Afternoon all.
I am new to this forum, so excuse me if i am not posting this in the correct section.
I wanted to ask your advice on an issue that cropped up with my driving agency this week. To give you a clearer picture on things, i did my class 2 last september, and my class 1 a couple of months back. I am yet to do any class 1 work (as i passes so recently), but have been doing a lot of class 2 work.
When i first passed, i found it impossible to get given a break. No-one would give me a go, and i struggled to get any agencies to take me on. I picked up a multitude of van work, multi-dropping and some 7.5t work, but nothing that would help start paying back the money i had shelled out on the 2 courses.
I worked abroad for a few months, putting the driving on the back burner. Since comming back to the uk in May, one particular agency has taken me on, and managed to give me a start. They were really good to me, and were finding me work for several days a week. I started to build up a good reputation for being honest, reliable and hard working, and subsequently am one of the first drivers they call (having once been bottom of the pile).
I did a weeks haulage for them for one particular company. One drop in Newcastle (i’m from Birmingham), everyday. I loved it. I got to know the lads at the yard, got to know the guys at the depot i was delivering to, and got used to their company poilicy, paper work, banter etc…
When this finished, i realised it was time for me to start looking for full time work. I had enjoyed feeling like part of a team (even though i was agency), and wanted the stability. My agency then sent me out on a class 2 job that turned out to be multi-drop van work, despite me saying i didnt want multi-drop or van work!!! This prompted me to look for full time employment. The only trouble i had, was that i have no class 1 experiance yet. I didnt mind, as i thought i could get settled in with a company on their class 2’s and move on to class 1’s if and when they needed me to. Obviously i am simplifying things here and giving examples of how things work work in an ideal world!!
I sorted out two interviews, but both were with other agencies that had long(er) term contracts to fulfill (4,5 6months etc…). I was interested in this because at least it would give me some stability, and continuity over Xmas and New Year. My agency phoned me in the morning to ask me to go back on the vans, to which i said a flat NO!! I was honest and said i had a couple interviews lined up for the day, and that i was exploring avenues that may hopefully lead to full time work, or at least long term contracts. I have a winter ticket, so will be on the reserve list for the gritters and snow ploughs over the winter, so i should be able to pick up all kinds of work sporadically anyway.
This sparked a bit of a row as i then got two additional phone calls (before 8am!) from one of the bosses, shortly followed by his boss, slamming me for turning my back on them after they had given me so much work. I tried to explain that i have a family ot feed, and was looking for stability and continuity. I also explained that i was still happy ot work for them, and appreciated all the effort they had gone to in getting me out to work in the first place. I went on to explain that it is ok for them, waking up everyday, knowing you have a job to go to, and a wage at the end of every week or month, but for me, it was getting a bit stressful foing 5 days for 5 different companies, followed by 3 days sitting on my hands. I can’t plan nights out, or even lunch time get-togethers as in ever know if i’m going to be called.
They can’t seem to handle this frank honesty, and have taken it very personally that i am seeking something a little more regular. Am i being out of order, or have they over-reacted? I am still fairly new, so not sure if i have done something wrong.
Thanks for your advice in advance.
TT
