Conor:
Just passed test, never driven a lorry for real so don’t even know the basics, going to start own business running a lorry. What could possibly go wrong? After all its just as simple as get a truck, get a load and away you go…
I’d get familiar with the bankruptcy process because you’ll be there inside a year.
Want some advice? Go work for someone driving their trucks for four or five years until you actually learn something and then decide whether you want to set fire to your money. Its a bit more involved than driving a van around moving stuff for people on Facebook.
i know there is a lot more to driving a lorry hence why I’m asking for advice while I’m doing market research! I totally understand that you have to be a
in the industry to know certain things and I know this isn’t going to be over night and not once did I say I would launch a company without driving first! I’m simply try to understand the market as best as possible and thought this maybe somewhere to get advice…
Before you take any notice of anybody here, first find out their background, lots of people who have only ever owned a lorry built by Corgi will have an opinion, yet it’s not based on experience and is therefore, well a waste of their time and yours.
When I bought my first lorry in 1994 I had the same, for every one that wished me good luck there were ten who told me I was mad, of that ten very few had any experience of running their own lorry and those that did had failed spectacularly. 23yrs later, I’m still running my own lorry, two actually and I’ve had up to a dozen on the road over the years, so you could say I wasn’t as mad as some would like to believe.
My advice, find a small operator or owner driver and pick their brains, don’t pay too much attention to what you read on the Internet, except this post obviously lol.
Conor:
Just passed test, never driven a lorry for real so don’t even know the basics, going to start own business running a lorry. What could possibly go wrong? After all its just as simple as get a truck, get a load and away you go…
I’d get familiar with the bankruptcy process because you’ll be there inside a year.
Want some advice? Go work for someone driving their trucks for four or five years until you actually learn something and then decide whether you want to set fire to your money. Its a bit more involved than driving a van around moving stuff for people on Facebook.
Conor being an arrogant prick as usual
You hate lorry driving. We get it.
For someone who hates it so much and was glad to go and do something else you sure spend a lot of time on an hgv forum.
Conor:
Just passed test, never driven a lorry for real so don’t even know the basics, going to start own business running a lorry. What could possibly go wrong? After all its just as simple as get a truck, get a load and away you go…
I’d get familiar with the bankruptcy process because you’ll be there inside a year.
Want some advice? Go work for someone driving their trucks for four or five years until you actually learn something and then decide whether you want to set fire to your money. Its a bit more involved than driving a van around moving stuff for people on Facebook.
Conor being an arrogant prick as usual
You hate lorry driving. We get it.
For someone who hates it so much and was glad to go and do something else you sure spend a lot of time on an hgv forum.
There’s a lot of that around, I guess it’s a form of masochism, hopefully without a ■■■■■■ element, although it wouldn’t be a shock to learn that some of these haters are dressed in PVC or latex gimp suits as they post.
I started out at 23 as an O/D and had no advice either way, i decided to take what was on offer,localish work being done pretty badly by another haulier using mainly agency drivers. A bank loan bought an old F7 (my lucky 7) and it spiralled from there. Sometimes you have to just follow your own instincts and ignore the doubters…its all very well others who likely have no experience being an OD putting the dampers on a venture but if you dont take that plunge, you’ll never know what could have been…
don’t usually post on topics like this …BUT 20+yrs ago a friend asked me to go in with him in buying a truck ,(I had the experience he had some but had money left from his divorce) . I was married, in a rented house ,hated the job I had it was secure with a pension but low paid . Well I chickened out putting myself in big debt …NOW a days my old mate travels the world on holiday 3 times a year with his family , no mortgage, has a new unit or two no real debt going to pass the company on to his sons going to semi retire in the next few years ,D o I regret not going for it with him aye every pay day ,I listened to the naysayers and folded .If I was that age again id go for it …what you got to lose its just money they aint going to **** ***** just because you failed.
Conor:
Just passed test, never driven a lorry for real so don’t even know the basics, going to start own business running a lorry. What could possibly go wrong? After all its just as simple as get a truck, get a load and away you go…
I’d get familiar with the bankruptcy process because you’ll be there inside a year.
Want some advice? Go work for someone driving their trucks for four or five years until you actually learn something and then decide whether you want to set fire to your money. Its a bit more involved than driving a van around moving stuff for people on Facebook.
Conor being an arrogant prick as usual
You hate lorry driving. We get it.
For someone who hates it so much and was glad to go and do something else you sure spend a lot of time on an hgv forum.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^be fair…perish the thought id be agreeing with conor,but his impression is probably 99% odds on to how itl end up,especially in todays driving conditions,unless your adept at the usual hooligan tacticts which he wont be…unless…theres always the niche market possibility as mentioned earlier…if you cant get into the popcorn logistics,then theres always waistcoat sleeve,chicken lips,glider engines,or even holes for polo mints transportation…for me though it would have to be transporting live budgies…that way you can just cram the into the trailer till its bulging,and if vosa pull you over the scales,you just need to run up and down the trailer banging the sides with a big stick to have them all flying around inside,and voila,you will never get done for overloaded axles… think outside the road haulage box and the world will soon be your lobster…
Dieseldog , you forgot the niche market of steel girders and hanging meat transportation on one load , grossing out at 60 tons .
Live Budgie hauling made me laugh, the only dilemma is, when you are banging on the trailer sides to wake them up, the Dvsa roadside inspection officer will ask what is all that chirping noise ?
Not much call for glider engines what with the cost of fuel these days .
There is always live sharks, handy for the trailer slashers, get a shock to see a Great White biting their arm off .
They could tell their mates, they got attacked by Jaws, the mates say no way, where did it happen, Bondi beach, no Bud, Lymm truck stop !
Correct, ex owner driver, lost £75k, and that was a older unit, working 20 hrs a day, nightmare!
I stood back thought about it and left the industry, I am now doing something else and have been for 20 years, great £ and no nightmares !!
albion:
V8MBO:
Mate, Please don’t do the OD thing, you will be bust in a year at best, look for something else, you will fail, sorry but that the simple truth.
Maybe V8MBO did the OD thing and it went wrong? As you (AndrewG) and I have both managed to make it work, we have a different viewpoint?
I still think a few years getting some experience wouldn’t go amiss. At 23 you are invincible…and when things go wrong, it isn’t just the OD, it’s other suppliers that may get burnt, so it’s only fair to say proceed with caution.
Conor:
Just passed test, never driven a lorry for real so don’t even know the basics, going to start own business running a lorry. What could possibly go wrong? After all its just as simple as get a truck, get a load and away you go…
I’d get familiar with the bankruptcy process because you’ll be there inside a year.
Want some advice? Go work for someone driving their trucks for four or five years until you actually learn something and then decide whether you want to set fire to your money. Its a bit more involved than driving a van around moving stuff for people on Facebook.
i know there is a lot more to driving a lorry hence why I’m asking for advice while I’m doing market research! I totally understand that you have to be a
in the industry to know certain things and I know this isn’t going to be over night and not once did I say I would launch a company without driving first! I’m simply try to understand the market as best as possible and thought this maybe somewhere to get advice…
Before you take any notice of anybody here, first find out their background, lots of people who have only ever owned a lorry built by Corgi will have an opinion, yet it’s not based on experience and is therefore, well a waste of their time and yours.
When I bought my first lorry in 1994 I had the same, for every one that wished me good luck there were ten who told me I was mad, of that ten very few had any experience of running their own lorry and those that did had failed spectacularly. 23yrs later, I’m still running my own lorry, two actually and I’ve had up to a dozen on the road over the years, so you could say I wasn’t as mad as some would like to believe.
My advice, find a small operator or owner driver and pick their brains, don’t pay too much attention to what you read on the Internet, except this post obviously lol.
I’m glad not everyone on these forums ain’t so negative! I’d like to just let everyone know I went for it in the end took me a lot longer than anticipated and no doubt I’ve had my bumps in the road but we’re still going strong. It’s funny I was asked yesterday by someone who wants to start a business (not driving) was there ever i time you almost didn’t do it, I replied don’t ever go on any forums for help because they’ll make you believe it’s the impossible!
I started off with an 08 daf cf and a curtain sider, wasn’t my best move but it give me an inside and after a couple of months it was too close to the bone subcontracting general haulage. So I decided to move away from this and try and create a niche. So I bought a injector and started doing waste. The management subcontracting is a doddle
The lack of experience I had was well matched by my desire to do well. I’m slowly but surely building up I sold the cf and upgraded to a xf and drag a walking floor. Key part of my growth was learning how to manage the unit and drivers hours. I split the working week into two between two drivers Monday-Friday, friday-Sunday and all maintained and 6 weeklies are done in the evenings/nights. This I thought was key to be as proactive as possible. Another tip is fuel! Fuel is the killer so manage it as well as you can split fuel cards and spread them between invoices makes life easier and keeps cash flow ticking
For any youngster reading this forum looking for help or advice, go for it! Take the chance ride your luck and believe in yourself. Nothing’s impossible and don’t take any notice to people from the “old school” who think the games over because it’s not what it used to be. Keep it simple do the important things right. Your word is your bond and be transparent with everything. be as business savvy as possible. Outline figures and know what’s going where and I’m sure I’ll be fine. If you need any help or anything send me a message and if I can help I will!
JIMBO47:
don’t usually post on topics like this …BUT 20+yrs ago a friend asked me to go in with him in buying a truck ,(I had the experience he had some but had money left from his divorce) .
23 years old, no experience - love to be a fly on the wall during the conversation with the insurance man just for starters!
Admire the ambition but to start from scratch in an industry that most of us see as going downhill rapidly not so much a business plan as a death wish. AND do not use the profits from your existing business to subsidise the new one -keep them stand alone or you’ll lose them both-possibly or rather probably.
However good luck with whatever you do but think deeply before jumping in.
well done mathew, you have beaten the odds, and have climbed that mountain only to conquer, so you must have done something right, sometimes the help from old school is invaluable, after all we have been there and done it…some of us even know each others friends, like Big Marie in Zeebrugge ( as Rob pointed out ) only popped into say hello…as you do, and wouldnt have mentioned her until he did…well theres a first for everything…and that leads me back to where you are ( clever old sausage i am ) yes pleased you came out the other side ok.
Conor:
Post your company registration number/company name so we can go to Companies House, download your accounts and judge for ourselves how well its going.
How could you judge how well he is doing by downloading his accounts? The whole point of having an accountant is to show as little profit as possible.
think outside the road haulage box and the world will soon be your lobster… 
