dieseldog999:
…rule 1 for agency…do what you agree to do and do not do what they try and con you into doing…quote…(( I closed the box I was given with the paper work and was going to hand it back and tell them I think they have the wrong driver, but then I walked back to the wagon and thought I should just give it a go…)) you should have just told them that you never signed on to do multidrop,walked away,and cut your losses for the time and fuel…they are only trying it on to see if your a fanny because you are new…your fault for giving it a go and getting grief. always stand firm with agencies and although its best to be obliging,then its best to not be led into a situation different to previously agreed. your only a bum sitting on a vacant seat to them and will just be lied to and manipulated accordingly.if its a fill in job,or if your bone idle then they are a means to an end,otherwise,just the bottom of the barrel for a employer/driver occupation.
The thing with me is, when it comes to working I try to make of best a [zb] situation, Iv already told them I won’t be doing that again and I think they knew I was annoyed (they probably couldt give a crap if they upset me anyway) but in hind sight I do wish I did walk away from it now, but if I did I would of felt like I failed but I’m glad to of done it to realise how [zb] it was than to not do it and not realise. If you get my drift?
yep…obviously best to be decent and obliging if possible,but as far as agencys are concerned,then they just bung you any old guff if your obliging to see how long itl take for you to throw the head up.i did a cpl years work for them to see if I could hack the boredom .as a new start,you take any shift that comes along,but through time,then it was a case of.im available to start between these times,im available these specific days…and then,sorry im not available when they pester you to do other shifts…when you get the…hi,can you do us a favour,and your the only guy we can call on to help us out…then that means…everyone else on the books,has told us to pee off,so mabey we can embarrass you into saying yes.your definitely a bum in a seat,and they will utilize your decency to load you up with shifts nobody wants.however,its a income till a decent job pops up?
nodding donkey:
I have lived a sheltered live. Is this really the calibre of driver that is out there, dragging my occupation down?
Stop crying you wooshh. Ask another driver how the fridge works… theres only two buttons to press…
If there was another driver around I would of asked, and the control panel had more than 2 buttons, but luckily that didn’t go ■■■■ up for me to touch it (well except one) when I pressed every button to stop a warning buzzer, the fact I still went ahead and did it (albeit I’m ■■■■■■■■ about it) and still achieved 15 out the 17 tricky (hand ball) drops to places Iv never heard of let alone been to, and Iv only been a hgv driver a few months I think to be fair that’s not too bad.
nodding donkey:
I have lived a sheltered live. Is this really the calibre of driver that is out there, dragging my occupation down?
Stop crying you wooshh. Ask another driver how the fridge works… theres only two buttons to press…
If there was another driver around I would of asked, and the control panel had more than 2 buttons, but luckily that didn’t go ■■■■ up for me to touch it (well except one) when I pressed every button to stop a warning buzzer, the fact I still went ahead and did it (albeit I’m ■■■■■■■■ about it) and still achieved 15 out the 17 tricky (hand ball) drops to places Iv never heard of let alone been to, and Iv only been a hgv driver a few months I think to be fair that’s not bad too bad.
Good. 15 of 17 is better than I did on my first multidrop. Keep it up, and you will soon be a moaning old hand… rather than a moaning newby…lol.
nodding donkey:
I have lived a sheltered live. Is this really the calibre of driver that is out there, dragging my occupation down?
Stop crying you wooshh. Ask another driver how the fridge works… theres only two buttons to press…
If there was another driver around I would of asked, and the control panel had more than 2 buttons, but luckily that didn’t go ■■■■ up for me to touch it (well except one) when I pressed every button to stop a warning buzzer, the fact I still went ahead and did it (albeit I’m ■■■■■■■■ about it) and still achieved 15 out the 17 tricky (hand ball) drops to places Iv never heard of let alone been to, and Iv only been a hgv driver a few months I think to be fair that’s not bad too bad.
Good. 15 of 17 is better than I did on my first multidrop. Keep it up, and you will soon be a moaning old hand… rather than a moaning newby…lol.
Much thanks, I’m only moaning cuss I was seen off. And no one likes being seen off
In the driving job, like a lot of jobs there’s not much hand holding. You have to use judgement and make it stick ya know? You’re the only barrier for yourself. It’s not up to other drivers to show you. If you can find one, fair enough, that’s the best way. But if there’s not and you don’t know how to use equipment that’s not your fault or problem.
Just say to the transport office you need to be shown use of the equip before using it. If they kick off saying they asked for a bloke with fridge/lift experience (not there’s too much to know) then you explain that’s a conversation between them and the agency as you were sent there in good faith and it’s far from ideal for you either. It’s not down to you to be the fall guy.
Freight Dog:
In the driving job, like a lot of jobs there’s not much hand holding. You have to use judgement and make it stick ya know? You’re the only barrier for yourself. It’s not up to other drivers to show you. If you can find one, fair enough, that’s the best way. But if there’s not and you don’t know how to use equipment that’s not your fault or problem.
Just say to the transport office you need to be shown use of the equip before using it. If they kick off saying they asked for a bloke with fridge/lift experience (not there’s too much to know) then you explain that’s a conversation between them and the agency as you were sent there in good faith and it’s far from ideal for you either. It’s not down to you to be the fall guy.
I’m goin to ring the the office up tomorrow and explain fully what they put me on and the attitude of one of there staff at there out base, now I just feel I can’t trust agencies
stinger:
I’m goin to ring the the office up tomorrow and explain fully what they put me on and the attitude of one of there staff at there out base, now I just feel I can’t trust agencies
LOL !!! You couldn’t make this up. You’re gonna tell them you don’t know what you’re doing !!! And meanwhile the company that employs drivers its never used before sends them off on deliveries with no heads up as to what they’re doing will probably just carry on doing it !! You reckon the agency will have much confidence in using you after your complaint, or you aint bothered anyway ?
A good friend from way back did something very similar as the OP took a truck out with a tail lift no instruction never worked one before .Well big Dan never made it home about an hr in he bent down as the lift was coming down died instantly head injurys left a wife and a young baby. Cost the company a lot o money in compo but we all would rather had Dan at home.
If you never worked a fridge/taillift before and you collect money you were ■■■■ lucky nothing bad happened as the newbie would have been dropped in it.
and before it all starts yes ive been round the block a few times and done things on a wing and a prayer and figured things out but screw that nowadays to many people out to sue for anything.
jimmy.
stinger:
So I’m hoping to a start a new job next month (cvit driver) and since I’m getting bored I decided to jump on the agency until I get cleared to work for this company. So I tell them I don’t wanna do multi drop from the word go, I’ve already done that has a winter fuel driver, I just want something cheers easy for a couple of weeks, anyway I get a call yesterday "we have a curtain sider class 2 job it’s only about 3 drops they say. So I’m like yeah I’ll do that, ok be at the depot at 0530 this morning, I tip up looking for a ridge curtain sider, couldn’t see one so I ask, I was given the keys and paper work for a “refrigerated wagon” ok so I just went with it, looked at the paper and there was over 20 delivery notes! 17 drops in total cuss a couple were at the same place, I closed the box I was given with the paper work and was going to hand it back and tell them I think they have the wrong driver, but then I walked back to the wagon and thought I should just give it a go. No one showed me how to fill the paper work out, no one showed me how to use the tail lift or the refrigerator unit , or even gave me a time sheet, so I rang one of there regular drivers and he said your ment to go out with a driver to show you around some of the drops, these drops were to butchers in villages, and I had to handle cash which also I wasn’t told about, anyway I brought back 2 drops after Iv already been out on the road nearly 12 hours and done 15 drops, and the prick back at the agency depot starts to have a go at me! Telling me I should be lucky it’s usually 25 drops… [zb] [zb] I was raging. And started to see red mist. So if your thinking about agency’s lads read between the lines.
Tail lifts:- any piece of machinery will have a risk assessment, top of the list will be training on said equipment. The company have been reckless not giving you that training. I found myself in a similar situation when I first started with agency. I sent the TM a text asking for someone to show me how to operate the tail lift “in accordance with company procedure”. Text message so I had a record of the conversation should things go ■■■■ up, and "company procedure " because I didn’t want to admit to never having used a tail lift before! Remember, when things go wrong the only question that matters is “who’s to blame?”. Cover yourself as much as possible, don’t let the answer be “YOU ARE”.
I may be wrong here but is this a case of ex army used to being told how and when to do everything who now has to think for himself and has forgotten how to. When I have started with a new agency they have always wanted to know what I can do before giving me work so would not send me to us tail lift if never used one before.
mac12:
I may be wrong here but is this a case of ex army used to being told how and when to do everything who now has to think for himself and has forgotten how to. When I have started with a new agency they have always wanted to know what I can do before giving me work so would not send me to us tail lift if never used one before.
That’s a bit stereo typical, it don’t matter what someone did before, you don’t need a ticket to use a lot of job specific vehicles on the road nowadays, now Iv read some of comments here I think it was pretty risky going ahead and actually doing the job, but this might be stereo typical a lot of squaddies will just try to think on there feet, now that might work in a situation on operations and training exercises, but it seems if you do that in the big bad world, and the ■■■■ had hit the fan, every tom, ■■■■ and Harry would blame him for it.
As captain caveman said everyone else is covering their own arris, in this job you have to look after yourself and cover your own cos everyone from the agency, to the company, to the customer, to the ■■■■■■■■ on the road is looking to blame everything that doesn’t go to plan in their sad pathetic lives on the lorry driver. Nothing to get stressed about, just be prepared, be polite and stand your ground.
nodding donkey:
I have lived a sheltered live. Is this really the calibre of driver that is out there, dragging my occupation down?
Stop crying you wooshh. Ask another driver how the fridge works… theres only two buttons to press…
Really? The fridge I pull has 6 push buttons and 3 toggle switches. By all means ask another driver but how can you be sure the driver you ask knows how to operate the fridge? Seen it to often fridges not reset properly stock damaged beyond recover level.
its always safer to cover your arse and ask, the same as when vehicles have rust on the scrapes and you still get blamed for it!
in mitigating circumstances I have had it where people have told me oh its only 5 drops and have sent the driver in on that basis, driver arrives and its 10-15-20.
I find this hilarious. People bleat on about how crap agency drivers are then when they give it a go they come on here whining and ■■■■■■■■ how hard it is, how they couldn’t figure out how to do the paperwork, how to use a fridge etc etc and how they want to throw in the towel on the first day.
Company drivers - one trick ponies.
stinger:
So if your thinking about agency’s lads read between the lines.
Indeed. Its for drivers with a wide range of skills and an ability to think on their feet and work things out on their own.
You’ve trotted out this ego-massaging garbage before, but the obvious question is did you consider yourself a ‘one trick pony’ when you were an employed driver or does it only apply when it suits you?
You’ve trotted out this ego-massaging garbage before, but the obvious question is did you consider yourself a ‘one trick pony’ when you were an employed driver or does it only apply when it suits you?
I’d already done years of agency driving prior to getting one of the two fulltime positions I’ve had. Only done a couple of years in the last 20 driving fulltime. I find it mind numbingly boring doing the same work day in, day out. Given the limitations of a lot of drivers I come across have maybe for them its a good thing that is what employed driving is like.
Conor:
I find this hilarious. People bleat on about how crap agency drivers are then when they give it a go they come on here whining and ■■■■■■■■ how hard it is, how they couldn’t figure out how to do the paperwork, how to use a fridge etc etc and how they want to throw in the towel on the first day.
Company drivers - one trick ponies.
stinger:
So if your thinking about agency’s lads read between the lines.
Indeed. Its for drivers with a wide range of skills and an ability to think on their feet and work things out on their own.
[zb] you [zb], I’m ■■■■■■■■ about the fact I was lied to, and I still went out done the job to the best I could 15 out of 17 drops so yeah I did think on my feet, Iv never been on fridges or tail gates before and no other driver was around to ask except the bloke who worked in the office, who pressed every button on the dash board and when I asked which button he pressed he just said all of them, it’s [zb] like you, who drag this industry down
You reckon the agency will have much confidence in using you after your complaint, or you aint bothered anyway ?
left a wife and a young baby. Cost the company a lot o money in compo but we all would rather had Dan at home.