Hi all just some questions about agency working. Top Gear Recruitment are doing an open day tomorrow morning for matalan, now i have a full time job but its 40 miles to get to it and the cost of fuel is killin me never mind the wear and tear aswell. The main questions is whats the score with agency can i be ■■■■■■ off anytime they want to get rid of me and are they any good to be with, they say its a permanent contract like, they also want 180 days artic experience in last 2 years i have 4 months how would they be able to tell if you said you had 6 months experience can they check somehow and is it a good move to go from a permanent job to agency, just gettin ■■■■■■ off with travelling and fuel.
Thanks in advance for any replys 
mateddy41:
… is it a good move to go from a permanent job to agency, …
never! Agencies are pure [zb]'s and will [zb] you over and the slightest, you mean nothing to them, their only interests are themselves, “Permanent” “long term” etc mean nothing and you will be dropped with no notice, stick with the real job !
From my experience,they did admit if a driver does not check his/her payslip,and the pay was incorrect,they make money and you are not checking what you have done.,the agency will not inform you if the pay was wrong,they hope you do not check it.£22.50 one week,£6.72 one week,and so on.
1st October will cause some agencies to become nervous !
Lycanthrope:
mateddy41:
… is it a good move to go from a permanent job to agency, …never! Agencies are pure [zb]'s and will [zb] you over and the slightest, you mean nothing to them, their only interests are themselves, “Permanent” “long term” etc mean nothing and you will be dropped with no notice, stick with the real job !
How very true
Rooster:
1st October will cause some agencies to become nervous !
What happens on the 1st October■■?
As has been implied, the main problem with agency work is that you have absolutely no security. If they suddenly decide they don’t need you for a day or more then that’s it, no work & no pay, especially between Christmas & Easter generally. If you happen to upset the transport guys at Matalan, possibly because you don’t say ‘how high?’ when they say ‘jump’ then you may never hear from them again & you have no recourse - that’s what agency work is all about - you being totally flexible to their needs, & don’t expect the agency to stand up for you - there are plenty more drivers around willing to do the job.
1st October a new law comes in saying that anyone working for a company, through an agency, for more than 12 weeks, will be entitled to the same pay & some of the benefits of the company’s permanent drivers. In theory sounds good, in practice it is yet to be seen, but it still doesn’t affect the (lack of) security side of agency work.
Soz 
,
the Agency Regulations Law starts.
Equal pay, after 12 weeks, be allowed access to advertised jobs on notice boards.Canteen use, uniform, equal rights in the work place except pensions and sickpay.
The agency staff at our place have been told their pay will increase by £2.50 an hour, and will be on the same as the full-timers…The only difference we don’t know about is what hours the agency staff will have to do to qualify for bonus rates of pay (overtime) we have to do 48 then get time and a half.Will it be the same ?
Will the agency give the 11 weeks work then start again ? don’t know.
At our place we expect more staff to be taken on as full-timers so the company don’t have to pay the agency £20ph at least.
Rooster:
Sozthe Agency Regulations Law starts.
Equal pay, after 12 weeks, be allowed access to advertised jobs on notice boards.Canteen use, uniform, equal rights in the work place except pensions and sickpay.
The agency staff at our place have been told their pay will increase by £2.50 an hour, and will be on the same as the full-timers…The only difference we don’t know about is what hours the agency staff will have to do to qualify for bonus rates of pay (overtime) we have to do 48 then get time and a half.Will it be the same ?
Will the agency give the 11 weeks work then start again ? don’t know.At our place we expect more staff to be taken on as full-timers so the company don’t have to pay the agency £20ph at least.
what happens is anytime during the 11 weeks you will be stood down for a day and your 12 week period will have to start again.
I would never advise anyone to give up a “permanent” full-time job to go on to agency work, unless they’re determined to have a complete career change and are certain in their own mind that they can handle the uncertainty that such a change will inevitably bring. Even then, they’d need to be certain that their finances can handle it; if you’ve got dependent kids and a mortgage it’s a definite no-no in the current economic climate.
Inevitably this thread will bring the usual suspects out of the woodwork damning all agencies to hell and beyond… oh wait they already have… but it’s often the only way into HGV driving for a lot of people, especially now that the law has tightened up on “casual” driving.
The new laws may become a “Catch 22” for employers; if it becomes prohibitively expensive to hire agency staff, then they’ll be faced with either hiring temps directly on short term contracts, or subbing the work out to contractors, which ironically is what they’re doing with an agency anyway.
Either way, you can bet your life that they’ll find the least expensive way to do it, and I very much doubt if it’ll benefit UK drivers.
Thanks for all the replies much appreciated. I have a mortgage and kids and currently drive for a known company and a well known pain in the arse company so probably not worth taking the risk on agency.
Just been gettin ■■■■■■ off with were im located at the min in manchester coming from liverpool with fuel, finish times sometimes 2 hours to get home because of the pain in the arse m62, had a couple of interviews in the last 2 years but cant find nothing pay wise that is remotely close to pick up that i get even after fuel pay out. Just keep on looking i suppose and keep me outs peeled for the dhl depot currntly under going work at east lancs/m57 Thanks all 
Agencys are on the whole a waste of space, however one kept me in continual work last year and money wasn’t bad either to say I was home every day for tea. I had glowing reports from all their customers, and they’d tell me who the useless ones were and gave me priority especially going into new customers as they trusted me(to a degree). They weren’t perfect, but I’ll be ringing them next week as I’ve handed my notice in today. Just had enough on general haulage I’m bored out of my mind and miserable and start college in sept, so after being told last night as I neared my 15 hour spread ‘carry on till you get the job done and write rta on the back of your card you’ll be fine and we need it tipped’ I got up this morning, came to the yard for a re load and gave notice on a piece on notepad paper
I’ll use them as I am used to suit and hopefully in 2 years time I’ll be sparking on same or more money for half the hours I’m doing currently with no nights out 
jessicas dad:
what happens is anytime during the 11 weeks you will be stood down for a day and your 12 week period will have to start again.
This is what i reckon too, we’ve always had the same pool of agency drivers 5-10 you see regular. Over the last 8 weeks 50 drivers have gone though an induction - now it is a different guys everyday. We are a small site so to have 50 drivers go through inductions raises eyebrows.
In my honest opinion these agency drivers regs that are coming will do nothing for drivers, absolutely nothing.
mac12:
Lycanthrope:
mateddy41:
… is it a good move to go from a permanent job to agency, …never! Agencies are pure [zb]'s and will [zb] you over and the slightest, you mean nothing to them, their only interests are themselves, “Permanent” “long term” etc mean nothing and you will be dropped with no notice, stick with the real job !
How very true
Can’t agree enough, been booked for 3 weeks, then stood down after 4 days due to a driver coming back from sick, not their problem that you’re now left in the cold with bills to pay etc.
All agencies, are self serving ■■■■■■ no matter what you’re told, but you can use them to suit yourself, ie I’m about to go on hols, not an ideal time to go for a perm job, so agency suits at the moment, but it’s not helping me save for my hols when I got 1 day last week, 2 days this week etc…
what happens is anytime during the 11 weeks you will be stood down for a day and your 12 week period will have to start again
Not true - the law has been fairly well written in that they would have to put you on something else for a period of 6 weeks before the previous entitlement can be discarded, so you do 6 weeks for one company, 5 weeks for another, then 6 weeks for the original company and you are deemed to have fulfilled the 12 week rule with the original company.
I only do one or two days a week agency driving now, and that has been with the same company for a couple of years, but even in my situation the 12 week rule will apply, even though I’m only averaging 15 - 20 hours a week.
OllieNotts:
Agencys are on the whole a waste of space, however one kept me in continual work last year and money wasn’t bad either to say I was home every day for tea. I had glowing reports from all their customers, and they’d tell me who the useless ones were and gave me priority especially going into new customers as they trusted me(to a degree). They weren’t perfect, but I’ll be ringing them next week as I’ve handed my notice in today. Just had enough on general haulage I’m bored out of my mind and miserable and start college in sept, so after being told last night as I neared my 15 hour spread ‘carry on till you get the job done and write rta on the back of your card you’ll be fine and we need it tipped’ I got up this morning, came to the yard for a re load and gave notice on a piece on notepad paper
I’ll use them as I am used to suit and hopefully in 2 years time I’ll be sparking on same or more money for half the hours I’m doing currently with no nights out
Then you better hope things improve in the electrical world as I am an electrical techniian and there is not a damned thing out there right now. Little to no new builds, already masses of electricians. Electricians earn from as little as £18k per year plus perhaps any o/t. Quotes of £40k plus pa are far from the truth. Not sure what rates you are getting on your lorry but expect only about £10 to £11 for a sparky. True no nights out unless you get a position in a company that requires you to work away. Or throguh agencies that require so much travel that you need to stay away at your expence.
I know having a trade is thought a great idea and it has saved me several times. However, do not believe the hype over shortage of skilled workers. Don’t expect to earn masses of money especially when just qualified. You may, just may get a good first time job but more likely the truth is that you will be forced to source contracts through agencies.
The only major point with the new law is that it has to be continual service, u cant work anywhere else. Even if u do 11 weeks then 1 day at another place u start ure 12 weeks all over again. So i dont think they will be that worried.
mosiman007:
The only major point with the new law is that it has to be continual service, u cant work anywhere else. Even if u do 11 weeks then 1 day at another place u start ure 12 weeks all over again. So i dont think they will be that worried.
Wrong 
tallyman:
Not true - the law has been fairly well written in that they would have to put you on something else for a period of 6 weeks before the previous entitlement can be discarded, so you do 6 weeks for one company, 5 weeks for another, then 6 weeks for the original company and you are deemed to have fulfilled the 12 week rule with the original company.
but if they send you for 6 weeks then send you somewhere else for 6 weeks they will only need 2 drivers swapping jobs and you never get 12 weeks.They are not going to give us drivers anything if they don’t have to, and where you see on other posts on this forum where people think they will get 50% pay rise it will never happen.
mac12:
but if they send you for 6 weeks then send you somewhere else for 6 weeks they will only need 2 drivers swapping jobs and you never get 12 weeks.They are not going to give us drivers anything if they don’t have to, and where you see on other posts on this forum where people think they will get 50% pay rise it will never happen.
Bloody hell,
The “Agency Working Directive” is RETROSPECTIVE, google the word for its meaning 