was thinking about buying a unit in the new year but i got talking to a mate of mine and he said buy a 7.5 tonner as the rates are the same if not better and as it costs less to run i,ll make more money .now is this true and also does anybody run 7.5 tonners to the continent as you see a fair few nowadays with uk/europe written on them any advice welcome.cheers 
My boss is talking about ditching the 7.5 because the rates are lower, so not sure what the exact score is.
But if I were you I would look at a 10 or 12 tonner especially if youâre considering europe. A 7.5 will take about 3 ton payload which can be very little (3 pallets) and if you go for a sleeper and a taillift this can go down to 2.2 ton (Atego hi top sleeper with steel deck tuck under taillift - I used to drive one so I know that limit)
If you go for a 12 make sure itâs plated to less (11,990) to get under the restrictions in europe and you should have a payload of 6 ton or so which would be a lot more flexible.
With the new limiter restrictions coming in for 3.5 - 7.5t then there will be no speed advantage in getting a 7.5. If you choose a 12t with a 230 class motor then it should be flexible enough and you wont see too much of a hit on the economy,
If you can get a job which requires volume but not weight think about having one set up as a prime mover then you can put a trailer on if needs be for extra volume or just use the wagon on itâs own - more flexibility.
just a few thoughts
Jules
good point about the limiter, thats always been the biggest advantage of running a 7.5t, think youâll see a lot of firms ditch em in the next year or so.
as for running a rigid against a unit? thats diffinately the way to go IF you can find regular work, often the rates are as good if not better although the running costs arenât as much difference as you might think.
paul b:
good point about the limiter, thats always been the biggest advantage of running a 7.5t, think youâll see a lot of firms ditch em in the next year or so.
Add to this the requirment to take a LGV test for anyone who passed their car test after 1997 and wants to drive anything bigger than a 3.5 tonner, and the 7.5 tonners advantage that it can also be driven on a car licence will slowly dissapear.
cheers guys i,ll look for a 10/12 tonner .boots it was a atego i was thinking of theres cherwelltrucks in chipping norton who specialize in small rigids and they have some nice motors a decent prices
well can get a 12ton merc atego high roof with low miles for ÂŁ12500.insurence ÂŁ1943 fully comp 12 months i,ll be doin general haulage so heres the question how much goods in transit insurence should i have.
If you run under the RHA terms of carriage like a lot of companies then your liability is limited to so much per kilo. Presumably you multiply that by your payload to find the maximum liability , then get enough goods in transit to cover it. Our self-employed van drivers all have to have ÂŁ20,000 goods in transit cover.
Calv
carl thinkthis tip over ,and that is the fitting of extra largew fuel tanks to make life easyierwhen doing GB after a run across the water where fuel is cheaper,also the advantage with the 7.5tn is that you have no driveing bans
when working abroad ,this is why you see so many also if you get the right connections set up then you can earn a good amount with this JIT/EXPRESS work,
I bought a Daf L5 45 a month or so ago.
52 plate, 180hp, 215,000k.
10 Toner (3.75t payload due to specialist body).
Nice little sleeper cab â okay for a couple of nights out.
Speed limiter set at 97kph (I should really drop this to 90 as I go abroad).
Cruise control and effective exhaust brake.
Pulls well â only a straight six, but very rarely have to drop a gear on motorways.
13mpg approx
By a truck to do the job, not for ego. This thing looks like a big 7.5 toner, so proper truck drivers donât tend to speak to me anymore and donât flash me in (but I know whatâs on my licence!!). But I need to run at 4.0m â to get the load space height, I need a low deck height. This Daf is on 17.5â wheels, but different axles/tyres to a 7.5T. Long rear overhang makes life interesting!
These middle weight trucks (10 to 15 t) arenât that easy to find second user. I was quoted ÂŁ30K+ for a new Atego chassis. The new Daf, Iveco & Merc cabs are far better than the older models.
The small fuel tank is a drag. Not so much for savings abroad, more because of the range. Iâve had quotes from Daf to add another tank.
Cost of ownership (other than insurance) isnât much more than a 7.5t.
Okay, so you need Class 2 (Class 1 when towing). The length, height, overhang, load carried and, with improvements, itâs cost me ÂŁ30K, mean I wouldnât let an untrained driver near it anyway!
At 10t, it needs vignette and is subject to bans, but itâs exempt from German tolls.