Starting up pros cons and rates

Good luck to you

I run traction only for a local haulier and have a flat day rate plus mileage. This tends to translate to around 1.70 per mile laden/unladen.
We have two low loaders of our own which are kept occupied mainly with ‘own account’ loads for another part of the business but also do ad-hoc work. I have always priced work for these using what I was taught on my TM CPC course; standing costs, fixed costs etc plus profit. For short/local work I have an hourly rate.
7 year old paid for unit, one newish trailer, one very old one. Occasionally hire a curtain sider.
Personally found general haulage/traction work worth doing very hard to come by, unpleasant to organise, poorly paid and generally stressful.
Not going to be retiring soon but plod on OK. Currently pondering if it’s worth the aggro/expense/complication of changing units just to be able to go into the LEZ next year.