I got class II licence 2 years ago, six months ago I got class I. 2 months ago I left my class II job cos didnt want to work 12/14 hours a day for 17.5k a year. I really enjoy pulling trailers and wanna go in this direction. So I signed up with DriverHire and got a job straight away. Of course class II cos no experience for class I. what kind of job? NIGHTMARE, they call it foodservice. It means driving and carrying stuff up the stairs to the kitchen, down the stairs to the cellar or even putting it on shelves for a chef - ridiculous. Its not really driving job, it is at least 10 hours of hard physical work. I did it for three days, three different companies, all the same. I said to myself NEVER AGAIN.
I asked DriverHire for Class I work, they answered we will see what we can do. The only thing on their mind was to give me those funny foodservice jobs.
I left DriverHire and signed up with Manpower. First week I was doing class I - loved it. Second week I did class I just one day and 4 days bloody foodservice. This week I’m doing this crap again. I’m really giving up hope of finding something decent and I’m really dissapointed with agencies
What is your experience with them?
And one more does your agency pay you for your brakes?
Agency work is just zb zb zb zb every single job, and if its so zb they think you won’t accept it they lie to you about what it is.
I’m with DriverHire Nottingam and did 3days last week, 1day the week before, 2days the week before that, totally sick of it (0 days so far this week)
I’m trying to get in with another agency who supply drivers for DHL at Newark, and they have informed me that I can’t actually work for them as DHL need me to have a 3month grace period between going on one agency to a different one.
The only way to get off the zb agency jobs is to try and get a fulltime job, which seems to be impossible too.
All of the food company jobs are just the same… If the agency offer you class1 for 2 chinese/indian food companies in Nottingham just refuse it, you will be doing 40-50 drops in an artic with a mate, carrying the stuff up and down stairs, putting it in cellars fridges cupboards and virtually putting it in the oven or pan for them, all this while they stand there watching you, shovelling rice and other delicacies into their mouths with chopsticks.
Done 3 yrs on and off agencies and most of the work’s been ■■■■…
Although, unlike you, 1 day at brakes was enough for me and told them never again.
Have done the trunks for brakes on the class 1 and that’s easy as hell.
Have had some good jobs through agencies, but mostly ■■■■.
Credit where it’s due though, lots of experience through agencies, 3yrs in and I’ve probably got similar experience to some 10yr men in terms of different jobs, trailers etc.
Not done ANY flat bed work yet - no intention of doing either, and not done class 1 tippers yet, but I’ve done them on class 2. Also, not done HIAB, FUEL (but have done tankers) or Cat 2’s, as these are all specialist and require stuff I haven’t got.
I loved agency work. I’ve never done any of the ■■■■■■■ jobs you’re on about but then again I had a good reputation as a good driver so I could say no whereas as a newby you just have to take whats given to you. And I have done food jobs but unlike you lot it appears I had the brains to tell them I was there to deliver to the premises, not work as a kitchen porter and they either wanted it or I took it back.
The best jobs I’ve ever had in haulage have been on agency.
And whether I got paid for BREAKS depended on the client - some paid straight through and others didn’t however in this respect I was paid the same way as their own drivers.
Conor:
I loved agency work. I’ve never done any of the ■■■■■■■ jobs you’re on about but then again I had a good reputation as a good driver so I could say no whereas as a newby you just have to take whats given to you. And I have done food jobs but unlike you lot it appears I had the brains to tell them I was there to deliver to the premises, not work as a kitchen porter and they either wanted it or I took it back.
The best jobs I’ve ever had in haulage have been on agency.
And whether I got paid for BREAKS depended on the client - some paid straight through and others didn’t however in this respect I was paid the same way as their own drivers.
But as you’ve already said you had ‘a good reputation’ so you could say no which means some other poor mug who’s face does’nt fit has to do the zb work instead.If he’s stupid enough to do it like I was until I knew better.Agency work in general just means doing the work no one else with any sense wants to do as a regular job which is why it’s subbed out to agencies.
Carryfast:
Agency work in general just means doing the work no one else with any sense wants to do as a regular job which is why it’s subbed out to agencies.
A great deal of my last years agency work was doing trunk runs for Hygena Kitchens for £10.50/hr basic in wagons no more than a couple of years old to DHL depots where you’d do a trailer swap for an empty and bring it back.
If you’re right, all the companies I’ve been to would have had nothing but agency drivers working for them. The reality was somewhat different.
Class 2 work tends to be collar and merits more money than class 1 work in my opinion! But you can make it easier for yourself by not letting them rip the pish out of you. Doorstep deliveries as much as possible! When I started on class 2 one of my deliveries was to the Old Bailey. I pulled up right outside. City copper approaches (not like the Met lads they don’t take lip!)" you can’t park there driver! " I replied “I can if you want your canteen delivery…”, nuff said!
Carryfast:
Agency work in general just means doing the work no one else with any sense wants to do as a regular job which is why it’s subbed out to agencies.
A great deal of my last years agency work was doing trunk runs for Hygena Kitchens for £10.50/hr basic in wagons no more than a couple of years old to DHL depots where you’d do a trailer swap for an empty and bring it back.
If you’re right, all the companies I’ve been to would have had nothing but agency drivers working for them. The reality was somewhat different.
I meant in general in the context of the typical types of work available to the majority of agency drivers.I knew when I was doing it that there was (some) better work but it was kept for the drivers who’s face fitted while the rest had to put up with a diet of class 3 local multi drop zb.I can remember being sent to a reasonable long distance bulk job,(still class 3 but as good as or better than some regular class 1 jobs at the time), and was told by the manager of the client that I’d be doing it long term.Guess what I got a phone call from the agency telling me I’d been sent there by mistake and it was back on the regular diet of local multi drop zb from then on.Having said all that when was the last time anyone ever heard of being sent by an agency to an International operator for long distance international holiday/sickness replacement etc instead of being sent to local multi drop outfits which seem to be on the agencies books as a permanent feature ■■?.
That’s the agency jobs for you - I would guess that the foodservice is there so often because many drivers won’t touch this with a long stick, so as they struggle for drivers, they will have to call for agency.
But I had some decent class II jobs from agency:
PJH B&Q runs: go to B&Q, sit and read your paper, then drop the pallet or two (all very light), all on forklift, sit and read your paper until they count it, go to the next and repeat the sequence
some mid-distance multidrop - like HH distribution, five drops arround Scottish Borders for example. Or three drops: Dundee, Aberdeen and Peterhead.
trunking for pakistani cash and carry (sit and read your paper, then go 20 minutes to the other depot and come back, sit and read your paper then hear “you are free to go” after 3 hours, paid for 6 @ 10 ph
delivering luxury Land Rovers to the HIghland estate owned by some kind of sheik…
(drive one of them while the other driver follows you with car transporter with more on it, then drive empty lorry back)
furniture delivery (where I was driving only, there were always people (up to ten people to unload the 18 tonner) and 50 quid o/n allowance due to day cab only…
vehicle movements (fly to London, be picked up by the guy in the car who drives you to the yard and come back in the brand new lorry - unfortunately I became sick for this one and my friend have to cover me, lucky ■■■■■■■■■
jet tank driver (and driver only: drive to the site, leave the engine on for the guys to play with and go to the nearby park to sit and read your paper…
insulation materials delivery. Bloody light and clean job - you just go to the site, climb on the back of the lorry and kick the stuff down for the guys to carry it further.
Actually, I like to be paid for reading papers
Some supermarket distribution jobs arent’ so bad as well. And some heavy work from time to time won’t make me any harm.
The secret is that if there are decent folk in the agency and they see that you are not affraid of work, they will offer you more jobs, and you will be able to pick from.
But I have to agree - food service is my pet hate, along with drink deliveries.
Or they will start to sending you to better companies where they need someone they can trust. Better companies often means better work.
I got class II licence 2 years ago, six months ago I got class I. 2 months ago I left my class II job cos didnt want to work 12/14 hours a day for 17.5k a year. I really enjoy pulling trailers and wanna go in this direction. So I signed up with DriverHire and got a job straight away. Of course class II cos no experience for class I. what kind of job? NIGHTMARE, they call it foodservice. It means driving and carrying stuff up the stairs to the kitchen, down the stairs to the cellar or even putting it on shelves for a chef - ridiculous. Its not really driving job, it is at least 10 hours of hard physical work. I did it for three days, three different companies, all the same. I said to myself NEVER AGAIN.
I asked DriverHire for Class I work, they answered we will see what we can do. The only thing on their mind was to give me those funny foodservice jobs.
I left DriverHire and signed up with Manpower. First week I was doing class I - loved it. Second week I did class I just one day and 4 days bloody foodservice. This week I’m doing this crap again. I’m really giving up hope of finding something decent and I’m really dissapointed with agencies
What is your experience with them?
And one more does your agency pay you for your brakes?
Regards,
Simon
This is normal fella. I reckon a good majority of us have probably done the food service jobs while the ink was still drying. I did Brakes, Bookers, Palmer & Harvey and Wineright’s when I first started out a lonnnnnnng time ago and it is aboslutely horrible work. But, you use it to get some driving experience behind you and then move on to bigger and better things, but you need to prove yourself first. Until then you need to keep your head down and just get on with it, but keep your ear to the ground for better work either with other agencies or full time. One of the best agency jobs I ever had on class 2 was working for Leeds Council on the vacuum tankers. Much of the work was emptying residential septic tanks all around W Yorks - sounds disgusting work but it was one of the best craics I’ve ever had.
There is better work out there, you’ve just got to go and look for it otherwise they’ll keep throwing the same crappy work at you while ever you keep accepting it.
Carryfast:
Agency work in general just means doing the work no one else with any sense wants to do as a regular job which is why it’s subbed out to agencies.
A great deal of my last years agency work was doing trunk runs for Hygena Kitchens for £10.50/hr basic in wagons no more than a couple of years old to DHL depots where you’d do a trailer swap for an empty and bring it back.
If you’re right, all the companies I’ve been to would have had nothing but agency drivers working for them. The reality was somewhat different.
I meant in general in the context of the typical types of work available to the majority of agency drivers.
Around Hull the type of work available is fridge or curtainsider on general haulage with a sprinkling of Tesco at Goole for those willing to travel out of town. There is multidrop but its usually for the 7.5t brigade so anyone with a HGV licence is usually clear of that.
I’ve mentioned this on a different thread, but I spent years on agency learning. I had a good relationship with them and I always asked for the unusual jobs and got them, it normally involved extra training and now thanks to that I have a wealth of experience in different sectors. Here is a list of the different jobs I have done courtesy of the agency.
Fridges
Flats
Tauts
Tilts
Skips
Roll on/off
Tankers
Plant
Hiab
Abnormal
Heavy
Ballast trailers
Left hand drive
Step frames
Walking floors
Ejector trailers
Bin lorries
Mixers
Exhibition units
Containers
Roping and sheeting
Chaining
Multi drop
Moffett
Carryfast:
Agency work in general just means doing the work no one else with any sense wants to do as a regular job which is why it’s subbed out to agencies.
A great deal of my last years agency work was doing trunk runs for Hygena Kitchens for £10.50/hr basic in wagons no more than a couple of years old to DHL depots where you’d do a trailer swap for an empty and bring it back.
If you’re right, all the companies I’ve been to would have had nothing but agency drivers working for them. The reality was somewhat different.
I meant in general in the context of the typical types of work available to the majority of agency drivers.
There is multidrop but its usually for the 7.5t brigade so anyone with a HGV licence is usually clear of that.
In my experience it was the total opposite to that in that local multi drop outfits seemed happy/desperate enough to pay agencies class 1 rates for 7.5 tonne and class 3 work because they could’nt find any car drivers or class 3 drivers who had’nt upgraded their licences to get something better.
daleyboy:
I’ve mentioned this on a different thread, but I spent years on agency learning. I had a good relationship with them and I always asked for the unusual jobs and got them, it normally involved extra training and now thanks to that I have a wealth of experience in different sectors. Here is a list of the different jobs I have done courtesy of the agency.
Fridges
Flats
Tauts
Tilts
Skips
Roll on/off
Tankers
Plant
Hiab
Abnormal
Heavy
Ballast trailers
Left hand drive
Step frames
Walking floors
Ejector trailers
Bin lorries
Mixers
Exhibition units
Containers
Roping and sheeting
Chaining
Multi drop
Moffett
Sounds a bit like the agency driver who was given a job running out to the Middle East while the regular driver was on holiday and missed the boat which sank at zeebrugge by 5 minutes on the way back .
Never been to the middle east, but always fancied it. Been on European for a fair while now and enjoy it, but I have the experience thanks to the agency to pretty much walk into any driving job. That’s why I’ve never had problems finding work.
The agency that gave me all this experience used to be called SMS in Bristol who then got taken over by the best connection. I actually did a bit for them a few months ago and the first job they sent me on was wincanton lafarge plasterboard in portbury. Nice cushy job plenty of work and the money was ok.
I’ve never really had a problem with agency work, Andy at the best connection has known me for years and he knows how I work, he also knows he can’t ■■■■ me around and lie to me about jobs because I will walk away If someone tries taking the ■■■■. I always got a text the day before stating what I was doing, where the run was going and the start time. He also knows that I don’t do sameday working. If they can’t sort the job the day before that’s their problem I make alternative arrangements and I won’t accept phonecalls at 3am saying can you be at such and such in 20 minutes.
I’ve found if you let someone take the ■■■■ they will, just remember there’s loads of agencies out there, sign up with half a dozen tell them all that it’s first come first served make yourself a valuable commodity someone that works hard but won’t have the ■■■■ taken out of them and you will get the work you want.
Been with driverHire nottingham for a bit now since I passed my Cat C and everything they’ve given me so far has been alright to be honest. Not done any foodservice so far but if they do offer me some I’m not really in any position to turn it down Reckon you could name these particular chinese/indian food companies? Or PM me?
Simon_1982:
‘…Working for an agency … What is your experience with them…?’
It depends on your locality & the logistical presence of companies in your area. It is worthless to generalise because I suspect that no two towns/places will likely be the same.
Simon_1982:
‘…And … does your agency pay you for your brakes…?’
It’s not just up to the agency since it’ll also depend on how the agencies contract with the client is drawn-up: I suspect that you’ll lose at least your WTD half hr or you’ll get a 45 minute claw-back from the other one. I know of one place that takes a whole hour off your working day’s total hours (it’s in Kent).
Two jobs I have seen regularly advertised are 3663 in Banbury and Higgins Pigs.
Both adverts require the same thing, in Higgins case it is worded:
“Strong Youth Required”
Early Starts.
15 minute paid break
Used to working outside and in the cold
6 days per week.
Bank Holidays and Christmas paid extra
Until then you need to keep your head down and just get on with it, but keep your ear to the ground for better work either with other agencies or full time. One of the best agency jobs I ever had on class 2 was working for Leeds Council on the vacuum tankers. Much of the work was emptying residential septic tanks all around W Yorks - sounds disgusting work but it was one of the best craics I’ve ever had.
Reckon you could name these particular chinese/indian food companies? Or PM me?