Does anyone work for a company that uses agency drivers in preference to it’s own employees?
the company i work for uses alot of agency drivers, no offence to all the agency drivers cos we do have very little good ones but 90% of the ones we have end up coming back to the yard with the truck smashed or something hanging off it lol.
Ryan090:
the company i work for uses alot of agency drivers, no offence to all the agency drivers cos we do have very little good ones but 90% of the ones we have end up coming back to the yard with the truck smashed or something hanging off it lol.
If that’s true it’s probably because your employer is using the cheapest agency he can find.
You know the saying, pay peanuts and you get monkeys 
thats prob true. the lorrys we use for local deliveries arent looked after at all, they never let agency on the long distance lorries tho.
we had one guy in the other day, they explained we do deliveries first then collections so we gave him 7 local drops and he made it last him all day and he come back with a bumper half hanging lol
We have loads ay my place, most of them are very good, the problem is they all get tarred with the same brush.
Nobody seems to comment about the good ones only the bad, turning up in a filthy hi-viz coat and a bobble hat and ripped builders arse jeans in July is not the way to win friends. But then on the other hand at most places a good number of the full timers are fist chewingly poor also.
We are all drivers at the end of the day, I have a dislike for agencies but not for all their drivers.
waddy640:
Does anyone work for a company that uses agency drivers in preference to it’s own employees?
How come everyone’s hand ain’t going up right now?
Around here, only the very small private yards DON’T use agency drivers, because they can’t afford SouthEastern going rates. 
It’s also the main reason why yours truly doesn’t often find himself working for any small yards - ever! 
mike68:
We have loads ay my place, most of them are very good, the problem is they all get tarred with the same brush.Nobody seems to comment about the good ones only the bad, turning up in a filthy hi-viz coat and a bobble hat and ripped builders arse jeans in July is not the way to win friends. But then on the other hand at most places a good number of the full timers are fist chewingly poor also.
We are all drivers at the end of the day, I have a dislike for agencies but not for all their drivers.
…but then he “won the crowd” by buying you a cup of ■■■■ from the vending machine, and now he’s upgraded to “Honorary ‘alright’” 
…enter Mr Pro who’s put off his retirement, and then proceeds to drop a trailer on it’s nose first time out.
You get all sorts of full timers and all sorts of agency driver.
What you don’t see many of are the true part-timers, because so few yards work their shifts around a 25-30 hour system that one would find in office waller world.
Yes. 5 “own” drivers and upwards of 60 agency.
waddy640:
Does anyone work for a company that uses agency drivers in preference to it’s own employees?
I cant really answer that question, as Im (not) one of those scumbag, knuckle dragging agency drivers that everyone thinks we are.
As for the ripped jeans etc image… I prefer a clean shirt, York trousers & jacket, smart shoes & if required a matching fleece or waterproof jacket, with a clean Hi-viz over each coat.
I guess I must be doing something wrong, with a clean licence, and only 2 minor issues in the last 15yrs of being a scumbag agency driver 
As for regular vs agy drivers, the local DHL yard has around 100 regulars on the books and averages using around 40 scumbags per day, this can easily top 80+ when it gets busy
but at least they trust us to driver the 70+ brand new DF FM Volvo`s
*Peirre wanders off wondering where he can get a Hi-viz with “scumbag knuckle dragging agency driver” printed on the back
Winseer:
mike68:
We have loads ay my place, most of them are very good, the problem is they all get tarred with the same brush.Nobody seems to comment about the good ones only the bad, turning up in a filthy hi-viz coat and a bobble hat and ripped builders arse jeans in July is not the way to win friends. But then on the other hand at most places a good number of the full timers are fist chewingly poor also.
We are all drivers at the end of the day, I have a dislike for agencies but not for all their drivers.
…but then he “won the crowd” by buying you a cup of ■■■■ from the vending machine, and now he’s upgraded to “Honorary ‘alright’”
…enter Mr Pro who’s put off his retirement, and then proceeds to drop a trailer on it’s nose first time out.You get all sorts of full timers and all sorts of agency driver.
What you don’t see many of are the true part-timers, because so few yards work their shifts around a 25-30 hour system that one would find in office waller world.
I’m not trying to make a link between appearance and ability, sadly we all judge a book by it’s cover first impressions and all that, and some of my colleagues dislike agency drivers just for being agency drivers, he doesn’t need to win me over I know a good man when I see one.
Everytime I go off on holiday, an agency monkey takes my truck for the duration & every time I return to find damage, & anything left in the truck has been looked at with a view to stealing it! 
I’m not joking here either, other lads have had stuff go walkies from their cabs whilst staffed by the doughnuts & their favourite trick seems to be leaving cab windows down or even doors left open when up the dusty end of our yard, hence the cab full of dust!! Or the dirty boot marks up on the bunk! these fannies don’t give a toss & have no respect for anything!
Their will be some good agency drivers but in my experience, it’s no surprise they can’t secure a job of their own!
were i am they have not taken on any drivers for a while, just replaced them with agency…
busteredwards:
Everytime I go off on holiday, an agency monkey takes my truck for the duration & every time I return to find damage, & anything left in the truck has been looked at with a view to stealing it!I’m not joking here either, other lads have had stuff go walkies from their cabs whilst staffed by the doughnuts & their favourite trick seems to be leaving cab windows down or even doors left open when up the dusty end of our yard, hence the cab full of dust!! Or the dirty boot marks up on the bunk! these fannies don’t give a toss & have no respect for anything!
Their will be some good agency drivers but in my experience, it’s no surprise they can’t secure a job of their own!
I used to mix agency driving with perm jobs when in the process of discovering what it was I wanted to do.
Was I a monkey when I worked agency or am I a monkey all of the time?
I’m only asking 'cos I’m confused, when I worked agency I often found myself calling the regular driver of whatever ■■■■■■■■ they gave me a monkey!
New depot boss asked the other week how soon could he employ more drivers at our depot,so I guess he prefers own drivers over agency drivers.
busteredwards:
it’s no surprise they can’t secure a job of their own!
Please elaborate on that statement …
.
As you know there are those (for whatever reason) who undertake agency work between jobs
But there are those like me agency driving IS my job, the lifestyle and flexibility are what suit me, tbh I don’t see me looking for a “full time job” anytime soon. Even though there have been many oppotunities
The ability to earn a similar income PA to a regular driver, yet be able to take time out when I want, without having to ask the truck owner/manager. There are those agency drivers who work 6 months solid, then head off to sunnier climbs for the other 6 months. But Agy work won’t suit those who NEED a regular income…
I work for an agency now Sat-Sun-Mon best thing I ever did. I hear the odd comment from the guys employed by the company I work for but do i give a crap? No! Not really. I’m there to earn a crust wether employed or agency and I get on with it, no complaining. I find the guys that moan about agency drivers are usually the guys that moan about everything. Don’t like the job? Move on then please, give someone less fortunate the opportunity to earn a bit of brass otherwise keep your trap shut and get on with it. BTW the first person that refers to me as an Agency Monkey whilst i’m in work will very quickly find themselves on the disciplinary conveyor belt. That is all, goodnight.
The agency staff at my place range from senior citizens 70+, to drivers that have had limited experience.They get put through a very fair assessment/induction and are always treated with the utmost respect.
Some turn up wearing clean looking uniform, others look like tramps, something I would not allow if I was the TM, but there you go.
Some dictate to their agency, start times, and days their prepared to work, not available for weekends etc.
Sometimes turning down runs which are offered at short notice. Thats their choice of course.
Trust me this is noted by our TM when full-time jobs become available.
With a basic wage at our place on a full-time contract of £32k, with some earning over £45k, some agency staff will do everything offered regardless of start times and days to be worked, to impress and who can blame them ?
I speak and regard agency staff at my place as equals.
peirre:
busteredwards:
it’s no surprise they can’t secure a job of their own!Please elaborate on that statement …
OK, couple of examples from last week.
Going into Grangemouth dock to pick up a 40’ container with the slider set at 30’
Going to a local sawmill to tie dwn a load of timber for another driver who was running late…The monkey doesn’t take any straps/ratchets with him.
Clueless incompetents who couldn’t hack a full time post!
I will repeat from my previous post though…There will be/are some good guys working thru agencies. (but they stay well hidden 
)
I have been away from h.g.v for a few years due to my wife being ill i now want to return i am looking for a company in Manchester to take on class 2 work i am doing class 1 after xmas i fear agencies maybe my only way back not that there is anything wrong with them 
I think more than 50% of hauliers now prefer agency drivers over full timers, at our place it’s almost 50/50 & the last place I worked many of us got made redundant & to this day the jobs still exist, they are filled with agency drivers though…