Don’t shout me down but, I’m thinking about starting up for myself. I can get my hands on the start up capital and would be looking at an outright purchase of a cf daf, circa 2006. I have a budget, on paper, with costings around £1700 a week (inc wages and fuel). The only things missing from my budget are, the cost of 6 weekly inspections, and how much should I pay for a transport manager until I pass a cpc?
From memory your 6 week can get done for around £70 and your TM, well for us we had 4 wagons I think he was on £400 a month?
Might be utter bull but thats what I remember!
I work on (last years figures)
£600 pw Standing costs- Ins, admin, accountant, trl, parking. got my own cpc.
Derv now at 65p p/mile @8mpg.
I get whats left.
Hope this helps.
stagedriver:
From memory your 6 week can get done for around £70
I’d like to know where ■■? 
Denis F:
stagedriver:
From memory your 6 week can get done for around £70I’d like to know where ■■?
yeah, me too 
i know a couple of places, 1 at £50 and 1 at £60 adn also a man in a van at £60 
PMI’s average 55.00 every six weeks unless of course he can find something expensive that needs doing! TM costs me 100 a month.
Have you got your operating center coated.
Or even costed.
bazstan009:
PMI’s average 55.00 every six weeks unless of course he can find something expensive that needs doing! .
there’s always something that needs doing in my experience, unless you can do them yourself they’re going to cost £300-£400 a time ! And more if there’s anything expensive !!
Denis F:
bazstan009:
PMI’s average 55.00 every six weeks unless of course he can find something expensive that needs doing! .there’s always something that needs doing in my experience, unless you can do them yourself they’re going to cost £300-£400 a time ! And more if there’s anything expensive !!
that depends on who is doing the inspection Denis
if it is a back street garage, then yes, sometines, something needs doing, but if it is on full R+M with a main dealer, there will be very little needs doing until after the R+M has expired 
shuttlespanker:
if it is a back street garage, then yes, sometines, something needs doing, but if it is on full R+M with a main dealer, there will be very little needs doing until after the R+M has expired
I’m sure there will be loads to do when the R+M expires
Denis F:
stagedriver:
From memory your 6 week can get done for around £70I’d like to know where ■■?
mines only 60 quid every 6 weeks , isnt £30 an hour about right ?
If your planning on running a 2006 truck with circa 600 to 700 k on the clock you should allow approx £95 + vat for an inspection plus the cost of fuel to get to said maintenance house people seem to forget the £20 it costs to get there and back if its very local , but very rarely does it stop at that figure as it’ll need a litre of oil , a cable tie , four bulbs and some screen wash which you’ll be tucked up for !!..Beyond that you should allow a decent maintenance budget for running a truck of that age and mileage … Depending on what work your doing and how much stick it may get will depend on how much but you should allow gut at least £150 per week for maintenance … Yes i’m sure you’ll all say it doesn’t cost that much because you like to think it doesn’t !! there will always be a little something like a valve and they are always several hundred quid …
Personally when a truck reaches 600k i like to get rid , ive just traded my 600k 54 plate in for another new 105 xf , I find up to 600k you spend sod all on it and have next to no breakdowns (touch wood) …
Just my opinion but never fool yourself into thinking your costs are lower than they are as 9 times out of ten they are higher !!
Good Luck
And if you want a cpc holder give me an email
Thanks for the replies, those were the kind of prices I was hoping for. As for buying a new motor, that’s a long way off. Whilst I totally agree with you, I think it’s suicide to have finance as a new start up. As you can see from my original post I’m looking at costs of over £1700 a week on a 48 week projection. I just won’t have the extra £200 a week for finance, although after 6 months I may look at a leasing deal with the R+M included. I know there’s not an endless pot of gold out there, I’ve just got to a point where I want something more than just being a Joe Bloggs driver, but I’m very realistic about the costs involved. I’ve spoke to a couple of container firms in Felixstowe about work, they can offer me local work on job rates rather than milage rates which is what I’m looking for, so hopefully keeping the milage down, and then the diesel and wear and tear hopefully won’t criple me. It’s all a long way off yet anyway.
Think the most important thing when you’re starting up is not having big weekly finance payments going out for the wagon. Just need to source a decent second hand motor and hopefully have a bit of luck with it not breaking down or expensive parts going kaput on it.
Dont forget the new LEZ from January 3rd…dont think a 2006 DAF will be good enough to go inside the M25 for free , good luck if you have a go though
Blissy:
Dont forget the new LEZ from January 3rd…dont think a 2006 DAF will be good enough to go inside the M25 for free , good luck if you have a go though
I wasn’t planning on going into the lez zone blissy, just working a 70 radius of felixstowe. That’s why I was looking at cheap, late euro 3 units. Have you bought a new one? Saw yours in Roy Humphreys
Although i’ve never been an owner driver, from the advice given on here from those have, is it not also important factor in the cost of a replacement vehicle.
Regards
KP
OVLOV JAY:
Blissy:
Dont forget the new LEZ from January 3rd…dont think a 2006 DAF will be good enough to go inside the M25 for free , good luck if you have a go thoughI wasn’t planning on going into the lez zone blissy, just working a 70 radius of felixstowe. That’s why I was looking at cheap, late euro 3 units. Have you bought a new one? Saw yours in Roy Humphreys
I’ve knocked it on the head mate and sold it…derv is far to expensive now to make it pay decent money
so after 27 years I’ve gone on the books for MRCT …must admit I’m looking forward to getting a little brown envelope with a bunch of £ notes sticking out of the corner on Friday…or doesn’t it work that way any more. 
gram67:
Although i’ve never been an owner driver, from the advice given on here from those have, is it not also important factor in the cost of a replacement vehicle.Regards
KP
I have factored in £100 a week, assuming I could still get 5k trade/export after 3 years, should have nearly 20k for a replacement. After all, in 2014, euro 4 units will be cheap, as the lez changes to euro 5 in 2015