up at 4am and being asked to go in ASAP to cover someone who’d gone sick at whatever firm.
Trukkertone:
well,here’s my input…
i’ve been with the same agency, full time since 2002,
we get hi viz, polo shirts, trousers, jumpers and fleeces supplied, ( although it’s been a while since i’ve had any new stuff)
the full time drivers are guaranteed 40 hrs…
we get all our holiday pay.
we have weekday daytime rates, weekday night time rates, saturday rates and sunday/bank holiday rates.
and travel expenses
the only downside is that we aint had a pay rise for 5 yrs.
but i’ve been here for 11 years, so it can’t be too bad.
Cheers Trukkertone, sounds like a good agency, I would imagine the agency haven’t upped there charge rates for the last 5 years as well to be fair.
Conor:
I loved working on agency. Loads of variety of work, never really got bored. Whilst agencies would tell you all kinds of things to get bums on seats and work covered, very few firms are any different.Always felt I got paid a fair rate, never had any aggro over holiday pay. Never really felt like I was treated how some say they are by the places I was sent to and I was very rarely given sheds to drive. The only downsides were stuff getting cancelled at the last minute and being woken up at 4am and being asked to go in ASAP to cover someone who’d gone sick at whatever firm.
To be fair the agency / driver realtionship always has an element of gamesmanship to it and as long as you go into it open minded it can be a good start for many new drivers or keep the wolf from the door for others, for every time I’ve had to cancel a driver I’m sure I had as many drivers cancel or no show on me late on 
I think the biggest lie that gets told by an otherwise “straight” firm is when they’ve snatched a client from some other agency by undercutting the rate, and then send you in there thinking you’ll get the old rate when in fact at this outfit, it’s less…
How many different rates are there for working at somewhere like Sainsbury/DHL dartford for instance?
I hate Agy with a passion, not a single positive word to say, I wonder how long this thread will last…
You get out what you put in.
Work with a bad attitude and you get bad work.
Tell the agency what you will or won’t do (can or can’t) tell them the time scale you’re available and the minimum you’ll work for.
Do a good job and and cause no damage. You are only as good as your next job, what you’ve done before is history which can be wiped out by one bad hair day.
Remember when an agency rings you up they are offering you work, which usually pays more than sitting at home, if you don’t do it someone else will.
An agency has kept me in work for the last 3 and a bit years at about the same yearly earnings as before. Horses for courses it suits me.
Pimpdaddy:
I hate Agy with a passion, not a single positive word to say, I wonder how long this thread will last…
There are some better ones out there - u just gotta persevere with it.
Sooner or later there will be no full time jobs left, and ex transport managers which now find themselves working at agencies may well remember the ex-full time staff who spent years without a good word to say for any of them, including the decent honest ones. 
Times change and so do agencies.
Back in the 90s after a redundancy and failing to find a job in management I got my HGV licence back and popped in to a local agency to find out the score. After a 15 min interview I was asked if I was available the next day.
At first I worked for all sorts, but mostly a week at a time which was fine. After 3 months they offered me a contract which meant that I was guaranteed five days a week and I was happy to take it.
For the next five years or so it was great. I spent a lot of that time working at Blake’s in Alcester and my preferred days were Sunday to Thursday because we got £12 an hour for Sunday (usually 12 to 15 hours). Then it started to go wrong. Blake’s became Express Dairies and then Corby Chilled. I was getting 2am starts Monday to Friday and hated it and there were other problems too. So I took up an offer to work for one of my regular clients; less money but less travelling and easy work and hours.
My point is that there are good and bad agencies and they do not stay the same - They are under as much or more pressure than most, and the result, as always, is that drivers suffer.
Never seen or heard of 1. I don’t care anymore, rather leave the game completely if no working direct for the company exists than work through Agy, it’s that bad for me…
for those wanting to slag off agencies
maybe fair does, but dont have a go at the drivers.
whatever industry or employment sectoryour in theres an agency doing its thing
Nurses = Bank
Teachers = Supply
Doctors = Locums
Soldiers = cant remember not thinking of TA (weds afternoon remembered theword i want)
Mercenary
and how many years have girls temped covering maternity leave
Driver Hire Oxford were good with me, the shifts I did for Fresh Direct, Warburtons and FWP Matthews helped me get experience in lorry driving other than tippers. The downside was the umbrella system which always carried over my weekly expenses, and still hasn’t sent me my P45.
Muckaway:
Driver Hire Oxford were good with me, the shifts I did for Fresh Direct, Warburtons and FWP Matthews helped me get experience in lorry driving other than tippers. The downside was the umbrella system which always carried over my weekly expenses, and still hasn’t sent me my P45.
I don’t profess to be an expert on the ins and outs of this but surely if you were working under an umbrella system then surely YOU were the employer and as such it should be you sending you the p45. Save a fortune on postage I suppose!
I probably have that totally wrong though.
Its been a few years, but when I did agency it was Best Connection, had a great rapport with the office, took the odd crap job to help them out , but most of the shifts were a doddle and well paid- didn’t take long to get the cream work, (Bakery)- collect loaded truck /trailer @Thornaby- tip Morrisons Wakefield - run back empty- shift over- 10 hours paid, thank you- do an extra over to Middlesbrough Riverside load and back to Thornaby ( 90 minutes work max) theres another 5 hours as counted as half a shift- do that 4 days a week and you were quids in, me and another lad did that 4 on 4 off between us for months, OK so you had to work weekends at the normal rate but when you were banging out £500 a week take home for a lot less than 50 hours at that time you were on a good number
the maoster:
Muckaway:
Driver Hire Oxford were good with me, the shifts I did for Fresh Direct, Warburtons and FWP Matthews helped me get experience in lorry driving other than tippers. The downside was the umbrella system which always carried over my weekly expenses, and still hasn’t sent me my P45.I don’t profess to be an expert on the ins and outs of this but surely if you were working under an umbrella system then surely YOU were the employer and as such it should be you sending you the p45. Save a fortune on postage I suppose!
I probably have that totally wrong though.
The leaflet I was given that proclaimed how wonderful the umbrella scheme was, said you’d get a P45 when you left. It also said you’d get one automatically after 3 months if you did no work for them.
Rikki-UK:
Its been a few years, but when I did agency it was Best Connection, had a great rapport with the office, took the odd crap job to help them out , but most of the shifts were a doddle and well paid- didn’t take long to get the cream work, (Bakery)- collect loaded truck /trailer @Thornaby- tip Morrisons Wakefield - run back empty- shift over- 10 hours paid, thank you- do an extra over to Middlesbrough Riverside load and back to Thornaby ( 90 minutes work max) theres another 5 hours as counted as half a shift- do that 4 days a week and you were quids in, me and another lad did that 4 on 4 off between us for months, OK so you had to work weekends at the normal rate but when you were banging out £500 a week take home for a lot less than 50 hours at that time you were on a good number
Same here. I’ve worked with their offices in Taunton, Coventry, B’ham and W’Brom. Never had a problem and the W’Brom lads have always seen me right over the years. I’m full time now with a company they originally put me in to but I still recommend them to folk looking for a decent agency.
Harry Kyng:
Rikki-UK:
Its been a few years, but when I did agency it was Best Connection, had a great rapport with the office, took the odd crap job to help them out , but most of the shifts were a doddle and well paid- didn’t take long to get the cream work, (Bakery)- collect loaded truck /trailer @Thornaby- tip Morrisons Wakefield - run back empty- shift over- 10 hours paid, thank you- do an extra over to Middlesbrough Riverside load and back to Thornaby ( 90 minutes work max) theres another 5 hours as counted as half a shift- do that 4 days a week and you were quids in, me and another lad did that 4 on 4 off between us for months, OK so you had to work weekends at the normal rate but when you were banging out £500 a week take home for a lot less than 50 hours at that time you were on a good numberSame here. I’ve worked with their offices in Taunton, Coventry, B’ham and W’Brom. Never had a problem and the W’Brom lads have always seen me right over the years. I’m full time now with a company they originally put me in to but I still recommend them to folk looking for a decent agency.
Depends on the office though, our local one are a shower. Been kicked out of a couple of firms because of their attitude. They were ok at one time but have gone down hill. Neighbouring offices are ok though.
Best is who I work for now, milestone operations. lovely girl, doesn’t lie to you, not once has she tried to pressure me into any job and she took the time at the start to get to know me instead of just doing the paperwork.
Worst was best connection Milton Keynes. When I was on the other side of the room the loud ■■■■■■■■ was telling her mate how she wouldn’t put women in male roles because they just cause problems. Never had a days work off them, couldn’t give a ■■■■. Actually I’d like them to ring me so I can agree to a job and let the sexist pricks down.
I love that comment “I hate agency with a passion”. A well put argument. So you “HATE” me then ?
Anyway, let me describe how I got onto agency work and explain the positives as I see it.
I signed up with an agency in 1995 after passing my test. I done 3 days at a company in Bolton before being offered a job there which I took. I signed up with a different agency about 2 years later after that company was bought out and closed down. I hardly got any work at all for 2 months, then I got a days work through the agency. This one day became a full time job as I was asked did I want the job and after 2 months of nothing I jumped at the chance.
Since then I’ve worked for companies for 4+ years each time. My last ‘employed’ job was from 2004 till 2011, for my mate actually. I also signed up with an agency in 2011 for the odd Saturday work as my job was Mon-Fri and I wanted to earn extra cash for my holiday. Anyway, this friend of mine couldn’t afford agency drivers to replace me in Aug 2011 and so got someone who was known to someone he knows to drive a rigid that he (the boss) drove. 3 days before I return this guy puts the 14 foot high rigid through and 11 foot bridge. My mate couldn’t afford to replace truck and had to wait for insurance and basically said to me get work off the agency and left me in limbo.
6 months later he asks me if Im ready to come back as his insurance has paid out and he’s sourced a new truck. With him I was doing 5 days of 9 hours and home every night, taking home £325. On the agency I topline at least £550 a week for 4 days work. Sometimes I can earn £800+.
I’ve never refused work apart from tacho restrictions with my agency, but I can dictate in advance what days I want to work if I require (told them Im off to Malta on Sunday for 4 days, that was yesterday - you couldn’t do that in emloyment). I do a good job at various companies and I find that gets you asked for by name.
If I work at McBurney’s then I can earn more in 4 days work than what their drivers earn in 5 days with nights out.
The positives : that you can earn more money, have a variety of work that keeps working life interesting. Less than £3 NI contributions each week. Fuel, car, phone, clothes, food and even haircuts are claimed back in tax which doesn’t happen in employment. Have anytime you want off and at short notice. Work whatever days you wish.
The negatives : You often have to earn respect to get regular work and show loyalty to your agency. Times can be varied for start and finish along with days you work. You are not gauranteed anything in reality. If you refuse work regular because you can’t be bothered or the time isn’t to your liking you can be left out in the cold. You don’t have your own truck. You can be at different jobs where people expect you to know the script even though you haven’t been there b4. You get people who HATE you with a PASSION for reasons what they believe an agency driver is rather than judging a person on a personal basis.
If you are employed by the agency then they usually pay you through an offshore company now (which is now being outlawed in the UK), but you still get holiday pay, the more you work, the more holiday pay you accrue.
The main negative for me (although Im self employed) is that if you are PAYE through the one of these outside pay companies then you are in virtual limbo as regards your employment status if you want to get credit or rent / mortgage a house. This is also a problem even if you are self employed as you are technically not gauranteed an earning.
I’m having a problem getting a new house at the moment, I’ve got a wage slip for each week apart from 2 (when I was on holiday for a 2 week period) which states that I’ve been paid from the same agency for each and every week. It also states the fact that in a calender year I earned £33,000. Yet still this isn’t enough proof for an estate agent…ridiculous.
All this said though, I am still looking to get on for a company running Euro. Nothing to do with the agency work, it’s just thats what I want to do. Money wont go up or down I don’t think but you don’t find Euro jobs on agency work unless it’s Stobart International, who aren’t taking anyone at the moment !
It’s not for everybody but then one truck driver may like Scania’s and the next man will despise them.