Thetaff2:
Agency driver picked up a trl loaded with tanks of jam for Kendal and on getting there…3 and a half hours later opened up the curtain only to find said trl was completely empty…
Class act…
I remember being at Arla foods listening to a phone call from a driver who had been with the company 20 years. He had two pallets for one delivery who was told he won’t be unloaded for at least 3 hours with the next delivery 1/2 a mile away where he can deliver at any time had to phone the transport office to ask what he should do. The TM said he had to constantly hand hold him.
IF agency drivers took a bit more care of other people’s belongings perhaps they may get a bit of slack.
Had a new motor last November had it just over a week was on holiday for a week came back to grease all over my bunk and dirty foot prints on the dash and they wonder why they get slated.
Company still won’t tell me who had the truck think they know what’s likely to happen
beetee07:
IF agency drivers took a bit more care of other people’s belongings perhaps they may get a bit of slack.
Had a new motor last November had it just over a week was on holiday for a week came back to grease all over my bunk and dirty foot prints on the dash and they wonder why they get slated.
Company still won’t tell me who had the truck think they know what’s likely to happen
Agree’d … Or other drivers jobs
In 1999 when working for Federal Express I did the Crick to Exeter change over Monday to Friday, I had it as an 11 hour trip, 2 breaks, the actual dropping and hooking at Fed Ex Devon, the wash at Nuneaton on the way back. First time I took a weeks holiday they set on some agency driver who cut the job down to 8 hours a night, trying to get my job, that following Friday night I had to have a member of the transport office with me, I drove a bit under the 60 mph limit although the MAN I had would do 90 MPH easily The manager at Exeter made things very difficult for my change over as I had had a word about the visitor coming with me, we ran there and back and called into Nuneaton, she confirmed the job takes at least 11 hours and the agency was told to never send that driver again because he obviously broke the law
What annoys me and the other relief drivers is how we are turfed off the contract hire truck and sent out as drivers mates, for an agency driver to be brought in to do a pee easy 10 pallet forklift drop to one place. Yet we have to show them this that and the other with the vehicle. We do get to drive said vehicle, once it’s almost out of diesel, adblue, screenwash or it has pumptruck and handball deliveries onboard.
beetee07:
IF agency drivers took a bit more care of other people’s belongings perhaps they may get a bit of slack.
Had a new motor last November had it just over a week was on holiday for a week came back to grease all over my bunk and dirty foot prints on the dash and they wonder why they get slated.
Company still won’t tell me who had the truck think they know what’s likely to happen
Agree’d … Or other drivers jobs
In 1999 when working for Federal Express I did the Crick to Exeter change over Monday to Friday, I had it as an 11 hour trip, 2 breaks, the actual dropping and hooking at Fed Ex Devon, the wash at Nuneaton on the way back. First time I took a weeks holiday they set on some agency driver who cut the job down to 8 hours a night, trying to get my job, that following Friday night I had to have a member of the transport office with me, I drove a bit under the 60 mph limit although the MAN I had would do 90 MPH easily The manager at Exeter made things very difficult for my change over as I had had a word about the visitor coming with me, we ran there and back and called into Nuneaton, she confirmed the job takes at least 11 hours and the agency was told to never send that driver again because he obviously broke the law
Like most things, the bad will get all the attention and comments, and the good will just get ignored. When you see a bad agency driver it probably means a lack of experience, which can be overcome, we all had to start somewhere! Or it could mean a dirty/smelly oik…these exist in all walks of life we come across them in queues, in shops, in the pub…and in lorries! Whether agency or employed.
Ive been agency for 7 yrs now and it suits me great. Of course it doesnt suit everyone.
I will just say though that an agency driver who “cox” up one day will not usually be given a second chance. Its a phone call to the agency to say "dont send him back here". If an employed guy does the same thing theres a weeks suspension on full pay, pending an investigation then disciplinary meetings with the union then verbal or written warnings. Then carry on as normal. So a "career" agency driver like myself must be very careful and look after the job meticulously in order to keep "in" with the companies we work for. There is absolutely NO loyalty from the companies towards an agency driver who has a bad day....which most people have on occasion. Youre just out!
Agency staff at our place are either fellas who have served in the forces, Ex-SAS, Paras, LI, Rifles etc, like me, and theres respect, I served the 22, and the drivers respect that, or drivers who have worked all their lives with other firms.
No agency staff get slated here.Some are ex full-time staff.
The majority have over 40 years of driving behind them.
Thetaff2:
Agency driver picked up a trl loaded with tanks of jam for Kendal and on getting there…3 and a half hours later opened up the curtain only to find said trl was completely empty…
Class act…
I remember being at Arla foods listening to a phone call from a driver who had been with the company 20 years. He had two pallets for one delivery who was told he won’t be unloaded for at least 3 hours with the next delivery 1/2 a mile away where he can deliver at any time had to phone the transport office to ask what he should do. The TM said he had to constantly hand hold him.
Class act…
And your point being??
Driving from droitwich to Kendal with an empty trl is far from your example of being a bell end which you have far superior experience of being one as a failed shunter in goole for the green army…you tool!!
I’ve read the replies and understand there are some idiots in the job,but not all agency drivers need to be tared with the same brush. But looking on the bright side I must be perfect cos I’m nobody? Eh eh
A drivers seem to fall into 2 camps either their very good or very bad , there don’t seem to be any in between . don’t have a problem with them personally , but they do seem to do a fair bit of damage , not checking the hight when picking up a trailer & jumping the pin crunching the air deflectors seem favorite
richmond:
Because the majority are stupid and lazy and have an over inflated opinion of themselves , almost all the times i have used agency drivers i have ended up thinking why did i bother, the other times they was so useless i wouldnt even let them out of the yard alone in one of my trucks, no offence !
Did you hire a decent driver or did you end up with some poor sod daft enough to work for 8 quid an hour (or less?)
You get what you pay for…(if the guy is on £7.50 an hour on class one he/she is either a) Stupid or b) no good.)
…At least you would if you didn’t use agencies and hired drivers direct. If you use agencies, you’ll get sent numpties as a lot of agency drivers are there because they have a licence and no more… (but not all!!)
A decent driver often costs more than a lot of hauliers want to pay…I know a few that have had their fingers burnt by using ‘cheap’ agency labour…
That said there are many good drivers out there working through agencies.
(though I must add, I am not a fan of agencies in any way…)
Muckaway:
Where I am (until the end of this week!!!) I encounter agency drivers and mates a lot. Most I’ve worked with are great and listen/do things the way you want them done. We have a mate who for some unknown reason our TM keeps hiring; He stinks, tries to smoke the most disgusting roll-ups in the cabs, is always trying to blag freebies off customers, and does everything he can to slow us down and undermine us infront of customers. He constantly tries to switch our radios on and off, tampers with heater controls etc and is a right irritating nosey ■■■■■■. One prat like this is more than capable of tarring 10 good blokes with the same brush.
I’ve worked alongside a fair few agency drivers both in the office and on the road.
There’s been many trucks I’ve seen that have come back without as much bodywork as they left with (including one guy who had no idea why the under run bars were missing)
There was also some very good agency drivers. The problem is the good ones are always out on request or they aren’t on the agency long because they get jobs with agency customers who have been impressed.
I’m an agency driver, there is one company that I work at fairly regularly…
Every time they get a new contract, they specially ask for me to do the run for a week or two to iron out any trouble spots before they put their own drivers on it… hang on while I get my trumpet out.
Thetaff2:
Agency driver picked up a trl loaded with tanks of jam for Kendal and on getting there…3 and a half hours later opened up the curtain only to find said trl was completely empty…
The manager at Exeter made things very difficult for my change over as I had had a word about the visitor coming with me, we ran there and back and called into Nuneaton, she confirmed the job takes at least 11 hours and the agency was told to never send that driver again because he obviously broke the law 
