Has anybody used these? There looking to take the agencies no, increase driver wages by removing the agency costs.( Not a bad thing)
They were promoting last week. Seems to be a good idea on the face of it.
I should stop being so sceptical 
I was interested to start with, but when I went on their website to register, there is a compulsory tick box to confirm that you have held your licence for at least 2 years. If they’re not an agency, just a matchmaking website, why is that compulsory - wouldn’t it be up to the company needing a driver? I could understand if it was an option, so that their cuctomer could filter out newer drivers if they deemed it necessary, but the companies who do use newer drivers - and there does seem to be a fair few out there - won’t get the choice via this outfit.
Gary
Can’t see it working myself, firms using agencies just pick up the phone and say I want x drivers at x time, agency then sorts it. Managers and planners will not want to trawl through pages looking for staff. The agencies charge extra because they are providing a service.
The company is an off-shoot of an existing ‘normal’ agency, based at the same address, so I’m guessing it’s just a way of trying to get more drivers on the books, one way or another.
I personally know the fella setting this and to be honest his own work isn’t the best paid, but I had an indepth chat with him about this and ive signed up just to see whats its about.
He does have good work but as I said the money is low, so I’l see if I could make some leeway if the customers come onto rated drivers.
As I see it he is trying something and deserves a chance.
Btw he is a member on here already.
How complicated is the process from the Haulier’s point of view of:
(1) Hiring a driver from an agency
and
(2) Hiring a self-employed NON owner driver instead
From the driver’s point of view, I believe it is better to be paid say, £10ph PAYE than £13ph self-employed, because of all the overheads and liabilities involved.
But what of the employer’s point of view? - Let’s say for simplicity, the cost paid to an agency is the same as the invoice cost of hiring a self-employed driver.
You see, I don’t believe that “cost” is the only consideration in today’s labour markets. 
A “Rated Drivers” system would surely NEED to be “more fussy” rather than “one size fits all” to make the system gain confidence from employers. Eg. if you enrol a driver via such a clearing system, you’d know up front that they have say, a clean licence and at least 2 years experience as “entry level standard”.
If you withhold such information so that the prospective employer sees only Driver A available @ £13ph SE and Driver B avaiable @ £11ph PAYE - then the whole issue becomes rather blurred doesn’t it, especially when you don’t know the actual calibre of either driver! 
He is doing a feedback system where you will be awarded points by employers so everyone can see how you are rated.
The owner gets 3% off final invoice, for which you will add a 3% surcharge to cover this.
Yo yo
SimonTaka:
Yo yo
Voted the most pertinent post of the day. 
jessicas dad:
He is doing a feedback system where you will be awarded points by employers so everyone can see how you are rated.
That’s ■■■■ then you could be the best driver in the world but get a bad score because the transport staff don’t like you
A bit like having an assessment, they’re not using the assessment time to check you driving ability, they’re using it to vet you as a person
jessicas dad:
He is doing a feedback system where you will be awarded points by employers so everyone can see how you are rated.
When De Poel where doing a similar scheme a few years ago (and maybe they still do) everyone was up in arms.
I’ll admit i havn’t trawled right through the site to check it out but is there a facility whereby drivers can rate the employers?
This “Agency” is a veiled attempt to draw the SE driver in the Yorkshire area where the dude who set this up has or ran an agency and had a not so good rep amongst the drivers who worked there! 
Is this fella making around 8% on this “scheme”? And if so for what exactly? 
dessy:
This “Agency” is a veiled attempt to draw the SE driver in the Yorkshire area where the dude who set this up has or ran an agency and had a not so good rep amongst the drivers who worked there!Is this fella making around 8% on this “scheme”? And if so for what exactly?
He is making 3% off the final invoice, if I did any work through the website I would add 3% to the final invoice to cover this.
skids:
Can’t see it working myself, firms using agencies just pick up the phone and say I want x drivers at x time, agency then sorts it. Managers and planners will not want to trawl through pages looking for staff. The agencies charge extra because they are providing a service.
I think you may work for an Agency?
Nope, I am a full time employed driver. I’ve only used an agency for about a month when I got made redundant a few years ago.
Hi everyone, as I work for Rated Drivers i thought it might be worth me clearing up a few things. Rated Drivers was set up with 2 main missions in mind. a) to stimulate the drivers rate in the right direction (nobody can argue that its only gone one way since 2007) and b) to increase the quality of the drivers who do adhoc work (again there are an awfull lot of really good drivers out there but there are equally some very poor drivers as well not just in ability but attitude as well and the good drivers are tarred with the same brush as the poor drivers)
How do we intend to achieve this? firstly the drivers hourly rate. Rated Drivers are not a recruitment agency so therefore we are not charging the 20% comission to the client that an agency has to do so immediately the haulier is saving £25.00 per driver per day. We believe that due to the fact their are no agency costs the driver should be quoting 10% higher than he or she is already gettin from their present agency in real terms the driver gets a 10% pay increase and the client then saves 10% put in perspective someone like Stobarts or wincanton and Tesco for instance with high agency spend could save inexcess of £500,000 per year in fees its a win win situation as the driver has taken a 10% pay increase the first time in at least 5 years.
The way the Rating system will work is fairly simple in the context that both the driver and the client have the ability to Rate each other on 5 areas and give them a star rating, any positive comments will make the driver more marketable any negative comments are quarentened and a resolution process takes place, but as this works both ways it gives both client and driver the ability to pass on relevent information to perspective clients or drivers, this we believe gives both parties an air of confidence where as at the moment the client rings the agency and the agency sends someone in the client is getting someone blind they do not know wether they are good, bad or indifferent at least with the rating system they are getting a reference each time they use someone.
I understand that some people will be sceptical and as a business we have to make a return and hopefully a profit the 3% we are charging is to cover two thongs a) Rated Drivers will pay you on 7 days, you do not have to wait for the client to pay you before you get paid and b) Rated drivers will stand any loses should the client go bust whilst you are working for them if you were working directly for someone cutting out the ageny you would have to invoice them directly and wait upto 45 days to get paid if the go bust you wont be out of pocket 6 weeks wages.
Mark Wakeley:
Hi everyone, as I work for Rated Drivers i thought it might be worth me clearing up a few things. Rated Drivers was set up with 2 main missions in mind. a) to stimulate the drivers rate in the right direction (nobody can argue that its only gone one way since 2007) and b) to increase the quality of the drivers who do adhoc work (again there are an awfull lot of really good drivers out there but there are equally some very poor drivers as well not just in ability but attitude as well and the good drivers are tarred with the same brush as the poor drivers)
Firstly although i’m a moderator on this site, i’m not expressing the sites opinions here, just my own personal ones. That said…
There’s not a cat in hells chance you sat there one day and thought…how can i improve drivers wages and ensure that employers get a quality driver !! NOT A CHANCE !!!
Mark Wakeley:
I understand that some people will be sceptical and as a business we have to make a return and hopefully a profit the 3% we are charging is to cover two thongs a) Rated Drivers will pay you on 7 days, you do not have to wait for the client to pay you before you get paid and b) Rated drivers will stand any loses should the client go bust whilst you are working for them if you were working directly for someone cutting out the ageny you would have to invoice them directly and wait upto 45 days to get paid if the go bust you wont be out of pocket 6 weeks wages.
It all gets more convoluted as the site itself says…
The … website exists as an online advertising portal It also goes onto to say its NOT a recruitment agency, and the jobs are not directly provided by you. It looks to me like its a shysters get rich quick scheme. A company limited by guarantee !! Couldn’t make it up !! 
What about this:
Please Note: there is a payroll cost of 5% total invoice value, plus a £5.00 per shift for Driver Negligence insurance if required
So if I understand.
Say the total invoice value is £100. Invoice for the haulier is £105 (lets forget the £5 insurance).
Then you take 3% or £3 before you pay the driver.
I make that 8% for you.
Looks like an agency, quacks like an agency and therefore is an agency.