Luckily for me I’m not illiterate, just possibly illegitimate! 
I completely agree that a CV should only be a single page in this game.
I can’t image most TM’s want to know about your life story, or want to wade through reams of bollox.
Anyone do that Linkedin thing? Someone recommended it to me once, I did it and saw no benefit so binned it.
On another tangent, I’ve worked with people who are on Facebook and will “like” companies they fancy working for. Is this a good idea or simply the “like” becoming a “lick” page?
Evil8Beezle:
Luckily for me I’m not illiterate, just possibly illegitimate!
I completely agree that a CV should only be a single page in this game.
I can’t image most TM’s want to know about your life story, or want to wade through reams of bollox.
I don’t mind wading through Trucknet at times, 
TNUK sets the benchmark in the talking of ■■■■■■■■.
Some are more skilled in the art than others. Wouldn’t you agree, Evil?
eagerbeaver:
TNUK sets the benchmark in the talking of ■■■■■■■■.Some are more skilled in the art than others. Wouldn’t you agree, Evil?
I aspire to reach your dizzy heights!
Although you’ve nothing compared to immigrant…
as an ex agency I find it starts picking up around march, agencies can bullsxxt till they are blue in the face,they allways tell you that a couple of weeks it will be fine,never happened with me,it was allways towards the end of February beginning of march
MickyB666:
The agencies I use are still advertising work on job sites but telling me they have no work is this normal? These are fresh adverts not old ones.
Well, firstly, they might have work available which they can’t, or don’t want, to give to you. For example, their client might require minimum 2 years’ experience. Or they might have a client doing some kind of specialist work, and you don’t have any experience of that work.
However, agencies always want to recruit more drivers onto their books. On the one hand, it costs them nothing to have a driver on their books doing nothing, but on the other, if they’re unable to supply a client with enough drivers during the busy times, they might lose that client. So, it’s in their interest to get as many drivers on their books, whether they’ve actually got enough work for them or not.
So, when is the best time to recruit drivers? When everyone’s busy, and potential recruits think “I’ve already got work, so there’s no point in applying to a new agency”, or when it’s quiet so there’s lots of drivers sitting around on their backsides because there’s not much work around? Now is probably the best time of year to swell those lists. Get the drivers on the books now, and then call them back later in the year when you’re busy and short of drivers. That’s why they’re advertising now, even if they don’t actually have any work available.
If you want to be a bit cynical, you might even consider that the agency might prioritise giving jobs to new recruits so that they get a short period of work, so that the drivers don’t get too [zb]ed off with the agency that they refuse work later in the year.
Still no work… … … if this is how it is going to be I will be taking a long holiday somewhere sunny next year. 
MickyB666:
Still no work… … … if this is how it is going to be I will be taking a long holiday somewhere sunny next year.
Did you get out and knock on some researched doors?
Juddian:
Did you get out and knock on some researched doors?
Not yet, I have checked in with the agencies again first (no work on offer) done some research into local firms… one is holding an open day on Thursday so I will have a tootle along to that, also there are another couple of agencies that I want to check out, I am taking a systematic approach to this because I am hoping to find work similar to what I have been doing; night shift trunking to DC’s and\or trunking containers to and from the ports. I am not trying to pigeon hole myself too much however this is the only type of work that I have any experience with so makes sense to make that a starting point and after a year of chopping and changing careers last year it would be nice to continue with something reasonably familiar.
Our work is patchy at the moment. I took out the puddle jumper until 9am then had an hours’ break in the yard drinking tea with the boss. The phone rang and we had a steady day then, only got one load to pick up tomorrow mid morning so far.
MickyB666:
Juddian:
Did you get out and knock on some researched doors?Not yet, I have checked in with the agencies again first (no work on offer) done some research into local firms… one is holding an open day on Thursday so I will have a tootle along to that, also there are another couple of agencies that I want to check out, I am taking a systematic approach to this because I am hoping to find work similar to what I have been doing; night shift trunking to DC’s and\or trunking containers to and from the ports. I am not trying to pigeon hole myself too much however this is the only type of work that I have any experience with so makes sense to make that a starting point and after a year of chopping and changing careers last year it would be nice to continue with something reasonably familiar.
No chance of that sort of “cream” work as a newbie agency man during the busy periods so you’ve even less chance now during the quiet period. You need to climb the ‘pecking order’ ladder to get any sniff at that kind of work.
Best you can hope for is a last minute cancellation or it’ll be white goods deliveries to top floor apartment blocks type work that no-one else will do.
Carl Usher:
No chance of that sort of “cream” work as a newbie agency man during the busy periods so you’ve even less chance now during the quiet period. You need to climb the ‘pecking order’ ladder to get any sniff at that kind of work. Best you can hope for is a last minute cancellation or it’ll be white goods deliveries to top floor apartment blocks type work that no-one else will do.
I didn’t know that trunking was considered ‘cream’ work, I thought it might be too boring for some of the more experienced drivers and I didn’t think night shift work would be to everybody’s liking? 
I’ll have to hope for last minute cancellations - don’t fancy the white goods, unless it is trunking them to DC’s… funnily enough the ‘Knowhow’ depot is just down the road and one of the places I planned to check out.
Been doing agency work on Tankers for the past five years with a full work load October till March,
Went into work last Sunday after a weeks leave to find three of the full time drivers sitting about with no work followed by a conversation that this had been going on for a few days.
So it came as no surprise when I got a text from the agency cancelling my next 2 weeks work.
I didn’t get a phone call from the agency as to why I had been stood down however much to my surprise I got a phone call from the transport manager explaining high stock levels and the need to keep his drivers out of the canteen and on the road. He also said that he would need additional drivers in the next few weeks to cover leave etc. So as one of the other posts said its back to the agency pecking order.
I’ve got a few shifts booked for Jan/Feb so I am of the opinion that the “slow down” is a bit dependent on what type of driving you are doing or want to do.
For now its the end of my tea break and back to the housework
Housework OTFD don’t you watch Homes under the hammer first?
mac12:
Housework OTFD don’t you watch Homes under the hammer first?
Its just about to end, so I can now get the vacuum going or maybe another cup of tea first.
Tea first while watching Wanted Down Under don’t be to keen
I jacked in my full time job of 12 years with Tesco’s on the 04th of January to go with the agency on cryogenic tankers, I’m in my 2nd week of training, earning fantastic money with as many hours as I can get when I get the training signed off. I will be £1000 a month better of for doing the same hours & the training will enhance my cv, wished I had done it 5 years ago…
Yeh I have work!!
Weds to Fri night shift trunking between depots - ADR work, this will be my first ADR job so I best have a bit of a brush up on the rules and regs, I think I have just about forgotten everything I was taught back in August. 
It sounds like a job that could suit me nicely, trunking to a limited number of depots so easy to get used to the runs but enough variation to stop it getting too boring. I’ll not get ahead of myself though chances are they only want me for these odd few shifts… we’ll see.
MickyB666:
Yeh I have work!!Weds to Fri night shift trunking between depots - ADR work, this will be my first ADR job so I best have a bit of a brush up on the rules and regs, I think I have just about forgotten everything I was taught back in August.
It sounds like a job that could suit me nicely, trunking to a limited number of depots so easy to get used to the runs but enough variation to stop it getting too boring. I’ll not get ahead of myself though chances are they only want me for these odd few shifts… we’ll see.
Ensure you have your “Instructions in writing” and that the truck has the kit on the list…
Best of luck pal!