I’m currently in a permanent class 2 position in Glasgow earning 26100 pa before tax. I’m going to go and register with an agency after speaking to them over the phone. I’m getting no where with trying to get into class 1 driving at work because I know too many routes to come off the class 2 stuff. According to the agency I will be earning around 36000 on class 1 on their current contracts and that’s without doing weekends.
Really what I’m asking is do you think it’s worth while leaving a permanent secure job for the money and additional class 1 experience?
I take it you already have class 1, and any figures given by an agency, I would take with a pinch of salt.
Agency will make NO money without drivers on their books. Many will tell you absolutely anything to get you on their books.
That £36000 quoted will be pro rata, as no agency can guarantee you will be out working full time every week ad infinitum.
Leaving for the promise of more money then No, chances are you won’t earn what they say, not without doing weekend work… but if you really want to get onto class 1 then go for it, if they can guarantee a start somewhere as it sounds like you don’t have any experience so could be a gamble.
any agency worth their salt would have told you not to move from a perm job to temping unless despite what others have said they are willing to guarantee a set amount each week (some do it).
I left a permanent job to do agency and am much happier doing it but you have to be prepared for the quiet periods when you might only get 1 or 2 days a week
If it’s agency - only the hourly rate and distance to job matters.
It could be £100k pro rata - but no good at all if you only get 8 hours a fortnight, and pay an umbrella fee of £27 per payslip to get that single shift’s flat pay.
The £36k figure mentioned COULD represent being on a 10 hour shift 5-6-5-6 pattern over the entire year with any premiums for working weekends & Bank Holidays making up for the 4 weeks a year “stat leave” you might not be paid for otherwise.
I remember last year when I answered the “Stobarts £38k” newspaper ad - only to be told it was £8.10ph for weekday nights… 
The £38k was for 11 days out of 14 “out” Euro drivers, and inclusive off all the allowances one gets. Given that this represented gross pay of £1461 per fortnight, it didn’t seem much pay for it - even if you counted 11 days out as a 5-6-5-6 pattern, which of course it’s not - because you can’t return home on the middle “weekend”…
A few months back I spoke to an agency in Mansfield area and he said, ‘I can get you work if you want it but on no account leave a permanent job for it’. If I was in a permanent position it would have to be an atrocious one where I spent most of the day in fear of my life before I’d swap it for agency work.
Thanks guys. Realised I’m not just giving up a job, I’m giving up garentees holidays paid for cpc class, 2 weeks full paternity leave(which I will need soon) job security and 6 months sick pay at full rate. I ride a motorbike so that last ones important! I’m going to register and try and get some shifts with the agency during my holidays
Going onto agency is not as easy as it once was. The supply of Netto and Lidl carrier bags for transporting agency items is being limited for environmental reasons. You will also need a limp. If you do not have any mobility issues, a small stone glued in place inside your left shoe should produce the required look.
Finally, you will need to be very poor at your job and be totally unreliable. Good luck with it all, and don’t forget to leave full-timer trucks in a mess and with no diesel/adblue. (damage isn’t mandatory but its a nice touch).
Maybe a good idea to get more experience and better chance of a decent class 1 job in the future.
But money wise i’d take that with a pinch of salt poss more like £25K a year, strawberry season, holiday season agencies desperate for drivers right now.
Really depends on the agency a lot are BS’ers worked for most in Glasgow, I’m currently agency but on a steady contract been on it for nearly 3 years, Mon-Fri all year round. But a lot of other guys struggle at times to get shifts or left with the crap thats 8hrs a night.
If you got a kid on the way I would hold fire on quitting a full time job. I quit my full time job class 2 for agency on class 1. To be fair to the agency they had me at dhl 5 days a week for 3 months before I left for a full time class 1 job, that 3 months was good as I could be a little picky with looking for the new job.
The same agency got me the original full time class 2 job so when I got my class 1 job I actually gave the agency a weeks notice as they had been good to me, means if I need them again in the future I won’t be on any poop list.
C class jobs on agency of the handballing , high st multidrop variety often pay more that class c+e trunking .
But any fulltime agency job is going to at least match yr present salary
Basically you have to go for it as will never be a good time with kids on way , til they leave home and earn their own money . they just get more expensive with age .
These days you only going to need 6 months experience to get a permenant class 1 job
Just make sure you go for a top of tree agency thats gets the contracts , and not the bottom feeders that fill in the gaps .
Make sure agency pays paye
And pull your finger out
eagerbeaver:
Going onto agency is not as easy as it once was. The supply of Netto and Lidl carrier bags for transporting agency items is being limited for environmental reasons. You will also need a limp. If you do not have any mobility issues, a small stone glued in place inside your left shoe should produce the required look.Finally, you will need to be very poor at your job and be totally unreliable. Good luck with it all, and don’t forget to leave full-timer trucks in a mess and with no diesel/adblue. (damage isn’t mandatory but its a nice
Tedious ■■■■■
Get some new material,you monumental follow through !
weerab84:
Thanks guys. Realised I’m not just giving up a job, I’m giving up garentees holidays paid for cpc class, 2 weeks full paternity leave(which I will need soon) job security and 6 months sick pay at full rate. I ride a motorbike so that last ones important! I’m going to register and try and get some shifts with the agency during my holidays
Sounds like a plan,take what the agency say with a pinch of salt. 
eagerbeaver:
Going onto agency is not as easy as it once was. The supply of Netto and Lidl carrier bags for transporting agency items is being limited for environmental reasons. You will also need a limp. If you do not have any mobility issues, a small stone glued in place inside your left shoe should produce the required look.Finally, you will need to be very poor at your job and be totally unreliable. Good luck with it all, and don’t forget to leave full-timer trucks in a mess and with no diesel/adblue. (damage isn’t mandatory but its a nice touch).
…yeh. If it were not for agency though, the Rab C Nesbitt dressalike full timer wouldn’t have someone each and every week to blame for the last 3 month’s cake wrappers, unemptied ash tray, moudly sandwiches, and strangely unsackable demeanour… 
Winseer:
eagerbeaver:
Going onto agency is not as easy as it once was. The supply of Netto and Lidl carrier bags for transporting agency items is being limited for environmental reasons. You will also need a limp. If you do not have any mobility issues, a small stone glued in place inside your left shoe should produce the required look.Finally, you will need to be very poor at your job and be totally unreliable. Good luck with it all, and don’t forget to leave full-timer trucks in a mess and with no diesel/adblue. (damage isn’t mandatory but its a nice touch).
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…yeh. If it were not for agency though, the Rab C Nesbitt dressalike full timer wouldn’t have someone each and every week to blame for the last 3 month’s cake wrappers, unemptied ash tray, moudly sandwiches, and strangely unsackable demeanour…
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Brilliant, just one thing you ommited the bluetooth earpiece and filthy hi-viz coat.
weerab84:
According to the agency I will be earning around 36000
Agencies couldn’t lie straight in a coffin mate. I saw an ad recently stating £33-36k for 4 on 4 off. Great I thought. Turned out they were offering £125 day rate per shift. To get £36k you’d have to do 5.5 shifts per week.
Does that sound like 4 on 4 off to you. I politely told them no thanks, I’ll look elsewhere.
eagerbeaver:
Going onto agency is not as easy as it once was. The supply of Netto and Lidl carrier bags for transporting agency items is being limited for environmental reasons. You will also need a limp. If you do not have any mobility issues, a small stone glued in place inside your left shoe should produce the required look.Finally, you will need to be very poor at your job and be totally unreliable. Good luck with it all, and don’t forget to leave full-timer trucks in a mess and with no diesel/adblue. (damage isn’t mandatory but its a nice touch).
It took over 12 hours for one to bite, you need to try harder next time… 
£8.75 for night trunking ! Shocking, even go as far as insulting