Theres alot of us agency wallahs on here, and I was just wondering if theres any other long termers like me.
It suits me fine and I`ve turned down full time jobs to stay where I am. I know they get some bad reviews, but its working ok for me. I went agency just over 4 years ago and have quite enjoyed it, in as much as one can enjoy driving these days.
I would hate to be tied to one company who would be always on my case telling me what to do ect.
So, who else is a career agency bloke?
ive been on and off agency for past couple of years only work for 2 companys in my area 1 is sports direct.com and the other is NFT both companys are okay to work for you get left alone to crack on,the wages are okay aswell
cheekymonkey:
Theres alot of us agency wallahs on here, and I was just wondering if theres any other long termers like me.It suits me fine and I`ve turned down full time jobs to stay where I am. I know they get some bad reviews, but its working ok for me. I went agency just over 4 years ago and have quite enjoyed it, in as much as one can enjoy driving these days.
I would hate to be tied to one company who would be always on my case telling me what to do ect.
So, who else is a career agency bloke?
Deffo not a career agency bloke 
I been doing agency on and off for at least 14 yrs, Mainly by choice to spend time with my family at the time. I went full time with a company for around 2 yrs, that was around 6yrs ago.
Over the last few years work has been getting so hard to get, Companies I used to work for got taken over, driver redundances, Zero hour contracts? and so on.
I’d love to work full time, Mon to Fri and weekends off to spend with my Son and my new Partner, Sadly thou it seems very difficult to get a job for a decent Work / life balance (any offers for full time please PM me) I’m moving soon to the WF9 area for a better chance of having a decent life
I do agency for when ab loads are quiet, before that was agency full time and turned down a few full time jobs.
Agency suits me fine, seem my son 6 days in a row this week and normally see him 3 and I still walk away with enough to pay the bills.
PLT think outside the box if you want a day job with no weekend work.
Most bin wagons and RORO skips are working “normal” hours.
Also slaughter waste from the abattoirs is daytime work.
We all want clean good paid work, but mostimes is there the catch that it runs 7 days a week 24 hours a day.
The household and small business waste seem to run more the times where you are looking for.
PLT…you`re excused from being an agency bloke! As are other folks of your ■■■. 
cheekymonkey:
PLT…you`re excused from being an agency bloke! As are other folks of your ■■■.
Thank you 
caledoniandream:
PLT think outside the box if you want a day job with no weekend work.
Most bin wagons and RORO skips are working “normal” hours.
Also slaughter waste from the abattoirs is daytime work.
We all want clean good paid work, but mostimes is there the catch that it runs 7 days a week 24 hours a day.
The household and small business waste seem to run more the times where you are looking for.
OMG I know someone has to do abattoir work, but come on, the smell is horrendous, I was stuck behind one of those trucks I think for 1 hour once, I had to pull in the services to have a early break or be sick behind the wheel 
Done bin wagons, and enjoyed it, the boys wouldnt let me do the bins thou but its worth me looking out for that work if I can get it, must say moving I will have several more districts to look at, Barnsley, Wakefield, Doncaster, Leeds and so on
6 years this Crimbo.
Ken.
three months now
June 2003
10 years, full time, guaranteed 40 hrs, + holiday pay & uniform… no problem with refusing to do some jobs…
9 months so far, agency suits me fine so far
In the 17 years I was a lorry driver, 11 years was agency and another 3 years as self employed driver.
Agency was like having all the advantages of being self employed but someone else gets the grief of finding the work and getting the money.
Work was a bit thin when I first started but once you get a reputation built up amongst hauliers that use agencies, you tend to find that those hauliers will ask for you even if you’re with another agency. I got to the point with one client,TNT on the Ideal Standard contract, that when I changed agencies because they tried to screw me over the company went with the agency I signed up with. The interview at the agency was funny as hell - how many drivers come in for a job interview and say “If you ring this guy at TNT, they’ll sign up with you”? I got the “yeah right” look but she phoned them whilst I was there. When she got off the phone she said “He asked if you could go in tonight”.
The trick to getting lots of work with agencies is to become a “low maintenance driver”. That is, you don’t stuff wagons, lose loads, wallop fuel. Most important is getting a reputation with the agency clients as a driver who the traffic office can just give the keys and the notes to, point you in the direction of your wagon and you just get on with the job, sorting out problems yourself and only ringing them if you’re really stuck. Believe me, it appears that the number of agency and permanent drivers that can’t do such a simple thing seems to be quite high.
9-10 years as “agy” since being made redundant from Wincanton
6 of those I have worked for 1 of them on 1 site come dec 12th.
I have to say its an addictive lifestyle being able to work roughly when you want, taking holidays etc and still be able to have a decent income
Conor:
The trick to getting lots of work with agencies is to become a “low maintenance driver”. That is, you don’t stuff wagons, lose loads, wallop fuel. Most important is getting a reputation with the agency clients as a driver who the traffic office can just give the keys and the notes to, point you in the direction of your wagon and you just get on with the job, sorting out problems yourself and only ringing them if you’re really stuck. Believe me, it appears that the number of agency and permanent drivers that can’t do such a simple thing seems to be quite high.
I agree, I like being left alone to get on with it, I tend not to swing the lead as they know where we are and what we are up to (GPS trackers).
Never saying no, when they ask you for a favour & want you to do an extra drop/pick up (afterall its more hours & more money for you).
Keeping the wagon clean, & making sure its working sweet. You`ll soon be crawling your way up the pecking order
Conor:
The trick to getting lots of work with agencies is to become a “low maintenance driver”. That is, you don’t stuff wagons, lose loads, wallop fuel. Most important is getting a reputation with the agency clients as a driver who the traffic office can just give the keys and the notes to, point you in the direction of your wagon and you just get on with the job, sorting out problems yourself and only ringing them if you’re really stuck. Believe me, it appears that the number of agency and permanent drivers that can’t do such a simple thing seems to be quite high.
Stan
PinkLadyTrucker:
I’m moving soon to the WF9 area for a better chance of having a decent life
I take it your moving to Badsworth or North Elmsall then. If not, have fun.
Stan
Summer 2004.
Don’t think I could handle a full time job.
Stan