So I was offered an agency job and it’s just what I wanted. Night tramping to Scotland x3 a week and only a couple of miles from where I live. Busy, busy, I prepared a zip folder with all the documents needed, sent them over, went for the office interview, did all the paperwork, tests and … I forgot to ask them the rate. Confirmed by email, got the job, start Sunday night, fully booked for next week and … Promise not to laugh?
Class 1 nights tramping, £10.25ph!
Another agency binned. Why do they do it and then complain they can’t get drivers!
m.a.n rules:
p.a.y.e or the other load of locks ■■
plus what is n/o money rate and if required parking fee ?
As quoted:
‘£10.25 Mon to Fri (£12.50LTD/Umbrella) £11.50 Sat (£14.50LTD/Umbrella) £12.50 Sun (£16.50LTD/Umbrella) We currently operate numerous drivers through [****] scheme and they find it very beneficial should you change your mind let me know as it will help maximise your earning potential.’
They don’t have a separate day/night rate, it’s the same across the board. I didn’t bother asking for nights out (days out) rates as after what they’re offering I suspect there wouldn’t be any. He didn’t even reply back when I refused, he knows it’s a rip off.
10 or 11 quid an hour - for working nights!!? Small wonder the industry is cattled if drivers are prepared to play such an active part in the race to the bottom.
And yes, that translates as “I wouldn’t get out of bed for that money”…
Roymondo:
10 or 11 quid an hour - for working nights!!? Small wonder the industry is cattled if drivers are prepared to play such an active part in the race to the bottom.
And yes, that translates as “I wouldn’t get out of bed for that money”…
What they’re offering is well below the standard rate and then standard PAYE rate to get you to join their in-house umbrella scheme. They’re just milking it for all it’s worth. It’s the no-mans land between a van driver and class 2 day rate. This particular job doesn’t even appear on their agency website, I was contacted by them privately. The end-user is a large well known Distribution Company.
Don’t you mean night ‘trunking’ ?.Ironically 3 or 4 on 4 off is more likely to be a liability because it will either totally screw up your body clock to the point of being a menace on the road.Or you won’t be able to make much use of the quality time off because you’ll still need to sleep during the days off.In which case much better to go for 3 months 5 on 2 off and 4 months off.
Assuming they’d do that type of job share it would be worth taking even 10 quid per hour.Although even 3 on 4 off it’s not difficult to understand their logic of playing work life balance v the hourly rate.
As for white van money yep £11.25 per hour based on 15 drops per hour at 75 p per drop.
Just go to stobart, put your self down as a newbie, at least you will be earning, just ask dosy he will set you on the right path you will earn a fortune
I’d contact the actual company (not the agency) and ask if the TM is aware of how little his drivers are being paid and the obvious risk to his and his company’s repute.
Tesco pay £13.50 an hour on staffline for agency driving as a Ltd company. And there was no overtime rate. So if you did a 15 hour shift (and they love to get you to do those) then you won’t get any sort of premium.
For that you’d be expected to keep a top score on fleetboard, unload the trailer, load the empties and waste, then tip the empties and waste yourself back at depot. You’d also be expected to drive class 2, shunt/move stuff around when the office wants etc. You are also expected to call and ask permission if you need to use POA. Management scald you if you dare to take your breaks between runs and get something to eat - they will literally ask why you are not working.
So for £1/hour more than you are being offered Ltd - rather than a run up to Scotland you can blast around doing local store deliveries with all the associated hassle. Not saying that wage is acceptable (as it isn’t) I’m just saying why they might think they can get drivers for that.
Ah, the good old bait-and-switch rates. They’ll advertise 12.50 but in reality it’s about 10 because the 12.50 is the LTD rate or includes holiday pay for PAYE. Scumbags
Schoolboy error not getting the rate!!
If I speak to an agency and they won’t tell me the rate, or the client is some kind of big secret, I politely end the call and ask them to remove me from their file.
You’ve all raised some good points and yes halewood, I broke the cardinal sin of not politely interrupting the sales pitch and asking for rates. It wasn’t an advertised rate ETS, they wouldn’t dare put that rate on the Internet. I assumed … and they tried to scam me. At the end of the day it’s my fault.
GasGas, good idea. I’ll do that. The recruiter tried to blame the company, ‘It’s what they’re paying.’ That’s beginners stuff. The end-user pays the agency and the agency subtract their overheads and factor in a profit margin. I doubt whether the end-user cares what their agency drivers are being paid, but they will care it’s the reason they’re short of drivers.
I know how to write academically and I know where to publish for maximum impact. Later on and time permitting, I might just write a paper on all this detailing the lies, scams and the middle management bureaucracy barrier between the application and job. Naming names and dispelling the myth behind why there are so many unfilled vacancies in the transport sector.
