Looks like there there is a round of driver redunduncies coming up at work…nobody buying milk in glass bottles any more…anyway,
have been looking at the agencies in the Notts area and some of the work sounds quite good.
I have not been on the agency for about 15 years. Have things improved? Some of the horror stories on this forum about agencies are quite scary!
Is it possible to find a decent agency and earn a good living?
Regards,
Rich.
Rich The Stag:
Looks like there there is a round of driver redunduncies coming up at work…nobody buying milk in glass bottles any more…anyway,
have been looking at the agencies in the Notts area and some of the work sounds quite good.
I have not been on the agency for about 15 years. Have things improved? Some of the horror stories on this forum about agencies are quite scary!
Is it possible to find a decent agency and earn a good living?Regards,
Rich.
I was doing agency work recently whilst between jobs and they would have had me working 7 days a week if they could, the money was ok (around £9ph c+e days) but the start times a bit variable, yes it was a good living wage and a good way to get a foot in the door for maybe a permanent job.
If you’re prepared to work the differing shift times beyond 6-3 monday-friday, then yes there’s work to be had in most parts of the UK, especially around Avonmouth, Trafford Park, Aylesford, Crossways/Thurrock, Didcot, & Crick. 
I have this stereo type in my head about agency work and i just cant shift it and i dont think i ever will. In my mind they get peanuts, they always get the sore end of the brush , they are single guys working for beer money. I cannot work out how you can feed a family on 3-4 shifts a week some weeks less. If i got made redundant it would be a full time job or another sector, wouldnt touch an agency, just got this thing in my head about agencies. Prove me wrong…
merc0447:
I have this stereo type in my head about agency work and i just cant shift it and i dont think i ever will. In my mind they get peanuts, they always get the sore end of the brush , they are single guys working for beer money. I cannot work out how you can feed a family on 3-4 shifts a week some weeks less. If i got made redundant it would be a full time job or another sector, wouldnt touch an agency, just got this thing in my head about agencies. Prove me wrong…
I did three shifts last week and made over £400…I could have worked six shifts if I’d wanted to.
Nearly as good as some tramping wages and in three days.
If you are prepared for varied start times then you can earn far more than the majority of employed drivers. Just remember to tell the agency what you charge rather than the other way around. As long as you don’t ask silly money they will still call you when they need someone. 
yes and no regarding the decent living. from january till end march things are dire on agency, expect little or no work whatsoever, april to end of june you mat get 2 or 3 shifts a week, july and august due to holiday season you will be busy, september will again be quiet, october november and december will be busy
so 6 crappy months and 6 busy months 
depends on the agency i now work in recruitment but have driven for agencies too. jan and feb yes i guess its a couple of shifts a week but thats life!
with awr etc 2 shifts a week is still around the £200 mark depending on the company and pay rate!
Depends if they pay you what they should 
.
Also depends on the area, cost of living and your overheads.
A single man would be able to make a living easier than a man who has a mrs and 4 kids to feed
green456:
yes and no regarding the decent living. from january till end march things are dire on agency, expect little or no work whatsoever, april to end of june you mat get 2 or 3 shifts a week, july and august due to holiday season you will be busy, september will again be quiet, october november and december will be busy
so 6 crappy months and 6 busy months
Pretty accurate ^^^^^
well i had to give up due my old mum needing care so ive gone to some so some are good some not so if you get the ones that say well get you work for monday…then nothing untill 4am monday morning beacause somebody hasnt turned up…it can be a good way of full time but also watch what i had done somebody defecting a truck then sending me saying driver hadnt turned up you just got to be firm when you go see them because they get paid to put a bum on the seat…at sadly and i hate saying it is just how it is nowi ive been away 2 years from it and boy has it changed to be honest ill probaly do it till 2014 then look for something with less hassle
It entirely depends on the agency, the area, and how much money you need to live. It also depends on your attitude.
I left a full time job a while back and I’m making out fine so far on Agency, they keep me busy all week, weekend work if I want it, and they pay what they say they will and on time. Though i’m single, I live in a rented room type set up, have no kids to support, I don’t have much interest in material stuff, and my living costs are cheap.
I think attitude goes a long way, and I speak to a lot of guys who work for agencies in the area, and the list of what they won’t do is a long one (no handball, no multi drop, need to be home by 6, no RDC’s, no nights out, etc etc etc) and they wonder why they don’t get any work.
Don’t say “NO” to anything for the first few months, so they learn to take you seriously, then you will become a favourite and get the better work, or at least the first refusal of the better work. Not knowing what you are doing week to week doesn’t suit everyone, and some people simply cannot cope with changing jobs every day. So just make sure you are mentally prepared for it, don’t let it stress you, and just go along for the ride.
Don’t turn up for the jobs with a face like a smacked backside, try smiling, act keen, be enthusiastic, and ask questions. It goes a long way towards whether they will want to invite you back.
If you are prepared for any start times, and any type of work, and don’t smash the motors up, they there is no reason you can’t make a good living working for an agency.
+1
Flexability and availability are the key. Good money can be earned during the premium months with earnings of £600-£900 + p/week. But during the lean times you can earn nothing. Its not a sector for someone who has a family & mortgage to sustain.
Knowing when to bank a percentage of your income in the good times to carry you through the lean times is the key. So … As those who do this type of work know, when it is quiet the best place to be is on the beach spending the money you saved
There are agencies that have a contract with a big RDC, then you can work 5 or 6 shifts if you want it
But it’s true you end up with varied start times and the shifts no one wants to do
It’s not ideal. It was good a few years back, when agency paid more per hour than full time. But that situation has reversed these days. And some agencies force you to be on umbrella or self employed. So no holiday pay
5 years back I preferred agency, but nowadays I’d prefer a full time job.
WildGoose:
It entirely depends on the agency, the area, and how much money you need to live. It also depends on your attitude.I left a full time job a while back and I’m making out fine so far on Agency, they keep me busy all week, weekend work if I want it, and they pay what they say they will and on time. Though i’m single, I live in a rented room type set up, have no kids to support, I don’t have much interest in material stuff, and my living costs are cheap.
I think attitude goes a long way, and I speak to a lot of guys who work for agencies in the area, and the list of what they won’t do is a long one (no handball, no multi drop, need to be home by 6, no RDC’s, no nights out, etc etc etc) and they wonder why they don’t get any work.
Don’t say “NO” to anything for the first few months, so they learn to take you seriously, then you will become a favourite and get the better work, or at least the first refusal of the better work. Not knowing what you are doing week to week doesn’t suit everyone, and some people simply cannot cope with changing jobs every day. So just make sure you are mentally prepared for it, don’t let it stress you, and just go along for the ride.
Don’t turn up for the jobs with a face like a smacked backside, try smiling, act keen, be enthusiastic, and ask questions. It goes a long way towards whether they will want to invite you back.
If you are prepared for any start times, and any type of work, and don’t smash the motors up, they there is no reason you can’t make a good living working for an agency.
+1
I have been on agency through my own choice for the last 5 years, and can honestly say i have made a good living from it. I have a wife, kids left home now, but we run 2 cars, rent private 3 bed house which is probably more expensive than a mortgage, and have a "good2 life.
t is all about attitude. If you think of being an agency driver like the old stereotype, then you will fail. Be positive, be adaptable but firm, make it clear you will not break the law, other than that be prepared to do what is asked. If you really don’t like working for a particular company, don’t just refuse point blank and slag them off, explian why calmly, and offer to go there only as a “last resort”.
remember to put a litlle away during the good times, because there will be bad times. If you are prepared to work weekend shifts and bank holidays, you will earn more and get thought of as more flexible.
Don’t let them mess you about, but be calm and don’t go in fireing f’s into them if they make a mistake on wages or shifts, make it clear you will not be messed around, if they apprieciate your work they will not want to lose you.
Yes.
Try to establish a good trusting relationship with the agency clerk.
State your requirements eg:
minimum of £9.00 per hour with time and a half after eight hours
Minimum £10.00 per hour flat rate
minimum £100 per shift. A shift being 10 hours.
premium rate if required to start 1800h and 0600h
Time and a half saturdays
Double time sundays and bank holidays
Night out rate £30
No lower rates for lower category vehicles
Finish time is 30 minutes after tacho extraction
Always try to complete the job to the clients satisfaction.
Keep a “black book” of bad clients and tell the agency that you will not drive for those people again.
just come off agency work today due to finding full time job. can not fault the agency at all i just wanted a permanent secure job.
harvey69:
just come off agency work today due to finding full time job. can not fault the agency at all i just wanted a permanent secure job.
Nice one!
Euro:
Yes.
Try to establish a good trusting relationship with the agency clerk.
State your requirements eg:
minimum of £9.00 per hour with time and a half after eight hours
Minimum £10.00 per hour flat rate
minimum £100 per shift. A shift being 10 hours.
premium rate if required to start 1800h and 0600h
Time and a half saturdays
Double time sundays and bank holidays
Night out rate £30
No lower rates for lower category vehicles
Finish time is 30 minutes after tacho extraction
Always try to complete the job to the clients satisfaction.
Keep a “black book” of bad clients and tell the agency that you will not drive for those people again.
What would be reasonable amount to ask an agency for if you were a new cat c driver? Just be grateful for some work and take what they offer or be a bit more demanding im not fused what shifts days I work.
The hourly rate is the hourly rate.
If firms started offering more money to experienced drivers, they’d struggle because only the experienced ones would apply.
Likewise, if you knew you were going to get “the advertised hourly rate minus £1ph because you’re under 30” would you even turn up at that agency? 
I would suggest that there are two criteria for getting regular work on agencies.
(1) Be experienced, so you keep getting asked for
(2) Be Flexible, so you’re prepared to pick up the awkward (hopefully only a time factor thing) shifts that no one else wants.
I reckon the optimum age for being on agency and getting it all your own way is to be in your early 30’s with over 5 years experience. That way you get to pick and choose, you’re still likely to have a young family, and still likely to be married - agencies have never had me out overnight so far in the last 2 years I’ve been on them. The worst age for being agency is 24 with 2 years experience. You’ll be treated like crap from day one, expected to do all the naff jobs for naff pay with a smile on your face - because you’re fit right? 
Class 2 agency work in the Midlands is about £8ph, and depending on what duties are available you could take home at least £320pw.
If the company is only open 7/8 am until 5/6 pm you’d be on less than £300pw, but the overtime does help.
Struggled with 7.5t and PCV to get over £300pw, more often closer to £250pw.