I have never in my driving career ever worked for an agency. I often wonder why drivers use them so much. You might think this is a silly question but there is a reason I am asking this. Agencies get paid upwards from 20 quid to provide a driver sometimes a lot more but drivers don’t get too much of it. I know drivers like to go self employed they feel this is the best thing for them but back in my day companies had the same drivers for years some for their whole driving career. Thy were loyal to their company and their company were loyal to them. Everyone was happy in a way.
Why do some drivers prefer to work through agencies when the agency rips them off. These agencies coin so much at the drivers expense. This is where the fall in the wages began when agencies set up their stalls. Maybe I am just stupid here asking this but I cannot understand why few want to work steady with one company. I have been retired for about 8 years and maybe have lost touch with the ins and outs of things. But if a company will pay an agency £20 plus for years for a driver if there was no middleman could the company not pay the driver the same or is it a tax thing. Or do some companies only use agency. Maybe I think too much maybe I am just talking horse manure.
Who is making the most money yes the agencies not the drivers.
The money thing isn’t so much the issue or at least wasn’t in my case.It was more a case of naivety regarding the quality of the work on offer.Realistically if anyone isn’t looking for 7.5t multi drop or other types of distribution sector work or local building materials deliveries etc then agencies have got nothing to offer in most cases.They are really all about supplying naive inexperienced drivers to employers looking for drivers for difficult to fill positions.
i have been on agency for 10 years working thru the same person who has moved agencies some times and i go with them at present they run their own agency. My day rate is £12 per hour, they charge around£17. If i worked for a company they have many extra costs in employing me. some examples are NI, holiday pay, training costs,ppe, pensions. there are probably others, when i started the pay was about £2 per hour above the employed drivers rate now i probably get £1 above at some places. I do it because I like the variety and you get to know loads of people and places, if i dont like a certain job i ask not to do it and will not be put on it. i am not beholden to any body and can take off any days i like. I do not hang the job out for extra hours like some do nor do i work every shift possible, gross last year was over 33000 and i am happy with that.
I found that when shopping around among agencies - it was easy to make a beeline for those offering the top dollar rates - but they never seemed to materialized.
Excuses I heard included:
(1) “You only get that top rate when you’ve done 40 hours that week. The top rate you saw in the ad was the overtime rate for sundays and bank holidays.”
(2) "You only get that top rate during “Peak season” - That’s December. (Everyone is offering top dollar over Christmas - because that’s how you tout the drivers that are a bit scarce, being fully-employed elsewhere…)
(3) “That’s not our standard rate for the non-peak times of the year. We’re phoning you today, because you suggested you were looking for work.” (Everyone else has already been asked, and placed, and you’re near the bottom of the list)
(4) “Can you do this job that’s over an hours drive away, and be there for a start 30 minutes from now?”
(5) “Here’s a job where they’ve asked for you by name…” (No hourly rate specified, it’s already been turned down by all the other drivers on the books…)
(6) “There’s a £50 bonus if you can do this job on the other side of the river” (Ask for an email confirming job definition, location, and hourly rate… “Sorry bud, they’ve phoned back and cancelled”)
Then after much kissing of frogs - I find an agency that’s paying only a mediocre rate, but pays it all the time, as a right through rate - you get a decent amount of hours each shift (8 hours guaranteed, often 10-12) and the work is regular, not too far out to commute to.
I would suggest that the layman looks for those agencies by what client work they offer. Avoid the yard clients that are known to ■■■■ drivers on agencies about. 
The above is all correct Winseer, you are nothing more than a source of disposable commission revenue to most agencies.
But some do think of the bigger picture and value drivers they have learnt to know…
I’m signed up to a few, and one I’ve never worked for, was honest enough to say they couldn’t pay the same rates at the one I work for all the time! 
Not sure I’ll ever work for them!
As for why drivers are happy to use agencies: I earn and take home a fair bit more than the permanent guys where i currently limp, easily enough to make up for the lack of holiday pay. Yes I have no security, but I also have the freedom to bin off a job and looking for something better without being locked into anything, I’m still a newbie…
I’m not at all insecure about limping, I do it anyway at present as my back is shagged!
Maybe the wrong wording there. 
For me the main reason is that i can do couple of days driving and agencies find the job for me for the days i am available.
i can always say i don’t want to do this and this type of job, sort of try before you buy thing that works both ways
agree on extra cost that companies have with employers. The rate you get paid is just the top of the iceberg in their cost.
i also suspect companies can claim on agency insurance if things go ■■■■ up but that’s just a guess
i much prefer to be paid by the hour than a fixed salery per week even if im having a lousey day im still getting paid also i got tired and fed up of being taken for granted on the fifteen years of regular full time jobs that i did. also the flexability of saying no to work if i have to ( rarely do though ) and feeling your more in control of what you do
I’ve not seen a thread about “Crappiest actual job sent to via agency”.
There’s plenty of “jobs” that turn out to be nothing of the sort - but they get cancelled at the last minute, so at least you don’t have a wasted trip. Just time wasted sitting by the phone.
Worse is the “dubious” client where you get sent out somewhere in the back of beyond, and find a small farmyard with a large bunch of brudders asking you to shift their ghost train with a trailing “F” plate Chieftain tractor. The headlamps have got candles burning inside them, and the tyres are of the “Hard” sort, presumably nicked off a horse & cart…
You politely request a time sheet or clocking card, only to be gruffly told to "lave dat tul yar funnished".
Owning to reasonable doubts over whether you’re actually doing some voluntary work for the community here - you turn on your heel and leave at this point. 