Hi all am new to the forum, I’m 26 hold full class 1 hgv licence, I’m self employed in the agricultural industry, my question is would it be viable and would I be able to make money, buying an old truck and renting a trailer and starting a small haulage enterprise?
This is only an idea I’ve not done any figures etc but say I bought a unit for £10 - 15,000 and rented a trailer surly it wouldn’t take long to start making a return, and should the unit break down beyond economic repair, could chop it in for another cheap motor.
Obviously there will be some pitfalls along the way, but in the agricultural sector there is always a range on bulk materials needing moving from A to B,with a hard working ‘can do attitude’ and with renting a trailer if it doesn’t work I can cut all ties and will just have a unit to re sell at the end of the day which won’t have lost a fortune in depreciation.
All ideas comments welcome like I say it’s only an idea at the minute!
Good luck asking them sort of questions on here. The negatives will be along shortly to shoot you down for having ambition.
I’m an owner driver in the agricultural industry (bulk grain) and I’m doing quite nicely out of it. Yeah in the short term it’s a struggle, I could earn more as an employed driver, but I am able to see further than my nose end and realise its not about overnight success. It’s about making steady progress and knowing that things get easier as you build the business up.
If you want to be rich don’t buy a truck. If you want a nice steady living and to be able to look back on your own little business as an achievement then it may just be for you c
^ I’m the same, if your willing to work harder than average Joe you’ll earn more than average Joe. That’s my take on it anyway. I’m making a steady profit and I’m happy. Go for it, it’s better to regret something you’ve done than something you should of done!:mrgreen:
You’re young enough that if it all went pear-shaped you could pick up the pieces again. A bit of realism though is that if it’s broken beyond economic repair you could well be weighing it in rather than chopping it in. That age and price range of vehicle will need at least a couple of grand of parts throwing at it a year excluding labour. I would buy a trailer as soon as fund allowed as well.
Do your figures and be sure you know how much it will cost to operate.
If you hope to get work through current contacts then sound them out, find out what rates you can expect.
All sectors of transport are competitive so essential that you understand the rates in your sector.
Expect it to take three months for your operators licence to be granted!
Thanks for the comments guys!! I’m a fully trained ag engineer and worked in dealers for 5 years so understand the maintenance and service side of things and would do this myself to help keep a control on the costs, as for costs, would it be better to charge by the ton, mile or hour? As running an older unit a maintenance cost would need to be set aside for an possible breakdowns so would be good to have a initial figure to work from to do some costings.
I’d rather try somthing now whilst young enough to rather than wish I had years from now!
Doing your own maintenance at the weekend or in the evening will count as ‘other work’ for driver’s hours records, so you may not be able to work on a Monday.
Do your operator’s CPC before you do anything else, then you will have the benefit of a full appreciation of what is involved in running a haulage business. This will let you in on the ‘secret’ that moving your neighbour’s Hymac along public roads on a trailer behind your John Deere is illegal.
sounds adventurous mate,
a friend of my dads has recently done the same thing, he operates 7 wagons now and does all general haulage, he found that finding a half decent lorry on finance and buying ex retail trailers worked out well.
if you come up with a monthly figure you can afford say 500 a month you could possibly get a 07 scania, Volvo etc depends where you go, don’t quote me on this
but as my dads friends agrees with what others have said here, get you O Licence first, do some figures find out how much you can come up with up front to start off, maybe sell a few things, loans off family etc, then look around for work speak to companies who will have you as a sub contractor.
I bought a mint fh12 460 yr 2001 with 730k’s on clock complete with a Wilcox bulkier, easy sheet on board weighed. The Volvo is a limited edition so will be a collectors item in future.
Bought it off e bay for £8750 for the two both tested for a year.
That was a bargain. And he delivered it from Scotland at cost.
I too am in faming and use it mostly for hay and straw and round timber in winter.
That lorry can earn more in a good day than our 55 plate fh and bulker h earns in a week.
Especially when moving straw at £35 ton…
And timber at £600 load.
So far in 2 yrs its had new set air bags and rear pads
Other than that its been trouble free.
Same with the 55 plate.
I bought that 6 months ago with a 2008 crane freahuf bulker for £28k.
Both truly immaculate.
Compared with anything in agriculture (tractor/hedge cutter, tractor/trailer) it’s a good income.
I wouldn’t want to rely on it for a living but its a good extra income to our business and the newer one is out 5 days week every week unlike tractors etc…
Just bought a low loader which will be useful.
If the local farmers will choose you first as they KNOW you & the rates are good then why not, least you’ve not come on here and asked about doing containers. Niche work, specialised, is the only way to make it pay.
Make sure you KNOW what you’re doing & have the work lined up at the right rates YEAR ROUND. No good being busy in summer & dead in winter.
Read through the other threads on here for the low down.
I’m glad to see a positive thread on the od thing, an old truck is ok but but if you have breakdowns in your first few months your find it hard to recoup the money back both in repairs and loss of earnings me persanaly I would look at somthing like a 3 to 4 year old Renault premuimum wich would probably set you back around 20 to 25 k and should be pretty reliable ok it’s not a super show stopping od truck but you start at the bottem and work your way up when I started I started with a 5 year old Daf and have slowly progressed to what I’ve got now getting your cpc operaters that is is a must
I earn a reasonably good livin and I get a lot of satisfaction out of running my own truck I would also add you would need a lot of support from your family as this will help an awfull lot think about it and tallk it thru with them
I hope what ever you decide it works out
