Signed up with a very well know driver agency last Friday.
The girl asked me to a do the whole week class 1 at A
I told her I could do until weds as I needed to catch up with stuff for Christmas
That’s fine she said
Sunday night
Agency Girl: Need to change plans you need to go to X instead.
Me: But they are a pallet firm doing multi drop’s?
(if you have read my first thread then you will know I only do Class 1 and no multi drops – nights out)
Agency Girl: This a switch load at Glasgow and return.
Fair enough
So I turns up at X
X TM: So you’re here for the driving assessment ?
Me : Err no, I’m here for a load to Glasgow and back.
X TM: Come through the back door and we will set things up.
As I approach the back door and let myself in, I see (btw it’s raining) a pile of soaked night out gear, on the floor outside.
The door buzzes and I let myself in.
To cut a long story short, they want me to do an assessment, if I fail either the assessment or drugs test I won’t be paid for my time. Then back door gets a really big kicking, some shouting and swearing.
X TM: Ok let’s do the drugs test.
Me: Just had a ■■■■, you know at our age first thing that happens when you get out of bed, is you need the toilet. (I was grinning because at this point I was going to refuse it anyway. I’ve never got the argument “if you’ve nothing to hide”, my response is always “I also have nothing to prove to you”.)
X TM: ok then, assessment first then pee in the cup.
Now that surprised me! If the whole point of a drugs and alcohol test is to not have drivers in charge of a truck under the influence, then why do an assessment first? BTW besides vaping I’m T-total, been sober nearly 12 years.
So I casually asked him what the job for the day was.
X TM: We asked your agency for a rigid driver to do some drops around Liverpool.
ME: How many drops?
X TM: 12 so far.
ME: Handball?
X TM: Some, some tail lift and truck.
ME: Excellent … looking forward to it, I just need to pop to my car and get my phone charger cable, be back in 5.
I stopped at the Mc Dee’s drive through on the way home and cashed in my free coffee with a breakfast muffin coupon.
The agency girl didn’t contact me until after 12 o’clock, it was a text.
TXT Agency Girl: Why did you leave X without telling them?
TXT ME: I’d wasted enough of my own time.
Anyway it goes on, she apologises, I accept her excuse, I agree to do “A”, tomorrow at 5:00 am for a early finish. Should have binned them off there and then , but I’m naïve at this.
“A” client – turned into a 15-hour shift, head to foot in mud. That’s ok wasn’t bothered, did next day, another 14 hour shift, fine that’s the nature of things it was good fun not complaining. Thought great, wash the work kit put it away until the new year, sleep in till 9:00 o’clock if the gf will let me.
Phone call Wed’s night 19:00.
Agency Girl: Can you see the rest of the week out at “A” ?
Me: no, I’m busy and the 15-hour shifts means I can’t get my stuff sorted for the family.
Agency Girl: oh please we are absolutely desperate and so is the client, can you do anything?
Me: well I could do a single trip on Friday if that would help, normally 7 and a bit hours.
Agency Girl: I’ll call the TM
She calls back
Agency Girl: I’ve talked to TM and that’s fine, thanks for your help.
I turns up at “A”, into the transport office,
A TM: The load will be ready in about an hour.
ME: Where to?
A TM: Bristol XY superstore.
ME: I’d have to run a 10 to do that.
A TM: I know you have one left so it’s all good.
Me: you talked to my agency last night?
A TM: Yep she said you would be in.
ME: she didn’t mention I wanted a short shift then?
A TM: No, did you want one?
ME: Yes please (did say please).
A TM: Don’t have any, so you might as well go home, and don’t charge us for this as well.
I’ve just emailed my timesheets, no call from the agency or text.
So from a short week, this is how I think the agency operates:
They don’t listen to a word you say.
They lie through their teeth, just to get you to a job, and hope you will do it anyway even though its not what they had promised.
That is a particularly bad experience. name and shame, so I and others can avoid them!
I’ve worked for four agencies, and only one was bad. And not as bad as your experience. Just register with a few, then you can play them off against each other. If you get a reputation as a reliable and professional driver, they won’t want to pee you off.
Agencies lie in the hope that you will be one of the countless drivers who have no brain and will simply go along with it. If you do go along with it, no matter how much you complain about it, they will do it again and again. Best walking away and show them you won’t stand for it.
Agency work is fine, so long as you set out your stall from the beginning. In my case it was a name and shame post on TruckNet which caused a senior manager to phone me, apologise, and assure me that steps had been taken to ensure that there would be no repeat of their errors. And in fairness, there hasn’t been.
Can’t really complain, great thing about being on agency is you can drop them and find a new one just as easily; only fair they can screw you about also.
In fairness not all, but most agencies are like that.
I worked for 1 guy for 9 years, and he didn’t really ■■■■ his drivers about, but he did have his favourites, (And still has.) of which I wasn’t at the very top of the list, but not far away, which meant I did get let down on the odd occasion, but if it was very short notice, he would pay you 8 hours for being sat at home. I also got my cpc out of him foc which was a bonus.
I only went back paye in 2016, because I had just remarried, and the wife wanted a bit more stability, but I did make some good money out of the agency and in the main, enjoyed it.
Don’t know if I would go back to it now though, what with all the HMRC changes, an coupled with the fact I am now off until 2nd January and being paid for it, and all the other benefits that paye bring.
fivetide:
Signed up with a very well know driver agency last Friday.
The girl asked me to a do the whole week class 1 at A
I told her I could do until weds as I needed to catch up with stuff for Christmas
That’s fine she said
Sunday night
Agency Girl: Need to change plans you need to go to X instead.
Me: But they are a pallet firm doing multi drop’s?
(if you have read my first thread then you will know I only do Class 1 and no multi drops – nights out)
Agency Girl: This a switch load at Glasgow and return.
Fair enough
So I turns up at X
X TM: So you’re here for the driving assessment ?
Me : Err no, I’m here for a load to Glasgow and back.
X TM: Come through the back door and we will set things up.
As I approach the back door and let myself in, I see (btw it’s raining) a pile of soaked night out gear, on the floor outside.
The door buzzes and I let myself in.
To cut a long story short, they want me to do an assessment, if I fail either the assessment or drugs test I won’t be paid for my time. Then back door gets a really big kicking, some shouting and swearing.
X TM: Ok let’s do the drugs test.
Me: Just had a ■■■■, you know at our age first thing that happens when you get out of bed, is you need the toilet. (I was grinning because at this point I was going to refuse it anyway. I’ve never got the argument “if you’ve nothing to hide”, my response is always “I also have nothing to prove to you”.)
X TM: ok then, assessment first then pee in the cup.
Now that surprised me! If the whole point of a drugs and alcohol test is to not have drivers in charge of a truck under the influence, then why do an assessment first? BTW besides vaping I’m T-total, been sober nearly 12 years.
So I casually asked him what the job for the day was.
X TM: We asked your agency for a rigid driver to do some drops around Liverpool.
ME: How many drops?
X TM: 12 so far.
ME: Handball?
X TM: Some, some tail lift and truck.
ME: Excellent … looking forward to it, I just need to pop to my car and get my phone charger cable, be back in 5.
I stopped at the Mc Dee’s drive through on the way home and cashed in my free coffee with a breakfast muffin coupon.
The agency girl didn’t contact me until after 12 o’clock, it was a text.
TXT Agency Girl: Why did you leave X without telling them?
TXT ME: I’d wasted enough of my own time.
Anyway it goes on, she apologises, I accept her excuse, I agree to do “A”, tomorrow at 5:00 am for a early finish. Should have binned them off there and then , but I’m naïve at this.
“A” client – turned into a 15-hour shift, head to foot in mud. That’s ok wasn’t bothered, did next day, another 14 hour shift, fine that’s the nature of things it was good fun not complaining. Thought great, wash the work kit put it away until the new year, sleep in till 9:00 o’clock if the gf will let me.
Phone call Wed’s night 19:00.
Agency Girl: Can you see the rest of the week out at “A” ?
Me: no, I’m busy and the 15-hour shifts means I can’t get my stuff sorted for the family.
Agency Girl: oh please we are absolutely desperate and so is the client, can you do anything?
Me: well I could do a single trip on Friday if that would help, normally 7 and a bit hours.
Agency Girl: I’ll call the TM
She calls back
Agency Girl: I’ve talked to TM and that’s fine, thanks for your help.
I turns up at “A”, into the transport office,
A TM: The load will be ready in about an hour.
ME: Where to?
A TM: Bristol XY superstore.
ME: I’d have to run a 10 to do that.
A TM: I know you have one left so it’s all good.
Me: you talked to my agency last night?
A TM: Yep she said you would be in.
ME: she didn’t mention I wanted a short shift then?
A TM: No, did you want one?
ME: Yes please (did say please).
A TM: Don’t have any, so you might as well go home, and don’t charge us for this as well.
I’ve just emailed my timesheets, no call from the agency or text.
So from a short week, this is how I think the agency operates:
They don’t listen to a word you say.
They lie through their teeth, just to get you to a job, and hope you will do it anyway even though its not what they had promised.
They lie to their clients.
They lie to themselves
They lie in their sleep.
The End
Good for you at least you went in and did a days work
You can’t trust agency never but you seem well able for them good for you
It’s great to see people sticking up for themselves
Harry Monk:
Agency work is fine, so long as you set out your stall from the beginning.
Defo agree set out your stall and don’t give in to what they ‘really need you to do’ cos ‘they’ll sort you out next week’.
I’ve done Agenct work since I started driving, I tried shop deliveries and don’t like it, said NO enough times to not be asked anymore.
Simple tip is to not agree to work a full week somewhere you’ve not done before.
I wouldnt have got as far as you did…but each to their own eh…and a drugs test…wtf…and pi$$ in a cup…sounds a very thorough test…i would have walked…after i threw the ■■■■ all over him.
