First post by a newbie needing a word of wisdom. The Agency I’m with have asked me to do a day unpaid at a new clients outfit. Is that fair enough?
I did my first driving shift for them last night - a trunk run from Fareham to Worcester. The transport office were superb and other drivers were even better. Just need to suss using a digital tacho - it’s been all theory up to now…but that’s a different problem (and thread!)
A whole day unpaid for a non permanent job !! = no way
A couple of hours doing a driving assessment and a few tests ok unpaid
ROG:
A whole day unpaid for a non permanent job !! = no wayA couple of hours doing a driving assessment and a few tests ok unpaid
I agree with ROG. It’s the norm not to get paid for assessments but not to get paid for an induction is only something I would contemplate doing if it was for a permanent full time job. Every induction I have been on I have been paid for.
A whole day unpaid? Not a chance an hour or 2 is ok for a permanent position but not agency its a way of getting a days work for nowt.
Aspray haulage in Willenhall wanted me to do 6 weeks unpaid work and I “might” get an interview at the end when I was out of work you can guess what they got told lol.
As a new driver they will try to take you under their wing if you do things their way - don’t! Stand by your guns and keep looking, a break will come for you eventually, an assessment up to a couple of hours and a short interview afterwards is acceptable I would have thought, try transport companies direct and not just agency - knock on doors in person and always carry your kit just in case they ask you.
I did an all day induction with a client through an agency in Fareham and I got paid for the induction, once I did my first shift with the client.
nothing in this life is for free so don’t sale yourself short get paid for it and have it I writing or in the form of a text of the rate time and place.
you’ll get stitched up if you don’t
I agree with what’s been said, a free assessment is OK, not good but acceptable, a days free work is a definite no no as far as I’m concerned.
I know someone who did 3 day’s for F&W for nowt and they still never got back to him to offer him a job 
I’ve been with an agency for nearly a year now (don’t see why they get slated so much) but I’ve done inductions from 1 day to 2 weeks and all have been paid at min 9 hours a day.
Slightly different, but I went for an interview several years ago, during the 2 hour assessment I was asked how I had got to the interview and was I normally working, they then offered to pay me for my time off work and some travel expenses. How times change. 
I didn’t take the job either.
Cheers all, wisdom greatly appreciated. Realised today after looking at the logo that Yodel is a mixture of Your and Delivery. Bet they patted themselves on the back after dreaming that up. Can’t think of one myself. But then, I’ve just got home and I’m back out at 06:30, so my brain is complaining it’s overworked…
I worked for Yodel via an agency for a month or so last year when i was between jobs.
I was allowed to do 5 shifts before I had to take their assessment, which the agency said was unpaid. It took about 3 hrs and the Yodel traffic office paid me 4 hrs for it.
Best agency work I have done for yrs…clean, easy work. Decent kit, no hassle from the office, shifts ranged from 6 to 12/13 hrs paid 8hrs minimum.