After some positive comments off professional owner drivers or small fleet operators. .I’ve been an owner driver for 13 years with an 8 wheeler on franchise…now looking at going independent with a tractor unit and a 75 cu yd scrap trailer…I’ve been to see a major UK player who have said they can keep me busy…but I would appreciate any information on whether it’s any good before I make the jump…thank you in advance
The main downfall of scrap work is punctures. Not only the cost of the tyre it might mean missing a weigh bridge that closes at 4:30pm meaning you have to park up till 7:30am to tip that by 8:00am and then you drive to your next load when you thought you were going to be outside that customer at 6:00am and so on etc
The one good thing I suppose with scrap work is other the the last day of the month (Your customer might loose money on the load if scrap price is falling and you don’t want that conversation) generally the load is not urgent so you don’t need to panic about delivering the following day.
Used to service some scrap hauling motors, the tyre damage was literally amazing, every one would be cut to cords or ripped to shreds on the tri axle trailer.
As for the trailer wow is all I can say holes everywhere, plate them and next month would be a load more.
The trailers take a lot of abuse as depending on the material customers don’t want you leaving at less then 43500kg, they will pound the load in to get the weight on. Other times when they have real heavy stuff depending on the person in the machine loading you they might ‘drop’ the product in and also when tipping material it can damage the body on the way out the door.
Lad i know makes a decent living out of it , new trailer last year and a brand new 750 Volvo this year, and before anyone says it he.s not the type to spend money on a whim , if he.s shelled out as much as he has then theres definately a profit in it
Always remember the oldest saying in the WORLD
We’re there’s muck there’s brass.
My observation on this work whilst loading boxes for MSC on the scrap, was that the bulkers all seemed to have their own tyre men to come and sort out the problem, even those from the other side of the country, I cant ever remember seeing an ATS or similar changing a tyre…
One built up tyre on, and a shagged one off for major repair 
thanks for the replies…i appreciate it.