Against my better judgement, I enquired with a couple of agencies in this area about doing some local HGV work, ie no nights out.
Told them I was experienced with flats, curtainsiders and tippers (which I am) and can strap, rope and sheet (old skool driver ) and as such was looking for constructional or industrial work only but I wasnât interested in shop deliveries of any description. Do bear in mind I am specifically looking to do the dirty work others wouldnât touch with a bargepole.
One came back and said they would expect all drivers on their books to respond to any work within a 40 mile radius (their use of bold type) as I would be a retained driver whatever that is Yeah Pal, Iâm going to travel 40 miles to drive a truck for the day (not). The other came back and said they did have industrial work, but only if I was also prepared to do retail deliveries to shops too? Maybe its just me, but that sounded really conflicting.
Anyway back to the point. I was wondering if people have to undertake surgery to become a recruitment consultant? Nothing too major, keep the mouth for eating and so their lips can flap about in uncontrollable pointless motions, but perhaps they do something with the ears so they can only hear their own voices.
Have others had experiences of agency recruitment bods struggling to listen to what is being said to them?
So there you are, a keen and honest (there must be some) worker at an agency. Each day you get applications from drivers keen and eager to take on any work that pays a decent wage. You look at one, who says he wants to work, but has a long list of things he will not do. How would you react?
LIBERTY_GUY:
Against my better judgement, I enquired with a couple of agencies in this area about doing some local HGV work, ie no nights out.
Told them I was experienced with flats, curtainsiders and tippers (which I am) and can strap, rope and sheet (old skool driver ) and as such was looking for constructional or industrial work only but I wasnât interested in shop deliveries of any description. Do bear in mind I am specifically looking to do the dirty work others wouldnât touch with a bargepole.
One came back and said they would expect all drivers on their books to respond to any work within a 40 mile radius (their use of bold type) as I would be a retained driver whatever that is Yeah Pal, Iâm going to travel 40 miles to drive a truck for the day (not). The other came back and said they did have industrial work, but only if I was also prepared to do retail deliveries to shops too? Maybe its just me, but that sounded really conflicting.
Anyway back to the point. I was wondering if people have to undertake surgery to become a recruitment consultant? Nothing too major, keep the mouth for eating and so their lips can flap about in uncontrollable pointless motions, but perhaps they do something with the ears so they can only hear their own voices.
Have others had experiences of agency recruitment bods struggling to listen to what is being said to them?
Unfortunately, enquiring with only âa couple of agenciesâ is unlikely to yield the results you want. When youâve vetted a dozen and are still no further ahead, come back to us. All you have achieved thus far is discover two of the crappier agencies who seemingly only have shop delivery work along with unrealistic expectations with regards travel.
The bugbear I have with the less reputable agencies - is that they donât tell you all this bull until AFTER youâve taken time out signing up at their officeâŚ
Why canât we be told that âI need to advise you that we donât want blah blah and canât cater for blah blahâ when you give them the intial phone call?
The worst one is when the ad that reeled you in says âÂŁ14phâ and that rate only applies to bank holiday mondays - âproviding youâve put in an average of 48 hours a week in over the past monthâ. The rest of the time itâs ÂŁ9ph⌠A day wasted to find out all this â â â â â â â â that late in the day - must be gambling that youâll say âOh well, Iâm here nowâŚâ
Winseer:
The bugbear I have with the less reputable agencies - is that they donât tell you all this bull until AFTER youâve taken time out signing up at their officeâŚ
Why canât we be told that âI need to advise you that we donât want blah blah and canât cater for blah blahâ when you give them the intial phone call?
The worst one is when the ad that reeled you in says âÂŁ14phâ and that rate only applies to bank holiday mondays - âproviding youâve put in an average of 48 hours a week in over the past monthâ. The rest of the time itâs ÂŁ9ph⌠A day wasted to find out all this â â â â â â â â that late in the day - must be gambling that youâll say âOh well, Iâm here nowâŚâ
The ones Iâm finding arenât telling me what sort of drops they do and if you do manage to get it out of them it deffers from what is written on the ad. I called one today and asked about a job, on the ad it said 4-6 drops a day, the guy on the phone said 8-10 drops a dayâŚ
Winseer:
The bugbear I have with the less reputable agencies - is that they donât tell you all this bull until AFTER youâve taken time out signing up at their officeâŚ
Why canât we be told that âI need to advise you that we donât want blah blah and canât cater for blah blahâ when you give them the intial phone call?
The worst one is when the ad that reeled you in says âÂŁ14phâ and that rate only applies to bank holiday mondays - âproviding youâve put in an average of 48 hours a week in over the past monthâ. The rest of the time itâs ÂŁ9ph⌠A day wasted to find out all this â â â â â â â â that late in the day - must be gambling that youâll say âOh well, Iâm here nowâŚâ
The ones Iâm finding arenât telling me what sort of drops they do and if you do manage to get it out of them it deffers from what is written on the ad. I called one today and asked about a job, on the ad it said 4-6 drops a day, the guy on the phone said 8-10 drops a dayâŚ
Its going back over fifteeen years ago now, but I remember being sent on one agency assignment that was only supposed to be six drops. When I got there, it was over THIRTY drops, all packeted oil to petrol stations and garages. I pointed out to the transport manager there I couldnât do that amount of drops in one day as they were spread out across two counties and around forty miles from base. He started chuntering away so I just gave him the keys of the truck back.
A lot of agencies here regurgitate the same âjobsâ on a weekly basis. The latest ploy with many of them is to quote a figure say ÂŁ10 hour to only find out that is for ltd company drivers. What I do find majorly annoying, is that the government jobsite keeps allowing them to advertise these non existent vacancies. All it does is make it look like there are loads of jobs out there, when there are not.
I saw a add on the Job Centre web site, Class one/two tipper drivers URGENTLY⌠It had been posted that day, so I called up and was told âSorry the tipper work has all dried up this time of year, Do you fancey supermarket workâ â ?â
I asked about flat bed work at the interview I went to and they told me, its very rare to get flat bed work on agency work, I was glad as Iâd hate to show up somewhere and be handed keys to a truck attached to a flat bed and told to scram lol
They will initially attempt to make all newly signed up drivers go outside their comfort zone, its just the way it is.
After a while they (and you) will get the measure of each other and eventually put you in positions which suit you.
But there may be times you WILL have to bend over and take some crap to make a wage.
LIBERTY_GUY:
One came back and said they would expect all drivers on their books to respond to any work within a 40 mile radius (their use of bold type) as I would be a retained driver whatever that is Yeah Pal, Iâm going to travel 40 miles to drive a truck for the day (not).
Been doing 30-40 miles each way to go to work for most of my working life. I can either work 20 miles away in Hull for ÂŁ7.50hr or go 30 miles to Goole and earn ÂŁ10/hr.
Milk Man:
Cut the agency out, go straight to all your local companies offering your driving services you sound experienced enough to get a decent rate.
Just make sure youâve enough money to live on for 2 months until the first invoices start to get paid.
Milk Man:
Cut the agency out, go straight to all your local companies offering your driving services you sound experienced enough to get a decent rate.
Just make sure youâve enough money to live on for 2 months until the first invoices start to get paid.
And thatâs if you get paid at all! Had fingers burnt on that one once before. Dare I admit it, but sometimes agencies do have their advantages!
Ironically if you really want to do âindustrialâ type haulage work youâd be limiting your options by stating no nights out.In which case do the job properly by saying youâre only looking for full load distance preferably international work preferably driving âproperâ draw bar outfits and if they canât provide it donât bother.Which is more or less how I gave up on agencies around 30 years ago.
Winseer:
The bugbear I have with the less reputable agencies - is that they donât tell you all this bull until AFTER youâve taken time out signing up at their officeâŚ
Why canât we be told that âI need to advise you that we donât want blah blah and canât cater for blah blahâ when you give them the intial phone call?
The worst one is when the ad that reeled you in says âÂŁ14phâ and that rate only applies to bank holiday mondays - âproviding youâve put in an average of 48 hours a week in over the past monthâ. The rest of the time itâs ÂŁ9ph⌠A day wasted to find out all this â â â â â â â â that late in the day - must be gambling that youâll say âOh well, Iâm here nowâŚâ
The ones Iâm finding arenât telling me what sort of drops they do and if you do manage to get it out of them it deffers from what is written on the ad. I called one today and asked about a job, on the ad it said 4-6 drops a day, the guy on the phone said 8-10 drops a dayâŚ
Its going back over fifteeen years ago now, but I remember being sent on one agency assignment that was only supposed to be six drops. When I got there, it was over THIRTY drops, all packeted oil to petrol stations and garages. I pointed out to the transport manager there I couldnât do that amount of drops in one day as they were spread out across two counties and around forty miles from base. He started chuntering away so I just gave him the keys of the truck back.
I was lumbered with something similar almost 30 years ago.I was told it was a class 1 trunking run which no surprise turned out to be a 7.5 tonner multi drop job.I didnât say anything I just got on with it while quietly saying youâre avin a larf out of hearing range.Firstly âI thoughtâ they were supposed to load it all so half the stuff got left in the depot which wasnât noticed until I was too far out across London to make it worth going back to get it all.Then I spent a day doing 8 drops out of the who knows how many were on the wagon.Unbelievably the guvnor then apologised when I got back for the âagencyâ trying to stitch me up.
Called agency, told them the rates advertised were a carrot to dangle and get others inâŚThey were true to their word, the rate advertised was the rate paid and I have turned down work from them!
There is a driver shortage around here (South Lincs) and the rates are good
Winseer:
The bugbear I have with the less reputable agencies - is that they donât tell you all this bull until AFTER youâve taken time out signing up at their officeâŚ
Why canât we be told that âI need to advise you that we donât want blah blah and canât cater for blah blahâ when you give them the intial phone call?
The worst one is when the ad that reeled you in says âÂŁ14phâ and that rate only applies to bank holiday mondays - âproviding youâve put in an average of 48 hours a week in over the past monthâ. The rest of the time itâs ÂŁ9ph⌠A day wasted to find out all this â â â â â â â â that late in the day - must be gambling that youâll say âOh well, Iâm here nowâŚâ
The ones Iâm finding arenât telling me what sort of drops they do and if you do manage to get it out of them it deffers from what is written on the ad. I called one today and asked about a job, on the ad it said 4-6 drops a day, the guy on the phone said 8-10 drops a dayâŚ
Its going back over fifteeen years ago now, but I remember being sent on one agency assignment that was only supposed to be six drops. When I got there, it was over THIRTY drops, all packeted oil to petrol stations and garages. I pointed out to the transport manager there I couldnât do that amount of drops in one day as they were spread out across two counties and around forty miles from base. He started chuntering away so I just gave him the keys of the truck back.
A lot of agencies here regurgitate the same âjobsâ on a weekly basis. The latest ploy with many of them is to quote a figure say ÂŁ10 hour to only find out that is for ltd company drivers. What I do find majorly annoying, is that the government jobsite keeps allowing them to advertise these non existent vacancies. All it does is make it look like there are loads of jobs out there, when there are not.
Thatâs because the government job site is actually ran by Monster Jobs.
) and as such was looking for constructional or industrial work only but I wasnât interested in shop deliveries of any description. Do bear in mind I am specifically looking to do the dirty work others wouldnât touch with a bargepole.
Yeah Pal, Iâm going to travel 40 miles to drive a truck for the day (not). 
The other came back and said they did have industrial work, but only if I was also prepared to do retail deliveries to shops too? Maybe its just me, but that sounded really conflicting.
