Rapier employment agency

They are advertising class 1 working out of DHL hams hall, Saturday and Sunday rate of 23.04 an hour, this must be a misprint? Anyone heard of Rapier?

Yeh.

They offered me work driving rigids around London a couple of years back, touting £18ph which seemed damned good for rigid work, only flat 8 hour shifts mind. This was working out of DHL Surrey Quays. Did two days delivering to boots chemists around the London stations, & round the back of Picadilli Circus.
When my payslip arrived - it had practically minimum wage on it (2x8 hours @ £6.75ph) WTF?

I was on “Training” rate apparently. No answer given even as to “how long does one remain on training rate for”?
I didn’t commute all the way up there for [zb] minimum wage, so as you can guess, I was furious! There was even an attempt to pay me “nothing at all” on day one of those two days “because I was being shown around by another driver with me”…

Don’t touch 'em with a bargepole. I would have hoped they’d gone bust by now, but as is usually the case - the biggest crooks are the ones making the most money, and are correspondingly the very last ones to go under…

I learned my lesson - if the rates are not given in writing - always assume it’s actually minimum wage dressed up to look like gold dust - but the juicy rates only apply to bank holiday tuesdays to thursdays when there’s a solar eclipse in process kinda argument. You get the picture.

Anyone here been recently touted some top rates - and actually been paid them by this point?

I have no idea any more what the “going rate” for things like weekends & bank holiday work is any more. :frowning:

I’m ripe for returning to full time essentially… :blush:

There’s been some daft rates offered at this time of year and been paid. The Sunday before Xmas I did 6hrs work for £130. I say six hours work but it was 5h 15m and I washed both the truck and my car back at the yard to drag it out a bit.

Given that back almost 15 years ago on an August Bank Holiday I was offered and paid £18/hr up here in East Yorkshire to drive a load of meat from Bridlington to Ayr for NR Evans, it doesn’t sound beyond the realms of possibility especially around the Midlands where £10+ per hour basic rate is the norm.

I work for rapier and have for the last 19 months out of Swindon,i personally have had no problems at all,wages are paid on time every week,and they have kept my head above water regards my mortgage and bills,i had the chance of starting with another agency on the 5th jan but turned them down to carry on with rapier,all depends on which branch you work for[winseer] some know what they are doing[Swindon]others don’t,i have worked for a lot worse agencies who don’t even know drivers hours regs if you have a question for them,rapier pay is £9.38 an hour [8 hrs]after that time and a half plus night rate depending on how much into the evening you work,i would not have been with them that long if I was messed about,i normally clear on a good week [majority of the time]between £400 to £480 take home

Asked to an interview with these lol sat in an asda cafe whilst the fat bird asked a few questions whilst spitting her dinner across the table at me and telling me how good they were to work for this was a Yorkshire crew touting for drivers for waitrose leyland , not a good first impression and I didn’t take them up on there offer , got a few t shirts and a hi viz though.

Winseer:
Yeh.

They offered me work driving rigids around London a couple of years back, touting £18ph which seemed damned good for rigid work, only flat 8 hour shifts mind. This was working out of DHL Surrey Quays. Did two days delivering to boots chemists around the London stations, & round the back of Picadilli Circus.
When my payslip arrived - it had practically minimum wage on it (2x8 hours @ £6.75ph) WTF?

I was on “Training” rate apparently. No answer given even as to “how long does one remain on training rate for”?
I didn’t commute all the way up there for [zb] minimum wage, so as you can guess, I was furious! There was even an attempt to pay me “nothing at all” on day one of those two days “because I was being shown around by another driver with me”…

Don’t touch 'em with a bargepole. I would have hoped they’d gone bust by now, but as is usually the case - the biggest crooks are the ones making the most money, and are correspondingly the very last ones to go under…

I learned my lesson - if the rates are not given in writing - always assume it’s actually minimum wage dressed up to look like gold dust - but the juicy rates only apply to bank holiday tuesdays to thursdays when there’s a solar eclipse in process kinda argument. You get the picture.

Anyone here been recently touted some top rates - and actually been paid them by this point?

I have no idea any more what the “going rate” for things like weekends & bank holiday work is any more. :frowning:

I’m ripe for returning to full time essentially… :blush:

tomorrow I will be on £18 per hour,1, 1, 15

Minger:
They are advertising class 1 working out of DHL hams hall, Saturday and Sunday rate of 23.04 an hour, this must be a misprint? Anyone heard of Rapier?

their main office is in Abingdon, oxon

truckman020:
I work for rapier and have for the last 19 months out of Swindon,i personally have had no problems at all,wages are paid on time every week,and they have kept my head above water regards my mortgage and bills,i had the chance of starting with another agency on the 5th jan but turned them down to carry on with rapier,all depends on which branch you work for[winseer] some know what they are doing[Swindon]others don’t,i have worked for a lot worse agencies who don’t even know drivers hours regs if you have a question for them,rapier pay is £9.38 an hour [8 hrs]after that time and a half plus night rate depending on how much into the evening you work,i would not have been with them that long if I was messed about,i normally clear on a good week [majority of the time]between £400 to £480 take home

9.48 for first 8 then time n a half Thts wrong it’s a flat rate all the way thru I work for them to swindon and its 10.40 an hour
You are correct on tomoro they were offering 18 quid an hour
There no better or worse than other agencies the only prob wiv swindon is they only have one main contract so when Thts quite wich is homebase there is v little work hence many drivers goin elsewhere latly

IS there such a thing as “decent pay” AND “regular work” at the same time?

I think a lot of us who went out to work on agency were hoping at the beginning - that we’d be doing 40-50 hours per week @ the top rates touted around like £18ph.

It seemed since though that you could have “only sporradic shifts” at the top rates, and only “bread and butter money” for the actual regular hours.

I’m in tomorrow for another 6 hours for a tonner again, but this rate only ever applies to bank holidays. Shame I can’t get that for working the regular sundays I like to work as well. :frowning:

Still, it’s all out of the same agency, where I have had regular work these last 3 years, so no complaints on that level. I ain’t getting rich that’s all. :neutral_face:

I think decent pay and hours are determined by what the employee wants or is capable of achieving with qualifications/references and the like.
Added to what employers offer in the area.
Its always a compromise and the fortunate touch lucky.

monarch of the highway:

truckman020:
I work for rapier and have for the last 19 months out of Swindon,i personally have had no problems at all,wages are paid on time every week,and they have kept my head above water regards my mortgage and bills,i had the chance of starting with another agency on the 5th jan but turned them down to carry on with rapier,all depends on which branch you work for[winseer] some know what they are doing[Swindon]others don’t,i have worked for a lot worse agencies who don’t even know drivers hours regs if you have a question for them,rapier pay is £9.38 an hour [8 hrs]after that time and a half plus night rate depending on how much into the evening you work,i would not have been with them that long if I was messed about,i normally clear on a good week [majority of the time]between £400 to £480 take home

9.48 for first 8 then time n a half Thts wrong it’s a flat rate all the way thru I work for them to swindon and its 10.40 an hour
You are correct on tomoro they were offering 18 quid an hour
There no better or worse than other agencies the only prob wiv swindon is they only have one main contract so when Thts quite wich is homebase there is v little work hence many drivers goin elsewhere latly

not what I have seen on my wage slip,maybe I got it wrong,ref homebase I agree with that

truckman020:

monarch of the highway:

truckman020:
I work for rapier and have for the last 19 months out of Swindon,i personally have had no problems at all,wages are paid on time every week,and they have kept my head above water regards my mortgage and bills,i had the chance of starting with another agency on the 5th jan but turned them down to carry on with rapier,all depends on which branch you work for[winseer] some know what they are doing[Swindon]others don’t,i have worked for a lot worse agencies who don’t even know drivers hours regs if you have a question for them,rapier pay is £9.38 an hour [8 hrs]after that time and a half plus night rate depending on how much into the evening you work,i would not have been with them that long if I was messed about,i normally clear on a good week [majority of the time]between £400 to £480 take home

9.48 for first 8 then time n a half Thts wrong it’s a flat rate all the way thru I work for them to swindon and its 10.40 an hour
You are correct on tomoro they were offering 18 quid an hour
There no better or worse than other agencies the only prob wiv swindon is they only have one main contract so when Thts quite wich is homebase there is v little work hence many drivers goin elsewhere latly

not what I have seen on my wage slip,maybe I got it wrong,ref homebase I agree with that

yeah,just checked and its night rate after eight hours plus expenses,i was wrong

the large lady who runs the yorkshire branch couldn’t lie straight in bed
dont trust them

i had a call off them a couple of weeks ago from there coleshill office to do the JLR at hams hall , that Sunday rate is true but your never get in there on that it will go to DHL’ own full time drivers there just do the typical agency sell dangling the carrot , it was £11.50 days -£12.50 nights , But i didn’t go as i didn’t tell them i was already doing the JLR for a local haulage company which is better . :smiley:

Tbh they used to be Ok ish in swinedon but due to staff changes in the office etc they have gone drasticly down hill there losing more and more of the homebase work in swindon to other agency’s best connection and go new I can def see them losin it all soon
And then like I said as this is there only main contract the swindon office bein clised and the dregs of work wich is left being run from Abingdon
I’ve got no axe to grind with them I’m just stating what’s written on the walls

Winseer:
IS there such a thing as “decent pay” AND “regular work” at the same time?

I think a lot of us who went out to work on agency were hoping at the beginning - that we’d be doing 40-50 hours per week @ the top rates touted around like £18ph.

It seemed since though that you could have “only sporradic shifts” at the top rates, and only “bread and butter money” for the actual regular hours.

I’m in tomorrow for another 6 hours for a tonner again, but this rate only ever applies to bank holidays. Shame I can’t get that for working the regular sundays I like to work as well. :frowning:

Still, it’s all out of the same agency, where I have had regular work these last 3 years, so no complaints on that level. I ain’t getting rich that’s all. :neutral_face:

I would love a full time job but Swindon seems to be run by agencies,every job site has nothing but agencies wanting drivers

Well, I’m starting with them at Swindon next week, they seem all right :wink:

truckman020:

Minger:
They are advertising class 1 working out of DHL hams hall, Saturday and Sunday rate of 23.04 an hour, this must be a misprint? Anyone heard of Rapier?

their main office is in Abingdon, oxon

I used to have ‘holiday work’ from Abingdon office, wayyyy back in the mid 90s… Tim & Harvey ran it back then along with Sally…big bruiser of a lass, think she played rugby for England ladies (honest!) and a few others…Stan was another one. Can’t remember the other fellas name but took on the running of the Reading office…he was the one who trained me up on Panasonic when they were at Bracknell (and how to use the Twin Splitter ( :wink: ) and was a hell of a Harmonica player! I did the driving while he played all all day had no trouble with them (apart from some 3am starts to ‘cover the Swansea run’ for Booker at Banbury) Bob Brookes…that’s the man! Didn’t realise they had offices nationwide now, did they buy someone out?

WIth all this talk about “Swindon” in particular here, I listened to this damning article on Radio 4 sunday night…

The reason these people get 7 hour contracts rather than zero hour btw…

7 hours @ £6.50ph covers the £35 umbrella fee actually mentioned in the programme. :imp:

Thanks Winseer I am listening to that :wink: