So bess you should be in politics.that reply was a long way of saying “yes we take drivers just off the boat who work for 6 quid a hour”
You are quite correct there bess and been honest its the best answer i have ever got from an agency as most of them dont have a clue.
European licences dont have counterparts and by applying for one off the dvla in effect the dvla are setting up a temporary uk licence for you and if you should get point s they will be applied to this temp licence.
Just a quick thanks to all for your messages. I am moving to a new role, so my colleague Elliot will keep an eye on this thread, if you have any other questions for us.
All the very best,
Bess
rgt1973:
Anyone else had dealings with TRG before? Trying to find out if I’m just having some bad luck or are they just like all the rest of the agencies?
What is your experience working for other agencies?
besstrg:
rgt1973:
Anyone else had dealings with TRG before? Trying to find out if I’m just having some bad luck or are they just like all the rest of the agencies?What is your experience working for other agencies?
All the same really, not had a good experience with any of the 3 I have tried. Think it’s not for me, I prefer to work for a company that values loyalty and hard work with the respect it deserves! Won’t find that with any agency I don’t think! Anyone like to prove me wrong?
There’s one thing you want from an agency, and another thing you never want.
You want the hours they tell you are “available regular, ongoing” to actually equal as much work as you can take.
You never want the agency just to be some mouthpiece outlet outfit for a firm of accountants running the latest tax scams known collectively as “umbrella”. 
My disappointment with TRG stems from both these above rules being broken. I specifically stated I was only after nights and weekend work, and only got offered 6am monday-friday starts AFTER I’d taken the trouble to sign up, pass the tests, and waste half a day of my time.
I was then expected to commute to go on an unpaid assessment, which I dropped at the 11th hour, because if my clean license is no good to fasttrack me past all this “client” bull, then I’ll just work elsewhere, which I have.
The second rule being broken was being told that "If you elect for PAYE payment rather than join our umbrella scheme, you won’t get the 40 hours a week guaranteed hourage - you’ll be on a zero hour contract, and might get some dribs and drabs at easter & Christmas.
I never got shift one after I stuck to my guns, so I guess my own assessment of TRG as it was 18 months ago must have been correct. I won’t be showing any further interest until the entire business model is changed.
In the interests of balance, I’ll say that Agency Driver’s Network puts crosses in the same boxes as TRG.
Unpaid assessements X
No expenses without joining Umbrella X
100 from 1000 test to do, despite considerable background in the industry X
Must join Umbrella to get the “regular” work. X
No picking up “premium pay” shifts at weekends WITHOUT doing the “regular” 40 hours monday-friday first. Cherry picking strongly discouraged! X
THIS is not told you before you waste your time attending.
Then there’s the 12 hour contract that would have you working 2x6 hour shifts 50 miles away for £9.50ph - all things I don’t even set the alarm for, let alone get out of bed!
I was interested in a 12 hour contract on NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS like I was verbally promised. I want to work when I want, not do “this stupid O’clock shift” and “that shift on a day I’m not available” for a favour that magically never seems to get returned… 
In true algebraic fashion therefore, I conclude that “Verbal Promises” when from “Umbrella Agency” equals "Total Bull 99% of the time, and plum jobs for the inner circle 1% of the time.
(You’re “inner circle” if you are sleeping with the boss, ARE the boss, or own shares in the boss…)
No one has ever told me “how rich they’re getting with the lucrative work at ■■■ agency” put it that way. 
TRG could do with posting a list of their clients, locations, and rates for different kinds of shift. There’s an opportunity for a change in business model here, which isn’t exactly being snapped up by anyone else at this time. Picking up a shift should be like getting a job at the labour exchanges 60’s style - a veritable Mr Benn of “What shall I do today?” kind of thing. 
Enough of the “Big trade secrets” made of who pays what. Let’s have some liquidity in the market before it dries up altogether as more and more drivers hang up their keys, and those that remain work out that it’s cheaper to do fewer longer shifts when faced with the choice of this agency or that agency for the same hourly rates (cartelled) everywhere.
When you are doing a longer shift, you really don’t want to be compounding a low hourly rate in the process. 
Winseer:
TRG could do with posting a list of their clients, locations, and rates for different kinds of shift. There’s an opportunity for a change in business model here, which isn’t exactly being snapped up by anyone else at this time. Picking up a shift should be like getting a job at the labour exchanges 60’s style - a veritable Mr Benn of “What shall I do today?” kind of thing.
Its a good idea in theory, however Its not gonna happen because the drivers would just then go straight to the clients and cut out the agency.
If you ran a haulage company and the agency charged you £15ph for a driver. If a driver came to you and said I will do it for £11ph who are you gonna take.
Driver gets more that the agency would pay and you save money on the cost. Thats why agencies are so cagey about providing client details
What’s to stop a placed agency bod attempting that with an assignment anyway?
Let’s say I’m working at Sainsburys via an agency @ £10ph and sainsbury (or rather K&N) are paying the agency £15ph…
If I approach the boss at said depot, and offered to come in on my own for £12ph PAYE or £14ph self-employed, I’d be laughed out of the room.
Agencies are used because it’s easier to lay one off than a full timer who’s obliged to be given a certain number of hours per week during volatile driving years where demand for drivers one week to the next varies greatly. Firms don’t use agencies to save money, or they’d have bought them all out themselves by now!
Holy Thread revival batman
But…
What is going on with TRG
Just after christmas, we got a text…yes a text telling us the rates at a certain client were dropping by £1ph with immediate effect. No warning, no discussion…done
Today I’ve just been told by them From next week you are going onto fortnightly pay, no warning, no discussion…done
No chance to juggle finances to cover it and of course we are in the quiet season. 3 days pay tomorrow, 2 days pay next friday and then thats it, you will have to manage until 14th March
The impression I was given was “if you don’t like it, there’s the door”
Be very wary of these at the moment.
At times like this - it’s nice to be well beyond that “door” which one closed firmly behind… I’ve been pretty damned busy for work since Christmas - much busier than last year. This, despite being PAYE, holding out for a minimum rate, and always gunning to cherry-pick the work to suit my private life.
I really wish some of these “race to the bottom” outfits would just go bust, and go away. They are not British in origin, pay hardly any British taxes, and employ hardly any British drivers it seems. I find it a great evil that some foreign firm can “own” any part of the British labour force, let along an essential aspect of trade networks such as heavy goods drivers. This is nothing but serfdom and slavery for the 21st century. Being a “flexible worker” has come to mean “will work for less” instead of “can do anything if offered enough money” which is how the so-called business model works in the country of origin. Bankers got that deal after all, despite the fact we all hate them. Lawyers must be a close second to having their huge overpriced industry “Protected” by government edict, which of course in turn only happens because the same factions have had their collective hands up the government’s skirt for years already.
That was a party political broadcast on behalf of the sensible party.
Semtex:
Holy Thread revival batmanBut…
What is going on with TRG
Just after christmas, we got a text…yes a text telling us the rates at a certain client were dropping by £1ph with immediate effect. No warning, no discussion…done
Today I’ve just been told by them From next week you are going onto fortnightly pay, no warning, no discussion…done
No chance to juggle finances to cover it and of course we are in the quiet season. 3 days pay tomorrow, 2 days pay next friday and then thats it, you will have to manage until 14th MarchThe impression I was given was “if you don’t like it, there’s the door”
Be very wary of these at the moment.
The door wouldn’t hit my arse on the way out Semtex! What’s your plans?
This is my experience of most agencies.
Firstly you see that perfect job advertised either on a online job site, local paper or the much heralded govt run Universal job search.
You ring the agency…
Hello there, Im ringing about the vacancy of ( lets say night trunker on parcels )advertised on such and such job site.
This is where they first show what they are made of…they make no mention of the vacancy you have enquired about, that seems to be their last priority and ask you either to submit all your details via e mail and or to attend their office to register, if you already havent. Even if you are already registered the job advertised gets swept under the carpet.
If you go to register there is half a tree of paper to fill in, and then you go through the farce of an exam! lol on road signs, directions to places and other rather demeaning questions.
You pass all the required parts of the interview! and go away full of promises of regular shifts at agreed rates and at the required start times.
Funny how that nice little number of night trunker never gets mentioned but then out of the blue you get a call for a class 2 multi drop driver needed asap at a depot 50 miles from home. Then ofcourse there is later down the line a call from an agency whom you have never heard of offering you the world and who already have your details!
Its about time the Agencies operated in a less under hand way and the rules are tightened up on how they operate, over the years the rules have changed but by not nearly enough.
.
DrivingMissDaisy:
Semtex:
Holy Thread revival batmanBut…
What is going on with TRG
Just after christmas, we got a text…yes a text telling us the rates at a certain client were dropping by £1ph with immediate effect. No warning, no discussion…done
Today I’ve just been told by them From next week you are going onto fortnightly pay, no warning, no discussion…done
No chance to juggle finances to cover it and of course we are in the quiet season. 3 days pay tomorrow, 2 days pay next friday and then thats it, you will have to manage until 14th MarchThe impression I was given was “if you don’t like it, there’s the door”
Be very wary of these at the moment.
The door wouldn’t hit my arse on the way out Semtex! What’s your plans?
Just about sums it up
You know it makes sense… 
I’ve worked for TRG ,out of Lichfield, self employed driving their own units some Tesco deliveries and some outside traction.they were fine,the two guys doing the booking both named Ian ,wer very good ,I got paid and I got work what more do you want ? but I go away jan to march so no issues with no work just now !
orcadian:
I’ve worked for TRG ,out of Lichfield, self employed driving their own units some Tesco deliveries and some outside traction.they were fine,the two guys doing the booking both named Ian ,wer very good ,I got paid and I got work what more do you want ? but I go away jan to march so no issues with no work just now !
You might be the exception that proves the rule.
I may be the exception but as a self employed driver when I want to work I make myself available for anything ,any start time and weekend work,it does’nt suit every one but I do get regular work and earn a good wage, my few weeks at TRG made some decent pay and the 2 guys I dealt with were honest and respectful ( it goes both ways ) I see lots of agency driver complaining that they wont do weekend wont do early starts have to be home for the kids etc ,well what do they expect ? the guy who will do any job gets called first ,the agents have to fill the job and they want the least amount of hassle .some of us just get on and do the job.
My bs meter is going mental with this guy