I know there’s a thousand of them but most of their ads are reposts of mostly obsolete (no longer existing jobs), or they promise you all the stars in the visible universe to get you to sign up with them just to have you as “available driver” on their little lists, but which ones actually offer real jobs with real pay (10+/hr PAYE) and deliver on their promises?
Can anyone recommend a reliable agency or two in/around B’ham (15ish mile radius)?
Thanks.
I’m signed to Pertemps West Brom branch. Class 2 is £9/hr and 1.5x (£13.50) after 8 hours per shift. so a 60 hour working week is £630.
Never had any hassle with them, polite on the phone and never had any trouble with being paid. Always bang on, every Friday.
They recently had a recruitment evening so they are currently looking for drivers. I also know they have more class 2 work at the moment than class 1.
Are you just after agency or are you looking for full time too?
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Ask Sammy, I’m sure when he wakes up he will fill you in. He put me on to extra at Tamworth, good money, well worth the travel. The only reason I didn’t take the job was that I was offered a shift per week on time and a half where I work now.
El Deano:
Are you just after agency or are you looking for full time too?
I’m after my 1st driving job so I suppose full time is pretty much out of the question for now. Besides, I want to move on to class 1 eventually (soon), so I’d rather not settle into a Class 2 permanent job right now even if I had a chance.
PM Sent.
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On my list with a bit of feedback:
Direverhire - best agency I’ve ever used. Kaz the owner is genuinely lovely and will go out of her way to help a new driver. Never ever ever messed around. Pay is not the best - but there is a value on not having any hassle. Work is varied and mixed. If you don’t like something say and they won’t offer it to you.
Pertemps brum. Some gucci jobs - but a total pain to deal with. Expect you to go to their ‘driver academy’ if you have less than two years. Unpaid obviously. But can get you into Royal Mail. Also have a lot of DHL work. I’d use them if I wanted stable full time work but there is something I am not a fan of.
Extra Drivers Tamworth. Loads and loads of work… But I’m not a fan of the office there. They pay on time and have never get it wrong. But if you call with a question they act as if they are too busy to deal with you. Pay rates very very good - but they are desperate to the max for drivers.
ARC recruitment - absolute shed loads of work. And I mean they text me with guaranteed work all the time. Based near sutton coldfield if I remember. Decent money - they don’t really have anything to do with you once you work. Self invoicing etc. They have work and pay okay - so they are okay in my opinion.
There are many more - if you signed up with those 4 you would be offered a large variety of decent work and would probably not have any problems.
P.S - I got the super duper money job with Extra by replying to an add from indeed. Last night I got over £250 and didn’t break a sweat. To get the best jobs you will have to dig around and either get them when they are desperate (like this time of the year) or really prove yourself. All the best to you - if I can answer any other questions just holla.
P.P.S - be flexible and look at the overall package. ARC had something I didn’t like - it was damage insurance. I was ready to walk away. But they were offering a really good rate for that job and it only cost £1 a shift or something. I ended up making really good money but could have walked over a matter of principle.
P.P.P.S - negotiate rates. Sounds daft - but if one agency is offering you a certain amount tell another agency if you prefer working for them. I sometimes would rather earn less for a job I really like. Tonight total doddle of a job I won’t even have to open a curtain or a door. If they need a driver they will work with you so you are happy.
sammym:
On my list with a bit of feedback:Direverhire - best agency I’ve ever used. Kaz the owner is genuinely lovely and will go out of her way to help a new driver. Never ever ever messed around. Pay is not the best - but there is a value on not having any hassle. Work is varied and mixed. If you don’t like something say and they won’t offer it to you.
Pertemps brum. Some gucci jobs - but a total pain to deal with. Expect you to go to their ‘driver academy’ if you have less than two years. Unpaid obviously. But can get you into Royal Mail. Also have a lot of DHL work. I’d use them if I wanted stable full time work but there is something I am not a fan of.
Extra Drivers Tamworth. Loads and loads of work… But I’m not a fan of the office there. They pay on time and have never get it wrong. But if you call with a question they act as if they are too busy to deal with you. Pay rates very very good - but they are desperate to the max for drivers.
ARC recruitment - absolute shed loads of work. And I mean they text me with guaranteed work all the time. Based near sutton coldfield if I remember. Decent money - they don’t really have anything to do with you once you work. Self invoicing etc. They have work and pay okay - so they are okay in my opinion.
There are many more - if you signed up with those 4 you would be offered a large variety of decent work and would probably not have any problems.
P.S - I got the super duper money job with Extra by replying to an add from indeed. Last night I got over £250 and didn’t break a sweat. To get the best jobs you will have to dig around and either get them when they are desperate (like this time of the year) or really prove yourself. All the best to you - if I can answer any other questions just holla.
P.P.S - be flexible and look at the overall package. ARC had something I didn’t like - it was damage insurance. I was ready to walk away. But they were offering a really good rate for that job and it only cost £1 a shift or something. I ended up making really good money but could have walked over a matter of principle.
P.P.P.S - negotiate rates. Sounds daft - but if one agency is offering you a certain amount tell another agency if you prefer working for them. I sometimes would rather earn less for a job I really like. Tonight total doddle of a job I won’t even have to open a curtain or a door. If they need a driver they will work with you so you are happy.
Thanks, man. You’re an MVP.
sammym:
Pertemps brum. Some gucci jobs - but a total pain to deal with. Expect you to go to their ‘driver academy’ if you have less than two years. Unpaid obviously.
What is this ‘driver academy’ of theirs? I can’t find anything about it on their website. Is it like driving lessons or practice or an assessment drive?
ETS:
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What is this ‘driver academy’ of theirs? I can’t find anything about it on their website. Is it like driving lessons or practice or an assessment drive?
They have a driving school - and they also do assessments. These last around 7 hours unpaid. It’s totally pointless - and utterly ridiculous. Why does anyone need to see me driving on the motorway? Why drag it out over an hour? It’s based at a DHL site which has closed down in Northampton.
Got there - they were offloading some IBC’s of water for a trailer MOT. And expected me to help!!! I was there for an assessment - not to be unpaid labour.
Here is my honest opinion.
He didn’t let me use cruise control. Ridiculous. I just used it anyway and he didn’t even realise. I’m not doing my driving test - I use cruise every shift. How thick do you have to be to tell someone not to use it? Companies would be upset if I didn’t…
He didn’t let me use the arm rest. Even more ridiculous. Why should I be uncomfortable to massage his ego? If he wants people to drive like that he should have done the job! (Which he will freely admit he has never done!).
I was asked to reverse between two trailers - and was told if I did I’d passed - but only if I didn’t use any shunts! Did it no problem (lucky I’m not that good) and then he insisted I did it again and again until he could say I needed more training. What sort of prick has a problem with someone taking a shunt?
My opinion is they are on an ego trip - and the ‘more training’ whilst their being relocated and potentially having their jobs looked at is rather coincidental isn’t it… I also found the bloke to be a total clown. He told me he has been in the SAS and run multi-million pound training companies and he just did the agency assessing/training for a bit of fun. Yeah okay.
Now I’ve been really negative. I didn’t like it. Amazingly in the real world I have as much work as I want and manage to get the job done. I don’t want my time being wasted and I feel like it was. But if you have no work it might be worth going and massaging their ego and inevitably going back for a second day so they can justify their jobs and you can work on blue chip clients.
Good post. Now I’m tempted to register with pertemps solely for the purpose of wasting their time and ■■■■■■■ them off 
Wanna know the punch line for the joke??
After you have been through the 7 hour endurance assessment! Unpaid. You are then only worthy to go for another UNPAID assessment with the actual company.
Pertemps obviously feel their clients are too slack and therefore need to pre vet the people who they are sending for an assessment. In case anyone slips through the cracks and actually get’s some work and they are just not worthy.
Final cautionary note - tonight I’m working for DHL who perterms don’t think I’m good enough to be assessed by. Another agency felt they’d take the risk and DHL assessor seemed to think I was good enough. As I’ve said it’s totally totally ridiculous.