Winseer:
What with C&H being taken over by Downton, and now a possibility that Downton will have it’s daily running cashflows affected - there’s a lot of fear around at present.
I was working at AN last week as agency for Downton.
There’s been little enough agency work around these past few weeks, without a major employer in the Aylesford area going into administration on top of that. 
Winseer , you are obviously working for the wrong agency… or maybe, going by your past posts, you are too picky.
There is loads of work in Kent.
When I’m home, my agency call me to ask when I’m coming over as they’ve got loads of work to cover.
There is other work further afield for me.
With the prospect of Travel & Food expenses not being paid as of April - I’ve little incentive to embark on excessive commutes to get work that in my mind won’t pay any extra to what’s around Medway & Maidstone areas.
As for Chatham - There’s Downton at the docks, and the occasional Fedex/RM/or even Carpets on the city estate.
The only work I habitually turn down is P&H, Lenham, & Tunbridge Wells work. There’s work in the Dartford area, but again - who wants to commute with the prospect of spending a day’s pay per week on wasted time/fuel on top of the 1.5 days already being paid in deductions if one works a 5-6 day week?
It’s not the work then (well, maybe yes if we’re talking rigid multidrop!) but simply how much I’m expected to fork out to get to work.
12-15 hour 4-6pm start shifts suit me because that’s a full working week in only 3 shifts, with 3 shifts costing me half what it costs me to get to compared to 6 shorter shifts, taking home barely any extra money overall for them.
I’ve never been offered work at places like ND Medway city estate, Nicholls, SIttingbourne, Yearsley Gillingham… I always assumed it was because I stated on sign-up that I’m not interested in the £7-9ph work regardless of how close it is… Was I wrong in that assumption?
Remember that I originally signed up with no less than 9 agencies, of which only 3 offered me any work at all - Blue Arrow, Extrastaff, & SMS where I’m at now. Even Manpower refused to give me any work unless I had a HIAB ticket. I could have done with regular work out of my old yard at Rochester RM - but I only seem to get a few weeks around Christmas time (subbed via SMS), which of course is no good for getting on to that fabled parity pay…
I wudnt bank on work at Downtons Chatham if the mill does not get sorted. That depot wont stay. just read Aylesford newsprint have made 233 immediate redundancies so unfortunately not looking good for the Downton drivers based in there .The unfortunate knock on for Chatham is there is 30 odd walking floor drivers with almost nothing to do based there
Jenkinson’ phone will have been ringing off the hook for sittingbourne jobs.
chester1:
I wudnt bank on work at Downtons Chatham if the mill does not get sorted. That depot wont stay. just read Aylesford newsprint have made 233 immediate redundancies so unfortunately not looking good for the Downton drivers based in there .The unfortunate knock on for Chatham is there is 30 odd walking floor drivers with almost nothing to do based there
Went to work there Monday. Got sent home early, and have not been invited back. Doesn’t look good… They’re already overcrowded with ex-tilbury drivers there.
Stresshead:
Jenkinson’ phone will have been ringing off the hook for sittingbourne jobs.
Do thay have any thing in sitting ours thought only stobarts did and quite a few left stobbarts for downtons
Winseer:
chester1:
I wudnt bank on work at Downtons Chatham if the mill does not get sorted. That depot wont stay. just read Aylesford newsprint have made 233 immediate redundancies so unfortunately not looking good for the Downton drivers based in there .The unfortunate knock on for Chatham is there is 30 odd walking floor drivers with almost nothing to do based there
Went to work there Monday. Got sent home early, and have not been invited back. Doesn’t look good… They’re already overcrowded with ex-tilbury drivers there.
Most of the ex tilbury have left . But aylesford drivers are being transferred there as trampers can’t see what they will be doing apart from trunking from shotton to Broxbourn can’t see Downton keeping Chatham as the floors will be collecting for every where else but kent and not enough out of sheerness to keep that many trucks busy .but time will tell .hope they all get sorted
The impression I got was “not enough trucks for all the drivers”… 
The Walking Floor guys were worried… I didn’t meet any Aylesford drivers on monday.
Everyone seemed busy enough though, keen to get out and on…