Hi Folks
Right, I’m with an agency. Sent to a site. Been there a day, but the TM has offered me a job but doesn’t want to go through the Agency. Want’s me to quit from them and join the company direct.
However, I’ve only been with this agency for a couple weeks anyway, and I wouldn’t have got in here without the agency?!
I’m still working out if I think the job is for me though. 
Suggestions??
If you ask him for the job then he pays nowt to agency but if he asks you, then he does.
If you think the job is a good-un ask him for it or if you want to see how it goes for a while then tell him to ask the agency for you every time for a week or two so you have time to consider it.
sod the agency if you have found and want permanent work - agencies are used to this.
Saratoga:
Been there a day, but the TM has offered me a job but doesn’t want to go through the Agency. Want’s me to quit from them and join the company direct.
If that’s the way he treats his ‘customers’, then I’d hate to imagine how he treats his ‘employees’.
Most Company/Agency contracts have a penalty clause should a driver be recruited as an employee within a certain time scale. Usually only a few hundred quid. If he so mean/untrustworthy/dishonest/etc, to honour that part of a contract, would you really want to work for him. 
Similar thing has happened to me.
Was sent to a job last Thursday by agency. When I asked if I was covering for someone on a day off, I was told that a driver has just left so they are looking for a Class 2 driver.
“Well what a coincidence because that’s what I am” I reply.
“Do you want a job then ?”
“Er, maybe”
“Give us your phone number etc, and we’ll get in touch”
So I go and do the 2 day job for them (night out), take wagon back to yard last Friday & TM says I can start next Monday if I want the job !!!
I went in to office today to discuss pay etc, and said I’d think about it tonight.
Pay isn’t brilliant but for someone who passed Class 2 only 4 weeks ago it’s a chance to get a start AND a regular income instead of relying on the agency who only give me 2 -3 days a week.
I shall just tell the agency that I’ve found another job. You have to look after number 1 after all.
Have until the end of the week to work it out…
I might try and ask for another week there as suggested and see how it goes. They’re insistent I ‘come off’ the agency as soon as possible as it’s costing them £20+ an hour 
Well, um, ok then, but even so…
well, i’d tell the AGY to swing and have the permanent job…
they’d [the AGY] be quick enough to drop you for any reason…
Often an agency driver is paid at a higher rate than the employed drivers at that company. The agency also put a fairly hefty premium on top of the wages they pay the driver, you.
There are several reasons for this.
You need a higher wage, because you can have non-working days, so the higher rate averages out about right.
You deserve a higher rate, because you are more versatile, eventually.
The agency has it’s own overheads to cover, like your holiday pay, office staff wages etc.
It sounds like the site TM has realised it’ll cost less to take you on perm’ to temp’.
ie, tell you its a permanent job, then lay you off after Christmas.
3 or 4 months, you can be laid off with no comebacks to the company.
Cynical ? Moi ?
I’d rather have work on every day up till xmas, then hit the AGY again, than be at home with my wife stressing at me…
When I started I told them I had already tried through another agency for a particular job. I suppose I could say that I’m not available for work for now as I’m trying a job through them or summat
over the summer i did some self employed driving for a little company.
originally i went there through the agency and then got asked back.
best job that i have had.
the reason for me going back was the agency was charging a stupid amount of money for me and long term the company just count afford it, but werent in a position to take on a full time person.
like i said best job that i have had.
i did see that some of you have have not been driving long and have been offered a job, i hate to say this but watch out that the company isnt taking advantage of you, being a new driver you dont have a lot of experience, and so the company might give you all the really ■■■■■■ jobs which they know their guys wont do.
i would advise stay with the agency, go round different companies do a few other jobs, then go back. the experience that you will soon gain will be invaluable, besides something better might come up.
but if you dont take my advice, all the best and i hope that it goes well for you
Hi,
What Mikey says is spot on advice.
I went to a typical multi drop job ( There’s the wagon,here’s the keys, a pump/sack truck and a load of messed up paperwork with incomplete addresses) via the agency and the TM offered me full time work after about three days.
I asked how much he was paying and almost laughed in his face, but told him I would consider it.
Went straight on the phone to the agency and told them to get me out of there sharpish. They did this and got me onto another contract (which I’ve being doing daily since last november, yes almost a year!) and I’m earning about eight grand a year more, for staying in the cab, than the other guy offered. This has happened on four different occasions and so far I’ve stuck with the agency.
If your new to the game, I suggest you stay with the agency for a while and get loads of experience doing loads of different things, until you find one you really enjoy. Then consider the full time route if the opportunity arises. Also, see if you can get your agency to pay for some extra training for you, such as HIAB or some other thing that takes your fancy… You can never have too much experience.
One other little gem of advice, Always do the best you can even if you hate the job. The agency will soon realise your reliable and begin to offer you the better contacts, hopefully!!!
Little Mark.
I’ve tried handballing, I’m not fast though. I’ve tried multi drop but when doing something like DHL I’m knackered after 30 odd drops, plus with DHL I have to sort, scan, check and pack all my own parcels with route information I don’t know anyway!!! So with them I’m 0900-1200 loading and 1200-1700 deliverying 30 drops and have to be back for just before 1800.
With this job I’m considering it’s 2 drops and 2 collections a day, either in a restricted or non restricted vehicle. However, as you may have seen from my other posts I’ve had a few potentially long days.
There are a few niggly things.
Such as being told the machine has to be back early afternoon so they can use the machine on an afternoon/evening run, then it might be out at midnight to 0500 and I’m out at 0600 to 1400 say.
The drops/collections take 15-30m if short (1-2 pallets) and the last one was up to an hour to collect when it was 6 pallets, and all heavy stuff… Well, heavy for me.
I appreciate you’re words of concern if I’m new at this. I am in a way as I’ve spent a long time in a previous job and before that was on multidrop.
Pay wise I’m on £7ph and the job is £8ph. OT would be £10ph on the new one…
Ooh. I dunno. Still in two minds.
Other friends locally have warned me to be careful over this too, and with you’re information i’ll probably reconsider.
I’m out with them next week as well, and they’re getting together paperwork and stuff for me to see.
The driving I can cope with, and the sites are pretty easy to find, usually painted bright colours and all 
But like you said, perhaps I should stay with the agency and get trained up on things like HIAB (although I’m only 7.5t) and stuff and then later consider a class 2 through them…
This is the time of year that they’re usually after multidrop but I don’t want to do my back in or anything.
Got Multidrop around Lincoln tomorrow and contracted out from this company to another for the drops
Agy > company > transport side > other haulier > multidrop.
Ahh well. We can only see how it goes 
most agencies have a clause within the agency/client contract stateing that once a driver is introduced, it will cost the client 3 months wages to ‘buy’ the driver. it can be a lump sum or a 13 week temp to perm placement (normally preferred). if you take the job and the agency find out you are working there, they will normally sue the client. there is a time limit of 6 months in most cases i believe ie if you go in there today, it is 6 months before the client can offer you a job without being penalised by the agency
i had a similiar situation a few months ago. i was working with a client who wanted to take me on without letting the agency know (even though the guys former boss now works in our office). obviously i told the agency about this. 19k is no where near enough to buy my loyalty 
scanny77:
obviously i told the agency about this.
Why? Wouldnt that just cause trouble?
Krankee:
Saratoga:
Been there a day, but the TM has offered me a job but doesn’t want to go through the Agency. Want’s me to quit from them and join the company direct.If that’s the way he treats his ‘customers’, then I’d hate to imagine how he treats his ‘employees’.
Since when has a driving agency been the ‘customer’ of a haulage firm? Surely the hauliers are the customers as they are the ones shelling out the dough?
talisman:
scanny77:
obviously i told the agency about this.Why? Wouldnt that just cause trouble?
with this particular client, we have a former manager working for us in the office. i dont think there is much love lost between him and this company
having worked as a recruitment consultant for a large agy… and being an experienced driver …i can approach this problem from both sides…
agencies are brilliant for new drivers (to get experience)…and experienced drivers.(to get regular work all year round at a higher rate)…the problem as i see it is this,…the build up to xmas is a busy time for all companies…and this means a busy time for agencies too…with the agency you will get a wide variety of work up until christmas…which will be invaluable in your future driving career…however…from new year to easter…work will dry up…and unless you are one of the few fortunates that are at the top of the list…you will find that you are sat around at home for 3 months getting frustrated…as for the legal bumf…thats between your employer and the agency…i wouldnt lose any sleep over it…if i was in your position…i would take the job…and stick it out until…march/april time next year…if you dont like it…you can always go back to the agency then…i’m sure they’ll have you back…this will give you an, otherwise not, guaranteed income until then…if you do like it…jobsagudun…all the best
If you visit a prostitute, the pimp gets paid. If the prostitute wants she can offer extra services without the pimps knowledge.
If you want to visit a prostitute, keep looking, you will find one eventually who has realised what her pimp is doing.
Remember Agencies are only legal pimps 
Companies using agencies are only doing it because it saves them the problem of advertising, interviewing and selecting staff.
IMHO they should be banned
Ok. I think I’ve learnt my lesson on this.
Let the agency deal with it. It’s their job and they take poaching seriously.
The Agency aren’t always right and will blatantly lie to bypass WTD queries (ie The WTD is voluntary in all its parts and we’ve opted out of it all).
Ref: http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25869
Use the Agency or they will use you.
Know where to stand you’re ground and if you don’t like the job then you can simply tell the agency that you want out.
It isn’t necessarily a good thing to tell the client that you’re not coming back. I could have left it until Friday afternoon to find out from the Agency that I wasn’t returning. That would have been a better thing for me 
The last day of a contract always goes right. I actually managed to leave at 2am today, and complete all the deliveries and collections correctly and properly by 9am, leaving 4 hours for the drive home in reasonably leisurely conditions.
At the end of the day it’s exercise, practice on maneuvering an overloaded 1ton pallet with heavy badly packed items in low light (4am) in cold weather with no one around to help or assist
Don’t forget to take you’re breaks
Don’t let the client bully you.