I’ll be honest I’m fed up with working for people (not necessarily the boss - usually idiotic planners for a firm we sub for).
It’s got to the point where I think I’d just rather work for myself and live and die by my own sword.
Yes - I’ve had a bad couple of weeks and this is probably clouding my opinion a touch.
I have an international cpc already, an asset I can liquidise for financial backing (not till late next year which is good in a way as it forces consideration and planning time) and although I don’t profess to be the font of all knowledge I have a fair amount of experience in the industry (12 years - yeah I know I’m still green!)
I am not daft enough to view it as an easy hobby - it’s a business in order to make money but I’m thinking my main motivation at the moment is to at least gain some control and satisfaction from this industry.
Also I’m not naive in that I don’t see that it just changes from working for poor planners to demanding customers.
Am I just daydreaming or in the experience of others who’ve set up is it a valid reason? Just interested in others viewpoints.
I ran my own truck for four years, mainly because it was difficult to find a decent employed job in east Kent, what with the demise of international haulage which was the local specialty until the flip-flops rocked up, plus I had some spare cash knocking about following the breakdown of my marriage and the sale of my house.
I largely subcontracted, I was hoping to pick up more of my own work but this never happened, in part I suppose because I am not sufficiently driven and/or well connected.
I packed it in because of exterior events. My connection to the local area became less important as my children grew and became less dependent on me, my relationship with my new partner withered, and I realised a long held dream of owning and living aboard a narrowboat which was based in the east Midlands where agency work is plentiful and pays well. I was also getting older and wanted to alter my work/ life balance, running your own truck is hard work when there is a mountain of mail to deal with every weekend. Now I just work a few months a year and ■■■■ off on the boat for the majority of the time. I’m in Middlewich tonight, on my way to the Anderton Boat Lift. I’m perennially skint, but I’m happier than I have ever been.
Did I make a lot of money running a truck? No, not really, more like a wage I suppose.
Did I enjoy being an owner driver? Yes, enormously.
Do I regret doing it? No, not for a New York minute. It was right for me at that stage of my life. But life is change etc.
If you have an itch then my advice is to scratch it. Get your truck on the road and don’t listen to the haters.
Cheers - I remember the posts from when you first got going. It made a nice change for someone to be relatively open with figures and rates (I can understand others reluctance though).
To be honest I can vaguely recall a diary of yours (think it was you anyway) from years back (way before you had yours) of an aircraft engine load, if I remember right. God I feel old.
Sad as it sounds I miss the diaries most off here - half the reason I ended up in this job!
I’m like Harry Monk, though not as financially secure!
Just had the itch and had to scratch it. Ok, I’ve had a couple of late payments and the hassle of sorting out which truck I’m going to have long term has been a bugger, with many a night lain awake with numbers rolling round the cab but all told I wouldn’t change it.
My advice is that you will never get rich running one. I’m doing alright because I’m not paying myself a real wage but everything costs a lot when you are a one man band. Insurance particularly is a killer because the insurers have no history of me running artics. This will change, (assuming of course that the sleepless nights watching the dance of the decimal places doesn’t cause me to put the bloody thing in a ditch!)
My last boss runs eight, they have been going for 65 years and with the current management for 15 and pay a decent wage for two directors on top of a reasonable rate to their drivers. I reckon I’ll be able to earn a drivers wage when #2 hits the road and a comfortable wage when I get #4 or #5 on the road. Eight is the sweet spot because You can still cover all the holidays in theory and still have 5.6 weeks a year yourself.
@nsmith1180 - See that’s one of the main differences (besides the fact your actually up and running) between our viewpoints - I don’t have an interest in running more than one unit.
I admire the ambition and it’s great that it’s going well even with a few hiccups for you but I’ll be honest I just don’t want the responsibility of employing others. Also couple that to the fact of - Drivers are easy to find. Good drivers aren’t.
We have seen on here the cost of employing a numpty (XFMatt’s experience a good example) and part of the reason I’m tempted to do it is to have control myself - not to rely on others.
I’m just going to have a play around with figures for a while and see if I can get it to a point I’m happy with. If it isn’t good enough - I simply stay employed.
I’m prepared to take a risk but I’m not prepared to gamble blindly or burn money just to have my name on the front of a unit.
By all means, give it a go if you really want to and have the drive and work ethic to work for yourself. You’ll have more control on the type of work you do and the hours/days you work. You’ll make some good friends, and is great if you have a controlling personality. But -
If planners get on your nerves, customers are worse with unrealistic demands and the “if you don’t do it someone else will” threat. You have no employment law protection, if the customers doesn’t get what they want they will drop you like a stone, whether working for them for 2 weeks or 20 years.
To be successful you’ll be constantly working, 24 x 7. If not physically working you’ll be thinking constantly about how things can be done better, more efficiently and looking for new customers.
Unless you’re extremely lucky and get in with decent work you will not be any more financially better off than being employed. Even running 8 or 9 trucks you will find yourself stretched trying to keep up with compliance, customers, drivers bickering, financial pressures so you will employ someone to help. Which is another £30k off your profits at the end of the year.
So if you really want to give it a go, then do it. Just don’t go into it with the idea that it will be easier/better than working for someone, as it more than likely won’t be.
If you really want to go for it then get in direct with local manufacturers or companies who need stuff moving. Don’t sub off other transport companies. Assuming you’re still employed as a driver currently every time you deliver to a small firm have a chat with them, try to find if they need anything moving. It’s amazing what jobs you can come up with by being in the right place at the right time.
So be sensible, look at the numbers, find a source of work before shelling out a load of money on a v8 scania.
I get the bug now and again, in fact I have it at the moment. I have the yard, the dollar, the cpc, and pretty confident I have the contacts in place from when I so very nearly leaped last time.
Problem is im easily addicted to work… I genuinely don’t mind 100+ hours a week… which of course isn’t healthy for yourself or the kids.
I do however enjoy the the hardship/thrill of chasing and securing the work… plus the responsibility, and reward from the owner driver scenario.
Iv had fleets of taxis and courier vans 10 plus years ago so know exactly what I’ll be like and what to expect…
The guy I sub to as a driver at the minute can’t understand why I’m always pushing him to take more work for me or why I’m always planning my days to max out my drive times… I guess I just enjoy doing 25% more loads over the week than my fellow drivers… no idea why??
I could tell from smithys posts that when he was announcing his intentions to setup… that he was most likely to take the leap in some capacity… if he’d have had a real set back… I would’ve been tempted to raise my hand and let him know I could’ve paired up with him to get him (or someone else) up to the starting grid… in return there job would be to match my work ethic and keep me from constantly being overburdened with work.
So I’m sortve hoping I stay as I am… but I can see it cropping up again.
Don’t listen to all the negative Norris’s or owner ops that say there’s no money in it… you will def be better off.
You will know if you have to do it… and as Harry says… you will enjoy it but maybe not forever.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
I started differently than most with a van and worked up to a 7.5 and then up to attics. 26 years later still run a mixed fleet.
It took 9 years for me to not be the poorest paid I the firm and a few more years to be the best paid and until the last couple of years it’s been a notional best paid. No holidays for 13 years.
I worked my hits off, real poor paying work, got a couple of breaks and then one big lucky break and I did everything I could to make it work and that paid off in the long run.
Mostly enjoyed it, couple of really bad years, that’s the nature of work; good years and bad years. Glad I did it, my temperament is such that I don’t suit working for other people, though customers are your boss, I got lucky in that mine seem generally bemused by my maverick approach. A lot of corporate people don’t want to be corporate and enjoy being able to kickback.
All the stuff you know already, find a niche, making money is hard in general.
Great responses. Never been scared of hard work but I’m sure it goes to a whole new level when it’s for the good of your own business and reputation.
Part of why I’m considering this is because I want to see the results of my work and investment directly. Like I said I want to know it’s by my own hand whether or not I make a success of it.
I am in no rush - I’ll plan out the options realistically and see what they show. I’m not going to force a set of figures to give the answer I want but I’m not going to lose anything but a bit of time by having a look.
I am similar to Albion in many ways, I started my business in 1986 with a transit luton van then onto 7.5 tonners then onto bigger things once I had a small band of regular customers. I have been as high as 6 artics over the years but only use 3 as of today. It was hard work getting up and running but I can honestly say even through the hard times I have enjoyed every minute of it. many people ask on this forum …will it work and my standard reply to all is" it will only work if YOU make it work". there is plenty of reasonable/good paying work out there if you know where to look and most importantly how to go about securing it…that’s the bit I love the most, chasing work a getting to have a sit down chat/meeting with the man that says ye or nae.
so having been involved in transport since leaving school I fulfilled a long held ambition to work for myself, long days nights and weeks for many years but hard work is the only answer and a mindset to run a PROFITABLE business has worked for me…and 8 years till I retire and the party,s over…but then, could I really give it up ■■? who knows
Well we do differ a bit winkie,I can’t wait for retirement. I hate all the paperwork so much; like the drivers and customers mostly, enjoy driving when I can do a bit, but as most of my time is in the office I’m ready to move on!
Albion I know exactly what you mean, I have 3 daughters 2 of which do my admin and accounts and run the office. I never encouraged them to get into this industry but they wanted to be in our small family business and took to it like ducks to water. so I’m confident when I finally call it a day the business will be in good hands…they are even experts at bossing me about so somedays I just shut up and do as I,m told…
