IavAgo:
This is a little late as I intended to post this on Friday 9th Dec.
I don’t really make post but thought I should post this.
11 posts in over 4 years? You’re not kidding mate with the frequency! 
Does the Royal Mail know? 
IavAgo:
Not only is this post a thank you but also to highlight to other newly qualified peeps stick in there and you’ll get off the agency (unless you wanna stay there).
I agree, your capability and decision making will advance/improve a lot over a year, and so will your understanding of how to do the job the EASY way! As to start with you didn’t know “The Score…” and how things worked… Or how to make it work best for you, if you can… Be this the driver rules, or what to really be asking about when going for a job. (i.e. the T&C’s…)
Newbies can land a job with perseverance or luck, but logic dictates that someone with 6 months experience, HAS to be perceived superior over a fresh start Newbie. As for beyond that though I’d suggest the fall off is pretty much like a cliff. So insurance permitting, I would doubt someone with over 1 year’s worth of experience, will be perceived by an employer, much different to a 10 year veteran, if they showed the right attitude. Over 2 year’s experience, and I’d guess the interview is solely about attitude if it’s a big firm/operator…
Glad you’re enjoying your home from home, a step I’ve yet to take! And I assume that was your goal, which varies for us all. Some want days, and that’s when the dreaded agency appears! 
As while we all hate them and they are mostly lying scum, I do believe they can be good for a Newbie. For a start, you get a clean damage report as you limp from gig to gig! 
And Newbies shouldn’t think they are dragging the same Aldi bag from different gigs on a daily or weekly basis. I don’t think I’ve ever done a limp for less than a month, with it always ending as my choice to move on…
I’ve limped for about 18 months now, and I’ve always been on the look out for a good one. But as yet I’ve not made my mind up, as I’m probably fussy and non committal, or they are just crap! Not the right balance for me, as it doesn’t fit my philosophy of make as little an effort as possible for maximum reward or benefit… With that in mind, it now appears to me (as it suits my situation) a 4 on 4 off shift pattern is possibly the kindest socially considering the hours we do. However that’s not for a family man…
The point is that as a Newbie entering the industry, I’m still homing in and learning about what driving job, and life choices they dictate suit me. It’s not great odds that a Newbie is going to be offered a plum job, and then expecting it to have hours, or work patterns in this game to suit them are not good odds!
Not saying it doesn’t happen, and I’m happy to say it’s happened to a good mate of mine, 50 miles away!
But good on him, as it’s short daytime hours and almost 30k with limited load interaction.
And that’s EXACTLY what suits his life…
Never ever a bad work spoken on here about PSTT, and you’d know mate, you’ve been here a while!