Cheers Alex, I will stay here for a bit longer and have a look round for something else. Or just take my head out of my arse and make the most of it here. I think I’m still a bit sore after being made redundant from my last job in October, it was a cream job! Cheers.
Mark.
Scarab:
I’d say you’re making the right decision in staying on.BUT if you did want to give it a try then now would be the time to do so, most agencies seem to be stacked out. After a terrible Jan/Feb/March I’ve been booked solid almost the whole of April and have had to turn down at least 2/3 jobs a week, a lot of them 2/3 month placements.
Agency can be good but the other thing is the kit, you will always, always be given the dog of the fleet to drive. Stick at Stobarts for a bit longer then make your mind up.
Alex
Oldest trick in the book kid. They tell you it’s guaranteed for 2-3 months so you take it, then at the end of the first week they tell you they’ll ring you as “it’s gone a bit quiet for next week”. If I’d had a quid for every time I’d heard that one… 
Agency’s should only be used by people who don’t really need the work, if you’re semi-retired and just want to do a few days here and there to keep active or you have another form of income and just want to use them to top up what you are already making. I’d only ever try and go full time for the agency’s if I was pals with the guy that owns it or was desperate.
On most agency work, you’ll only be on a quid an hour more than an employed driver, not worth it if you ask me, very few have time and a half after 9 anymore, lots have minimum 6 instead of 8 and the rates for Saturday’s and Sunday’s have been eviscerated since the recession hit. You will be lucky to get any work at all between January and March.
Bear in mind as a new face you will be at the bottom of the pecking order behind the guys who have signed on before you.
Don’t bother as others have stated you will be very lucky to get 5 days a week, agencies have more drivers registered than they have work for.
The agency used to be a way for employers to get a look at you before they took you on, now you are just flexible and expendable labour with few employment rights. Another trick is to charge the employer a referral fee if they take you on without a 12 week notice period.
Agencies are only any good if you are semi retired or don’t need a full time job. Pardon the pun but steer clear.
dukeofdirt:
Cheers for the replies. I don’t have any commitments single, no kids, no mortgage could work any day but ideally Monday to Friday. I currently work for Stobarts Thursday-Monday one week Thursday-saturday off Sunday in Monday Tuesday the next (remember the thread about the ad in the sun last year sometime?) money’s ok just don’t like it and I can’t put my finger on why I hate it so much, I know some blokes love it, but however it’s just not for me.That’s what I wanted to know Steve, like will they drop you at the drop of a hat. I don’t have any major commitments but I don’t want to end up with only a odd days work here or there.
I live in Manchester anyone think of any company’s I could look up whilst were on the subject? Cheers again fellers!
why cant you just put your name down to change shifts to mon-fri or whatever suits you when the chance arises[i.e someone leaves,workload changes],know no end of ours who started on w/end work,fair few have changed to mon-fri,all we do is get name on list and when your name gets to top and a vacancy arises you get 1 st refusal.
to be honest the work at our depot has really dropped off at w/ends ,car park used to be choca,its nigh on empty now,i can see us all ending up on mon-fri[probally tramping] and sat/sun will be o/t shifts
Silver_Surfer:
Agency’s should only be used by people who don’t really need the work, if you’re semi-retired and just want to do a few days here and there to keep active or you have another form of income and just want to use them to top up what you are already making. I’d only ever try and go full time for the agency’s if I was pals with the guy that owns it or was desperate.On most agency work, you’ll only be on a quid an hour more than an employed driver, not worth it if you ask me, very few have time and a half after 9 anymore, lots have minimum 6 instead of 8 and the rates for Saturday’s and Sunday’s have been eviscerated since the recession hit. You will be lucky to get any work at all between January and March.
Bear in mind as a new face you will be at the bottom of the pecking order behind the guys who have signed on before you.
On many jobs now you will be on less!
If you do decide to take the plunge leave your old job on good terms because you might decide it’s not so bad after all. I was in a job I hated, couldn’t wait to leave, found what I thought was a better job so decided to leave, just bit my lip and not burn my bridges, new job turned out to be even worse so I jacked it in, and as the door had been left open for me went back to the old one. It felt terrible going back but it was either that or no job at all.
Before you take the jump maybe you can take a holiday and try it out before you take the plunge?
