Heard on grape vine ford are taking on hgv 1 drivers must have clean license.
To apply you have to go through randstad recruitment. Think it goes out on Monday.
Not as i’d want to live anywhere near hell, that london, but sods law i’m coming to the end of me driving days and the best paying job in the country is apparently to be opened to recruit outsiders.
Or is this too good to be true, be interesting to know whether the contracts are original or a new contract, agency temp or perm, cheapened? like so many of the previous cream jobs and/or they sold out the transport to the green death or any of the other logistics mobs who set the transport industry on its headlong rush to the bottom.
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassle
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassle
So they can increase and reduce their workforce as and when they feel like it. No commitments to anyone and no rights because you’re no their employee.
From what I am told it is perm.but on 2nd wage structure but all other benefits are the same.
Also I think outside agency is used after bad press years ago with alleged ‘selective recruiting ‘ this way first stage of selection is impartial not even mates or family get advantage at this stage
Ford at Dagenham used to be the ultimate “Dead man’s shoes” job. I guess the fact that they are advertising shows that it isn’t any more.
Last outside intake 10yrs ago
One before that 15 years ago
One before 2002 ( I got interview on that one and a knock back)
So I does happen will try again you never know!!!
Good luck mate, if you don’t have a go you’ll never get in.
Harry Monk:
Ford at Dagenham used to be the ultimate “Dead man’s shoes” job. I guess the fact that they are advertising shows that it isn’t any more.
It seemed to have descended into the good intentions of the ‘closed shop’ predictably turning against itself.Because of the perfect storm of those unfortunate enough to be working ‘inside’ on the production lines seeing an obvious and just as well paid and obviously more attractive way out,in the form of getting onto the transport side.Then that seeming to escalate to them expecting to be given first pickings over qualified drivers from ‘outside’.
The resulting mess then probably inevitably only being solved by outsourcing the driver recruitment process and/or making working inside more attractive by reducing the working week along the lines of 4 day 32 hour week including breaks for those working ‘inside’.Or a combination of that and drivers having to alternate between working in the factory and driving.On that note I’ve obviously got mixed feelings about the situation.Having started myself in the job from a similar situation of going from factory floor to the transport side in the case of my employers in which I’d still have preferred a 50 + hour week driving for less money,than 32 hours a week working inside,even if we’d have had that luxury.In this case the best solution probably would have been best sorted by saying that driving has to be alternated,along the lines of a 1 month rota,with production line work.In which case everyone got their share of rough and smooth thereby removing all the aggravating factors of the opposing interests of ‘drivers’ v production line workers rightly coveting driving jobs.But no surprise that the management probably saw an advantage in having two sectors of the same union in conflict in that regard. 
harrawaffa:
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassleSo they can increase and reduce their workforce as and when they feel like it. No commitments to anyone and no rights because you’re no their employee.
Agency drivers often less cross finger, more quality drivers,more flexible,agree do more job,less stay for unplanned night out because not waste so much time.If driver work no good that -one call to agency and he not back to work again without problem.Most agency now taked home more money than full time drivers.
Andrejs:
harrawaffa:
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassleSo they can increase and reduce their workforce as and when they feel like it. No commitments to anyone and no rights because you’re no their employee.
Agency drivers often less cross finger, more quality drivers,more flexible,agree do more job,less stay for unplanned night out because not waste so much time.If driver work no good that -one call to agency and he not back to work again without problem.Most agency now taked home more money than full time drivers.
Not on Fords own lorries they don’t, just about the best paid job in the country, and all proper jobs pay more than agency right across the board.
You forgot the mention other agency driver qualities, the many who are on agency because they can’t hold down a full time job for various reasons, often reliability and attitude, and the large minority who wreck everything they touch.
This is not an agency bashing post by the way, many are thoroughly decent drivers and people who simply want flexible working where they are in charge of when they work, unfortunately they can’t have their cake and eat it, when work is quiet they get knocked back and then some winge about it, that also is part of voluntarily putting yourself into overspill work, which agency driving is.
It may well be dead mans shoes that pays well but I can’t imagine a job at ford being the most secure job in recent times…
Andrejs:
harrawaffa:
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassleSo they can increase and reduce their workforce as and when they feel like it. No commitments to anyone and no rights because you’re no their employee.
Agency drivers often less cross finger, more quality drivers,more flexible,agree do more job,less stay for unplanned night out because not waste so much time.If driver work no good that -one call to agency and he not back to work again without problem.Most agency now taked home more money than full time drivers.
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassle
A lot of companies use recruitment agencies to find permanent staff and not in just haulage, it is what recruitment agencies do, many years ago during my brief IT career, I got 2 permanent jobs through an agency, I think it was Reed,
Doing it this way save their own staff going through loads of applications and initial selection process, I should imagine that the drivers start on a probation period anyway so getting rid of badun’s that split through the net isn’t a problem.
Juddian:
Andrejs:
harrawaffa:
truckman020:
why don’t companies recruit themselves anymore,why is it allways through an agency,could it be that they want to see what the drivers are made of first before taking them on full time,or is it because they don’t want the hassleSo they can increase and reduce their workforce as and when they feel like it. No commitments to anyone and no rights because you’re no their employee.
Agency drivers often less cross finger, more quality drivers,more flexible,agree do more job,less stay for unplanned night out because not waste so much time.If driver work no good that -one call to agency and he not back to work again without problem.Most agency now taked home more money than full time drivers.
Not on Fords own lorries they don’t, just about the best paid job in the country, and all proper jobs pay more than agency right across the board.
You forgot the mention other agency driver qualities, the many who are on agency because they can’t hold down a full time job for various reasons, often reliability and attitude, and the large minority who wreck everything they touch.
This is not an agency bashing post by the way, many are thoroughly decent drivers and people who simply want flexible working where they are in charge of when they work, unfortunately they can’t have their cake and eat it, when work is quiet they get knocked back and then some winge about it, that also is part of voluntarily putting yourself into overspill work, which agency driving is.
I know plenty drivers who takes home per years simeral money and simply not apply to any full time job.Some drivers work 3-5years for same agency and very happy.They easy can change start time,takes extra day off and more.
I know a mate of mine applied a few years ago when they first had the open door policy, couldnt believe his luck. The money was literally coming out of his ears…around £70 for a night out, he had almost run out of hours at south mimms, got a lift back to dagenham, and got the night out money too, someone else collected the truck…when he enquired for me, he was told that i was too old as they had a age 45 restriction…dont know if thats changed…but he was employed directly and no agencies involved.
I know a mate of mine applied a few years ago when they first had the open door policy, couldnt believe his luck. The money was literally coming out of his ears…around £70 for a night out, he had almost run out of hours at south mimms, got a lift back to dagenham, and got the night out money too, someone else collected the truck…when he enquired for me, he was told that i was too old as they had a age 45 restriction…dont know if thats changed…but he was employed directly and no agencies involved.
truckyboy:
I know a mate of mine applied a few years ago when they first had the open door policy, couldnt believe his luck. The money was literally coming out of his ears…
I think you probably meant to say that the money was figuratively coming out of his ears. 
Juddian:
This is not an agency bashing post by the way, many are thoroughly decent drivers and people who simply want flexible working where they are in charge of when they work, unfortunately they can’t have their cake and eat it, when work is quiet they get knocked back and then some winge about it, that also is part of voluntarily putting yourself into overspill work, which agency driving is.
I don’t know any agency driver who doesn’t understand that he is likely to be stood down during quiet periods for a haulier, or haulage in general. As an agency driver myself it is something that I accept goes with the territory.
I’d disagree with your statement (which I edited out) that “proper jobs” pay more than agency jobs “across the board”. Sometimes I earn the same as the employed drivers, sometimes more but never less. Next week I am on £11.50 an hour PAYE at a firm where the employed drivers earn £10 an hour.
So what sort of pay and conditions are the Ford drivers on?