Some advise please , I am currently in full time employment and looking to change jobs , most of the jobs advertised in my area (north suffolk ) are through agency’s . I have spoken to a couple of agency’s who can offer plenty of work but they say they don’t like taking drivers out of full time employment because they cant guarantee constant work which I understand. I just don’t want to leave a job that I have grown to dislike to end up with no work or money . The agency offering the most work is Best Connection driving for DHL .running out of Birds Eye . I have never worked for an agency so don’t know what to expect.
Thank you for any advice given.
Depends on personal circumstances stances I’d say, are you single ?, do you have a mortgage ? are you experienced enough to get plenty of work ? Is there plenty of work in your area ? These plus more are all questions only you can anwer.
Good that an agency says they might not have full time work for you instead of just getting you in then having no work.
i have done it and never had any issues, but they are right the last thing any agency wants (and i work in recruitment now) is a driver leaving a ft job then it goes quiet for a week or 2 (i would say in most areas this will be about as long a the quiet period will last now) and the driver starts to struggle/post threads on how ■■■■ agency is etc.
but for me i never minded working days nights etc so have never really had a ‘quiet’ period. not to mention can survive on about 2-3 days if needed.
Dont leave a full time job for an agency,they can promise all sorts and deliver nothing.
Expect to be lied to, stood down without notice, pushed towards dodgy payment schemes and to have to fight for every penny that’s owed to you. Oh, and a higher hourly rate.
But my strongest advice would be wait until after Christmas, and see how much work the agency has then.
Interstater:
Some advise please , I am currently in full time employment and looking to change jobs , most of the jobs advertised in my area (north suffolk ) are through agency’s . I have spoken to a couple of agency’s who can offer plenty of work but they say they don’t like taking drivers out of full time employment because they cant guarantee constant work which I understand. I just don’t want to leave a job that I have grown to dislike to end up with no work or money . The agency offering the most work is Best Connection driving for DHL .running out of Birds Eye . I have never worked for an agency so don’t know what to expect.
Thank you for any advice given.
I have done this recently to get out of a job that I hated with a passion, I’m much happier now and pick and choose the work that I want, but don’t be fooled by the driver shortage myth as I’m only getting 2 to 3 days work each week at the moment (which suits me) and am preparing for the 2 month lay off in Jan/Feb
Have you thought of applying to DHL directly??
I don’t like agency work because as some have said they stand you down with little notice, call you in at the last moment. If you turn a shift down for whatever reason they take the hump. You may have to fight tooth and nail to get the proper holiday pay and when mistakes in your pay are made it is always in thier favour.
I did it, finally could take no more and left my previous job, straw that broke the camels back jobbie.
In practice i didn’t have that many days with no work due to being in the right place in January where they wanted and insisted on me for one particular job (face fitted the customer? i dunno), but didn’t have any debts or mortgage/rent either so no worries, earnings on the agency weren’t great and i stayed on PAYE.
Finding PAYE on agency isn’t going to be easy and you’ve already heard the downsides above.
My advice would be to stick it out where you are until the new year (take advantage of bank hol freebies in a months time, won’t get those at the agency), then revisit these pages and see if the down period arrives.
Personally i wouldn’t work for agency parasites again unless i was really desperate, but then i’m happy in my current job, we soon forget how depressing the wrong job can be.
In the meantime go knocking on doors of operators you would like to work for with CV in hand, you might get lucky.
Big Roy:
Interstater:
Some advise please , I am currently in full time employment and looking to change jobs , most of the jobs advertised in my area (north suffolk ) are through agency’s . I have spoken to a couple of agency’s who can offer plenty of work but they say they don’t like taking drivers out of full time employment because they cant guarantee constant work which I understand. I just don’t want to leave a job that I have grown to dislike to end up with no work or money . The agency offering the most work is Best Connection driving for DHL .running out of Birds Eye . I have never worked for an agency so don’t know what to expect.
Thank you for any advice given.I have done this recently to get out of a job that I hated with a passion, I’m much happier now and pick and choose the work that I want, but don’t be fooled by the driver shortage myth as I’m only getting 2 to 3 days work each week at the moment (which suits me) and am preparing for the 2 month lay off in Jan/Feb
Is it really a myth though? People seem to have such varying views on this…“old timers leaving because they don’t want cpc training due to doing the job 100 yrs and knowing everything already” or “two years experience going out of the window to make way for noobs” I’m currently not sure which side of the ‘myth’ to believe…do you think it depends on location? A friend of mine has driven nothing but rigids for a year and (without naming the firm) has been given a job on artics in a 14 unit that is entirely his and he’s only 28. Didn’t even have to do an assesment…
EDIT: the position he got was also full time permanent and the firm is quite well known
Michael Douglas:
Big Roy:
Interstater:
Some advise please , I am currently in full time employment and looking to change jobs , most of the jobs advertised in my area (north suffolk ) are through agency’s . I have spoken to a couple of agency’s who can offer plenty of work but they say they don’t like taking drivers out of full time employment because they cant guarantee constant work which I understand. I just don’t want to leave a job that I have grown to dislike to end up with no work or money . The agency offering the most work is Best Connection driving for DHL .running out of Birds Eye . I have never worked for an agency so don’t know what to expect.
Thank you for any advice given.I have done this recently to get out of a job that I hated with a passion, I’m much happier now and pick and choose the work that I want, but don’t be fooled by the driver shortage myth as I’m only getting 2 to 3 days work each week at the moment (which suits me) and am preparing for the 2 month lay off in Jan/Feb
Is it really a myth though?
I’d say so, otherwise I would be being offered a full weeks work, which I’m not
sayersy:
Expect to be lied to, stood down without notice, pushed towards dodgy payment schemes and to have to fight for every penny that’s owed to you.
That’s a bit harsh. Sounds like you’ve been unfortunate with a dodgy agency. I have been with a few agencies and never had any problems what so ever with regards to payments or being lied to.
Stood down without notice has happened to me but very rarely. If it happens with less than 3 hours notice you get paid for min 8 hours.
To OP,it depends on how your fixed financially. I am agency purely because I prefer the flexibility it gives. Back in October I had the option of full time job or agency and I went agency for the flexability reason. If I need a day off for anything I can just say im unavailable instead of going through the whole holiday request form rigmarole. Or if I don’t like the way a certain company operates I just say im not going back there. Or if you get fed up doing,say,store deliveries you can just say you want general haulage or whatever.
Plus you get a higher hourly rate with agency work.
But that comes at a price. Agency work can be quite fickle. As you probably already know,this time of year they will have plenty work. Im getting a regular 5 or 6 shifts a week no problem at the moment.But come January/February it will be quieter. I’m lucky as I also have an online business that brings me in a decent income so when it quietens down work wise,or I only get 8 hour shifts for a week,then that tops up any wages.
It depends on how your finances and circumstances are as to whether this will suit you.
All in all,if your in full time employmetnit would probably be unwise to leave it for agency. At the end of the day,if the agency does not have work for you,your bills will still come through the door regardless. It’s not the agencys problem so if they have no shifts then they wont suffer for it like you will. Plus they will be top heavy staff wise in January,ie too many drivers & not enough shifts, so they will be trying to keep lots of guys happy.
sayersy:
Expect to be lied to, stood down without notice, pushed towards dodgy payment schemes and to have to fight for every penny that’s owed to you. Oh, and a higher hourly rate.
.
A resounding NO for all the reasons laid out by sayersy and more.
Parasitic middlemen shower of ■■■■ the lot of em, and one of the reasons we are not on the directly paid rates that we should be. They have far too much power beyond their re.mit and reason for existence, and the driver invariably suffers because of it.
If they all ■■■■■■ ed off it would be a better industry to work in, and would give US more power to raise standards. Unfortunately it ain’t going to happen 
At least with a direct job you do have an element of protection.
Juddian:
I did it, finally could take no more and left my previous job, straw that broke the camels back jobbie.In practice i didn’t have that many days with no work due to being in the right place in January where they wanted and insisted on me for one particular job (face fitted the customer? i dunno), but didn’t have any debts or mortgage/rent either so no worries, earnings on the agency weren’t great and i stayed on PAYE.
Finding PAYE on agency isn’t going to be easy and you’ve already heard the downsides above.
My advice would be to stick it out where you are until the new year (take advantage of bank hol freebies in a months time, won’t get those at the agency), then revisit these pages and see if the down period arrives.
Personally i wouldn’t work for agency parasites again unless i was really desperate, but then i’m happy in my current job, we soon forget how depressing the wrong job can be.
In the meantime go knocking on doors of operators you would like to work for with CV in hand, you might get lucky.
any half decent agency will take paye on its only the dross who drive rates down that ‘force’ driver to go ltd.
and at any agency you will accure at least 28 days a year holiday if you work full time hours - 20days holiday and 8 bank holidays the only difference is you can CHOOSE not to take them until you want to.
war1974:
and at any agency you will accure at least 28 days a year holiday if you work full time hours - 20days holiday and 8 bank holidays the only difference is you can CHOOSE not to take them until you want to.
Well I’m employed direct with a co and I also can choose to take my 28 when I want to so there ain’t any difference is there.
robroy:
war1974:
and at any agency you will accure at least 28 days a year holiday if you work full time hours - 20days holiday and 8 bank holidays the only difference is you can CHOOSE not to take them until you want to.Well I’m employed direct with a co and I also can choose to take my 28 when I want to so there ain’t any difference is there.
Same here, and I get more than 28…I doubt there’s an agency in the country that will give you that. You will only accrue them because the agency is legally obliged to give them to you… If they could find away around it I’m sure they would.
but you still get it so the arguement is no longer fact but your opinion or hatred of agencies?
i get a lot have a terrible name but you DO accrue 28 days a year this is FACT! thjere are quite a few good ones too.
i have no objection to the normal ‘we all hate agencies’ poeple on here who have no doubt experienced 1st hand a ■■■■ agency or one who has lied cheated and conned the driver. however these same people wont have it that agencies can be useful (for example getting into places you may not be able to otherwise). offering flexibility to a worker, choice etc.
you also can go PAYE you do not have to go ltd.
but i do get a lot are crap too.
war1974:
but you still get it so the arguement is no longer fact but your opinion or hatred of agencies?i get a lot have a terrible name but you DO accrue 28 days a year this is FACT! thjere are quite a few good ones too.
i have no objection to the normal ‘we all hate agencies’ poeple on here who have no doubt experienced 1st hand a [zb] agency or one who has lied cheated and conned the driver. however these same people wont have it that agencies can be useful (for example getting into places you may not be able to otherwise). offering flexibility to a worker, choice etc.
you also can go PAYE you do not have to go ltd.
but i do get a lot are crap too.
Agencies originally were on a basis of the driver hiring himself out to them working as and when he pleased and the system worked great both ways.
However, time went on and the tables turned for various reasons, and suddenly they called the shots and had a hold over the driver to the point of ■■■■■■■ him about to varying degrees of downright unfairness as a matter of course.
The only time that I have used them was to my own advantage, that was to get back in to driving right hand drives after years on left hookers. They were surprised to the point of amazement when I stood up to them by not giving an absolute toss to their veiled threats, calling their bluffs, and eventually telling them to go and ■■■■ themselves, as they were more used to drivers bending over and taking it up the jacksie whenever they saw fit and saw it as an expectation for the driver to do so.
i have had a few like that rob so know what it is like, however i am the same as you i wont take ■■■■ and have told some where to go.
mind you some agencies are too weak to stand up to the client in the respect of cancellations etc (i used to work alongside a bigger agency and fell out big style to the point i quit the job), and this was as a consultant they changed this drivers time every half hour for 6 hours, when he quite rightly said i aint going in i was told to TELL my driver he will work when he is told!
after a few expletives she got the message.
but there are a few decent ones out there who will look after a decent driver (lets not forget on agency you do get some awful examples of drivers as well as soem very good ones).
Back in about 1980 I was agency, things went a bit quiet and they laid off the office staff, then brought me into the office so that they had a driver at hand to go where ever at a moments notice. Enhanced rate as well. In those days I was young and stupid.