I (and many other O/D’s) would be interested to know tips and tricks you use to help to increase your profit margin
Do you concentrate on reducing costs (Fuel, Insurance, Maintenance)?
Do you spend time finding compatible drops ?
Do you spend time looking for better paid jobs?
What in your opinion is the most cost effective way to reduce costs or increase receipts and how do you do it?
One of the most cost -effective ways of increasing my profit margin would be to reduce my costs for advertising my product or service. I would do this by posing as an individual on a popular forum/message board and making an introduction posting which just happened to mention a link to my commercial enterprise website somewhere in the text. Bingo - absolutely FREE ADVERTISING.
But it looks like you beat me to it !
Mods. - Is this allowed ? 
Deesider:
Mods. - Is this allowed ?
Vans4Free’s original post was removed…but he then asked us permission to post this one. Since a)I considered it to be basically anonymous (as in it doesn’t specifically relate to any particular firm or service) and b)the answers it produses could provoke a valid debate, permission was granted! 
Thanks for looking out for us, though…
No problem, Lucy…
Deesider:
:!: just happened to mention a link to my commercial enterprise website
Criticism I can happily take, pointing out my lack of knowledge of forum rules I happily accepted from you with gratitude for you pointing me in the right direction to get things straight. However your quote is a little naughty really as I make no mention in my text of ANY link to any commercial web-site.
Please I am a newbie to this forum, I now know what is and isn’t allowed and am in communication with the correct people, play fair I don’t want to start out by getting on the wrong side of people and into a heavy debate.
Rob
Vans4Free:
play fair I don’t want to start out by getting on the wrong side of people and into a heavy debate.Rob
The words lamb to the slaughter suddenly entered my head 
p.s
Getting back on topic I would say that as fuel is my biggest outlay that the more i can save in this area the better
Tee Hee but beware the wolf …
Fuel fuel fuel the bane. There is only so far that you can go with finding cheaper fuel. What else do you guys do? tinker with the hours to get more jobs?
Would you rather increase the profit margin by working harder/longer or do you aim to work a little less and earn the right money. Where/what is your motivation?
Rob
Yes I have an ulterior motive but isn’t information of benefit to all■■?
[ZB]
paul
Edited for personal attack Rikki
So serious debate and sharing information to assist people to make a living or just abuse the newbie ?
Why not spell out your motive - if I know what you’re uo to, I might reply.
The motive bit was really just a quote
I am interested in finding out what considerations you make to increase your profit margin.
The reason?
I am a distributor for a service which will enable van owners to increase their income without increasing their work load. This is a very new service and I want to understand more about your business because it is now my business.
I won’t advertise my business in posts on this forum now that I understand how the forum owners wish the forum to be run but have agreed with them that I can use the forum to access the expertise and knowledge of all the forum readers who use this forum to improve my business knowledge.
This site gets 31,000 visitors and over 2.5 million page views per month which enables me to hear the views and be in communication with a lot of people who will inevitably become my customers in the future.
For example. Trucknetuk offer advertising at £75 per month for banners. I can make a banner to say anything I want but want to know what will catch the interest best.
I have my first set of leaflets at the printers but obviously I will be placing newspaper adverts and magazine adverts.
There is another reason as well. My mum and step dad run a delivery business with half a dozen vans or so which is growing by about a van every 6 months and they are looking at this thread with interest to see what ideas they can use to increase their profit margins
Regards
Rob
For Infomation…
As Rob.(Vans4Free) says…
He has contacted us and asked permission to do some market research…
he did initially advertise his service, but after being informed it was against forum rules he willingly accepted their removal.
As with ANY post that is within the rules of this site… It is your choice to read or answer… If you dont like the post or poster then ignore it… Please dont drop into name calling or other breaches of the rules
Vans4Free:
tinker with the hours to get more jobs?
Never, the day it comes to that would be the day I quit, anyone who does that to make a profit is kidding themself.
For me it’s about knowing my costs, controling my costs not working for silly money and also not working 24/7.
Vans4Free:
I (and many other O/D’s) would be interested to know tips and tricks you use to help to increase your profit margin
keep costs down as much as possible and keep the rates going up as much as I can
Ok, my customers are different than the majority - they still moan but they pay up in the end
well, i don’t run my own truck, i am an employed driver but i look out for my employers interests, after all, his best interest is also mine.
i always fuel up where the price is the cheapest, usually luxembourg on the route i take, my employer also gets a discount at a number of the motorway fuel stations in lux so i try to use them despite a drivers club card promotion at one of the stations that doesn’t offer a discount.
whenever i stop the truck i switch off the engine, even if i am stuck in traffic and don’t expect to move for a couple of minutes, i always switch off when changing trailers, a hgv will use approx 1 gallon of fuel every hour whilst idling.
i tuck in all the loose straps on the curtain sided trailers so as to reduce drag (it looks more professional too).
i check my tyre pressures regularly and use the crossfire devices to make things easier and to help reduce fuel use.
my employer specs the trucks with low height fifth wheels which lowers the height of the trailer thus reducing the drag factor, he also adjusts the suspension on the cab and the unit to make the set up more aerodynamic.
i go easy on the accelerator, there isn’t much point rushing to join the back of a queue.
i use the cruise control whenever possible and block change too when possible.
i try to stick to motorways instead of cutting across country, not always possible but for the most it is.
your drivers can either be your best asset or your worst nightmare when it comes to profit margins.
look for a system that helps them realise the fuel saving possibilities and rewards them for their efforts.
Still none the wiser.
But also lost interest (good sales tactic is to keep the potential customer enthralled).
I run a truck, brother runs 20+ vans/trucks, Dad (my TM) was the boss of a specialist national leasing company (thousands of vehicles).
Always open to new ideas, this one has fallen into the “can I speak to the person who looks after your mobile phones” category.
Johnny — good stuff — agree with everything you said!
Coffeeholic:
Vans4Free:
tinker with the hours to get more jobs?Never, the day it comes to that would be the day I quit, anyone who does that to make a profit is kidding themself.
For me it’s about knowing my costs, controling my costs not working for silly money and also not working 24/7.
I agree with Neil entirely if you cant make a profit running legally then you are on the wrong work.
Go somewhere else where you can
OK how about paying to advertise on the sides of my vehicles? 
LOL