Salaries and costs
Van drivers in Dudley often see £11 to £14 per hour, with night work paying more and overtime uplifts agreed per site. HGV Class 2 ranges from £13 to £17 per hour, and Class 1 can reach £15 to £22 on trunking or nights. Permanent salaries for transport supervisors and planners commonly range from £28,000 to £40,000, with traffic office managers rising to £45,000 when shift cover is included. Recruitment fees for permanent hires typically range from 12% to 20% of basic salary, and temp agency margins vary by volume and notice. Temp-to-perm routes usually include a conversion fee or a qualifying hours threshold that clears the charge. A clear discussion of agency costs and pay rates up front helps retention and avoids mid-assignment issues.
Qualifications
For cars and vans, Cat B plus recent multi-drop experience is often enough. C1 is useful for 7.5t local drops, with a digital tachograph and Driver Qualification Card needed where tachograph rules apply. Cat C and C+E remain in demand for pallet networks, RDC trunking, and regional drops. ADR, HIAB, forklift certificates, and, in some cases, DBS checks can unlock higher pay or site access. New drivers benefit from in-cab assessments, route training, and safe loading refreshers before solo runs.
Regional or geographic variations
Work clusters around the Pensnett Estate at Kingswinford, the Waterfront and Merry Hill area at Brierley Hill, and the Castlegate and Burnt Tree corridors. Quick access to the A4123, A461, the Black Country Route, and M5 junctions supports early starts and late finishes. Shifts serving Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the wider Black Country often involve additional travel time, so agencies favour drivers who live near main commuter routes.
Local hiring challenges
Short-notice drops, peak-season surges, and weekend coverage test availability. Some sites require handball, tail-lift use, or tight delivery windows, which narrows the candidate pool. Retention improves when routes are consistent, vehicles are well-maintained, and start times are predictable. Agencies that pre-brief on load type, parking, and paperwork cut first-day no-shows and early walk-offs.
Key sectors or employers in the region
Third-party logistics, pallet networks, supermarket RDCs, parcel carriers, foodservice wholesalers, and manufacturers all draw from the local workforce. Night trunking, early AM parcel runs, and same-day courier work make up a large slice of daily demand. Recruitment agencies that know these patterns can switch drivers between networks when volumes change, keeping hours steady for candidates and service steady for local businesses.
Common job roles agencies recruit for in Dudley
Typical requests include van delivery drivers for multi-drop routes, 7.5t drivers for regional wholesale routes, Class 2 drivers for pallet networks and store deliveries, and Class 1 drivers for trunking, curtainsider work, and container runs. Transport planners, traffic clerks, transport supervisors, and depot ops roles often accompany driver hiring, helping employers build complete shift teams through a single recruitment partner. Driving recruitment agencies in Dudley handle both the road and the office sides, so workflows stay aligned.
Temporary, permanent, and contract work
Temp bookings cover holiday cover, sickness, and peak volumes. Ongoing contract work provides drivers with stable patterns and site familiarity, reducing accident risk. Permanent placements suit fleet growth, CPCS or ADR led operations, and senior traffic office roles. Employers who register with an agency early in the week often secure the best people for weekend runs. Candidates who keep their licences, CPC modules, and right-to-work documents ready get first call on new routes.
Regulatory and compliance standards
Agencies check right to work, DVLA records, CPC hours, and digital tachograph use, then brief drivers on Working Time and drivers’ hours rules. Site inductions, manual handling, safe coupling and uncoupling, and banksman signals are common parts of onboarding. Clear defect reporting and access to well-kept vehicles protect uptime and insurance positions. Where client cargo requires it, ADR, HIAB, or food hygiene training is confirmed before start.
Seasonal trends or themes
Demand rises from September to the late December peak and again around Easter and bank holidays. Parcel and e-commerce schedules drive night and weekend patterns, and foodservice routes jump before school terms and long weekends. Early planning with recruiters locks in cover for known spikes and reduces premium costs on last-minute calls. Driving recruitment agencies that log forecast volumes with local employers can phase starts and keep costs sensible.
Roles and career paths
Many drivers start in van delivery, then move to 7.5t, Class 2, and Class 1 with support from recruitment consultants and employer training. Office paths include transport admin to planner, then supervisor or shift manager. With strong site knowledge and compliance records, candidates progress into training roles or CPC led compliance posts. Agencies that map skills and goals during registration place candidates on routes that build the right hours and experience.
Market snapshots
Dudley’s labour market benefits from cross Black Country travel, so reliable commutes widen the pool for early starts. Retention improves when pay is aligned to job load, route complexity, and start time. Local businesses that share delivery profiles and known pain points with staffing agencies get better shortlists and fewer fall-throughs. Driving recruitment agencies remain central in smoothing peaks, filling specialist runs, and keeping transport teams stable.
Quick facts and frequently asked questions
What licence is most in demand in Dudley?
Class 2 for regional pallet and store work stays busy, and Class 1 for trunking remains steady across the year.
What are typical agency markups on temp drivers?
Rates vary by shift and notice, though transparent margins tied to volume and tenure tend to produce better retention.
How can employers cut no-shows on early starts?
Share clear postcodes, site contacts, load notes, and parking info so the first shift runs smoothly and drivers return the next day.
Do agencies help with progression from van to HGV?
Many recruiters work with employers on training steps, booking medicals and tests, and lining up post-pass shifts to build experience.
How soon should a business book its Christmas cover?
Start conversations in September to secure nights, weekends, and long-run drivers before rates climb and availability tightens.
Do agencies handle route familiarisation?
Most driving recruitment agencies arrange a ride-along or site induction for new starters on complex runs, reducing delivery errors and stress for everyone.