it dropped but not as bad as last few years. most of my guys were doing 4 shifts a week on average I would say.
chicane:
Just a question for the other agency bods on here, have you found the Jan-March lull has happened in the last 3 years?
up until april this year i was agency,so yes to your question,sometimes only getting 2 days a week
chicane:
Just a question for the other agency bods on here, have you found the Jan-March lull has happened in the last 3 years?
I took a weeks holiday (paid) in January as was expecting a slump, but when I came back I was still getting 4/5 shifts a weeks at 10hrs+
■■■■
bob96:
[zb]
+1
Ive been through aboout 7 bad agencies before i found a decent one in the past 18 months since I passed the one im with now have had me at the same comany for a year now booked every Thursday for the week ahead and as nany days as i can do guaranteed 8 hours minimum even at double time pay is same as employed except the employed dont get over time rates so usually earn more but in march to april went a bit quiet but still got minimum 3 days a week
chicane:
Just a question for the other agency bods on here, have you found the Jan-March lull has happened in the last 3 years?
No. Was flat out, even worked over Xmas-New Year for a couple of shifts.
It finally went quiet last week and I ended up only doing a couple of shifts but this week the mad part of the year has kicked off and that’ll be me flat out until at least the middle of November then hopefully back to my normal 3/4 days a week. Can’t be arsed with all this 60hrs a week nonsense.
Conor:
Can’t be arsed with all this 60hrs a week nonsense.
Why do you do it then? I thought the whole point of being an agency driver was being able to pick and choose when you work? Are you scared the phone will stop ringing if you refuse a shift?
Pat Hasler:
“How does it work ?”
Easy… You are at their beck and call, they send you to work hard for poor wages and conditions and make a fortune out of you by charging the company they send you to at least twice what you get paid, then the owners enjoy their 8 weeks of holiday time at their villas in the Med.
DON’T WORK FOR AGENCIES.
Clearly written by somebody with zero idea about agencies and agency work.
I regularly work through agencies and I choose where and when I work, I never break a sweat or get in the back of a trailer, last year I made more than 50K and was in my own bed at the end of every shift. The agency I work for make about £1 per hour over and above what I charge them, I know this because I’ve seen the agency charge sheet for ALL the agencies that supply the company where I work most often.
As for them owning a villa in the med, well, isn’t that the prerogative of all self made business people?
Truckbling:
Pat Hasler:
“How does it work ?”
Easy… You are at their beck and call, they send you to work hard for poor wages and conditions and make a fortune out of you by charging the company they send you to at least twice what you get paid, then the owners enjoy their 8 weeks of holiday time at their villas in the Med.
DON’T WORK FOR AGENCIES.Clearly written by somebody with zero idea about agencies and agency work.
I regularly work through agencies and I choose where and when I work, I never break a sweat or get in the back of a trailer, last year I made more than 50K and was in my own bed at the end of every shift. The agency I work for make about £1 per hour over and above what I charge them, I know this because I’ve seen the agency charge sheet for ALL the agencies that supply the company where I work most often.
As for them owning a villa in the med, well, isn’t that the prerogative of all self made business people?
no what you do is take all the risks and give it back to the poor drivers all you should take is a wage.
give it 5 and carryfast will be on.
robroy:
war1974:
most on here will say avoid (willy waving full timers)Avoid…hey you were right!
Willie back in kecks.What Pat says, and prepare to be sat by the phone so they can tell you your load has been cancelled, they will then give it to someone else who will invariably not turn up so they will then ring you at an hours notice and lie to you that it is back on.
Most would tell them to [zb] off, but if you do that you end up upsetting them and they offer you nothing else.
So as Orangeboy says, brace yourself.
Oh one more thing, always wear your hi viz at all times, especially when drivingJust joking mate although most of what’s been said is accurate.
If it was me I would say don’t bother they are parasites, get a decent full time job.
However some of the lads on here sould argue as it suits them.
I aint sure it has the 2 way flexibility it had originally as they tend to have you by the ■■■■■■■■, but it may suit you and you won’t know until you try it.
Best of luck with it anyway…you will need it.
Well said, robroy. [emoji122][emoji122][emoji122]
Contraflow:
Conor:
Can’t be arsed with all this 60hrs a week nonsense.Why do you do it then? I thought the whole point of being an agency driver was being able to pick and choose when you work? Are you scared the phone will stop ringing if you refuse a shift?
I don’t do it. Flat out for me is 4 shifts a week doing 40/45hrs. I do proper flat out for one specific trading period, October, as that benefits me by giving me a nice chunk of cash for Xmas. And no I’m not afraid of the phone not ringing if I refuse a shift, I’ve refused quite a lot over the last year. I refused a shift last Friday because I wanted to go to something that was on at Newark showground.
Contraflow:
Conor:
Can’t be arsed with all this 60hrs a week nonsense.Why do you do it then? I thought the whole point of being an agency driver was being able to pick and choose when you work? Are you scared the phone will stop ringing if you refuse a shift?
I think a lot of people when offered the decent work “with a decent amount of notice” - it tends to be a full week’s worth of work - rather than “can you do tuesday week please?” the previous wednesday…
When you’re offered “48-60” hours work for next week and you didn’t get much this week - it does tend to be an “all or nothing” proposition. 
Besides, you cannot do a 60 hour week next week if you did the same this week…
Don’t talk about POA “letting you work 75 hours for 48 hours pay” either. There are still far too many bent firms out there pulling this stroke on both agency & full time staff. 
If your POA ain’t paid - don’t work there. 
In all honesty I don’t get very much of the do you have a driver today? tomorrow? style. most get booked in advance and they just let me know what they are available and get assigned shifts accordingly.
the days of working for an agency at 5 different places each week are on the decline.
Conor:
Flat out for me is 4 shifts a week…
But earlier you said…
Conor:
…that’ll be me flat out until at least the middle of November then hopefully back to my normal 3/4 days a week…
So is 4 days a week flat out? …or is 4 days a week “your normal”?
I think “your normal” is the agency saying jump and you saying how high. 
Previously I was getting 6 weeks - 6 months long bookings with the same client over several years, it got to the point where it was just taken by the agency (unless we phoned em up & told em that we wasn’t in), that we where in the following week.
If a truck happened to be off road for the next day, the client would let us know.
Then either the client or me would speak to the agency, and it was highly likely that I’d be rota’ex elsewhere on the same site.
war1974:
In all honesty I don’t get very much of the do you have a driver today? tomorrow? style. most get booked in advance and they just let me know what they are available and get assigned shifts accordingly.the days of working for an agency at 5 different places each week are on the decline.
Do you find that some companies are too dependent on agency staff? Using them instead of taking on permanent employees?
Truckbling:
Pat Hasler:
“How does it work ?”
Easy… You are at their beck and call, they send you to work hard for poor wages and conditions and make a fortune out of you by charging the company they send you to at least twice what you get paid, then the owners enjoy their 8 weeks of holiday time at their villas in the Med.
DON’T WORK FOR AGENCIES.Clearly written by somebody with zero idea about agencies and agency work.
I regularly work through agencies and I choose where and when I work, I never break a sweat or get in the back of a trailer, last year I made more than 50K and was in my own bed at the end of every shift. The agency I work for make about £1 per hour over and above what I charge them, I know this because I’ve seen the agency charge sheet for ALL the agencies that supply the company where I work most often.
As for them owning a villa in the med, well, isn’t that the prerogative of all self made business people?
I thought this was about being a “working man, driving” rather than “a working girl… erm… not driving.”? 
Truckbling:
The agency I work for make about £1 per hour over and above what I charge them, I know this because I’ve seen the agency charge sheet for ALL the agencies that supply the company where I work most often.
Are you telling me that you seriously believe that? 
You have probably seen a charge sheet that they ‘accidently’ left lying around for drivers to see more like. I reckon the genuine one would make for different reading.
Couple of interesting points in the last couple of posts
If I was running a hauliers I’d have a core of full time drivers with maybe a couple of reliable ‘casuals’ I could go to. If work picked up dramatically I’d go agency with a view to ‘try before you buy’ which in turn restricts the agencies I work with.
As to the agency’s take I really don’t care, he keeps me in as much work as I want at a rate I’m happy with.