I’m likely over-thinking this, but I want to keep good relations with both agencies:
I drove for agency B yesterday, and phoned them at 1.30pm, asking if they had any work - they replied that they’ll be in touch around 4 o’ clock if there is anything
agency A phoned me at 2.30pm, offering work for tomorrow which I accepted
should I now ring up agency B and say I’m not now available, or just wait for their phone call later in the day and tell them then?
Well you need to disappoint one either way so it’s up to you really…
Does the agency ring you and tell you when there is no work? No? I thought not.
Plenty time to tell them you are already booked IF they offer you a job.
It won’t hurt to let them find out the hard way - perhaps you will get more priority next time if you are ‘in demand’ elsewhere rather than just being at their beck-and-call.
I agree with wot OnlyAlan says. It’s good advice.
LandyLad:
I agree with wot OnlyAlan says. It’s good advice.
Yep, me too. 
It’s very good advice indeed, but I’d add… always be polite, cos sometimes the boot is on the other foot. 
.
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Wey-hey.
People agree with my advice!
How do I go about starting a fan club?
I work for two agencies and they know that, dont worry as people have said you dont have to be rude just explain that you have been offered work elsewhere and in this climate you cant afford to turn away work when nothing definate on the cards , just wait for the call whats the betting if they dont have anything they wont ring anyway so you could have turned down work and ended up sitting at home anyway
jenx
Right, with me if an agency rings and says they are looking for work and am I available I’ll tell them. If one of them call with work when the next one rings I’ll tell them that I’ve found work and thanks anyway for calling.
If any agency offers work, take it. There is queue for your time, and you have to manage it
Good Luck
Up until now I’d take the first job offered. I’m with two agencies. One of them got me four days work with a firm that the other agency thought used them…now I’ve got both agencies trying to get me to work for them. I reckon that’s lucky for me so long as I can deal with the hassle.
Agency 1 were fairly useless until recently and got me hardly any work, Agency 2 got me an assessment and then in to quite a few jobs on milk tankers and other artic work. Agency 1 rang me this afternoon asking me to do another week of milk tanker work for them. The work I did for them paid £85 a day - in two cases for a 15 hour day - which I thought was taking the mickey. So I rang Agency 2 and told them that if they said they could get me work next week I’d turn Agency 1 down. If they let me down then I’ll know that I should have just taken the first job offered!
Apart from the money issue though I feel I owe Agency 2 for getting me in to artic work. Agency 1 are just riding on the back of that. If I’d stuck with them alone I wouldn’t have got the break. Common sense and experience says it’s naive to think that way and I should just think of the money, trouble is even though they are making money out of me I still feel I owe them…
(If anyone has seen my novice diary which hasn’t been updated I am still here lurking and reading posts, and still driving. Today I have been mostly delivering beds in a merc with a “slapover” gear change and an analogue stoneridge tacho. Which was nice).
kvin:
Up until now I’d take the first job offered. I’m with two agencies. One of them got me four days work with a firm that the other agency thought used them…now I’ve got both agencies trying to get me to work for them. I reckon that’s lucky for me so long as I can deal with the hassle.Agency 1 were fairly useless until recently and got me hardly any work, Agency 2 got me an assessment and then in to quite a few jobs on milk tankers and other artic work. Agency 1 rang me this afternoon asking me to do another week of milk tanker work for them. The work I did for them paid £85 a day - in two cases for a 15 hour day - which I thought was taking the mickey. So I rang Agency 2 and told them that if they said they could get me work next week I’d turn Agency 1 down. If they let me down then I’ll know that I should have just taken the first job offered!
Apart from the money issue though I feel I owe Agency 2 for getting me in to artic work. Agency 1 are just riding on the back of that. If I’d stuck with them alone I wouldn’t have got the break. Common sense and experience says it’s naive to think that way and I should just think of the money, trouble is even though they are making money out of me I still feel I owe them…
(If anyone has seen my novice diary which hasn’t been updated I am still here lurking and reading posts, and still driving. Today I have been mostly delivering beds in a merc with a “slapover” gear change and an analogue stoneridge tacho. Which was nice).
This is less than the NMW and you should politely tell them to ■■■■ off…it’s not legal and they are taking the ■■■■ out of you in a big way…
I went in and (politely) told them that the rate was below the minimum wage - they claimed that the company I worked for had been told the maximum day was 12 hours and that they “didn’t know about the extra hours” and "would “look in to it”. However I’d filled in and returned their timesheet which clearly showed the hours worked. Reply awaited! In the meantime I’m working for the other agency…
kvin:
I went in and (politely) told them that the rate was below the minimum wage - they claimed that the company I worked for had been told the maximum day was 12 hours and that they “didn’t know about the extra hours” and "would “look in to it”. However I’d filled in and returned their timesheet which clearly showed the hours worked. Reply awaited! In the meantime I’m working for the other agency…
Mate, stick to your guns…do not let them get away with it. Threaten to report them if you need to - you can’t lose as they will not want the hassle and you don’t want to be working for people that don’t pay - it’s pointless!!
Personally, i’d be outside the place every day I was able to be and in a loud voice asking for the money I’m owed. 
This is bad for their image with other drivers/customers and they will soon comply. Well, they always have with me…