Truckbling:
You can spot the decent agency drivers a mile off. They are the ones who almost have a full time job with your company because they do a good job they keep getting asked for. I’ve been almost full time with the same company now for 3 years so am wondering who I upset in my past life.
Safeways?
Seriously though, if you find yourself “asked for by name” at an agency, then what happens if you work for a different agency that isn’t that depot’s main supplier of drivers?
As far as I know, the client yard cannot ask for a particular “sub” over the main supplier’s legions…
Truckbling:
I wouldn’t want a full time job thank you very much. Not because I can’t hold one down but because you are all on ■■■■ poor money its embarrassing. I would gladly challenge any [zb] full time driver to a test of skills to prove they are not all that they think they are and that some agency drivers actually are good at what they do.
The number of stinking cabs that I have to drive because the full time driver does not know what soap, water and deodorant is, is beyond belief. If you don’t want [zb] stealing from your cab then take your crap home with you. I don’t leave my tackle in cabs because I know it will vanish so how come full timers are too thick to realize the same?
The agency driver does not wish to look at pictures of your ugly wife and kids and all your teddy bears in your cab. you want us to respect you and your cab then respect us and take your [zb] home with you. It’s not your lorry so stop thinking that it is.
So answer me this I work full time for a company and am away all week every week and I am having a day off for say a hospital appointment please tell me why I should clear all my belongings out of the cab I use 48 weeks of the year to live in so a knob like you can drive it for one day.
Just so that you know I don’t and never have had a problem with agency drivers, only when I have had good reason to.
Ahhhh Monday! today is my Friday. 8hrs Sat 10hrs Sun and probably 9hrs today all for a nice weeks wage. Thank you very much Transline I appreciate it. Seya next Saturday.
some good posts, i said some? As an agency driver i do assessements for whoever i drive for so for a start, my skills are up and beyond parr, so this and many other neandathal knuckle dragger agency drivers are more than capable, i also find that the own company drivers do all the moaning as theyve been there that long that they obviously own the firm.
I went to one place last week maxd my hours and left my sunglasses in cab as was tired, my son bought me these 15yrs ago, anyway i realised nxt morning so contacted agency to get them back, needless to say some ars hoole had pocketed them and said nothing, yeah us agency drivers are no good, but i will see them on him one day and he will get a slight left hook with no explanation and will deftly remove from his brow i thankyou
When I get told on my first day at a new yard that “There’s a helmet waiting for you in your cab”, you can imagine my surprise when I find a hard hat neatly left on my driver’s seat, rather than an assessor in the passenger seat.
I think the state of a lot of trucks can be blamed on the companies to be honest,ours are tips inside in most instances,damage all over and what do the directors say who had a look at them,send them back and get some new ones in ,if I was in charge I’d of said they’ve made there bed let them lie in it,no way would I give them new ones,it may seem unfair on the drivers,be it own drivers,casual,agency who take a pride in the kit,but sod it,give it 6 months and they’ll be back to square one.
well said trukman,as agency most units i come across has a defect and not tidy inside, few weeks ago for a crap firm went in to get defect book he said our drivers ok driving it[the ■■■■■■■■■ iveco stralis ive seen] anyway on way back downstairs and overheard him saying bludy agency drivers so i bouncesd back up and promptly gave him keys back and said bye it makes me grin to see them squirm asking for me to stay and do shift i say ok then get me a decent unit so gets me keys to the 09 scania spotless, bludy agency driver yeah but i wont take their crap they need us fellas keep up the good work
nickb67:
maybe I could join an agency around August/September-time and leave a turd on one of busteredwards’ side locker.
Sounds like you would make the perfect agency driver.
I’v got to laugh at all these agency chaps who try to make out they’re rich & don’t need nor want a full time job! I’m sure everyone’s buying that old chestnut…eh? What could be better than wondering when & where your next shift will be?
how about a zero hour contract where you may get work but if not, no pay! I think the freedom of freelancing for higher hourly rate and lower level of tax is more suited for me. I have a cushy number just now and it is not open to the full timers. 63 plate units running to cairnryan and back with some shunting at both ends of the shift to help the tug drivers out. I am a bit miffed with some drivers though. These units have a number plate holder on the back of the cab so why leave the plate on a trailer, on the dashboard or in the cab at all? Put the thing where it is meant to go
nickb67:
maybe I could join an agency around August/September-time and leave a turd on one of busteredwards’ side locker.
Sounds like you would make the perfect agency driver.
I’v got to laugh at all these agency chaps who try to make out they’re rich & don’t need nor want a full time job! I’m sure everyone’s buying that old chestnut…eh? What could be better than wondering when & where your next shift will be?
how about a zero hour contract where you may get work but if not, no pay! I think the freedom of freelancing for higher hourly rate and lower level of tax is more suited for me.
Exactly my point.
You get a reputation in a few companies as a good driver, get the job done and dont cause damage and you get asked for by name. I work for 2 agencies and can “ad hoc” with 2 companies when things are quiet.
The rates are very good and tax is nowhere near the rate I would be paying on PAYE (I would be in the 40% bracket by 7-8 months into the tax year)
iceman1:
well said trukman,as agency most units i come across has a defect and not tidy inside, few weeks ago for a crap firm went in to get defect book he said our drivers ok driving it[the [zb] iveco stralis ive seen] anyway on way back downstairs and overheard him saying bludy agency drivers so i bouncesd back up and promptly gave him keys back and said bye it makes me grin to see them squirm asking for me to stay and do shift i say ok then get me a decent unit so gets me keys to the 09 scania spotless, bludy agency driver yeah but i wont take their crap they need us fellas keep up the good work
beetee07:
So answer me this I work full time for a company and am away all week every week and I am having a day off for say a hospital appointment please tell me why I should clear all my belongings out of the cab I use 48 weeks of the year to live in so a knob like you can drive it for one day.
Just so that you know I don’t and never have had a problem with agency drivers, only when I have had good reason to.
Thanks for tarring me as a knob when you know nothing about me. Why don’t you try coming round my house and sleeping in my bed just after I get out if it. Would you do it? I doubt it do why should I have to move yours because you think you have the ultimate right just because you drive it regularly. As I said earlier, respect us and leave us a clean clear cab and you might get the same back.
Truckbling:
You can spot the decent agency drivers a mile off. They are the ones who almost have a full time job with your company because they do a good job they keep getting asked for. I’ve been almost full time with the same company now for 3 years so am wondering who I upset in my past life.
Safeways?
Seriously though, if you find yourself “asked for by name” at an agency, then what happens if you work for a different agency that isn’t that depot’s main supplier of drivers?
As far as I know, the client yard cannot ask for a particular “sub” over the main supplier’s legions…
No not safeways.
If you are not on the books of the company’s main supplying agency then it doesn’t matter, the company will either ask you to swap agencies or they will just use you anyway if they are pleased with whst you do.
Truckbling:
You can spot the decent agency drivers a mile off. They are the ones who almost have a full time job with your company because they do a good job they keep getting asked for. I’ve been almost full time with the same company now for 3 years so am wondering who I upset in my past life.
Safeways?
Seriously though, if you find yourself “asked for by name” at an agency, then what happens if you work for a different agency that isn’t that depot’s main supplier of drivers?
As far as I know, the client yard cannot ask for a particular “sub” over the main supplier’s legions…
No not safeways.
If you are not on the books of the company’s main supplying agency then it doesn’t matter, the company will either ask you to swap agencies or they will just use you anyway if they are pleased with whst you do.
Yeh. On asking, the main supplying agency themselves didn’t want to sign me up!
Well, I’ll be declining that same agency’s “change of heart” invitation to sign up in the next few weeks to do some Christmas scab work as well then!
I reckon it’s about time the main supplying agencies for a lot of large firms out there got “re-negotiated” in a manner that makes them cash cows for the workforce instead of some Yank franchise operating over here, evading tax et al.
beetee07:
So answer me this I work full time for a company and am away all week every week and I am having a day off for say a hospital appointment please tell me why I should clear all my belongings out of the cab I use 48 weeks of the year to live in so a knob like you can drive it for one day.
Just so that you know I don’t and never have had a problem with agency drivers, only when I have had good reason to.
Thanks for tarring me as a knob when you know nothing about me. Why don’t you try coming round my house and sleeping in my bed just after I get out if it. Would you do it? I doubt it do why should I have to move yours because you think you have the ultimate right just because you drive it regularly. As I said earlier, respect us and leave us a clean clear cab and you might get the same back.
Typical full timer attitude.
The only reason I call you a knob is because you think that just because you drive a vehicle for one day you expect the driver who drives it every day to spend at least two hours to clear his cab just so you can drive it for a day.
Get a grip man nobody in their right mind is not going to do it, I bet your one of those drivers that would lay on someone’s bed with greasy boots on just to be orkward.
pfh1970:
Does anyone know of any companies in Manchester who will take on a class 2 driver who has been away from driving for a few years i also want to do class 1 after xmas i have missed driving a great deal i,ll do tramping,days,nights,evenings,weekends or even part time to get back in to it
I lay down newspaper or plastic bags on the bunk, bring my own pillow, and treat the cab like the mechanic treats the inside of your car when doing the MOT… A lot of bunks I come across have ■■■ burns in them, but that’s no skin off my nose. A lot of gear sticks have biscuit crumbs all around the rubber, but that’s no skin off my nose either. I only object to taking over a cab from a full timer when it’s been left in an unroadworthy condition, and more importantly, has clearly been that way for a while! We’re talking “MOT Failure” material here, not petty things like “thumbprints on the steering wheel”, or a “missing knob on the radio” etc. The only ‘missing knob’ perhaps is the guy who I appear to be covering in that case.
Here’s a few other things I don’t like to find in cabs when I take one over…
pfh1970:
Does anyone know of any companies in Manchester who will take on a class 2 driver who has been away from driving for a few years i also want to do class 1 after xmas i have missed driving a great deal i,ll do tramping,days,nights,evenings,weekends or even part time to get back in to it
Some folk dont like the idea of agency drivers. Thats obvious, but where do you think they come from? They arent a different species.
Thats right…most come from regular jobs from where they`ve been made redundant or possibly sacked. They moaned about agency “knobs” while they were there and swore never ever to work through an agency as long as they draw breath.
Then reality bites and they sign on.
I`ve had more years driving for firms than I care to think of but went agency 7 years ago, and I love the freedom of it.
Some of the guys would love a full time job and take quite a bit of crapp work to try and get one, but Im definately staying put. Ive turned down many a full time job since I started this agency thing.
Its just horses for courses. What suits one will not suit another. Its the hypocrisy of it that makes me laugh when the company men slink off and sign up for the dreaded agency’s after slagging them so much. Haha!!
I didnt expect to be on the agency for long as I have loads of experience etc and just assumed I would start somewhere soon, but I was very suprised at how much I enjoyed going to different places and doing different jobs. Now I wouldnt do anything else. I see full timers as bored/boring people with boring jobs who complain continuously about their lot.
I must say though, its only on this forum that I hear any tension expressed towards “us”. I`ve never had any problems whatsoever in the “real” world. Folks are great normally.
The one big down side I have experienced though is, if you do happen to get on the wrong side of the wrong person in a company for whatever reason…youre out! Theres no disciplinary meetings or union men or written warnings or suspension on full pay bollix…you`re out! But all you do is move on to the next one, plenty more where they came from!
,if I was in charge I’d of said they’ve made there bed let them lie in it,no way would I give them new ones,it may seem unfair on the drivers,be it own drivers,casual,agency who take a pride in the kit,but sod it,give it 6 months and they’ll be back to square one.
We’re talking “MOT Failure” material here, not petty things like “thumbprints on the steering wheel”, or a “missing knob on the radio” etc. The only ‘missing knob’ perhaps is the guy who I appear to be covering in that case. 
