You could argue that any chickens hit outfit that can’t afford to pay decent wages - doesn’t deserve to remain in the haulage in industry at all.
Constantly undercutting tenders to get business, with the result that “corners are cut” - doesn’t just compromise wages and worker well-being, it compromises public safety as well.
Agencies will charge the client what the market will stand, whilst Drivers will undercut their own pay according to how desperate they are for the work.
“Flexibility” is the key.
To me, however - I don’t like “last minute” work for ANY rate of pay.
I’d prefer to have next week’s work all lined up for me, so I can make financial planning decisions (like “meeting my mortgage payment”) based on that, rather than chase around for replacement shifts should I get any work cancelled…
If there is an abundance of certain shift windows, then it is for me to adjust my life to fit around where that work is, time-wise.
If I walked into an agency saying “I want Monday-Friday Day work” - I’d decompose before the phone started ringing…
Agencies can and do behave like utter ■■■■■■■■■ frequently so I don’t want to be seen to be defending them but expecting Mon-Fri day shifts from an agency is like expecting a supermarket to slap a reduced to clear sticker on a bit of meat that has 2 weeks until it’s expiry date
The exception might prove the rule here and there but by and large you are doing the stuff the core/full time drivers don’t want. In the good times spares are planned in all over the place, times at the moment are not good and that’s why you get that 1am “can you be there in 30 mins” call. Horses for courses, many think that’s a worthwhile trade off for being able to take say 6 weeks off at a time or being able to turn down work whenever they desire. The ideal job has full time security with agency flexibility, not sure it currently exists!
Assuming this isn’t hangman here, the missing word above isn’t a gentleman’s sausage…
Does that mean I can’t say lick ■■■■ any more? or lickcock or lick-■■■■?
I did over 5 years on agency before I became that most coveted “Core” rank.
I’d say the trick isn’t about “Experience” though, but beign available for the SHIFTS no one else wants, rather than the “jobs”…