may I suggest you turn your caps lock off as with it on it is the equivolent of shouting ta
As for being an O/D it is not an easy way to make a living but when everything is going well it is a good living.
I dont know what type of work you have done in the past but most people stick to what they know, ie containers/bulkers/friges etc etc.
As far as what you can earn that is limited to the tacho laws to a degree so the only variant between the types of work would the rates and these vary enormously.
As far as experience is concerned I dont think it matters too much to the company whom you contract to as it is not their equipment (usually) being put at risk but as I said ear;ier most O/D’s stick to what they know anyway
I would suggest buying the newest truck you can afford outright at the beggining upgrading as you go along
i cannot help you with companies in your area as I have never been to Scotland sorry
You say you have been a mechanic for 10 years, I would strongly advise working as a hgv driver for a company for some time a year or two before becoming an O/D. Maybe one that uses O/D’s alongside their own drivers, then you can switch across when you feel comfortable and they will know and trust you, plus you will know the job.
The main thing to remember, to make any money at it you need to be away all week. As your from Scotland you should get a few nice long distance runs to England. Fridge work is the easiest work for O/D’s and plenty of food goes south from Scotland. Read some of the other posts on the forum to find out which companies use O/D’s and are worth pulling for. Many firms offer low rates in the hope they can make easy money. All the answers you need are somewhere on this site and also www.ownerdrivers.org.uk
Bellshill has a lot of industry, celsius first use O/D’s in this area, not sure if they still take people on though. Just remember the work dies off after christmas, make sure you’re covered.
Silver Surfer,
Your statement at the bottom of your post is deeply offensive to me and one million other people who LIVE in NORTHERN IRELAND and are 100% British and PROUD OF IT!!!
Everybody is entitled to their own political beliefs but this is a truck forum and your sectarian signature does not belong here
Most firms should offer a fuel card, They usually charge more than for fuel that you can buy on your own card, but its helps the cash flow on starting up.
also if a firm is going to go ■■■■ up, the fuel card is the first thing to dry up, if it does - pull off asap .
Whoever said try to work in a company where they run a mixed fleet ie owner drivers and company vehicals got it right…I started 18 months ago from that exact same senario and have just brought my 3rd and 4th trucks i made my reputation while i was a company driver and my customer.As i am “ex company” look after me that much better and i get inside tips. My company is changing its entire fleet to “megas” i got wind of this from a manager and was able to start lookin for mega tractors 6 months ago.(not easy to find) the other hauliers are struggling to find them now. New ones are at least a 6 month wait now all i have to worry about is finding drivers Do it
i’ve talked it over with the wife now too and taken all your points into consideration, decided to go for it, not sure exactly how to go about it yet but the suggestion about getting experience with a company then switching to o/d makes alot of sense to me.
Be careful Mike as you would be on dodgy legal ground there. If you are an O/D you need your own O Licence, someone can’t ‘put you on his licence.’
He could be the nominated CPC holder on your licence, subject to certain requirements being met, and you could have an agreement for him to do your maintenance, provided this was acceptable to the Licensing authorities.
Him providing a fuel card is also no problem, and can be a good idea when you are a new start because if he wants the money to pay the fuel card he would need to pay you.
The fact he mentioned paying £1500 a week plus doesn’t mean a lot as you need to know, for a start, how many miles you would be doing. If you were doing 1000 miles a week that wouldn’t be bad but if you were doing 2000 miles a week it would be rubbish.
I can only stress the advice that has already been given on this site
start with the best you can afford - not necessarily the best unit - but reliable is always better than getting yourself into trouble - don’t forget with all thos ehours you are going to be working, you need tobe able to sleep at night - not worrying about how you are going to be paying the bills…
get some good reliable work - hopefully from a reputable firm that will pay you good rates and on time for the work you have done
anyone can work all the hours under the sun - but they will get caught eventually
anyone can be a busy fool - know your customer - know your rates - if it isn’t worth doing - leave it to the fools!!!
Coffeeholic:
Be careful Mike as you would be on dodgy legal ground there. If you are an O/D you need your own O Licence, someone can’t ‘put you on his licence.’
He could be the nominated CPC holder on your licence, subject to certain requirements being met, and you could have an agreement for him to do your maintenance, provided this was acceptable to the Licensing authorities.
Him providing a fuel card is also no problem, and can be a good idea when you are a new start because if he wants the money to pay the fuel card he would need to pay you.
The fact he mentioned paying £1500 a week plus doesn’t mean a lot as you need to know, for a start, how many miles you would be doing. If you were doing 1000 miles a week that wouldn’t be bad but if you were doing 2000 miles a week it would be rubbish.
I’m sure what you say in the first and second paragraphs actually goes on in this country quite widespread. I’ve worked for a number of small outfits in the past where the company owner hasn’t had his own CPC and his vehicles have been on his friends O-licence. I assume that it is simply down to the other company tell/apply to the Ministry for those vehicles to be added.
To me it seems a cost-saving way of operating, as long as that company that wishes to add their vehicles to your O-licence is trustworthy otherwise you could find yourself with all kinds of unwanted hassle.
Just out of interest, assuming your have the CPC and O-licence ‘problems’ already overcome, apart from maint and diesel what other costs are involved. I would assume GIT and vehicle (& trailer?) insurance? Public liability insurance too or is this not needed/comes as part of the GIT/vehicle insurance package? Approximate figures? (UK container work, own trailer permanently hooked up - I understand there are savings to be made here).
Click Happy:
I’m sure what you say in the first and second paragraphs actually goes on in this country quite widespread.
Just because something is widespread doesn’t make it legal. It does, as you say, indeed go on but I personally know four people who have fallen foul of VOSA over this type of arrangement, both the O Licence holder and the ‘friend’ can both be in trouble when they are found out.
Click Happy:
I’ve worked for a number of small outfits in the past where the company owner hasn’t had his own CPC and his vehicles have been on his friends O-licence.
Not having his own CPC doesn’t stop him from having his own O Licence, I haven’t got a CPC but I have my own O Licence.
wilkinsons distribution center at manton near worksop have all their haulage done by “owner drivers” i can’t remember wether it’s three or four firms involved but all the wagons run on wilkinsons o’license something like thirty trucks,they stipulate the make and model of the wagon and all must be painted in the orange livery and sign written in wilkos signage but are all privately owned with the maitainence etc being carried out by the owners rather than wilko’s so it can be done but not sure of the ins and outs of it.
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Do it