I was just wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of any half decent agencies around the Rochester/Chatham/Gillingham area,
All the usuals, rates,companies, etc, many thanks in advance. Drive safe.
I live in Medway and I always worked for agencies in Maidstone (Earl Street) and Aylesford (Mills Road)
I tried joining agencies in Medway - but they never had any proper work for me - only castoffs from other agency drivers eg. last minute shifts in London… 
Thanks for the heads up.
Before all this umbrella rubbish came in I worked for Mainstream ( Sittingbourne) for several years up to 2011. It is owned and run on a daily basis by two brothers; Graham and Andrew Knowles who are both ex drivers. They will say to you that it is an agency run by drivers for drivers. I can’t say what it is like now, but I left on friendly terms and should I want to go back driving again (which I really don’t unless circumstances absolutely force me to and there is no alternative) then they would be my first and hopefully only call. I have had several texts and emails, not necessarily at their busy times asking if I am interested in returning. Everyone has something to complain about concerning agencies, but on the whole I thought that they were very fair and you were certainly treated with respect. What was most noticeable when I was working for them was that they would seem to put in a lot of effort to move things around if someone’s shift overran meaning that they would not be able to meet the start time for their next shift. If it was possible then that driver would get a later start time, possibly somewhere else and another driver would take over the planned shift. If you had a problem at 2am then someone would answer the phone and try to sort it out. Tuesday always seemed to be a slack day. I suppose that like all agencies their customers cancel shifts at the last moment, but if they failed to notify me and I turned up then I always got paid.
Hi Gooner ( not a name I really like to type, Chelsea supporter, you’ll understand ) (0-3 last game wasn’t it ? 
)
Back to serious things , up until April this year and after 9 years with them, I used to work for an agency called Protem, they have offices in Strood and Ashford. They’ve been going since 1987.
It’s PAYE ( not umbrella ) ; you’ll be pleased to hear I suppose 
They’re clients include Lenham Storage [Lenham], DPD [Hythe or Dartford], Alcaline UK [Lympne], WE Roberts [Northfleet], Harry Yearsley [Gillingham], R.Swain & Son [Strood] and many more.
Pay rates = Mon - Fri £11 p/h = Sat £12.75 p/h = Sun & B/hol £13.75 p/h = night runs £12 p/h (that is a flat rate)
They do all sorts of training too CPC, ADR, First Aid.
Check out their web site www.toptruckers.co.uk it will give you the office addresses and telephone numbers, the staff members names and pics ( Debbs and Steve are in Ashford ) ( Kelly and Gemma are in Strood ) ( Vince is the head honcho and trainer and normally resides in Strood )
Best of luck , you can say that Pierre told you to give them a call (no I don’t get any commission ) let me know how you get on
cav551:
Before all this umbrella rubbish came in I worked for Mainstream ( Sittingbourne) for several years up to 2011. It is owned and run on a daily basis by two brothers; Graham and Andrew Knowles who are both ex drivers. They will say to you that it is an agency run by drivers for drivers. I can’t say what it is like now, but I left on friendly terms and should I want to go back driving again (which I really don’t unless circumstances absolutely force me to and there is no alternative) then they would be my first and hopefully only call. I have had several texts and emails, not necessarily at their busy times asking if I am interested in returning. Everyone has something to complain about concerning agencies, but on the whole I thought that they were very fair and you were certainly treated with respect. What was most noticeable when I was working for them was that they would seem to put in a lot of effort to move things around if someone’s shift overran meaning that they would not be able to meet the start time for their next shift. If it was possible then that driver would get a later start time, possibly somewhere else and another driver would take over the planned shift. If you had a problem at 2am then someone would answer the phone and try to sort it out. Tuesday always seemed to be a slack day. I suppose that like all agencies their customers cancel shifts at the last moment, but if they failed to notify me and I turned up then I always got paid.
With regards to “Mainstream” Mills Road, I could say the same of Mark and Richard running the SMS/Driveforce that I worked for for four years. This agency are attached to Mainstream in the same way as the Knowles brothers by the looks of it - and everything you said above could equally apply to Richard and Mark.
I was registered with a couple of other agencies which very occasionally had work for me - but on the whole, I got work off them nearly every week.
I know they’d like some more sign-ups - so if you can get your arse over the Mills Road, Quarry Wood - you might even end up like me, offered a job at one of their clients in due course.
The limited dealings I’ve had with them,i found Ash recruitment on the Medway City Estate to be OK. I dealt with the lovely Sarah.
If you don’t mind working out of Erith,doing 12hr days,and spending that time in ‘that London’,there’ll be a job going in a couple of weeks. I’m going the other way and hanging up my digicard and height stick
When I’ve delivered to Lenham, they’re always trying to attract or upgrade drivers, I know the cost of living is higher down that neck of the woods, but their rates of pay don’t look too bad. But it’s pretty much all tramping from what I’ve seen.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
PaulNowak:
When I’ve delivered to Lenham, they’re always trying to attract or upgrade drivers, I know the cost of living is higher down that neck of the woods, but their rates of pay don’t look too bad. But it’s pretty much all tramping from what I’ve seen.
Not all tramping, they do a lot of Waitrose stores and cash and carries in London and the home counties plus the local RDC’s, delivering what’s in the storage warehouses, loo & kitchen rolls, crisps, rice (they did have a good contract with Lindt chocolates, but that’s gone to DHL I think), after the pick and pack team have loaded the pallets and the night shift forkies have loaded the rigids and urban and regular trailers the drivers turn up in the morning, 4am onwards. The work is quite varied, night trunks are normally trailer changeovers with Elddis or deliveries to RDC’s