Oh believe me I know what they are like, I deal with several of them on a daily basis and I know they are full of it! I treat everything they say with caution, hence why he is registered with several to keep our options open. I’m under no illusions his work could dry up tomorrow which is why we’re looking for something permanent, just hope something comes up and soon
mike68:
Treat them all as career liars until proven otherwise every statement means the exact opposite, for example “we phoned you first, so and so asked for you” really means we have phoned all our favorites and they said no.Another one “So and so have just called and cancelled your shift for today”, which means they had work for three drivers they called five you were the stand by tough luck mate.
How very true!
You lot really don’t like agencies do you! 
I feel the exact same when they call me several times a day at work! Just hope we have found a very rare one that is actually going to help for a change 
padsmrs:
You lot really don’t like agencies do you!
padmrs:
Just hope we have found a very rare one that is actually going to help for a change
Well that’s the first time I’ve really smiled since all this pile of ■■■ started in February!!
Been working Agencies since 1999 .
To be a successful agency driver you have to do a good job …dragging your heels , time wasting , poor attitude and non delivery wont do you any favours .
If I can make a good living from it , anyone can . My house and car are my own and I owe nothing , and I ve had a great time working for so many different companies .
Best of all , if you really dont like a place , you can say " no thanks " next time you re asked to go in there ! Cant do that from an employed position !
I’m trying to be positive, ask me next year and we’ll see how things are! 
Going slightly off topic… My Dad reckons there would be no need for agencies if the DWP got it’s act together! The Jobcentre’s have a huge database of people ‘available’ for work… Why not utilise this resource to reduce unemployment and earn revenue? The Jobcentre would charge a competitive rate for labour and pay it’s workforce whatever benefits they’re entitled to. An unemployed person would have to take whatever work the Jobcentre offered to keep their benefits. If that person failed to fulfil their obligation to the Jobcentre they’d lose their benefits. I wonder how quickly unemployment would fall as a result?
lumpygreenpoo:
Going slightly off topic… My Dad reckons there would be no need for agencies if the DWP got it’s act together! The Jobcentre’s have a huge database of people ‘available’ for work… Why not utilise this resource to reduce unemployment and earn revenue? The Jobcentre would charge a competitive rate for labour and pay it’s workforce whatever benefits they’re entitled to. An unemployed person would have to take whatever work the Jobcentre offered to keep their benefits. If that person failed to fulfil their obligation to the Jobcentre they’d lose their benefits. I wonder how quickly unemployment would fall as a result?
Might also help with those that just apply for jobs knowing full well they don’t have the skills to do just so they can keep their job seekers allowance!
Agencies can be one of the best ways into a full time job.
A full time employer gets to see how well you work, and you get to see what the job’s like.
I’ve got every permanent job I’ve ever had by following that route in, including some well paying ones.
It’s true that they lie and ■■■■■■■■, but that’s par for the course.
Top Tip! If there’s a firm that you want to work for, why not call them and ask which agency they use? Then at least you can
bypass some of the lies. It’s best to call after all the motors have gone out and things are winding down a bit btw
Agencies are the curse of the industry, they use and abuse drivers every day by exploiting them to the full. Agenies charge the companies then contract to huge amounts per hour but pay pittance wages to the drivers with hardly any securtity or benefits, the bosses of agencies sit back and rake in huge profits form the poor souls the send off to work, they should be ilegal.
Tell your hubby to become a freelance driver, get some cards printed and send them to every transport company etc in the area, fix a rate of at least 12 pounds an hour (which is a lot less that the thieving agency wil charge them), sit back and wait. You will get some company eventually and then word gets round.
DON’T JOIN ANY AGNCY.
Pat Hasler:
Agencies are the curse of the industry, they use and abuse drivers every day by exploiting them to the full. Agenies charge the companies then contract to huge amounts per hour but pay pittance wages to the drivers with hardly any securtity or benefits, the bosses of agencies sit back and rake in huge profits form the poor souls the send off to work, they should be ilegal.
Tell your hubby to become a freelance driver, get some cards printed and send them to every transport company etc in the area, fix a rate of at least 12 pounds an hour (which is a lot less that the thieving agency wil charge them), sit back and wait. You will get some company eventually and then word gets round.
DON’T JOIN ANY AGNCY.
That sounds like a good idea, but make sure you’ve got insurance cover if you’re not covered by the haulage firm.
You can use the agencies just like they will try and use you.
Wait until it’s busy and they can’t get drivers, then ask for more money. Make sure that you get it in writing, or at least record the conversation, to make it harder for them to deny all knowledge come payday.
Oh, and JOIN A UNION.
I know it’s expensive and they’re not always that useful, and that a lot of employers and agencies won’t recognise them for wage negotiation, but they come in really handy when you need to take someone to court to extract the money you’re due, or you’re unfairly dismissed, whatever.
skell790:
You can use the agencies just like they will try and use you.Wait until it’s busy and they can’t get drivers, then ask for more money. Make sure that you get it in writing, or at least record the conversation, to make it harder for them to deny all knowledge come payday.
A man with good ideas … I like that 
If you all were to join together you could put those crooked agencies out of work and the owners would have to sell their shinny Mercs, BMW’s, Audi’s and Villas on the Costa Brava 
Interesting point about going freelance, oh and he’s already a member of union, they’re helping with our unfair dismissal claim
If Jobcentre plus became the place to go to pick up a driving job, they would ALL end up being on Northern rates, especially should it become possible for JSA claimaints to be catapulted into any old crap job going. I’d lose out for a start, because I pick and choose the hours I work, but would be forced to take a full time job instead of work part time hours which suits me fine as it is.
Imagine if any driver without a full time post got bothered every to take one that they didn’t need, let alone want?
At the moment, JS+ adverts are invariably at or near minimum wage, and only advertised there because the scrooge advertising won’t pay decent wages. Decent jobs are filled by word of mouth & connections and rarely need to be advertised.
By Decent job here, I mean one paying either a salary based on a 35-40 hour week (How rare are THOSE right?) or a paid by the hour job @ £10ph or better.
If a firm needs a driver to work a 56-75 hour week for 35 week wages, then they’ll need to advertise and lie appropriately about things like “be finished by xxxam” or whatever as the palletways drop advert I saw this week does.
Perhaps one of you lot want a 50 hour paid week that actually ends up being towards 75 hours for the very lacklustre pay of £500pw salaried. Con yourself, Run Bent, and all for a wage that doesn’t pay an average mortgage, let alone a southeastern one! 
padsmrs:
Interesting point about going freelance, oh and he’s already a member of union, they’re helping with our unfair dismissal claim
Good. If it’s a similar case to the one where the driver didn’t tick the box, and it’s common practice not to tick the box, make sure that the solicitor knows about it, 'cos that’s management failure.
A lot of the box ticking is a giant management arse covering exercise. They know it and we know it; but if they haven’t bothered to actually monitor it, and instead are using it to get 'round their responsibilities then it helps when the case goes before the court.
Pat Hasler:
A man with good ideas … I like that
If you all were to join together you could put those crooked agencies out of work and the owners would have to sell their shinny Mercs, BMW’s, Audi’s and Villas on the Costa Brava
I know that, but have you ever tried organising drivers? I used to be a rep and I’ve tried organising - quietly - the drivers at the place I’m working now to try and get our old pay back after a massive cut. The job is difficult to sub out and it would take ONE DAY out the gate for them to cough up, but is anyone interested? No. All they do is moan about it.
skell790:
padsmrs:
Interesting point about going freelance, oh and he’s already a member of union, they’re helping with our unfair dismissal claimGood. If it’s a similar case to the one where the driver didn’t tick the box, and it’s common practice not to tick the box, make sure that the solicitor knows about it, 'cos that’s management failure.
A lot of the box ticking is a giant management arse covering exercise. They know it and we know it; but if they haven’t bothered to actually monitor it, and instead are using it to get 'round their responsibilities then it helps when the case goes before the court.
No it’s relating to trailers and a lack of training, my professional heads says it should never have got this far… Need to be careful as I know someone someone from his old company is a member on here!!