Evening all,
I’m posting on here as I’m after some feedback as to the question above.
I will shortly be setting up a recruitment agency & am interested in what would make you choose an employer over another.
We are planning on offering Free CPC Training to all drivers
& have contract work for a good reputable company (which drivers in our area already like working for)
Would any of these benefits help you decide or is it just down to plain simple MONEY?!
Please help 
Thanks,
Kate
Good communication
Stand up for your drivers
Listen to your drivers - if a company you are sending drivers too is dodgy, listen to what your drivers say. No one wants to work for a bent company.
Take on new drivers.
PAYE.
Honesty. Fair days pay. Nothing more. Nothing less.
midlifetrucker:
Honesty. Fair days pay. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Honesty, don’t care how bad a job is, just tell me before hand so I know what to contend with, fore warned is fore armed 
Everything else is negotiable
Don’t tell lies,
you will get sussed and will always be known as a liar.
I want an employer to be having as little as possible to do with recruitment agencies 
An agency without umbrella schemes, insurance schemes, unpaid assessments and poor hourly rates would be a good start. Having staff who dont lie through their teeth every time they open their mouth would be even better.
I’ve never found an agency that doesnt work like that though.
If i worked for an agency which unless i was desperate i wouldn’t ,apart from the usual i think its important to deal with office staff who actually have experience in transport not some one who has no idea
what we want from employees
no damage
no steeling diesel
no tossing it off for more hours
looking after tackle
giving a sh*t
turning up on time
no BS
no running bent
able to reverse
able to make a coffee when we are park up 
the cost of the CPC is almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it’s the 35 hours of sitting in a classroom that narks most people I reckon
If I saw ‘Free CPC training’ advertised I’d be instantly suspicious, thinking I’d be committed to doing x number of hours/shifts so I’d avoid and probably nor even contact that agency
but I’m sure plenty would be taken in by it!
burnley-si:
what we want from employeesno damage
no steeling diesel
no tossing it off for more hours
looking after tackle
giving a sh*t
turning up on time
no BS
no running bent
able to reverse
able to make a coffee when we are park up
I fell at the first hurdle. 
Thanks for your responses guys.
I can fully relate to the comment Burnley. My parents are in the haulage industry themselves which is why we’re setting up this agency to help provide them with the quality they need.
I understand it’s frustrating for the client when it all goes ■■■■ up which is why we realise having a close relationship with our employees & clients is essential.
Basically what the others said, except Tachograph though I understand his sentiments.
Couple of years ago the same questions were asked by a chap who posted as Freddie Swann. I’ve seen both sides of the desk, in fact all three; in previous lives I’ve been both a TM and a recruitment consultant, now back to driving which is the same or better money for much less hassle.
Freddie asked me what, as a TM, I’d want from an agency and I hadn’t deleted the PM, so here’s the advice again for you if it helps.
I’ll say it as though I’m still doing it, easier that way.
Honesty, first and foremost. If you can’t get me a driver, then say so on the spot. If you give me a name, and then have to change it, tell me; don’t just pick a name out of the air and then try to blag it later, it’s too damned obvious. And don’t send me a muppet. Personally I’d sooner pay 50p/hr more and get someone reliable, clean, willing and competent; but that’s just me. Remember, most TM’s get a different agency touting for their business every day, and they know ■■■■ well the only thing that might be different is the price and the level of service.
Other bits which help; brief your driver properly. Ask me if it’s a possible night out, any handball, number of drops and roughly where it’s going. If I find out that I’ve told you something important and the driver genuinely doesn’t know about it, you’ve failed. Drum into your drivers that they MUST bring their docs ( both bits of licence, DCPC etc) with them, it’s bloody annoying having to chase up faxed copies.
Don’t pester me with speculative phone calls. And don’t you DARE ring me twice in a day when I’ve said no the first time…honest I had one guy do this to me three days running and I ended up phoning his boss to complain. But if you happen to have one of my favourite drivers available next week, and you ring me to offer me first dibs on him, I appreciate the thought.
And most important of all… if you tell me you’re going to ring me back in 5 minutes, ring me back inside four and a half. The first time any agency fails to return a call when they promise to do so, is the last time they get first call for my business.
i know a lot of this is basic, and I’m also aware it’s stuff you probably know already; but the best relationships I had both with agencies and as a consultant with TM’s, were those where both sides kept it simple, honest and straight to the point.
I wish you luck, and will offer you one piece of advice which has always stood me well. That is, what a candidate’s CV does NOT say is far more revealing than what it does.
Admittedly things have changed a bit since I was doing the job but the basic advice remains the same. Look after your good drivers, and they will look after you.
Cheers Sidevalve, that’s really helpful!
Another question - we’re planning on giving the agency staff a practical driving session in their induction… Do you think this is a good idea?
KLSCOTT:
Cheers Sidevalve, that’s really helpful!Another question - we’re planning on giving the agency staff a ‘practical’ driving session in their induction… Do you think this is a good idea?
Dunno about experienced drivers but for newbies its a good idea. I’ve not been driving long, my first time on my own in a wagon the agency I was with did not tell them I was new, I had no clue what to do when I got there. Basic stuff like tacho operation etc, new drivers need help and guidance with these as the CPC does naff all to help.
KLSCOTT:
Cheers Sidevalve, that’s really helpful!Another question - we’re planning on giving the agency staff a practical driving session in their induction… Do you think this is a good idea?
I think it’s absolutely essential; it would definitely give you a competitive edge. A common gripe amongst both clients and drivers is that agencies only assess on paper and have no idea beyond checking of references, of how competent a driver is. Even though your assessment may be brief it’s far more than many others do, might even assist you in getting better rates for both yourselves and your drivers. It’s something I actually discussed with my old boss back in the day but we didn’t have either the facilities or the funds then.
I’m not on agency myself but the most common complaint seems to be agencies advertising for drivers for jobs that don’t exist…every agency does it and I dare say it will never change.
Good drivers don’t need agency’s if your any good you tend to come recommend. Never applied for a job always had companies approach.
Knowing others who have worked for agency’s always be honest with the driver and the company you send someone’s to refrigerated trailer and they say they no how to operate it and destroy 100k of produce then not good. If everyone knows where stand you will find others will deal without.
As for some of drivers I have seen 2yrs had licence can’t even ppick a trailer upwithout bending legs or even no how to use a ratchet strap unfortunately to many who think they can
ckm1981:
I’m not on agency myself but the most common complaint seems to be agencies advertising for drivers for jobs that don’t exist…every agency does it and I dare say it will never change.
It’s actually a little bit more complex than that. IIRC agencies are allowed to advertise non-specific driving jobs, along the lines of “50 Class 1 drivers wanted now!” whether they’ve got positions for them or not. It’s only when the wording gets much more specific that they’re actually contravening the regulations. That rarely happens anyway because they don’t want other agencies finding out if they’ve gained contracts so they keep it loose till they’ve got the staff on board. Clients too can be just as fickle if not more so; they phone you and ask for ten drivers, you bust your ■■■ to find them and end up supplying three and phoning the others back to apologise cos the job’s been cancelled. Trade Team at Burton were buggers for doing that.
Think about it; if the board outside said “no drivers needed till next Tuesday” you wouldn’t go in and sign up would you? And it works both ways; I’ve lost count of the guys I’ve signed up who were happy to start that same day, but you ring them a day or so later when you’ve checked out their references (which is what you should be doing) and they’re not available, then you never hear from them again.
“It’s actually a little bit more complex than that. IIRC agencies are allowed to advertise non-specific driving jobs, along the lines of “50 Class 1 drivers wanted now!” whether they’ve got positions for them or not…”
I didn’t argue whether they were “allowed” to do it,but a mate of mine took the time to travel into town and spend a hour or so filling in forms and taking a theory test on the back of a advert advertising jobs through an agency only to be told a few days later he is now “on the books” and will be contacted when work is avail…seems the advertisement was actually just a ploy to get people registered IF jobs came avail not when.