I just wanted some advise regarding what trucking career to go down. I used to work for a company outside of trucking but I unfortunately knackered my back so I won’t be able to return there. I’m start my class 2 driving course this Saturday and was wondering where to start after completing it. My aim was to become an owner driver but I don’t have 50,000 sitting around to buy a truck. What would you advise me to do? Work on paye with a company, work as self employed for a company or become an owner driver by leasing ?
Is your back going to be an issue with trucking? I had to give up driving because of a back problem. It’s not all about sitting in a cab all day turning a steering wheel! (which can cause backache in itself, sitting in one position for hours)
I’d go PAYE as someone else then looks after everything including the very expensive repair bills for the trucks, O licence requirements, Operators CPC and all that stuff.
However, you will find class 2 work tends to involve a lot of handballing or at least manual stuff so would be careful what jobs you go for. Class 1 in theory has less of it, generally, depending what you’re doing. If it’s just the heavy lifting stuff that’s knackering it then you might be ok as I found it much less strain on your body than some construction jobs.
I should be fine doctor has told me its early days if i maintain my lifting and continue my excersises i should be fine hence why im leaving so it does not worsen. was having a look around and came across working as a limited company for companys is the pay as good as it sounds ?
As said be careful if you have a bad back & working in transport as there still can be heavy lifting other work some curtains on curtain siders some fridge doors if you have to move heavy pallets etc also sitting in 1 position for a long time can aggravate your back
I would go paye as remember if you do go self employed the money may look better you are responsible for you tax & NI submitting your tex returns etc HMCR do several courses free of charge for this sort of thing if you want to look further into it
Old mate of mine went lorry driving after being told if he didn’t stop carpet fitting he’d end up with knackered knees, drove for some 25 years and back in the old days of crash boxes ropes and sheets.
Skip type work should be reasonable enough if you think the back might need an easier time for a few months/years, understandable.
By the way, whats all this bollox about how hard class 2 is these days, bloody class 1 often involved handballing 21 tons of bagged goods on and then off again, with roping and sheeting them in between and no bloody power steering/clutch etc to help with the driving bit, i know cos i’ve done it as have countless others, so do put this bloody class 2 is hard graft class 1 is a doddle into perspective people will yer.
For me all I have to do that’s even remotely physical is hook up my airlines, wind up the trailer legs, strap my load, buckle up my curtains and do the doors. Give me that over ■■■■■■■ a few tonnes of gear down the stairs of the Grosvenor Hotel with a sack truck ready to give up the ghost any second.
When I get to a drop its either a case of opening up the back doors or curtains, undoing the back 2 straps, or the whole load of I’m not pulling an XL trailer.
Then go and drink coffee, and locate smoking shelter.
I think I may have used a pump truck three times max in the last 2 years, and that was only on every occasion because I was taking 2 or 3 pallets somewhere, and they were halfway down the trailer and it was easier and quicker than faffing about with the curtains.
ROG:
CE work is generally less physical but C work is likely to be very physical especially for newbies trying to get a foot on the ladder
Although all the cat C work I did was easy but depends who you work for but then all the van work I did was fairly easy never done multi drop & not a lot of hand ball so can be done but as you say not always easy to get
My aim was to become an owner driver but I don’t have 50,000 sitting around to buy a truck. What would you advise me to do? Work on paye with a company, work as self employed for a company or become an owner driver by leasing ?
Thank you.
PAYE, why would anyone do anything else - you get pension, sick pay, holiday pay and someone else to work it all out for you for nothing.
If you are interested in the OD route, there’s a current four page thread on the Owners and Operators board. I strongly suggest that you shelve that idea until you have a bit more experience and then re-visit the idea. For most people, working as an OD gets them no more money, but a lot more headaches.
Thanks for all you’re replies, amazing advise for me =)
I’ve sent my license off for the provisional and have put down a deposit for my C license training. I’m planning on doing back to back training to gain both C and C+E at the same time. Eddie Stobart is recruiting trampers in my area so i think that the first place ill be applying.
ill return to OD at a later stage once i know the ins and outs.
