Hi, I am recently qualified driver with class 1 and class 2 under my belt, I have not really chased work as I was expecting to move back to the north east over summer, I have done a few days for one local haulage company on an 18T rigid and I have done quite a bit for another driving 8 wheel tippers, anyway work has dried up from these two so I am thinking of going down the agency route, I am set up as a limited company and have been working through this s far as the tipper work was concerned.
Anyway I will cut to the chase I have read a lot on here from the agency drivers about how they dictate their rates to the agency obviously within reason. So what sort of rates should I be asking for before I go to the agency’s, I will be working through my limited company so obviously have to sort my own tax etc
Any pointers would be gratefully appreciated
depends where in the north east how experienced you are and what agency you are registering with.
a lot of the oh i charge ££££ i would guess dont work in the north east where rates are low.
Depends to some extent on your experience. Being new to the job you’re unfortunately in the position of needing to take everything thrown at you and your ability to dictate rates is pretty much nought. Once you’ve been doing it a while and proven yourself and/or you’ve done it so long that many firms likely to be that agency’s customer know you by name then you have leverage.
Certainly you want to be aiming for no less than £10/hr on PAYE or as close as you can get depending on where you are. I certainly wouldn’t do it for less than £9. Self employed a decent agency should be paying at least £2/hr more than PAYE. Certainly the agency I’m subbied to does - I think they’re paying £3/hr more than the PAYE rate of £10. Its certainly enough that the guy I work for can sub me out to them on PAYE, pay me the same rate as their drivers on PAYE and still make a bit of money.
cant see the OP getting £10 per hour in newcastle/sunderland as a newbie, sure last year best connection were paying £8?
Sorry I should have said the house move fell through so I am still down in Peterborough, and I have been getting £11ph as a tipper driver
Whatever you want now, this Crimbo will be warfare.
Just noticed QuickTemp are quoting up to £1100 a week
I’m on £8.50 an hour but that is 7.5ton work.
Not sure how it works down south but in Scotland I am agency self employed and for night shift I am on £12 PH approx. Not sure how it is now but I passed my class 1 3 years ago and all I got was “hmm you need experience so we cant give you work”. I think its eased off a bit recently but some agencys still require your license category to be at least 2 years old.
Good luck though
wing-nut:
Just noticed QuickTemp are quoting up to £1100 a week
I did work for this agency for first week rate was £12/hour but next week it was £10/hour on enquiry they said it was mistake which never got sorted and kept on happening and most of the time I was booked for the shifts but in the mean time shifts been cancelled in other words I just wasted my time with this agency. Am not saying its a bad agency am just sharing my experience with them.
Do whatever suits you best whitey.
What ever paye wages are qouted, Remember you can add 12% for NI contributions and 13% for holiday pay (for the equivalent self employed) and you haven’t even begun to barter
If you’re relatively new you probably haven’t got the bitter and twisted tongue that most get- don’t bother with ■■■■■■■ talk of not gettin out of bed for that…or your not using your own mobile…or anything else that shows your hard work . I never ever will understand dorks that quote that belter. It’s a sure fire way of being bottom of the list.
And remember, they’re not JUST an agency, they’re not JUST a stop gap, they are your employer, so show them that your worth sending into they’re best client with the best wages that they’re in there with every day of every week.
Turn up in ur clean boots, with your dickies trousers with 28 pockets and have a pen in one of them and ur mini magpie torch that you do your walk round check with in another.
They tell you what the rate is for the job and you accept or decline. It keeps it simple and fair that way
scanny77:
They tell you what the rate is for the job and you accept or decline. It keeps it simple and fair that way
This. People should know what there prepared to work for. Its not rocket science. Some people can afford to say no, some people cant.
Concretejim:
scanny77:
They tell you what the rate is for the job and you accept or decline. It keeps it simple and fair that wayThis. People should know what there prepared to work for. Its not rocket science. Some people can afford to say no, some people cant.
and some people have the common sense to negotiate when providing services to another company. I don’t walk into Asda and say “I will pay 20p for this loaf of bread” and I don’t say to the plumber “I will pay you £10 per hour but you must pay the first £1000 of any damage”
But there we go… Hardly rocket science.
Negotiating causes problems for everybody involved. The client pays the rate that they are willing to pay and the agency will be capped with that. They have a balance of keeping drivers, clients and their own bosses happy so the easy option is to set the rate for all drivers and they can then decide whether its worth it to them or not. I have taken a break recently and gained 80p per hour but they owed me £170 for 2 weeks work which required a threat to get from them. Now I am back on a lower rate (although still above average) but I never have to chase missing payments. Hours for the previous week are checked every Monday and shortages are dealt with there and then. Plus the added bonus that I will be working all year round with this contract. The hourly rate is only a figure and other factors do have an influence eg £13 but only 3 days a week for 9 months a year (and having to chase jark for money owed regardless of branch) or £11 for 5 days and 12 months a year (figures are just an example) 
Depends where abouts you are. Agency I’m with PAYE rates start at C+E £9/hr, 7.5t&van £8/hr NW
If it’s high rates just over Christmas you are looking for - try Asda via an agency… A reduced pool of “Christmas Only” drivers last year had them pushing their rates right up. All the other drivers are already flat out at other firms over Christmas you see…
Winseer:
If it’s high rates just over Christmas you are looking for - try Asda via an agency… A reduced pool of “Christmas Only” drivers last year had them pushing their rates right up. All the other drivers are already flat out at other firms over Christmas you see…
They didn’t up here (or they did but the agency kept the difference) last year. They do a good bank holiday rate though. Nobody else seems to pay double up here