Morning all.
My name is Mike, and I have ended up here at this forum as I am looking for advice in starting my own business.
I am a currently a tree surgeon, and have done the job for about 7 years. As time has gone by I have been looking for an exit strategy as it’s a tough game to be in, and certainly more for the younger man! We have used trucks with a crane on several times over the years to help dismantle road side trees, and I have kept a keen eye on them as it’s something that has interested me greatly.
So in a nutshell, I am wanting to retire from tree work and start my own business driving either. 26 or 32 ton truck with a crane on. Ideally it would be a beavertail, to allow me to move plant, containers etc about, but I would like to pursue the tree work side using the crane too.
I have experience driving large set ups consisting of tractors and timber trailers, but I am effectively starting out from scratch as I don’t have a HGV license.
So it’s a rather broad area I am looking for advice on as you can imagine! I have secured a farm that I can use as the base for my operators license, and found a decent looking firm locally to do my training (I am based in North Yorkshire).
My budget to get started is around the 50k mark, with scope for a little bit more if needed. So I guess I am looking for any pointers on how I get started? Things to look out for? Best place for insurance quotes etc? Best place to search for a truck? (Currently look at autotrader…)
I hope this is in the right place on the forum, and that my request for information doesn’t make the regular users groan at another newbie… 
Any help greatly appreciated. I look forward to hopefully hearing from you all soon.
Cheers.
Ps. Should have elaborated slightly… my 50k budget is for everything! Buying the truck, getting my license, training etc, paying for first years yard space, first years insurance, tax, etc, getting website and marketing done…
The first thing you need to do is ensure you have enough work to keep you going. What’s the competition in the area? If there’s none, there’s usually a reason, if there’s plenty, it could be that everyone is fighting for work and that means rates will be on their arse.
50k is nice, but an 8 wheeler with a crane in decent shape is going to eat up a large chunk of that, yard rental depends on where you are in the country, the same with insurance.
There’s a ton of other stuff to consider, a CPC allowing you to operate a goods vehicle for hire and reward being a big one.
Step one, find work and do credit checks on the companies you intend to work for. Find out their payment terms.
Step two, take your CPC or hire an outside Transport Manager.
Step three, look for a suitable lorry. What that is will depend on many factors.
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I claim no expertise, but a lot talk of getting into a niche market. Since you speak the same language as tree surgeons how much work can you find there? Could that be enough to cover you while you seek to diversify?
Maybe you want to move away from trees eventually but it is one of your strengths isn’t it?
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Isnt Julian Yates [Gregorys Subbie] a tree surgeon by trade ?
I`m ■■■■ sure someone mentioned this somewhere ?
He must have a dozen trucks on for GDL
Hi Mike
A lot of the stuff on here isn’t going to make a lot of sense to a proper newbie (please don’t be insulted by that, I know bugger all about tree surgery) so you will need to have a conversation with someone first so you know what you’re asking.
The good thing is that there are a few knowledgeable owner drivers who can help but they don’t have masses of time as they are normally very busy keeping wolves from doors etc. 
I can’t tell you much about owner-driving but I can help you work out the right questions to ask and the extras regarding Transport Management, CPC etc as I am one for my sins, plus I am miles away so not angling for work 
Send me a PM with some details and I will try and help you as much as I can
get a licence…do the job as a worker for 6 months at least and see if you can handle the various scenarios and treatment you will be working in with the option of deciding…sod this,i, going back to being an arborist without the commitment and financial headache.
its great to be self employed but trucks are the best way to pour money down the drain before you decide to go down the pan.
leasing one for the full maintenance package and keep your cash would be a sensible option to some.
Thanks for the replies so far, some valid points raised all ready.
Regards the CPC training, presumably I can do this anytime, once I’ve got my driving license changed to a provisional HGV one?
Regards sourcing work etc. I’ve got a few local contacts I can use for work, but I’m in a fairly lucky position in that I can carry on doing the job I currently do whilst getting the truck business off the ground. I had always envisaged the two careers running side by side initially. I am confident I can get work, at least a few days a week to begin with.
I have been lucky enough to have the money loaned to me by my folks, as they have just sold up their farm and retired, so they can help me financially. So truth be told I won’t have the bank breathing down my neck for repayments, which is a big relief. I was looking at building up business over a year or so.
Thanks again for replies so far. I’m sure I’ll have more questions soon!
I had given some thought to spending some time working for someone else to get the experience under my belt. But I’d rather just get in and get myself going, it’s just my nature really although I do appreciate your point.
Now here is what is likely to be a proper newbie question!
Why oh why, does virtually nobody selling a truck advertise the price?!
Why the POA?? It’s so frustrating, as I try contacting lots and never get a reply!
POA stands for pricks only apply as generally the dealers are just basically greedy and looking to extract as much as possible from any prospective purchaser.no more to it than that.
if you have the cash,then buy direct from the auction and spend a cpl of quid making it perfect and save a good few grand as you will be buying the same truck from the dealer after its spruced up for several thousand more.
I’m not convinced that working for someone first is always the best way, it all depends on the individual. You can over think things, I like to keep it simple.
Now, on the opposite side of that comes the bad part, in this case you say you will carry on doing your current job when work is quiet on the lorry, but unless you make a fortune on the days you do work it, your wage for working your job will be swallowed up by standing costs, unless you earn a fortune as a wage.
If you earn a fortune out of the lorry, why work for a wage when it’s quiet? Or if you earn enough for a wage to pay to park up a lorry, why buy a lorry in the first place?
I own lorries for two reasons, the first and most important is to make money, the second is because I have a mental illness in which makes me do stupid things like buying lorries!
Even though I’m mentally challenged, I do know one thing, unless you have enough good paying work to keep you going all week, you’re going to iron that 50k out in no time and all you’ll have to show for it is misery.
Put the 50k into a couple of flats or starter homes, rent them out, see a decent return on your investment and pay your parents back their loan, or keep reinvesting it in other properties, you’ll earn far more money and have less headaches.
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Franglais:
I claim no expertise, but a lot talk of getting into a niche market. Since you speak the same language as tree surgeons how much work can you find there? Could that be enough to cover you while you seek to diversify?
Maybe you want to move away from trees eventually but it is one of your strengths isn’t it?
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You could say until he branches out.
Sorry I’ll get my coat. 
newmercman:
Put the 50k into a couple of flats or starter homes, rent them out,
When was the last time you bought property in the UK 
It was a while ago, but I did notice he’s up in Yorkshire, you can buy a house for 50quid up there, at least that’s what we used to sing to the poor folk up there when we visited for an away game. [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]
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You could say until he branches out.
Sorry I’ll get my coat.
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if it was me id leaf through some options before shooting off and spending dosh and putting his roots firmly into the haulage industry,otherwise he could find he is barking up the wrong tree and feeling a bit of a sap at the end of the day…anyone else??.
Blimey Ironmike talk about having no experience.
You obviously know you need an O’licence, as you’ve mentioned operating centre, you will also need an Operators CPC, not to be confused with your DCPC. Or employ the services of a CPC holder for your O’licence.
I would say experience of the haulage industry would be an advantage, but then it looks as if you plan to use your experience of Tree Surgery and probably have the contacts you’ll need to get work with the type of vehicle you are planning to buy.
As for doing tree surgery when the transport is quiet, surely if you are providing transport for that sector, surely the tree surgery will be quiet at the same time as your transport, it would me better to look for alternatives outside the sector, you might find something that dove tails with the peaks and troughs of tree surgery.
Use the forums search function to find recommendations of insurance companies.
Truck Trader, Truck locator and Commercial motor all have plenty of truck adverts online and in the case of truck locator they have a free mag, but you need to be somewhere truck orientated to find it and Commercial Motor has a mag each week. Loads of ads for everything, not just trucks, but also insurance and companies looking for subbies, but they need to be treated with some cynicism.
The POA thing on truck prices is a bit of a pain, but plenty of research and a few calls and you’ll get a general idea of what the market value of a particular vehicle is.
The only other thing I’d add is apparently haulage companies are only second to restaurants for start-up failures. So it might worth thinking about holding onto the £50k and getting a PAYE job, but then I realise some people prefer to run their own business and really don’t fit in as an employee.
dieseldog999:
You could say until he branches out.
Sorry I’ll get my coat.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
if it was me id leaf through some options before shooting off and spending dosh and putting his roots firmly into the haulage industry,otherwise he could find he is barking up the wrong tree and feeling a bit of a sap at the end of the day…anyone else??.
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Bilmey a veritable forest of puns.
I can tell I’m going to like this forum… puns galore all ready haha!
Again some very valid points raised, my thanks to those taking the time to read the topic and post answers.
I have wholeheartedly set my mind on doing this, I’m absolutely positive I can do it and make it a success. I am aware that a decision like this isn’t to be taken lightly though, so my plan is to make sure I’ve covered all bases beforehand.
I had all ready thought about going to an auction to get my vehicle. I am fairly mechanically minded, as is my old man. So I am sure we could tart up something in exchange for getting it cheaper from the auction.
I think there is a little confusion over my plans though… I initially feel I’ll have to run my truck business next to doing tree work as I’ll need time to get the truck off the ground. But, the aim is to most definitely stop doing tree work altogether in the end! I figured I’ll have to keep my hand in at the early stages of the business launch or I’ll have no money at all. I can’t see how it’ll be possible to stop being a tree surgeon on Friday and start doing the truck job on a Monday. Surely there must be a crossover period, unless I get lucky and get booked up straight away.
Tree surgeons average salary is 20 K no wonder he wants to branch out. [emoji849]
If you really want to blow your 50 grand , apply for operators licence, do your hgv test or tests if you want to tow, driver cpc, crane ticket, operators cpc you want to do that side of it yourself, even if you don’t go down the owner driver road, use the money you’ve spent so far to expand your arb business, bigger chip truck, tipper with crane, hookloader, and so on.
Insurance, normal goods in transit X£ per ton will be no good for a lot of potential customers, they will want all risks, to at least cover the valve of the goods carried, or may have a set amount specified, new tractors and plant carried on a rigid usually ask in the range of £75000 to £125000, some might ask for onhook cover while lifting, a decent broker will sort you out.
Buying a truck, take a mechanic with you when you go to view it, usual truck wear and tear, plus the crane can get expensive, having a MOT and LOLER on it doesn’t mean trouble free.
Don’t know where your based in north Yorkshire, if south of the county there is a good chance you would be going into Leeds? With the LEZ looming you would be better with a euro 6 truck, unfortunately I don’t think you will get a euro 6 plant truck with crane on your budget. Established operators may be able to pass some of the costs (daily charge or truck purchase) on, as a new start you might not be lucky enough, to be in a position to be picky with work offered (unless some one is taking the ■■■■, every one should turn this down).
If you get this far, the is a good chance one day you find your customers getting their machines moved for beer money by a lad using dad`s tractor and trailer and filled with red, every one likes a bargain. Round here some plant hire companies deliver their plant out with tractor and trailer, they might be doing it right, but others see it and think its the way to go.
Generally you wont have regular work from one customer, and need a large customer base to fill your week, unlike what some find in general haulage.