waddy640:
If you had read the rest of the thread my post would have shown that for reasons best known to the companies they prefer agency staff to their own employees. Sadly no one has been able to explain why this is.
Its been explained countless times in countless threads. Using agencies allows them to employ the drivers they need when they need them and not to have to pay for drivers when the work drops off. If they have 3 days a week when they’re flat out and the other 2 days are quiet they only need permanently employ enough drivers to cover the quiet periods then use agency for the busy periods and if they have a week or two where its quiet they’ve not got drivers on pay sat around doing nowt.
THe other side is when a driver phones in sick. Rather than having a wagon sat there costing money and probably with a load on it which they’ll get fined if they don’t deliver, agencies allow them to get that wagon rolling and earning.
It only costs them a couple of quid an hour more than employing someone to use an agency driver. It can save a haulage business a lot of money.
Web site would do that fairly easily, search area and licence/experience requirements, desired rate maybe.
nickyboy:
check their qualifications
Look at the back of their licence? Or verify its not bogus? DVLA have a phone line or web site I think.
nickyboy:
trust them with your equipment
Same as with the agency, and you’d have feedback from the web site.
nickyboy:
the agency takes the heat should something happen.
This one I’m more interested in - what heat exactly would a company pass on and an agency deal with that a direct bit of feedback on the web site wouldn’t show?
Only real problem I can think is that if a driver got bad feedback and re-registered, you’d need to be on the ball blacklisting them.
If I thought people would use it, I’d set it up. Need some employers on board as well, not just drivers so you’d need a plan how to get a few of them on board. No use having drivers there if no one is going to give it a go and take on the people listed.
Once that’s organised, the software side of it is fairly easy.
waddy640:
If you had read the rest of the thread my post would have shown that for reasons best known to the companies they prefer agency staff to their own employees. Sadly no one has been able to explain why this is.
I understand that, Waddy but my point is that if a group of drivers got together and formed their own group of freelance drivers, set up insurance etc and then approached the companies with a lower offer for driver services those companies may be interested as all companies are interested in saving money, the drivers could take a bigger wage and the agencies would fold.
It may be tough for most but all it takes for everyone to say “NO ! we are not working for an agency” if they can’t get drivers to work for them they will eventually fold, companies would have no choice but to take in full time drivers, it sounds very hard to face but it would be fantastic. I hate agencies with a seething loathing you can’t imagine and I have always stood up against them. I did a brief stint for Park st agency in Towcester working a Tesco, it lasted about a month before I found better company, I was threatened by Park st in numerous ways to try and make me stay, I told the owner to pay better wages and sell his two BMW’s and villas in the Med. Tesco gave me a full time job which really got him mad
Ian G:
This one I’m more interested in - what heat exactly would a company pass on and an agency deal with that a direct bit of feedback on the web site wouldn’t show?
Only real problem I can think is that if a driver got bad feedback and re-registered, you’d need to be on the ball blacklisting them.
If I thought people would use it, I’d set it up. Need some employers on board as well, not just drivers so you’d need a plan how to get a few of them on board. No use having drivers there if no one is going to give it a go and take on the people listed.
Once that’s organised, the software side of it is fairly easy.
Employers would be your problem I think.
Fact is, what agencies offer firms above all else is convenience. A firm can phone the agency whenever, tell them what shifts need covering and leave them to sort it for them - saving them a lot of time. Why would a firm swap that system for one where someone has to scour a website for drivers available when needed, read reviews, leave reviews and have all the headaches of drivers cancelling etc.
Also a potential problem for drivers, if you get employers leaving unfairly harsh reviews. Even if they aren’t unfair, lets face it we have all made the odd ■■■■ up and had a nightmare day that we would rather put behind us, rather than potentially have forever tarnish our online profile & thus reputation.
I wonder if people on here hate agencys like an atheist hates religion…?
If they have strength in their conviction, then they’d rather sign on unemployed when they cannot get a job other than going through an agency…
…Or is it like with people that call themselves “atheists” when in fact they’ll just go with the majority flow. If the life environment is Catholic, CofE, etc. then they’ll attend Christenings, Funerals, Weddings - regardless of the faith of the service holder has against their own.
A proper atheist would not be seen dead in a church, or any other place of worship come to that. A proper atheist has no need to ■■■■ up to other people’s ethics either. Believing that if one doesn’t do “good” then something bad will happen to them - is a pillar of many religions.
It would take a very brave person indeed to say that “conforming to society anything” is something their lack of faith will not allow them to do.
Thus, A true atheist should be a hermit in the middle of nowhere, and a true hater of agencies should find themselves unemployed sooner or later - because agencies are a part of the world we live in - like it or not. We all believe the “job for life” is a bygone thing. Steering clear of firms that may one day realistically be reaching out for YOU therefore - has to be cutting your nose off to spite your face.
waddy640:
If you had read the rest of the thread my post would have shown that for reasons best known to the companies they prefer agency staff to their own employees. Sadly no one has been able to explain why this is.
Its been explained countless times in countless threads. Using agencies allows them to employ the drivers they need when they need them and not to have to pay for drivers when the work drops off. If they have 3 days a week when they’re flat out and the other 2 days are quiet they only need permanently employ enough drivers to cover the quiet periods then use agency for the busy periods and if they have a week or two where its quiet they’ve not got drivers on pay sat around doing nowt.
THe other side is when a driver phones in sick. Rather than having a wagon sat there costing money and probably with a load on it which they’ll get fined if they don’t deliver, agencies allow them to get that wagon rolling and earning.
It only costs them a couple of quid an hour more than employing someone to use an agency driver. It can save a haulage business a lot of money.
Where I worked I was called in on an “as required” basis. Sometimes I was asked the day before, other times on the day. I never refused a single day and always gave them advance notice of days I was not available. The point I was making was that they still used agency while I sat at home. In my case it would probably cost them more by using agency.
waddy640:
If you had read the rest of the thread my post would have shown that for reasons best known to the companies they prefer agency staff to their own employees. Sadly no one has been able to explain why this is.
I understand that, Waddy but my point is that if a group of drivers got together and formed their own group of freelance drivers, set up insurance etc and then approached the companies with a lower offer for driver services those companies may be interested as all companies are interested in saving money, the drivers could take a bigger wage and the agencies would fold.
It would probably work but if there are financial incentives that we are unaware of then we would have the same problem. Do HMRC allow tax benefits or any other carrot for using agency?
Can I just make you all aware there is an alternative to agencies
There is a website called text4jobs with a Facebook support group called hgv drivers direct
Basically you go on the website tick the boxes
What sort of work your postcode from there it will give you a code and a number to text it to
After that you will receive 5 full time job vacancies in your area if none are of use to you then text again for a further 5
And all this is free of charge
If you don’t want to use agencies then don’t, it’s really that simple. There is plenty advice on here about getting a full time job if that’s what you prefer. Some companies just prefer to use agency drivers regularly. When I was on agency for Vantec at Nissan they had 70% full time 30% agency, they did this because of the fluctuation in manpower requirements! it’s easier to let agency go. It’s a business & you’re free to use it, or not, if you want.
The way to end or rather reduce the stranglehold the agencies have on the transport industry is for the drivers themselves to stop going out on single day assignments at short notice. All it does is fuel an inept industry with poor management where the driver is treated like a piece of toilet paper, to wipe up someone else’s crap.
I can tell you now, that outside of the transport industry, very few agency workers will do a single days work, their contracts being in the range of two weeks to six months or longer. Some HGV drivers just appear to have ‘kick me’ stamped on their foreheads though and are ultimately their own worst enemy.
Well maybe a lot of agency drivers don’t want a long assignment. I for one used to be in a different company every days (and in them days often two or three companies in one day, if you know what I mean and I loved the variety. If I wanted long term contracts I’d have got a full time job with one of our customers
switchlogic:
Well maybe a lot of agency drivers don’t want a long assignment. I for one used to be in a different company every days (and in them days often two or three companies in one day, if you know what I mean and I loved the variety. If I wanted long term contracts I’d have got a full time job with one of our customers
I don’t like the idea of a “long assignment” either. After you’ve spent over 40% of your working year at one yard - you no longer get to claim the mileage expense offset.
I like doing something different each week, and working over a variety of over a dozen different yards each year. Out of them, the only ones I could do week-in week-out are the cushiest ones. I feel no drive to work flat out every week… Just when it suits me. The money is the same regardless, so it’s all about picking and choosing the jobs for me.
If and when I decide to go back to full time - it’ll be at a similar hourly rate to the full time job I left in 2010 - which was top of the range at Royal Mail.
I just can’t face going back to full time on a lot less than I left it at…
Winseer:
Makes you wonder why more drivers are not chucking in full time for the pay rise on agency eh?
Well that’ll go back to what I said about many full time drivers, can’t get away with saying ’ I’m not doing this, I’m not doing that’ so much on agency
and I loved the variety. If I wanted long term contracts I’d have got a full time job with one of our customers
