With regards to using the likes of Haulage exchange companies for back loads. Dose anyone use these companies for their complete work? Are they cost effective once the usual monthly fees are paid to provide a decent living. cheers peeps
NO
In an ideal world, you should cost the job so that one way is the work, and are able to run back empty, and the back load should be the bonus, in the real world , in most people’s lives, a lot are relying on the backload to supplement the outgoing load and be a smaller bonus. Never ever run both ways on backload prices.
Thank you Matt for clear, helpful honest reply. Could I ask you another question though. Going to an agency as a self employed freelance driver( as this is a more realistic option for a route into the haulage world rather than the one of getting a truck and going it alone, haven’t totally given up on that yet though) would I need to have certain cover with regards to insurances? I know that there is the obvious, truck driver insurance,pub lia bil and GIT but would I need any or all of these presenting myself to an agency? cheers.
chaversdad:
NO
I couldnt have been more clear, helpful and honest if i tried, thing is kitozz there is no way you are ever going to run your own truck so please stop filling this forum with pointless posts , sorry if that sounds a bit harsh but its the way it is
Really,
the pointless thing is inconsiderate unhelpful replies like yours. Never going to run a truck! I wish I had that crystal ball that you have obviously got.
What’s your thinking of doing self employed with agency? It would have to be your specific circumstances that would make this logical. I see nothing wrong with £10/hour paye. Don’t let agencies lose your holiday pay. It works that your entitled to 1 hour for every 8 worked, so claim them weekly.
If however you want to be a one man agency, do this direct to firms, but have something to offer them. Be professional. You won’t struggle to get work at around £14/hour ( where are you btw?)
With regards to insurances, let’s be clear, you would love t’s and c’s and customers that will allow you zero liability.
Goods In Transit. You ain’t ever, as a driver, gonna be accepting responsibility of the goods. Not ever. Not for 14/hour, not for £20/hour.
You should have public liability as a ‘get out of jail free card’.
£10 paye sometime soon should start looking more attractive.
I’ve said it before on one of your threads and I’ll say it again. Take your managers cpc.
A driver that can prove he can pass an A level is a great thing.
A one man band agency that can talk the talk and give confidence, won’t ever struggle to be a one man agency.
If your an employee that can add commercial awareness to your skill set, your worth more.
And if you fancy a steady 40k salary as just a transport managers assistant at a big food retailer, then you can.
And if you then still want to put a wagon on the road it’s one less hurdle.
As for chaversdad, he’s just as likely to give you half hour on the phone as any other decent chap, so don’t think he’s being a negative Norris, but there are a load of dreamers on here.
kitozz1:
Really,
the pointless thing is inconsiderate unhelpful replies like yours. Never going to run a truck! I wish I had that crystal ball that you have obviously got.
Sorry if i came across a bit negative but i was in a foul mood ( a 4k repair bill does this to you)
The point i suppose i was making is that the type of questions you are asking shows you are no where near ready to start up on your own, but when the time comes and you are ready just remember one thing , FIND THE WORK FIRST then buy a truck, theres no other way to do it if you plan on running a profitable business, do it the other way and it will end in tears
The short answer to the OP’s question is no, nobody uses backload sites for their compete work. A load from a backload site may be “better than nothing” if you need to get from one particular place to another in that it would pay for the diesel, but you certainly couldn’t run a truck on the rates offered if you got all your work from them.
Thanks Harry Monk for that. I’m asking of the back load companies as I was thinking of signing up with Haulage exchange. I believe that its approx. £60 ish pmth and that gets you into their programme of available load work. This of course is if and when I start up. It sounds like you may have used these kind of firms yourself in the past! If im right, then is it simply a case of you finding or are informed of a load they have and you basically put a price bid in for what you will do it for? Is there any negotiations or is it just a yes or no answer to your offer?
There’s no straight answer to that kit.Everyone will be different. Imagine if the roles were reversed, you may have a second load you can make a drink on so may have a set price to offer the Subby, take it or leave it, it may be your own goods and you simply have to have it there by tomoz am, you may have to take whatever price comes in.it gonna be what it’s gonna be.
I tried them a few years back. As mattwood said, it would be nice to make a bit extra. reality was that payment was slow, ended up doing a lot of waiting around on a few. Just not worth the bother, we run back empty now and are better off for it.