Anyone registered with this company Driver exchange in order to find work any points good or bad, seems to be a good idea on reading there website
Wouldn’t it be nice for a proper “driver exchange” where drivers are booked for an entire week of work - or not at all.
“Planned Cover” will after all, mean a week of work, or at least a block of shifts equal to days taken off by the regular bod being covered.
All this odds and sods being the bread and butter of agency coverage is ok for someone like me who’s no longer looking for 55+ hours week in, week out - but not for the rest of us I gather.
“Flexible staff” should mean having a pool that can cover all eventualities - rather than just sitting by the phone waiting cap in hand for “moment’s notice” kind of work eh?
It would also be nice if one’s CV actually spoke all that needed to be said, rather than someone like me being invited for interview on the basis of “how I look on paper”, only to be shown the door pretty quickly once there “cos they don’t like the look of me”… 
Hands up how many of you would not have even applied for the job if all the relevant information (like pay and shifts!) were made available BEFORE you waste a day off at interview… The gaffers can’t all be thinking “Oh once he’s here, he’ll take it despite his dismay and disappointment with us” approach…? 
from what I gather seems to be a umbrella company claims to cut out the middle man (bulls ears) and claims to reward the driver the extra wedge. Im far from clever but there advertised rates on various contracts are the going rate of what agencies pay anyway so utter rollox. 
when I registered with milestone agency the guy was really trying to push this on me. He seemed to think was the best thing in the world (maybe milestone run it?) also had no work off them…give it a swerve if you want my advice, as the previous post says drivers and hauliers should unite to funk the agencies off but cant see that happening. 
If you’re paying for work, the very least you should expect is top dollar rates - not what you’d get on PAYE everywhere anyways - as you’ve pointed out.
They push it, because they’re on kickbacks to palm off as many drivers onto the office fiddle as they can.
I had the same experience with Milestone when I was enquiring about work in the Dartford area 2 years ago. Insisted PAYE “wasn’t an option”. Perhaps it would have laid bare that £9.50ph for effectively self-employed on umbrella means sub<£8ph for PAYE same job. 
The “driver Exchange” is “Milestone” or at least part of the Milestone company.
A quick Google shows them at the same address, Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8AD.