I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
JON :
I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
It’s normal…
They don’t sound as bad as some I’ve come across. Agencies are parasites. They make money by being a middle man and doing ■■■■ all in real terms. Sadly, plenty of firms now prefer agencies as they allow them to have an ‘expendable’ workforce as it suits them. They’ll happily throw shifts at you if it’s busy…but…
I have found they only want drivers that are prepared to work whenever they are asked. Telling them when you are available is alien to most of them. They are used to drivers dancing to their tune, not drivers that call the shots. My solution is I don’t work for the ones that can’t accept I don’t want full time work and that I don’t do ‘last minute’ bookings.
JON :
I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
If it’s Manpower, Maidstone and you’re Ex-Royal Mail like me, then you’ll get no work because that’s what they have most of, and they can’t use you for two years after VRing out.
I went back there day one after my two years was up, and then they told me that "We’re not recruiting any more ex-royal mail drivers thanks. "
I did nearly 23 years there, have a clean licence and a spotless accident record.
All they’ve got in other areas seems to be dustcart, HIAB, and the occasional stupid O’clock shift at the odd haulier here and there.
They told me to go and get a HIAB (pay for it myself) and they’ll ‘shower me with work’. Yeh, but it’s £8.50ph. In the south east FFS!
I’d probably get denied C+E work to be put on it as well, so I’d effectively be taking a 15% pay cut on what I’m getting from other agencies basic to boot.
I guess I won’t be darkening their door again.
I never got a single shift out of them. Useless agency.
JON :
I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
Totally normal. You did well to get any work off them at all with your “only weekends” requirement. Weekend week = the cream for the blue-eyed boys, especially Sundays. Try making yourself available for Friday and Saturday night shifts and you’ll soon become popular.
Same here with the agencies are that based in the South West in and around the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire areas
JON :
I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
As truculent said …parasites sums it up mate, iv been on agancies for years and my cv is a mile long with all the firms iv worked for but its ■■■■■■■ me up now as when an employer sees all iv worked for they ask why so i tell them the truth ie agencies ■■■■ you over so i just move on ■■■■■■■■■ they are, iv not worked since jan clean license loads of experience and no damages at all good luk to you
ive had to take a fulltime job the agency work is that quiet, well its not that its quiet its the fact that agencies seem to be breedin like maggots all undercutting driving rates down etc. i was gettin £11ph for sunday nites at one place near me before christmas and about 10yr back i was getting £18ph for same job same place! jobs gone to pot theres only supermarkets pay a half decent hourly rate and you cant get in there fulltime as the agencies have it sewn up as
for general haulage firms most of them pay no more than what you can earn sat in a gatehouse watchin tv all day or nite
rant over
1asp:
ive had to take a fulltime job the agency work is that quiet, well its not that its quiet its the fact that agencies seem to be breedin like maggots all undercutting driving rates down etc. i was gettin £11ph for sunday nites at one place near me before christmas and about 10yr back i was getting £18ph for same job same place! jobs gone to pot theres only supermarkets pay a half decent hourly rate and you cant get in there fulltime as the agencies have it sewn up as
for general haulage firms most of them pay no more than what you can earn sat in a gatehouse watchin tv all day or nite
rant over
Re the bit I’ve highlighted, there’s only 1 person to blame there and guess what, it’s not the agency.
1asp:
ive had to take a fulltime job the agency work is that quiet, well its not that its quiet its the fact that agencies seem to be breedin like maggots all undercutting driving rates down etc. i was gettin £11ph for sunday nites at one place near me before christmas and about 10yr back i was getting £18ph for same job same place! jobs gone to pot theres only supermarkets pay a half decent hourly rate and you cant get in there fulltime as the agencies have it sewn up as
for general haulage firms most of them pay no more than what you can earn sat in a gatehouse watchin tv all day or nite
rant over
Re the bit I’ve highlighted, there’s only 1 person to blame there and guess what, it’s not the agency.
Must admit, I think £11 per hour is rock bottom for a normal night rate. Sunday needs to be at least £15, especially if on S/E…
1asp:
yes its my fault i’ll stay at home in future and starve to death
Try living within your means then you wouldn’t need to work for mop n bucket money, dragging the rates down for everyone else? Can you see a problem with that chap because it sounds like a good plan to me?
1asp:
yes its my fault i’ll stay at home in future and starve to death
i used to get 17 pound per hour sunday nights for stobarts on agency in 2008 but that stopped when there became an abundance of drivers when mcfarlanes and a few others went bump. thats life
Go and get your own work, I freelance for two or three companies and have never been busier.
I charge some by the hour and some a day rate. I get more than an agency would pay me and invoice all of them and get paid within fourteen days.
There is work out there but sitting waiting for the phone to ring will not pay any bills and if you don’t work that phone won’t ring as you won’t be able to pay the bill.
MrReliable:
Go and get your own work, I freelance for two or three companies and have never been busier.
I charge some by the hour and some a day rate. I get more than an agency would pay me and invoice all of them and get paid within fourteen days.
There is work out there but sitting waiting for the phone to ring will not pay any bills and if you don’t work that phone won’t ring as you won’t be able to pay the bill.
^^This is very good advice. I know serveral drivers who work this way and have done very well out of it. Like others have said, agencies are parasites so why have a middle man who’s controling your work and earning potential when you can strike up a personal relationship with a few local companies and do weekend work for them etc. That way the company gets a reliable and trusted driver on a regular basis and you get a much more predictable allocation of work and keep all the money paid without a huge slice being taken off by the agency.
1asp:
ive had to take a fulltime job the agency work is that quiet, well its not that its quiet its the fact that agencies seem to be breedin like maggots all undercutting driving rates down etc. i was gettin £11ph for sunday nites at one place near me before christmas and about 10yr back i was getting £18ph for same job same place! jobs gone to pot theres only supermarkets pay a half decent hourly rate and you cant get in there fulltime as the agencies have it sewn up as
for general haulage firms most of them pay no more than what you can earn sat in a gatehouse watchin tv all day or nite
rant over
Re the bit I’ve highlighted, there’s only 1 person to blame there and guess what, it’s not the agency.
JON :
I just thought I’d share my experience of an agency recently and see if this is the exception or the rule.
I joined a driving agency in October and stated I was interested in part time/odd shifts at weekends etc.
This was ok as during the run up to christmas there was work to be had.
Then comes January and I’m still giving in my dates of availibility for work but i’m told that it’s gone dead at that it should pick up soon. still no work off them through Feb. yesterday i ring up with dates for March in the morning. I was told they would ring me back. In the afternoon by 4pm i heard nothing so phoned them. This was the reply “Oh hi our HR department should of P45’d you as you’ve not worked for us for three months”.
This agency had failed to find me work rather than me not contacting them.
While I can understand that priority should always be given to the guys and gals looking for full time work I really hope that not all agencies are currently treating drivers full or part time this badly??
I was never late for an assignment and have an exemplory driving record. Is this the norm or was i unlucky.
This agency are based in the South East of England.
This comes up every so often. Let me put it into capital letters so all the agency knockers can read it.
JUST BECAUSE AN AGENCY SENDS YOU A P45 DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE BEEN DISMISSED!!
You have done nothing wrong. You are not a bad person. They WILL use you again. There is no stain on your record.
It is simply standard practice to do this with temps who don’t work for a few weeks. Anyone who’s dealt with agency payroll will be able to tell you better than I why it happens; I was only a front office bloke.Basically it’s a bit like clearing your cache on your computer. If you don’t do it regularly the system clogs up.
Oh, and OP; you signed up for part time and odd shifts. You got them; so why are you complaining that the agency failed you?
1asp:
yes its my fault i’ll stay at home in future and starve to death
Try living within your means then you wouldn’t need to work for mop n bucket money, dragging the rates down for everyone else? Can you see a problem with that chap because it sounds like a good plan to me?
I cannot beleive you have said that, the oke is trying to work to earn a living and he gets blasted for accepting a low rate, when how many are living off the state sponge bobbing ? , I am sure he wasnt contacted and told “its 18 quid an hour mate” and he replies “no no no, give me less I am trying to ■■ up the transport industry”
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