So bit of an update. Following the handshake agreement guy I jumped on agency as I already left my previous job.
Monday was my first HIAB job and first time working for Agency.
Well I turned up on time at 7am and they had no idea who I was. They had a different agency driver who they were expecting as head office notified them, but my name didn’t ring any bells.
Sat around for an hour in the car as agency didn’t open til 8am. They apologized can’t remember exactly what they said. I asked for them to get me working as I need to be earning. So they sent me back to my home town to do a day at Dascher.
■■■■ start to the week, but I never done curtain siders so was up to learn. To be fair, their staff were super helpful and taught me how to use the curtain straps and internals (Special thanks to Neil if you ever read this!). The tail lift wasn’t working so 1 pallet was handball and the rest were forklift off. Easy enough. Was about 7 drops in total. That was £16/hr. First time driving a MAN. 12speed Autobox. Hmm, mixed feelings about it.
Day 2 was offered a job at 8am 30miles away in Leeds. I’d rather be working than sat at home. Walkers Transport. I recently applied to their depot in Rochdale, so thought if it goes well in Leeds it might be an opportunity to gain employment at their Rochdale Depot. Ok. Got there, friendly enough staff. Keys to a Volvo. About 10 drops with 8 being all on 1 industrial estate in Wakefield. Should be straightforward right. Start the day with no drama, on the way to my first drop, my sat nav dies. Cig lighter stopped working. Look at my phone (6year olds and on 30% battery). Hmmm. Let’s do as much as I can. I rang the office and told them situation, I will do what I can but I don’t expect my phone battery to last all day on google maps.
It’s a beautiful day and it’s getting warmer, press the window down button and…nothing. try the passenger side, same there. Great. Gonna bake today. It’s okay, most of the drops are on one industrial estate I said to myself. Little did I know, Morrisons has 3 gates and a 4th for their bread operation. I did laps around there looking for the right spots. 4 pallets for Morrisons, 3 different gates. That was fun. Next one, card factory. Great only around the corner. Errrrr 5 gates mate which one do you want. “All the paperwork says gate 1 but it’s never gate 1” says one worker on a ■■■ break. Another chips in “dump it at gate 5” so that’s what I did.
Few more drops on the same estate, no drama. Last drop is a residential address and battery is on 3%. Turned onto the street and battery died. I salute you phone, got me onto the street and it couldn’t do it anymore.
Stopped at a chippy for my 15min break, staff kindly let me charge my dead phone. Got to 12%.Rang the office to let them know all drops done, got about enough juice on my phone to come back to depot. Errrr, not so simple. Collections in Leeds. Okayyyyy, 1st collection drop. Nothing there to collect. Get to the 2nd collection drop, 10 pallets to pick up which need securing internally too. Staff kindly let me charge phone but it was a crap charger. Got to about 7% on the phone when I set off. Needed to take another 30mins so stopped at Lakeside? Lake Services close to Leeds. £40 thank you for battery pack (might as well get the bigger one).
So yeah good experience on Agency for 2 days, but it’s not for me. Might do another shift today and Tommorrow if any work comes through, but Agency work is not for me.
Had a driving assessment at DHL yesterday, been offered a position there so back to salary/permanent role doing cage work.
In the long run its worked out but that £400 was a waste. But atleast I know how to use a HIAB and curtains right? (And to check the bloody windows before I set off)
