Working for agencies how does it work?

[truckbling]

I don’t know why certain individuals took my post personally because it was not meant that way, it was merely turning the argument around. Far too many full time employees seem to have this misconception about agency work and workers. Yes you can be sat at home waiting for the phone to ring, you can only get two days work one week and none the next, you can be lied to and messed around all the time but these things will happen to you only if you allow them to.

My phone never rings, I get a text message every day whilst I am in bed confirming my start time. I’ve been attending the same company for over 4 years solid and generally liaise directly with them and not the agency. In essence I am a full time driver with extra benefits. Granted I do not receive holiday pay but I budget for that. I have around 8 weeks holiday peer year and I simply inform the company that I am not available. If I want a night or day off I simply have one without fear of a back to work interview or some ■■■■ talking to me like a naughty little schoolboy.

Generally there are two types of agency driver, those who take it seriously and will run rings around most full time employees of the company and those who couldn’t hold down a full time job for toffee due to varying factors such as being a thieving ■■■■■ smelly ■■■■■ unpunctual ■■■■ or generally a crap driver. The last part of the sentence can and does apply to many full time drivers but its obviously far easier to focus on the agency driver who will not be back to defend himself against accusations of damage etc, damage that was caused by the regular driver that is.

Please don’t think you know about agency work until you have made a good living at it. You generally will not know what an agency driver is getting paid because if the agency driver has half a brain he will never disclose this figure to you. Doing so would result in the workplace ■■■■■■■■ rushing into the TM’s office demanding to know why agency drivers are being paid more than the regular guys, this in turn results in said gobby agency driver never being used again. Many, including the full timers where I work, think they know how much I am being paid and the figures they come out with vary from what I would not get out of bed for right through to a salary that would embarrass the company director. I simply deny everything.

I don’t mind posting on here what I can earn but nobody knows who I am and I only post the fact in the hope it will encourage more drivers to demand more for what they do. Granted there are drivers who only drive because they love driving and the money comes second but I would like to think that the majority of us do it for the money. The more I earn the more time I can take off doing the things I enjoy and that applies to all of us but lets not go down the Truckersworld crusade route today.

[robroy]

Truckbling:
I don’t know why certain individuals took my post personally because it was not meant that way, it was merely turning the argument around.

One individual took it personally mate, namely me.
How could it be aimed at anybody else when my post was quoted, the other guy answered it, and you backed him up using derogatory remarks aimed at me.
If you are going to have a pop mate at least have the courage of your convictions and back it up, instead of taking the easy way out, back pedalling, and denying it in an attempt to create an air of innocence.
I know it’s only a forum and not real life, and it doesn’t matter a ■■■■ in real terms.
However I make a rule to myself on this site that I don’t say anything to anybody on here that I would not say to their face …in a pub for instance.
Or maybe you make a habit of calling people you meet for the first time thick and ignorant do you?

[robroy]

I know there’s a lot of banter on here between full timers and agency (some pricks are even taking it as being serious, lighten up ffs) but that’s all it is banter, we are all drivers… Ok the full timers are real drivers, but we all know that anyway

One of the things I don’ t envy you agency guys is turning up at nights on unfamiliar trucks, every marque is different.
It took me ages to work out all the high tech (to me anyway ) crap on my Actros when it was chucked at me one night.
OK, I’m old school so not really into all that ■■■■, the young boys will be used to it, but I would imagine guys over 45ish will have problems…Or is it ONLY me?

[eagerbeaver]

You are not on your own pal. I am 43, and I am no fan of technology. Typing on this bloody thing is a challenge.

That’s why I get my butler to do it for me.

[chicane]

robroy:
I know there’s a lot of banter on here between full timers and agency (some pricks are even taking it as being serious, lighten up ffs) but that’s all it is banter, we are all drivers… Ok the full timers are real drivers, but we all know that anyway

One of the things I don’ t envy you agency guys is turning up at nights on unfamiliar trucks, every marque is different.
It took me ages to work out all the high tech (to me anyway ) crap on my Actros when it was chucked at me one night.
OK, I’m old school so not really into all that [zb], the young boys will be used to it, but I would imagine guys over 45ish will have problems…Or is it ONLY me?

No mate took me freaking ages to get the hang of the Actros after being on Axors all the time, still discovering some of the technoballox thingymajigs. When I started agency you’re right I was in a different heap of crap every night (agency driver always gets the company ‘shed’) and expected to make the runs in the same time as the regular driver first time out It’s ok if you get a full week on a run in the same motor but different companies/start times/units and runs every night of the week really boogers you up, I like variety but FFS.

Now I’m at the same company all the time and have covered nearly all the runs I’m almost a happy bunny

[liberty_guy]

When I have done non driving work for agencies, it has generally been long term, typically three to six months. However for driving work I have found them to be much shorter contracts. Typically a week down to one day with some clients.

I have gone to four different clients in one week. Different trucks, different loads, unfamiliar paperwork and unfamiliar procedures. Not really that much fun, as you ultimately end up feeling an outsider most of the time.

Now taken a permanent role, where I don’t wait for the phone to ring, have no cancelled days at short notice and I have an income coming in EVERY week. Whilst it might not suit everyone, I do like that certainty of income.

[truckbling]

robroy:
I know there’s a lot of banter on here between full timers and agency (some pricks are even taking it as being serious, lighten up ffs) but that’s all it is banter, we are all drivers… Ok the full timers are real drivers, but we all know that anyway

One of the things I don’ t envy you agency guys is turning up at nights on unfamiliar trucks, every marque is different.
It took me ages to work out all the high tech (to me anyway ) crap on my Actros when it was chucked at me one night.
OK, I’m old school so not really into all that [zb], the young boys will be used to it, but I would imagine guys over 45ish will have problems…Or is it ONLY me?

This is the difference between you and me. I do and can turn up to any job and drive any make, model or marque of vehicle. I know what all the buttons do and regularly educate the thick (pun intended) full timers as to how to operate the various controls. I can turn up night or day and just get on with it as if I’ve been there years.
You say you are old school as if that means you are somehow better because you didn’t get to drive such high tech vehicles back in the days when the M62 was cobbled, well to me old school just means thick lorry driver (pun intended before anyone starts blowing a fuse) and if you want to take that one personally then frankly I don’t care, this is because of your posts and willingness to post absolute tosh on subjects that you know nothing about. Simply having a mate down the pub who does agency work does not excuse that either because most mates down the pub talk crap.

This banter between agency and full timers is not banter at all, it is deadly serious and I speak from experience. Fortunately I’ve been around long enough to watch the egg drip down a full timers face when he has driven back into the yard with half the cab missing and I am there to ask " which thick agency driver did that then"? That always goes down well and generally shuts them up for a while.
If you want me to respect full timers then you need to respect agency drivers.

[the_maoster]

I’ve just pressed pause at the start of the Ireland game, got me a fresh bottle, cracked open my popcorn, so I’m all set. Let the games begin Robroy!

[contraflow]

[truckbling]

the maoster:
I’ve just pressed pause at the start of the Ireland game, got me a fresh bottle, cracked open my popcorn, so I’m all set. Let the games begin Robroy!

Are these the games where he starts waffling on about eton twin splitters in order to try and appear like a “proper” old school driver then? or do you think he is going to try and justify his ignorance of agency work a little better than he has done already?

[contraflow]

I just hopes he gets here before you have to limp off and do your Sunday night shift.

[james_the_cat]

Truckbling:

the maoster:
I’ve just pressed pause at the start of the Ireland game, got me a fresh bottle, cracked open my popcorn, so I’m all set. Let the games begin Robroy!

Are these the games where he starts waffling on about eton twin splitters in order to try and appear like a “proper” old school driver then? or do you think he is going to try and justify his ignorance of agency work a little better than he has done already?

Have you just fallen out of bed? Someone’s in a good mood

[truckbling]

I’m in a perfectly calm state at the moment thanks. So, what is this Robroy actually going to do when he gets here? hit his keys a little harder? beat up his wife because he does not like what I am typing? so what!

He abused me as an agency driver so I hope he likes a bit back, the problem is am I’m talking facts whereas he is saying what he thinks based upon what he has heard. I don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this issue, just accept that he might not be correct, whether he tries to says its banter or not, that is just an excuse to hide the ignorance.

[robroy]

Truckbling:

robroy:
I know there’s a lot of banter on here between full timers and agency (some pricks are even taking it as being serious, lighten up ffs) but that’s all it is banter, we are all drivers… Ok the full timers are real drivers, but we all know that anyway

One of the things I don’ t envy you agency guys is turning up at nights on unfamiliar trucks, every marque is different.
It took me ages to work out all the high tech (to me anyway ) crap on my Actros when it was chucked at me one night.
OK, I’m old school so not really into all that [zb], the young boys will be used to it, but I would imagine guys over 45ish will have problems…Or is it ONLY me?

This is the difference between you and me. I do and can turn up to any job and drive any make, model or marque of vehicle. I know what all the buttons do and regularly educate the thick (pun intended) full timers as to how to operate the various controls. I can turn up night or day and just get on with it as if I’ve been there years.
You say you are old school as if that means you are somehow better because you didn’t get to drive such high tech vehicles back in the days when the M62 was cobbled, well to me old school just means thick lorry driver (pun intended before anyone starts blowing a fuse) and if you want to take that one personally then frankly I don’t care, this is because of your posts and willingness to post absolute tosh on subjects that you know nothing about. Simply having a mate down the pub who does agency work does not excuse that either because most mates down the pub talk crap.

This banter between agency and full timers is not banter at all, it is deadly serious and I speak from experience. Fortunately I’ve been around long enough to watch the egg drip down a full timers face when he has driven back into the yard with half the cab missing and I am there to ask " which thick agency driver did that then"? That always goes down well and generally shuts them up for a while.
If you want me to respect full timers then you need to respect agency drivers.

You can drive anything! Wow. zipeee my hero. I didn’t realise I was in the co of a driving genius. …my hero.

You really are a bit dim arent you. What I said was one of my oldest mates who I see most weeks …with me so far? Drinks with his ex agency boss who gave him the info…keeping up?

It’s probably only you that the full timers are serious with mate because of your appalling manner and air of self importance eh?

Yeh that’s right I am old school, been there done it. Maybe unlike you that have had their licence for 5 mins and still got his stabilisers on.
So you have called me thick twice now mate, come back with an opinion when you have a few more years under your belt, until then try shutting the ■■■■ up.

[truckbling]

robroy:
You can drive anything! Wow. zipeee my hero. I didn’t realise I was in the co of a driving genius. …my hero.

You really are a bit dim arent you. What I said was one of my oldest mates who I see most weeks …with me so far? Drinks with his ex agency boss who gave him the info…keeping up?

It’s probably only you that the full timers are serious with mate because of your appalling manner and air of self importance eh?

Yeh that’s right I am old school, been there done it. Maybe unlike you that have had their licence for 5 mins and still got his stabilisers on.
So you have called me thick twice now mate, come back with an opinion when you have a few more years under your belt, until then try shutting the [zb] up.

Sorry Robroy but I was expecting a better put down than that. Could you not delete this post and try again whilst I get daddy to remove my stabilisers so that I can be old school like you.

[james_the_cat]

Truckbling:
I’m in a perfectly calm state at the moment thanks. So, what is this Robroy actually going to do when he gets here? hit his keys a little harder? beat up his wife because he does not like what I am typing? so what!

He abused me as an agency driver so I hope he likes a bit back, the problem is am I’m talking facts whereas he is saying what he thinks based upon what he has heard. I don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this issue, just accept that he might not be correct, whether he tries to says its banter or not, that is just an excuse to hide the ignorance.

You don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this… …but you care not if he beats up his wife? Bit harsh that

[truckbling]

James the cat:

Truckbling:
I’m in a perfectly calm state at the moment thanks. So, what is this Robroy actually going to do when he gets here? hit his keys a little harder? beat up his wife because he does not like what I am typing? so what!

He abused me as an agency driver so I hope he likes a bit back, the problem is am I’m talking facts whereas he is saying what he thinks based upon what he has heard. I don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this issue, just accept that he might not be correct, whether he tries to says its banter or not, that is just an excuse to hide the ignorance.

You don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this… …but you care not if he beats up his wife? Bit harsh that

Really?

ok, you want a reply so I’ll give one. If he were to beat up his wife then he might burst her blood vessel thus saving his. Did you recognise the sarcasm in this one 'cos you clearly missed it in the last.

[carl_usher]

robroy:

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.

Robroy, could I offer you some friendly advice? Instead of feeling the need to post on EVERY thread made with your uninformed and often wrong opinions based on what your mate down the boozer has told you, it would perhaps be better if you paused and asked yourself, “do I know what I’m taking about and will my comments have any constructive input on the thread?” before bashing away on your keyboard and ultimately looking rather foolish when people who do know what they’re talking about come along and post.

robroy:
If you are going to have a pop mate at least have the courage of your convictions and back it up, instead of taking the easy way out, back pedalling, and denying it in an attempt to create an air of innocence.

Clearly you still don’t believe Truckbling and the tiny profit margins the agencies make as you know better from listening to your “good mate of mine who has been agency for 10 years” (yet after a decade still lets agencies “[zb] him about and gets shafted on a regular basis” - sounds like a real pro at his game then!! ).

Here is the agency charge rate for the northern depot of a big logistics company for 2014 :

Agency charge rates 2014.

I sub-contract to them via the 3rd agency in the list. My rates early last year on nights were £11+VAT standard time, £16.50+VAT overtime & Sats, £18+VAT Suns/BHs. Profit margin for the agency per hour, £0.75, £1.13, £3.50 respectively. £1/hr profit on the standard rate is about as much as they can get in any area where there’s a lot of agency competition and they have to rely on volume if they want to make money and pay the driver as little as they can get away with.

robroy:
I couldn’t give a flying [zb] how much you love sitting by a phone every day, but I prefer the relatively secure aspect of a full time job

There is no such thing as job security. Contracts come and go all the time and if you become surplus to requirements then they wouldn’t hesitate to lay you off.

I have never sat by the phone waiting for it to ring with work either. I get a text from the transport company planning manager on a Monday morning asking what my availability is for the week and I can 99% guarantee I will be working on those days. The agency don’t have any input in it but I inform them as a matter of courtesy. The only thing the agency does is transfers the amount on the bottom of my invoice into my account every week.

Full-time employed drivers always seem to have infinite amounts of time available to bad mouth agencies yet most of them have never done it, or if they have, they have expected to have a full weeks work right from the off with no handball, no distance, no London, no nights out, only 8 hours, can’t start til 8 need to be finished for 3 etc and because of their inflexibility have stormed off home in a sulk and concluded that all agencies are parasite scum when they don’t get what they want. Those that haven’t done it absolutely despise seeing the same agency driver in all the time and it eats away at them knowing that they are earning significantly more money for doing the same job, so then it becomes “all agency drivers are scum” as well. Yet if you point out to them that they too could enjoy a much better work/home life balance with money in the bank and being able to sleep in your own bed every night if you follow some simple rules it’s nearly always met with some feeble excuse such as “yeah but I won’t get my own truck” or “sounds too complicated to me.” For those reasons alone it doesn’t matter how hard you try to convince them, they will always stick with the faux security of their comfort blanket which is doing 70 hours a week sleeping in a Topliner for £500 + £100 night out money and anyone that deviates from this “norm” who goes out there to better themselves is automatically labelled a “clever ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ and this is where all the hostility, resentment and ‘them vs. us’ stems from - it’s sheer jealousy.

Personally, contracting to agencies and “mingling/networking” with the ‘right’ people has provided me with a lifestyle that I could have only dreamed about over a decade ago. I am in a very envious position of only working when I feel like it so I can enjoy my hobbies and pastimes and have a healthy sum in the bank allowing me to buy whatever I want when I want it. I also sleep in my own bed at the end of every shift, not some greased covered, sweat stained flea pit in a Topliner on a urine drenched MSA, layby or industrial estate with no room to swing a cat nor any basic hygiene provisions.

In summary, agency work is exactly what you make it. The opportunities are out there, seek and ye shall find, but in the meantime please quit the agency rhetoric and change the record if you’re not prepared to get off your behinds and do anything to improve your lot.

[james_the_cat]

Truckbling:

James the cat:

Truckbling:
I’m in a perfectly calm state at the moment thanks. So, what is this Robroy actually going to do when he gets here? hit his keys a little harder? beat up his wife because he does not like what I am typing? so what!

He abused me as an agency driver so I hope he likes a bit back, the problem is am I’m talking facts whereas he is saying what he thinks based upon what he has heard. I don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this issue, just accept that he might not be correct, whether he tries to says its banter or not, that is just an excuse to hide the ignorance.

You don’t want him to burst a blood vessel over this… …but you care not if he beats up his wife? Bit harsh that

Really?

ok, you want a reply so I’ll give one. If he were to beat up his wife then he might burst her blood vessel thus saving his. Did you recognise the sarcasm in this one 'cos you clearly missed it in the last.

It was rhetorical. Thanks for the response though, you shouldn’t have.

Have a cup of tea Ronnie.

[robroy]

Truckbling:

robroy:
You can drive anything! Wow. zipeee my hero. I didn’t realise I was in the co of a driving genius. …my hero.

You really are a bit dim arent you. What I said was one of my oldest mates who I see most weeks …with me so far? Drinks with his ex agency boss who gave him the info…keeping up?

It’s probably only you that the full timers are serious with mate because of your appalling manner and air of self importance eh?

Yeh that’s right I am old school, been there done it. Maybe unlike you that have had their licence for 5 mins and still got his stabilisers on.
So you have called me thick twice now mate, come back with an opinion when you have a few more years under your belt, until then try shutting the [zb] up.

Sorry Robroy but I was expecting a better put down than that. Could you not delete this post and try again whilst I get daddy to remove my stabilisers so that I can be old school like you.

I wasn’t intending or trying to put you down, maybe as your opinions are not thst importsnt to me.
I was merely responding to your conceited point of view and your evident inability to comprehend one of my posts.
Then you go on to excel your ridiculous opinionated views by labelling me as a wifebeater because wait for it…I criticised agencies, Your logic baffles me mate, maybe you should stop baiting the grown ups as you are only succeedding in making a bit of a fool of yourself now.