Job offers from agencies - is that a fake?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I recovering after a car accident so I started to looking arround for a job. Most of offers are from agencies. I call them, and they want me to come to their office to register. But I am already registered with plenty of agencies, and they never called me. More, they want me to come and register, even If I was there to register up to another job two weeks ago.

I decided to no longer waste my time and fuel to drive to agencies and if they aren’t interested in speak to me on the phone, I let it off.

I am asking as there is many agencies with huge posters on the windows “class 2 drivers URGENTLY required!!! Immediate starts!!!” etc. And as I know I am interesting person for agencies, as I know how to use tachograf, how to fill chart or just I can drive and have experience in this jobs.

So that’s my question: are this adverts just a fake ones and they put them only to put more drivers into their files for future needs?

2

orys:
I recovering after a car accident so I started to looking arround for a job. Most of offers are from agencies. I call them, and they want me to come to their office to register. But I am already registered with plenty of agencies, and they never called me. More, they want me to come and register, even If I was there to register up to another job two weeks ago.

I decided to no longer waste my time and fuel to drive to agencies and if they aren’t interested in speak to me on the phone, I let it off.

I am asking as there is many agencies with huge posters on the windows “class 2 drivers URGENTLY required!!! Immediate starts!!!” etc. And as I know I am interesting person for agencies, as I know how to use tachograf, how to fill chart or just I can drive and have experience in this jobs.

So that’s my question: are this adverts just a fake ones and they put them only to put more drivers into their files for future needs?

may be :wink:

3

orys:
So that’s my question: are this adverts just a fake ones and they put them only to put more drivers into their files for future needs?

Yes, they like to keep you on file and they’re full of ■■■■■■ Worth ringing them up every other day to remind them of your existence.

4

And when they do find you work £9 per hour is no good two days a week… :imp: :imp:

5

Agencies are there to supply their clients with drivers when their clients need them not to find work for drivers

6

Case of finding the right agency, from experience the decent ones who pay the decent money and have a lot of work don’t need to advertise as much.

Don’t drive class 2’s but the likes of the Co-Op in ■■■■■■■■■■■ used to always be desperate for class 2 agency drivers and a pretty easy number.

I was with Blue Arrow years ago when i did agency work for the Co-Op.

7

that’s Blu Arrow who wants me to register every time, when I calling them :wink:

And about agencies: if they are called “recruitment agency” they shall do something for drivers as well.

I used to work for Driver HIre a lot, and they always had something for me. Unfortunably I can’t do their works, as they have mostly shop deliveries and I still can’t lift.

But for sure agencies don’t play fair, if they advertise themself as a full-time or permanent job (I seen adverts like that as well).

8

ROG:
Agencies are there to supply their clients with drivers when their clients need them not to find work for drivers

that’s a new one on me… do you not sign up to get work

9

I think that saying agencies aren’t there to get drivers work is a misunderstanding of their situation.

Agencies are effectively brokers, they need end users with a demand, the customer, and a product to sell, drivers, their suppliers. They charge the end user to fulfill their requirements, and pay their suppliers for providing the service, the driver. The agency make a profit from the margin, for bringing the two together, and managing and administrating the business.

Without drivers they have no business.

It is definitely true that if you want regular work from an agency you do need to be a bit proactive and keep on the phone or calling in. Keep youself in their mind, sell yourself to them. Do a good job and after a few months they will ring you.

10

Its jujst a shame that most do state “URGENT” and “IMMEDIATE” in thier ads.

Most of the time it is just to get drivers on the books, but dont forget, they also ask you to fill in the P46 to state they are your MAIN EMPLOYER.

Hmmm, as an employer arent they supposed to give you work??

Anyway, just remember that, as they are classed as a fulltime employer, you are not entitled for benefits when you haven’t had any work.

11

I was with Driver-Hire [fife], plenty of work and i well picked and chose what i did but when i went for operation, no ssp so now i’m laid up on incapacity benefit…

I guy i did nightshift with said he worked for Blue Arrow down south and was kept in plenty of work

12

DGW131:

ROG:
Agencies are there to supply their clients with drivers when their clients need them not to find work for drivers

that’s a new one on me… do you not sign up to get work

YES, but they don’t have to give you any.

13

Agency work is pretty rubbish, I’ve just managed to get work with a company delivering temporary fencing (Blok n Mesh UK) through GAP Liverpool. I love driving, have since the day I passed my car test, but I’m going to start saving up for a CORGI (gas qualification) ticket… make me sad, since a boy I’ve wanted to drive wagons, and now this industry is ■■■■■■…

14

Just for once, let’s look at it from the agency’s point of view. Assuming that ten new candidates apply for one advert for a Class One driver with a minimum two years experience, the results will break down on average like this;

Eight will make an appointment to register; the other two will find an excuse not to, usually when they find out it’s a temporary position as 95% are.

Five will turn up; of the other three only one will have the good manners to phone you and cancel the appointment. The consultant, if he’s any good, has just wasted three hours minimum of his planned daily work.

Of the five who turn up;

One will have a medical problem which stops him lifting anything heavier than a wage slip.

One will have a full clean licence… which he only gained last week “but he’s been doing 7.5 tonne work for years”; in fairness these often go on to become the best agency drivers once you find clients who will use them.

One can only work three days per week because of some domestic situation; there are far more in this position than you might think. For the same reason he can’t do nights out or start before 8 am, and he has to be finished by 6pm. Useful for odd days only unless you’re lucky, pity because most of them are very good.

One walks in for his interview looking and smelling like he’s done a week with a dustcart… in the back! Sorry to say it but these are inevitably the guys sent by the DSS because they won’t find a job and this is how they get round it; either that or they contrive to be so obnoxious that you know darned well that they’ll lose the contract for you if you’re daft enough to employ them.

The last one, IF you’re lucky, will be a good all-rounder who’s just been laid off , knows what he’s talking about and will be an asset to your company.

In reality the ratio of good drivers employed to interviews held is closer to one in 20 than one in 10. You then have to pray that they don’t;

a) Find a permanent job too soon.

b) Get messed around by payroll or another consultant and leave in a huff.

c) Turn out to have a criminal record which is unacceptable to your client.

The latter, again, isn’t unusual; you try keeping a straight face when the neatly turned out chap in front of you casually says he’s on licence for murdering his wife! As an agency you’re obliged to inform your client.

So unless you’ve been very lucky, you’re still looking for a Class One driver. Now do you see why agencies post multiple vacancies?

15

Im almost certain my agency is stopping me getting even an interview at the place i have worked for for 6 years.
Drivers have come and been taken on etc and im left standing.
Keep saying im going to get something else but i cant afford to be without work for even a week at the moment so just have to stand for it.

16

ROG:

DGW131:

ROG:
Agencies are there to supply their clients with drivers when their clients need them not to find work for drivers

that’s a new one on me… do you not sign up to get work

YES, but they don’t have to give you any.

And the point of that would be what exactly…? :laughing:

17

tartanraider:

ROG:

DGW131:

ROG:
Agencies are there to supply their clients with drivers when their clients need them not to find work for drivers

that’s a new one on me… do you not sign up to get work

YES, but they don’t have to give you any.

And the point of that would be what exactly…? :laughing:

A lot of people go to agencies expecting the agency to give them work. Just because the agencies’ sales patter says so, does not mean that they are in any way obliged to do that.
Can anyone name an agency that guarantees to find work for an individual, in their field of expertise, for say, 95% of the time :question: - I doubt it :exclamation: - but that is what a lot of people think the agency will do.

18

But sometimes there are agencies, who have offers for some temporary job.

First time, when I was in Scotland as a student for holidays job, they offered me job for all summer - 3 to 5 days per week on a small van, for the same company. And It indeed was 3 to 5 days per week. And most of other days they offered me other jobs.

At the end, I’ve got reference letters from both agency and company and everything.

I do understand agency position but that will not cost much more for them to send me a message “Sorry, we got another driver to do this urgent job”. If that urgent job is really existing off course.

19

I do understand agency position but that will not cost much more for them to send me a message “Sorry, we got another driver to do this urgent job”. If that urgent job is really existing off course.

Don’t know how things work in your country of origin but in the UK, lorry drivers are regarded as second class citizens, jobs wise, so it would be very unlikely to get some courtesy

20

It not’s reagrding to country. That’s simply business, i think. They are living from our work, so they should respect us.

I worked a lot for driver hire, and they always treated me well, so I was coming back at every gap in my permanent employment to them, even if thei paid less then others. It’s simply worth to treat drivers well to keep them in your company…

I would come back to them even now, but they have mostly heavy jobs, what I can’t do for now due to my injury (kegs of beer, drinks, handball deliveries, removals…)