Been there done that never had a problem as when it goes quiet you do the job that no-one else will do, then when it picks up again you slide right back in on the cream 
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.But my strongest advice would be wait until after Christmas, and see how much work the agency has then.
I am a full time agency,up until 2 weeks ago I was working 5 days a week,at this moment it is dead where I work,so I am thinking switch agencies and work for royal mail at £14.50 an hour,but now I also think what happens after Christmas as you said,so I am going to stick with the devil I know,bound to pick up soon,the agency I work for is rapier,a good agency,not had any problems yet and I have been with them eighteen months now
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.
What he said, and whether you like it or not, from the agency’s point of view they put up with a lot of crap from drivers, and furthermore a lot of drivers who turn out to be crap.
Usually find that a lot of the blokes who slag agencies off left right and centre (not all of them in fairness) are often the same ones who have a file in the store-room of half a dozen agencies, marked “DO NOT USE” in big red letters; either because they’ve let the agency down or more often they display the same attitudes to employer and client that they do on this forum.
To the OP; that agency gave you good honest advice which I concur with. By signing up with them you are taking a risk that you may well be short of work when it goes quiet again, as it will because that’s the nature of the beast. You might get lucky, you might not. If you have a mortgage, or a wife and kids who depend on you, stay where you are. If you think it’s worth the chance, go for it.
I put this question on this board several years ago & decided to stay put at the job that I’ve now said good bye to. The snowman has said everything there is to say about this topic & hit the nail on the head.
From my point of view the offer of VR came around again & I wasn’t happy in my previous job in fact, it was making me miserable & decided to take up the offer to leave. Circumstances differ from individual to individual & I can only speak for myself here. I left, had a few weeks off & went on the agency & had as much work as could have wanted & am based in Manchester. So far so good but it maybe different after the new year.
JQ
Interstater:
Would you leave full time employment for agency
Would I ■■■■■■■■.
I left my full time class 2 job the moment I got my class 1. Lucky for me I got 5 days a week at dhl for 3 months (class 1 on the crappy shift 2am till 12pm which clearly the lads who can pick jobs wouldn’t touch.) till I left after getting a full time class 1 job which suited me.
It was fine for me though as I’m a single man with very cheap housing/bills.
Sidevalve:
Usually find that a lot of the blokes who slag agencies off left right and centre marked “DO NOT USE” in big red letters; either because they’ve let the agency down or more often they display the same attitudes to employer and client that they do on this forum.
.
That’ll be me then 
Not the client bit, or the letting down bit. Slagging? guilty as charged, and if standing up for myself is attitude, also guilty.
DO NOT USE? Well how will I cope or sleep 
, reckon I’ll stick with proper employment.
OK, I’m having a pop because I hate the ■■■■■■■ s, but if it suits others as it evidently does, well fair play, but as for jacking a more secure full time job in to work for an agency as the o/p asked, well I reckon it’s a step back.
Don’t forget…
They may get you to sign a ‘contract’, and you discover it’s one of those zero hour contracts…
I did* with Manpower but luckily I got a proper full time job (no longer driving), so left the agency ‘farce’.
*Lesson learned now. 
Contraflow:
Interstater:
Would you leave full time employment for agencyWould I ■■■■■■■■.
+1
Leaving full time work for agency is not a good idea. Its OK in the short term if you have no major dependants like me. Agency is not doom and gloom like most would have you believe, yes to do get shafted on occasison but everyone gets that sometime in their lives. The plus points of agency work is never having to do the same job you hate twice. I’ve done work for a fair few companies now, some I would gladly go back to, others I would not.
well ive done exactly that …set myself up as ltd company and all that’s required to operate as ltd company and i must say its the best thing ive done turning work away so thinking maybe i should employ some drivers to work for me …and after Christmas if it goes quiet i have some tour work lined up so all is good …
I did, and even though I had plenty of work I still didn’t like the uncertainty
choosing when to work (to an extent) is good but I’m just too lazy so ended up not making as much as I could have
I’m back to a full time job now
Contraflow:
Interstater:
Would you leave full time employment for agencyWould I ■■■■■■■■.
Would I leave agency employment for full time?
Would I ■■■■■■■■.
It is down to each individuals circumstances obviously; but I am in a slightly fortunate position of having taken early retirement years ago from a totally non-driving job. I did my HGV class 1 licence about 10 years ago so that I had something to fall back on as and when needed. So I worked full time on class 1 for about 5 years before getting made redundant. By then the mortgage was paid, so no need for full time work. Now I do 2 or 3 days a week, which still means about 30 hours as we all know. I have no intention, EVER, of working 11 days out of 14, 12-15 hours per day, for a stupidly low hourly rate of pay, just to line the pockets of some haulage company boss. You only live once; don’t work yourself into an early grave!
I did, had a full time full on in your face job at Nissan…
Chucked it and signed up for driving when I wanted it, still happy 5 years on.
Steve
alcraw62:
I have no intention, EVER, of working 11 days out of 14, 12-15 hours per day, for a stupidly low hourly rate of pay, just to line the pockets of some haulage company boss.
Neither have I. Not everybody in full-time employment suffers those conditions. Some of us have right cushy numbers… with the added bonus of not having anything to do with agencies. 
I’m far too apathetic to be any good as an agency driver.
By the way my employed job pays just fine, so I’m more than happy to work as hard as I can to line his pockets, and hopefully he in turn will line mine 
alcraw62:
Contraflow:
Interstater:
Would you leave full time employment for agencyWould I ■■■■■■■■.
Would I leave agency employment for full time?
Would I ■■■■■■■■.
It is down to each individuals circumstances obviously; but I am in a slightly fortunate position of having taken early retirement years ago from a totally non-driving job. I did my HGV class 1 licence about 10 years ago so that I had something to fall back on as and when needed. So I worked full time on class 1 for about 5 years before getting made redundant. By then the mortgage was paid, so no need for full time work. Now I do 2 or 3 days a week, which still means about 30 hours as we all know. I have no intention, EVER, of working 11 days out of 14, 12-15 hours per day, for a stupidly low hourly rate of pay, just to line the pockets of some haulage company boss. You only live once; don’t work yourself into an early grave!
Absolutely ferkin agree mate !
bald bloke:
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.
A man with lots of knowledge about these things I dare say, ( as it came from the reply) experience to answer the question…but…
My answer, NO.
Any permanent job see’s you through…a quick buck via an agency, is just that. You want proper references, a grounding in the job…stay with it. The small increase in wages will screw you eventually.
You can only keep a mistress for so long…after that they burn you.
all depend from agency and company.some agency drivers have more right,monet and freedom.some agency have not best position
I get to lazy on agency. Spent 3 months this year over the summer with one and never worked more then 4 days a week. It’s so flexible you don’t have to give much/any notice for time off.
Since September I have been back in full time work I have not had one day off as I’m happy Mon-fri.