It’s now happened a few times where I have either turned up to drive a lorry, only to find faults e.g missing o licence, missing mud guard on the vehicle etc. some vehicles have a knackered gear… e.g being briefed to not use 2nd. gear etc… broken this, knackered that.
am i just unlucky or is this a common occurrence?
Depends on the company really but agency drivers do tend to cop for the crappy motors at times but you don’t have to put up with it and if anything is non road legal defo refuse it.
Unfortunately the best agency driver isn’t as good as the worst full timer so it’s par for the course really, get a proper job and this problem will solve itself. 
Refuse to drive the vehicle, I have had this so many times over the years, just because you are agency they presume you are crap and therefore think they can treat you like crap, the oh so professional British transport industry!!! Take a photo of the defect and if they and the agency refuse to pay you for not taking the vehicle out threaten to take it to VOSA and watch how quickly you get paid. And don’t worry about not working there again because are likely to be a cowboy outfit as unfortunately is so common today, even the likes of Stobart’s are getting drivers to drive illegally and then you get mugs on here supporting pulling cards and doing 15 hour shifts! British drivers are their own worst enemies.
Dipper_Dave:
Depends on the company really but agency drivers do tend to cop for the crappy motors at times but you don’t have to put up with it and if anything is non road legal defo refuse it.Unfortunately the best agency driver isn’t as good as the worst full timer so it’s par for the course really, get a proper job and this problem will solve itself.
I almost fell for that one. 
Us agency drivers get all the ■■■. ■■■ jobs, ■■■ trucks, and plenty of ■■■ on here. 
Agency always get the terrible trucks, whether this is because they have all the trucks out and they’re down to the last ones in the yard, or because they don’t want to give the good trucks to idiots that smash them up (this happens, not blaming you), I don’t know. But it’s just the way it is. Get in with a good company who give you your own truck and things will look up (I’m well aware this is not always possible. We can’t all be 50 year old driving gods with 40 years experience like most members of this forum ).
CHAINSAW:
Refuse to drive the vehicle, I have had this so many times over the years, just because you are agency they presume you are crap and therefore think they can treat you like crap, the oh so professional British transport industry!!! Take a photo of the defect and if they and the agency refuse to pay you for not taking the vehicle out threaten to take it to VOSA and watch how quickly you get paid. And don’t worry about not working there again because are likely to be a cowboy outfit as unfortunately is so common today, even the likes of Stobart’s are getting drivers to drive illegally and then you get mugs on here supporting pulling cards and doing 15 hour shifts! British drivers are their own worst enemies.
+1 I’ve had that , told them I’m off but by the way you’ll still be billed, even taken photos to produce to the agency if they argue the toss about paying.
Normally jobs like that are 3rd party ie one agency passing it to another because none of their own will go there. The more drivers walk and threaten to claim the less these jobs turn up
Like someone else said get a proper job, in the non profit sector no more knackered kit, no more 15 hr days, no more being cancelled, no more ■■■■■■■■.
htmldude:
Dipper_Dave:
Depends on the company really but agency drivers do tend to cop for the crappy motors at times but you don’t have to put up with it and if anything is non road legal defo refuse it.Unfortunately the best agency driver isn’t as good as the worst full timer so it’s par for the course really, get a proper job and this problem will solve itself.
I almost fell for that one.
Agency always get the terrible trucks, whether this is because they have all the trucks out and they’re down to the last ones in the yard, or because they don’t want to give the good trucks to idiots that smash them up (this happens, not blaming you), I don’t know. But it’s just the way it is. Get in with a good company who give you your own truck and things will look up (I’m well aware this is not always possible. We can’t all be 50 year old driving gods with 40 years experience like most members of this forum
The trouble is agency drivers get a reputation worse than the friendly banter on here. If the last agency drivers was crap the next agency driver will be, if the last agency driver was good then it was probably a fulltimer doing some moonlighting and the next one will be crap.
Like life its not fair but playing the percentages probably accurate more times than not + the company will have regular drivers moaning about agency drivers in their earhole so to save the hassle and ftw whinging its best to give agency drivers the ruff motors to be on the safe side.
The good thing is most drivers use agency to cut their teeth be it new passes or drivers out the job for a bit looking to get back on the game (ironically thats how I met the wife, bugger me she was slack downstairs before the pelvic floor revamp bit like throwing a chipolata up the dartford tunnel, sorry im digressing).
Or just retirees looking to keep their hand in.
The oxymoron of “full time agency” applies to only a few journeymen whos driving ability must be hilarious so theres always that full time position miracle cure for your limp at the end of the rainbow and somewhere to hang up that 5p lidl bag for life.
Oh ftw = full time winker, the type where no jobs straightforward, everybody else gets the cream work and always moaning about the gaffers round the coffee machine. When target of moaning appears they tend to go quite and shift into brown nosing mode. Especially if rumours of new motors that ive started have worked their way round.
I.e. Hey dip I heard we are getting new volvos next week. Nope thats one of mine.
Hey dip theres a rumour going round you have a 12inch ■■■■■. Yep I started that one as well.
refuse to drive the vehicle,if they get the axxxxxe with you call dvsa from the premises and tell them what they want you to do[take photos of the faults as well],if the agency get the hump with you,big deal there are plenty of other agencies around,this company sounds like a cowboy outfit,no room for companies like that in this day and age
CHAINSAW:
Refuse to drive the vehicle, I have had this so many times over the years, just because you are agency they presume you are crap and therefore think they can treat you like crap, the oh so professional British transport industry!!! Take a photo of the defect and if they and the agency refuse to pay you for not taking the vehicle out threaten to take it to VOSA and watch how quickly you get paid. And don’t worry about not working there again because are likely to be a cowboy outfit as unfortunately is so common today, even the likes of Stobart’s are getting drivers to drive illegally and then you get mugs on here supporting pulling cards and doing 15 hour shifts! British drivers are their own worst enemies.
I did that at LS once, and got sent home unpaid, and booted by their supplying agency - the boss of whom was mates with the guv at the yard. There was no VOSA back then though, so it was very much “do it, or waste your day”.
They’ve cleaned up their act since the advent of VOSA I understand, but FFS. Getting upset at agency because he wants to run legal!?
I’ve also been to NB yards where “taking photos is instant dismissal” or “mobiles to be checked in at the office on arrival” are posted about the place. Makes one wonder what they are trying to hide eh?
I am contemplating going full time days with this company I am with at moment, purely for the selfish reason I want some structure in my life and it’s close to home. I was offered the job after 3 shifts, during which one of the “full time” drivers left a trailer so high my unit would have trashed the side deflectors if I had not checked prior to coupling (testing me maybe?), the night driver I swap with has now failed to fuel up once in two weeks (including running the ad blue dry) and he expected me to hook up to his trailer for him, I presume my dumping the unit in front of him and the stern “■■■■ you, you lazy ■■■■■■ ■■■■■ stare I gave him has now been understood and his ■■■■ poor full time behaviour will now improve…
If you put up with ■■■■ you will get ■■■■.
If you pay peanuts you get … (fill in at your own leisure)
The industry is ■■■■■■, 90 % of the drivers are ■■■■■ and they will all be replaced by the euros and their sat navs and interpreters whilst our children’s future is destroyed by the ■■■■ poor decisions the last few decades of politicians have inflicted on us!
I used to do regular agency work, I enjoyed the variation in work and the flexibility suited me.
As for being given duff kit I was never afraid to refuse to drive it. A quick call to the agency to explain what I was doing and why then calmly hand back the keys with a defect note and walk away. Its my licence I am not risking it or a fine for anyone.
Gangan:
I used to do regular agency work, I enjoyed the variation in work and the flexibility suited me.As for being given duff kit I was never afraid to refuse to drive it. A quick call to the agency to explain what I was doing and why then calmly hand back the keys with a defect note and walk away. Its my licence I am not risking it or a fine for anyone.
+1
Look in wallet guys, whatever has your name on it, licence, dCPC, digicard is your responsibility.
In this job when your luck runs out it runs out big time, this also goes for using POA. Avoid it at all costs but maybe thats just me.
Your licence is for your career not the first agency shift that expects you to take a chance.
A missing O license isn’t an automatic defect, so it’s always wise to enquire the status of it with the office.
coaster:
It’s now happened a few times where I have either turned up to drive a lorry, only to find faults e.g missing o licence, missing mud guard on the vehicle etc. some vehicles have a knackered gear… e.g being briefed to not use 2nd. gear etc… broken this, knackered that.
am i just unlucky or is this a common occurrence?
Not common. Don’t think I’ve had that in the 20 odd years I’ve been doing agency other than the odd pallet/parcel network rigid with no synchros left in the gearbox so you have to double clutch.
Depends on the company though and I doubt its just the wagon you got to drive thats in a poor state of repair.
htmldude:
Agency always get the terrible trucks
Might be your experience but it certainly isn’t mine. I’ve had the same units as the full-time drivers and had them to the point that at a couple of places the full timers have asked that only I drive their motor when I’ve been covering them being on holiday. At one firm I worked at on agency we actually demanded an agency wagon because their own employees looked after them so badly, never cleaning them, never defecting them.
If you’re always being given the crap in the yard it may pay to take a look close to home to see if there’s anything about you thats contributing to that. Certainly turning up like some agency I’ve seen I can understand why they get given the yard shunter to go do a run.
Too right i refused to drive them. Like somone said, my license my responsibility. Agency was ok about it. Just have to be on my game when i go into work each time. I am looking for a proper job but no luck as yet. Will keep looking
Conor:
htmldude:
Agency always get the terrible trucksMight be your experience but it certainly isn’t mine. I’ve had the same units as the full-time drivers and had them to the point that at a couple of places the full timers have asked that only I drive their motor when I’ve been covering them being on holiday. At one firm I worked at on agency we actually demanded an agency wagon because their own employees looked after them so badly, never cleaning them, never defecting them.
If you’re always being given the crap in the yard it may pay to take a look close to home to see if there’s anything about you thats contributing to that. Certainly turning up like some agency I’ve seen I can understand why they get given the yard shunter to go do a run.
Maybe a bit strong pal, it’s the lack of PPE or own basic kit some don’t turn up with amazes me! 
Evil8Beezle:
Maybe a bit strong pal, it’s the lack of PPE or own basic kit some don’t turn up with amazes me!
Other than boots, what PPE or basic kit would you expect guys to turn up with (assuming we’re talking about something non-specialist)?
An agency driver turned up one night with his 9 year old son. Swiftly sent packing
In answer to the last post, when I did agency work for a period I turned up with Hard hat, gloves, safety specs, high vis coat (clean), torch as a minimum. Plus of course licence, ADR and ID. This was done before the days of CPC so that didn’t apply.
As for the attitude to agency drivers, it is often a reflection of how you approach the client as to how you are treated. Without doubt some places take the mick, but most seem to me to have taken me on to fill in for a missing or holidaying driver, so if the vehicle was in a state then it wasn’t the office’s fault. I still wonder how a driver can get out of a cab and leave it such crap order.
Get in, get done, get clean then get home is the order of the day.