Hi All A new member to this forum.
I have been reading this forum for a while now, and having read the very many articles on here about Owner Drivers I thought I would tell my Story. ( I know another O/O Debacle ) I am sorry to drag up another old potato with this.
Just a short bit about myself. I started in the transport industry back in 1976, having put myself through my Class one and going on to drive for a few of the regular name’s that were about in them days and often mentioned on here.
In about 1990 I decided to take my Managers CPC. At the time I was set on being an O/O but the reality soon dawned on me. I did not have the money to get started on my own.
Fast forward to 2014. No Mortgage, No kids to look after, and a bit of savings just sitting there. Still dreaming of the O/O route, so I decided to take the plunge. So I spent many many months looking at different business plans. Do I lease, Do I buy cash, Do I buy HP. Well after realising that I would need a sack full of money ( Cash Flow ) then buying cash went out of the window. I liked the look of leasing " Nice newish truck with the correct name on the front" But then I realised that it was not the cheapest way to go and did I really need a Newish Truck with the big name on the front.
So I finally decided to go with an unloved but cheap truck with low km’s. So I went with the unfashionable Renault Premium. Yes I no as basic as a 50cc go cart, designed in the 50’s BUT it had very low kms and was cheap. And it was very reliable. At the end of 2018 I chopped the Premium in for a 2016 Renault 460 T and so far it has been a Diamond.
Now what about work. Well I had done a big selection of work in the UK and abroad before starting on my own. Flats, Tilts, Reefer, and a stint on tippers, and the dregs as far as I am concerned Containers. So after lots of trial and some big errors, I have finally stuck with unaccompanied Trailers. Yes I no lots of dodgy trailer operators out there, but I now work expressly for just three customers. One covers about 60% of my work. The other two roughly about 20% each.
Has it all been worth it… Well in the main I would say yes not because of the Money although I do earn a bit more than being employed. But more so because I get to drive the Vehicle that I am happy with, I get to choose the work that I am happy to do on a daily basis. And if I do no want to work next week then I just park up.
O/O is not for everyone but at least I do not have to deal with cameras in the Cab, 19 year old traffic clerks telling me how to do my job. And the satisfaction of knowing any profit I might make goes in my pocket and not into someone else’s bank account.
Hope I have not bored you all keep safe and I hope next year brings you better fortunes.
Welcome Peroni, and fair play to you. I went the O/O route in 2000 but after weighing up pros and cons and risk v reward I opted for vans doing European fast freight reasoning that turnover was vanity and profit was sanity, and made an extremely comfortable living from that until the EE guys in vans with sleeper pods decimated that market. Hey ho, back to employed driver it was then. No regrets though.
Re the Renault Premium; I have a mate who’s a very level headed Notts guy who lives near Retford and he has consistently bought lorries such as Premiums that badge snobs won’t touch, and he’s bought them cheaply reasoning that they are merely a tool to do a job and he makes a very comfortable living doing empty pallets nationwide.
Nothing wrong with a Renault Premium, great truck, pull well, remember drivers slagging off the Volvo FL10 but once again a good motor.And the Premium is narrower than most other brands of which is ideal for rural work and farm entrances.
Ido not think personally there is anything wrong with a premium .You come across as a bit of a badge snob ,Making excuses for not having a Scania …Renault may not have the best of back up ,but while it is running it will be earning more than the Badge truck,as it is costing less…Nowdays a truck is a truck .Braking and suspension systems are supplied to all manufacturers by 2 or 3 suppliers.and it is the same with the ad blue .Looms are made by again 1 or 2 companies …If you open a XF door the plugs have scania and volvo on them…All trucks have their issues even the premium brands ,they are all getting worse as technology progresses …The main differences are cabs and how they are done ,some use better quality materials, some have more space and better cupboards ,some have a better switch layout and digital gauges,and some look prettier than other externally …Personally i like DAF for all it’s problems ,i remember way back in the 70s when i left school ,i got a job with FIAT IVECO and we had a DAF in as a teenager i liked the look of it ,we also had bedfords in ,hated them…Strangely enough i spent the next 15 years working on bedfords lol but have been working on DAF for over 20 years …I look at trucks on how simple they are to work on …Gearbox removal on a Dfa is the easiest job you will ever get …EGR has ■■■■■■ up engine jobs ,but all manufacturers are in the same boat with that ( except iveco )