Limpets/Limpers

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
161

Butcher:

nsmith1180:
A question:

When did agency drivers become known as Limpers and Limpets? Its a recent thing on here and I’m not a fan of it. I am an agency driver and I am neither clinging on for dear life nor hobbling round the yard. I am in fact just another hard working truck driver with aspirations and dreams. So my lifestyle doesn’t suit the full time employed situation, I can’t do 4 on 4 off, I need flexability to be able to say at fairly short notice that I’m not available for next Wednesday, this is why I am an Agency driver.

Not because I am something to be scraped of the hull and thrown away and not because I am physically challenged.

Can we please stop using this pejorative term for people just as hard working as you?

I personally despise this misbegotten colloquialism and description of agency staff, for those who have a limited vocabulary, it means " ■■■■ take""!

Why oh why do you see fit to encompass hard working and flexible drivers, who probably (and quite happily) go the extra mile than you? Who probably have handballed a full trailer before 8am in the cold and wet, whilst your tossing it off in a lay by, or getting even fatter in the salmonella van in the same lay by you’ve spent all night tossing it off.
I don’t do agency work now, but some years earlier and whilst I was up against it I did do agency. Oh and the best laugh is, the same agency that I did work for in 2004, put me on where I am today. Oh, and guess what? I’m coining it on class two work!! So much so, that I never ever, need take my class one!Ha ha. It’s great isn’t it??
Do not ever, any of you, think you have a " hey look at me in my Scania and my light bar with my frilly curtains , have the audacity to ridicule agency.

This " limper" terminology in my book, us tantamount to racism. How Have we got to 2016 and we’re confronted with trolls on what is purported to be a forum to assist and aide all drivers, without inserting derisory and pathetic comments about other drivers around us.

So to the trolls on here who seem to derive an absolute inane perverse pleasure at the expense of hard working agency staff ask yourself this question: when you are pushing and pushing all week, and " want 4 or 5 nights away, and you are happy to be earning £8.29 per hour in your sad scanny, oh and won’t do handball, and won’t do London, and won’t pay for parking, and won’t wait more than 15 minutes to get tipped, and wont hand your keys in, and wont walk to the toilets, instead, choosing to ■■■■ up a wheel, oh and stay in the middle lane through the restrictions on the motorways, whilst terrorising the mother in the Citroen with 2 kids in the back, …yes that’s you, well go on. Who is the most stupid and pathetic?
If you consider yourself as a “professional” then in the name of Sanity, why not begin to behave like one?

My daughter was terrified last week, because she was in the middle lane of a smart motorway roadworks, and she assures me she was traveling at 50mph, which is the speed limit. Oh and she was in the middle lane because was passing traffic going slower in the first lane. She was frightened beyond belief, that a professional driver from a well known hauler, who is based primarily in the “■■■■■■■■ area, saw fit to " push" her car into speeding up.

I did point out to her that truck Speedos are calibrated differently to a car, but my point is why oh why should she be persecuted like that, by a qualified and probably unwashed psychotic maniac with severe mental issues, who calls himself"professional".
I expect no response to this, because most of you on here will not support or back up what I’ve said…yet, worryingly, most have done it!!!

Enough said.

I bet you’re a scream at parties pal! :smiley:

162

Butcher:
I personally despise this misbegotten colloquialism and description of agency staff, for those who have a limited vocabulary, it means " ■■■■ take""!

Why oh why do you see fit to encompass hard working and flexible drivers, who probably (and quite happily) go the extra mile than you? Who probably have handballed a full trailer before 8am in the cold and wet, whilst your tossing it off in a lay by, or getting even fatter in the salmonella van in the same lay by you’ve spent all night tossing it off.
I don’t do agency work now, but some years earlier and whilst I was up against it I did do agency. Oh and the best laugh is, the same agency that I did work for in 2004, put me on where I am today. Oh, and guess what? I’m coining it on class two work!! So much so, that I never ever, need take my class one!Ha ha. It’s great isn’t it??
Do not ever, any of you, think you have a " hey look at me in my Scania and my light bar with my frilly curtains , have the audacity to ridicule agency.

This " limper" terminology in my book, us tantamount to racism. How Have we got to 2016 and we’re confronted with trolls on what is purported to be a forum to assist and aide all drivers, without inserting derisory and pathetic comments about other drivers around us.

So to the trolls on here who seem to derive an absolute inane perverse pleasure at the expense of hard working agency staff ask yourself this question: when you are pushing and pushing all week, and " want 4 or 5 nights away, and you are happy to be earning £8.29 per hour in your sad scanny, oh and won’t do handball, and won’t do London, and won’t pay for parking, and won’t wait more than 15 minutes to get tipped, and wont hand your keys in, and wont walk to the toilets, instead, choosing to ■■■■ up a wheel, oh and stay in the middle lane through the restrictions on the motorways, whilst terrorising the mother in the Citroen with 2 kids in the back, …yes that’s you, well go on. Who is the most stupid and pathetic?
If you consider yourself as a “professional” then in the name of Sanity, why not begin to behave like one?

My daughter was terrified last week, because she was in the middle lane of a smart motorway roadworks, and she assures me she was traveling at 50mph, which is the speed limit. Oh and she was in the middle lane because was passing traffic going slower in the first lane. She was frightened beyond belief, that a professional driver from a well known hauler, who is based primarily in the “■■■■■■■■ area, saw fit to " push" her car into speeding up.

I did point out to her that truck Speedos are calibrated differently to a car, but my point is why oh why should she be persecuted like that, by a qualified and probably unwashed psychotic maniac with severe mental issues, who calls himself"professional".
I expect no response to this, because most of you on here will not support or back up what I’ve said…yet, worryingly, most have done it!!!

Enough said.

And the award for TruckNet member with the most sand stuck in his ■■■■■■ goes to… Butcher!

Congratulations! Tough award to get, but you smashed it. :laughing:

163

Talking of ‘smashed’, is it just me that thinks wing-nut is stood too close to his back doors when he is shutting them?

The chap could hear a mouse ■■■■ at 1000 paces with those lug holes.

164

bigvern1:
Saw plenty of so called “Limpers” doing sterling work delivering flour in the Cotswolds recently. In place due to some know all with a glass back quitting or something.

No it’s because the employed ones are all on tippers now.

165

nickb67:
Shortly after I left the Army…

P.S. Off topic slightly, is it the norm to be given a disciplinary for calling somebody a ■■■■■■? :grimacing:

Yep, you should’ve handed that one in with your other 1157 stuff. :slight_smile:

166

Contraflow:

Butcher:
I personally despise this misbegotten colloquialism and description of agency staff, for those who have a limited vocabulary, it means " ■■■■ take""!

Why oh why do you see fit to encompass hard working and flexible drivers, who probably (and quite happily) go the extra mile than you? Who probably have handballed a full trailer before 8am in the cold and wet, whilst your tossing it off in a lay by, or getting even fatter in the salmonella van in the same lay by you’ve spent all night tossing it off.
I don’t do agency work now, but some years earlier and whilst I was up against it I did do agency. Oh and the best laugh is, the same agency that I did work for in 2004, put me on where I am today. Oh, and guess what? I’m coining it on class two work!! So much so, that I never ever, need take my class one!Ha ha. It’s great isn’t it??
Do not ever, any of you, think you have a " hey look at me in my Scania and my light bar with my frilly curtains , have the audacity to ridicule agency.

This " limper" terminology in my book, us tantamount to racism. How Have we got to 2016 and we’re confronted with trolls on what is purported to be a forum to assist and aide all drivers, without inserting derisory and pathetic comments about other drivers around us.

So to the trolls on here who seem to derive an absolute inane perverse pleasure at the expense of hard working agency staff ask yourself this question: when you are pushing and pushing all week, and " want 4 or 5 nights away, and you are happy to be earning £8.29 per hour in your sad scanny, oh and won’t do handball, and won’t do London, and won’t pay for parking, and won’t wait more than 15 minutes to get tipped, and wont hand your keys in, and wont walk to the toilets, instead, choosing to ■■■■ up a wheel, oh and stay in the middle lane through the restrictions on the motorways, whilst terrorising the mother in the Citroen with 2 kids in the back, …yes that’s you, well go on. Who is the most stupid and pathetic?
If you consider yourself as a “professional” then in the name of Sanity, why not begin to behave like one?

My daughter was terrified last week, because she was in the middle lane of a smart motorway roadworks, and she assures me she was traveling at 50mph, which is the speed limit. Oh and she was in the middle lane because was passing traffic going slower in the first lane. She was frightened beyond belief, that a professional driver from a well known hauler, who is based primarily in the “■■■■■■■■ area, saw fit to " push" her car into speeding up.

I did point out to her that truck Speedos are calibrated differently to a car, but my point is why oh why should she be persecuted like that, by a qualified and probably unwashed psychotic maniac with severe mental issues, who calls himself"professional".
I expect no response to this, because most of you on here will not support or back up what I’ve said…yet, worryingly, most have done it!!!

Enough said.

And the award for TruckNet member with the most sand stuck in his ■■■■■■ goes to… Butcher!

Congratulations! Tough award to get, but you smashed it. :laughing:

Fair comment contraflow. And perhaps my thoughts were over exaggerated, but I accept and moreover, respect your point of view. However, am I not Right??

167

I do believe people who drive should 1, be made to drive on the motorway before passing. Maybe having two practical tests before there allowed to drive and 2, be made to retake the test every 10 years then every 5 once you get to 60. Day in n day out I see people who can’t drive on the motorway. Yes butcher your daughter may have been scared and nervous but that it self is reason she shouldn’t be on it. Today I was driving on the motorway and a car on the slip road was coming down the side of me and the driver was shaking like a leaf. I couldn’t move into lane 2 as it was being used as I had to blast my horn. I did slow down thinking the driver would fly out in front but they slowed down too the driver in lane 2 looked across at me n gave me a smile as in to say what on earth was they doing. I know people who always say I have been driving God knows how many years n never had a crash. I tell them how many have happened behind or in front of you!!

168

Using agencies for long-term staff is really just modern-day slavery. For anything other than casual workers who are only looking for a few hours, or ‘fill-ins’ to cover sickness/holidays/etc… the use of agencies should be prohibited.

But we all know why it never will be… Whether anyone will admit it openly or not, we are now in a low-wage economy and agencies are integral to its ticking over.

You are worth barely more than the paper and ink on which your ‘contractual obligation’ to them, and stack of ‘H&S stipulations’ you’ve ‘agreed’ to are printed.

169

I’m more than happy with the wages and the companies they send me to. I told them what I want to earn and work I like doing, they have honoured it.

170

Butcher:

nsmith1180:
A question:

When did agency drivers become known as Limpers and Limpets? Its a recent thing on here and I’m not a fan of it. I am an agency driver and I am neither clinging on for dear life nor hobbling round the yard. I am in fact just another hard working truck driver with aspirations and dreams. So my lifestyle doesn’t suit the full time employed situation, I can’t do 4 on 4 off, I need flexability to be able to say at fairly short notice that I’m not available for next Wednesday, this is why I am an Agency driver.

Not because I am something to be scraped of the hull and thrown away and not because I am physically challenged.

Can we please stop using this pejorative term for people just as hard working as you?

I personally despise this misbegotten colloquialism and description of agency staff, for those who have a limited vocabulary, it means " ■■■■ take""!

Why oh why do you see fit to encompass hard working and flexible drivers, who probably (and quite happily) go the extra mile than you? Who probably have handballed a full trailer before 8am in the cold and wet, whilst your tossing it off in a lay by, or getting even fatter in the salmonella van in the same lay by you’ve spent all night tossing it off.
I don’t do agency work now, but some years earlier and whilst I was up against it I did do agency. Oh and the best laugh is, the same agency that I did work for in 2004, put me on where I am today. Oh, and guess what? I’m coining it on class two work!! So much so, that I never ever, need take my class one!Ha ha. It’s great isn’t it??
Do not ever, any of you, think you have a " hey look at me in my Scania and my light bar with my frilly curtains , have the audacity to ridicule agency.

This " limper" terminology in my book, us tantamount to racism. How Have we got to 2016 and we’re confronted with trolls on what is purported to be a forum to assist and aide all drivers, without inserting derisory and pathetic comments about other drivers around us.

So to the trolls on here who seem to derive an absolute inane perverse pleasure at the expense of hard working agency staff ask yourself this question: when you are pushing and pushing all week, and " want 4 or 5 nights away, and you are happy to be earning £8.29 per hour in your sad scanny, oh and won’t do handball, and won’t do London, and won’t pay for parking, and won’t wait more than 15 minutes to get tipped, and wont hand your keys in, and wont walk to the toilets, instead, choosing to ■■■■ up a wheel, oh and stay in the middle lane through the restrictions on the motorways, whilst terrorising the mother in the Citroen with 2 kids in the back, …yes that’s you, well go on. Who is the most stupid and pathetic?
If you consider yourself as a “professional” then in the name of Sanity, why not begin to behave like one?

My daughter was terrified last week, because she was in the middle lane of a smart motorway roadworks, and she assures me she was traveling at 50mph, which is the speed limit. Oh and she was in the middle lane because was passing traffic going slower in the first lane. She was frightened beyond belief, that a professional driver from a well known hauler, who is based primarily in the “■■■■■■■■ area, saw fit to " push" her car into speeding up.

I did point out to her that truck Speedos are calibrated differently to a car, but my point is why oh why should she be persecuted like that, by a qualified and probably unwashed psychotic maniac with severe mental issues, who calls himself"professional".
I expect no response to this, because most of you on here will not support or back up what I’ve said…yet, worryingly, most have done it!!!

Enough said.

Man up wet pants.

“Tantamount to racism”, go take your face for a jobby, you dull, carrier bag carrying cretin.

A.

171

Adonis.:

Butcher:

nsmith1180:
A question:

When did agency drivers become known as Limpers and Limpets? Its a recent thing on here and I’m not a fan of it. I am an agency driver and I am neither clinging on for dear life nor hobbling round the yard. I am in fact just another hard working truck driver with aspirations and dreams. So my lifestyle doesn’t suit the full time employed situation, I can’t do 4 on 4 off, I need flexability to be able to say at fairly short notice that I’m not available for next Wednesday, this is why I am an Agency driver.

Not because I am something to be scraped of the hull and thrown away and not because I am physically challenged.

Can we please stop using this pejorative term for people just as hard working as you?

I personally despise this misbegotten colloquialism and description of agency staff, for those who have a limited vocabulary, it means " ■■■■ take""!

Why oh why do you see fit to encompass hard working and flexible drivers, who probably (and quite happily) go the extra mile than you? Who probably have handballed a full trailer before 8am in the cold and wet, whilst your tossing it off in a lay by, or getting even fatter in the salmonella van in the same lay by you’ve spent all night tossing it off.
I don’t do agency work now, but some years earlier and whilst I was up against it I did do agency. Oh and the best laugh is, the same agency that I did work for in 2004, put me on where I am today. Oh, and guess what? I’m coining it on class two work!! So much so, that I never ever, need take my class one!Ha ha. It’s great isn’t it??
Do not ever, any of you, think you have a " hey look at me in my Scania and my light bar with my frilly curtains , have the audacity to ridicule agency.

This " limper" terminology in my book, us tantamount to racism. How Have we got to 2016 and we’re confronted with trolls on what is purported to be a forum to assist and aide all drivers, without inserting derisory and pathetic comments about other drivers around us.

So to the trolls on here who seem to derive an absolute inane perverse pleasure at the expense of hard working agency staff ask yourself this question: when you are pushing and pushing all week, and " want 4 or 5 nights away, and you are happy to be earning £8.29 per hour in your sad scanny, oh and won’t do handball, and won’t do London, and won’t pay for parking, and won’t wait more than 15 minutes to get tipped, and wont hand your keys in, and wont walk to the toilets, instead, choosing to ■■■■ up a wheel, oh and stay in the middle lane through the restrictions on the motorways, whilst terrorising the mother in the Citroen with 2 kids in the back, …yes that’s you, well go on. Who is the most stupid and pathetic?
If you consider yourself as a “professional” then in the name of Sanity, why not begin to behave like one?

My daughter was terrified last week, because she was in the middle lane of a smart motorway roadworks, and she assures me she was traveling at 50mph, which is the speed limit. Oh and she was in the middle lane because was passing traffic going slower in the first lane. She was frightened beyond belief, that a professional driver from a well known hauler, who is based primarily in the “■■■■■■■■ area, saw fit to " push" her car into speeding up.

I did point out to her that truck Speedos are calibrated differently to a car, but my point is why oh why should she be persecuted like that, by a qualified and probably unwashed psychotic maniac with severe mental issues, who calls himself"professional".
I expect no response to this, because most of you on here will not support or back up what I’ve said…yet, worryingly, most have done it!!!

Enough said.

Man up wet pants.

“Tantamount to racism”, go take your face for a jobby, you dull, carrier bag carrying cretin.

A.

ok. My carrier bag was binned many years ago. “Tantamount to racism” is not in any way shape or form meant to downgrade or to misuse the description. I was merely saying that to pick on people with a limp is a derogatory practice and perhaps it is " tantamount to racism". Let me tell you pal, there is not an ounce of racism in me!!
I despise discrimination at all levels including that of people being described as “Limper’s” who may have a disability. So it’s ok then is it to describe disabled people in a derogatory manner then?

Do you hog the middle lane too??

Cretin…? I don’t think so pal!

And the face…it fits anywhere…

172

oh yeah and another thing, what he said about the middle lane hogging and bullying of more vulnerable road users by driving right up their backside. He’s got a point.

I see it daily, and it’s artic drivers for the most part. Whether it be because they’re up against it on the bloody tacho, or pressure from clueless wallies in the office, or for whatever reason it may be (I know the stress, being a driver myself), the fact of the matter is that the majority of them do it.

The last type of vehicle I want behind me when I’m driving a car and am on a 50mph limited road is an HGV. You can bet your bottom dollar that 9 times out of 10, unless you’re up at 55/56, they’ll be stuck to your arse like a fly on crap. And you all know it.

173

pish:
oh yeah and another thing, what he said about the middle lane hogging and bullying of more vulnerable road users by driving right up their backside. He’s got a point.

I see it daily, and it’s artic drivers for the most part. Whether it be because they’re up against it on the bloody tacho, or pressure from clueless wallies in the office, or for whatever reason it may be (I know the stress, being a driver myself), the fact of the matter is that the majority of them do it.

The last type of vehicle I want behind me when I’m driving a car and am on a 50mph limited road is an HGV. You can bet your bottom dollar that 9 times out of 10, unless you’re up at 55/56, they’ll be stuck to your arse like a fly on crap. And you all know it.

Well thank you pish, at last, someone else who speaks some common sense!
Unfortunately this tailgating won’t stop until enforcement is used. I usually sit under the limiter so if I do need to get out then I can.

But why would anybody want to sit right up the rear end of the truck in front?

Oh, hang on, it’s to save fuel isn’t it? How remiss of me. Helps to achieve the fuel bonus so you can take home an extra tenner next month!

174

pish:
Using agencies for long-term staff is really just modern-day slavery. .

Getting paid more than the drivers at the company you’re sent to, being able to choose who you want to work for and when you want to work is modern day slavery?

I would have thought having to work 5/6 days a week for lower wages than other drivers who are at your firm doing the same job and being told when you are going to be allowed to have time off was more like slavery.

175

Conor:
Getting paid more than the drivers at the company you’re sent to…

How much more are you paid than the drivers at the company you’re sent to, Conor?

I thought you got paid less? :laughing:

176

Contraflow:

Conor:
Getting paid more than the drivers at the company you’re sent to…

How much more are you paid than the drivers at the company you’re sent to, Conor?

I thought you got paid less? :laughing:

Yes, its the only company that I’ve been to in over 20 years of doing agency that pay more, I’m quite sure that others will confirm that it is a quite unique situation. Most others I’ve been to I’ve been on £2-£3/hr more and in some cases their overtime rate has been the same as my basic rate.

177

Contraflow:

Conor:
Getting paid more than the drivers at the company you’re sent to…

How much more are you paid than the drivers at the company you’re sent to, Conor?

I thought you got paid less? :laughing:

Pot black pmsl :smiley: :laughing: :laughing:

178

Conor:

Contraflow:

Conor:
Getting paid more than the drivers at the company you’re sent to…

How much more are you paid than the drivers at the company you’re sent to, Conor?

I thought you got paid less? :laughing:

Yes, its the only company that I’ve been to in over 20 years of doing agency that pay more, I’m quite sure that others will confirm that it is a quite unique situation. Most others I’ve been to I’ve been on £2-£3/hr more and in some cases their overtime rate has been the same as my basic rate.

So why don’t you work for them full time Conor? Is it unique :laughing: ? Kind of takes a big fat wazz over the argument that agency doesn’t degrade terms.

I bet the bosses at that haulier go red faced and ■■■■ with uncontrolable laughter at every Christmas dinner when the subject of you contracting for less than their paye comes up. :laughing:

179

Connor you say you get paid more than the full timers n who am I to say your a liar or not as I don’t know the figures but would you agree most and I would say 90% of agency workers are on less than full timers on paye. Not just drivers but also production and wearhouse operatives?? If you agree then from that that’s why wagers are crap in the uk for these kinds of work. Supply and demand. Why pay more if you could pay less?? I keep going back to it but 15 years ago I was on £5.52 at my old job making pre packed sandwiches. The minimum wage was £3.70 for an adult over 21. I was 16 n fresh out of school. If the agency’s was banned from getting workers to work on a more perm contract then full time wagers would have to go up to attract new people. The people who work there and have done for over 10 years are on one wage and the people who haven’t are on less wage for doing the same job. I have mates who are effectively tied down to a job as if they leave where there at they will loss loads. You also don’t mention how much it is your on but from what I have heard your at howdens. I worked at wren. I was on £9.90 then time and a half after 10 hours a day all breaks paid. 33 days holiday and time and a half for working sat sun or bank holiday. I heard howden pay around £35k but that’s just a rumour as far as I know

180

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, PAYE and agency driver for over 15 years. I’ve worked for more agencies than I care to remember and for half a dozen different hauliers/TPL’s as a ‘core’ driver, all of it Class 1. Won’t touch Class 2 work, havn’t done since 1999.

What I’ve found is that the agency driver gets paid more sometimes and less other times.
During the 3 months or so on the run up to Xmas when there’s no shortage of work with the supermarkets and other retailers then the agency drivers clean up on a week to week basis compared to the PAYE driver.

The flip side is that typically from January to March, there is NO WORK for the agency driver and it’s unpredictable at best for much of the rest of the year. Some weeks 5 days, other weeks 3 days or even none. And the flexibility of agency work is an illusion if you want to rely on it for a stable income. Sometimes I found myself at a loose end for a week or more when I just couldn’t do that Wednesday or Friday shift at ASDA’s RDC due to other commitments at the time which included trying to set up and get business for my company, unrelated to transport. The agency just put someone else in there and I lost that job until the next shift for Tescos or whoever came up.

I said to my self many times when I was agency only for that ‘flexibility’ after more than a few very lean winters and early springs when money was too tight to mention, I’ll take a regular PAYE driving job for the stability of income even if the pay is not quite as good as driving the same wagon through an agency.

As for calling agency drivers anything other than drivers, ■■■■■■■ grow up!