What are your current fuel costs per turnover? mine was 35_40% at the end, was 25% or less when I started…
fly sheet:
What are your current fuel costs per turnover? mine was 35_40% at the end, was 25% or less when I started…
We always worked on 1st week for fuel, 2nd week for finance etc, 3rd week for wages and fourth week as profit. The only thing that has changed is that the profit is not 25% anymore 
When I was doing ferry trailers last year was around 45% a complete waste if time may as well get a job.
Doing tipper work 2005-2007 was around 30%-35% much more worthwhile.
Mine varies a lot as the work is quite seasonal. Last week it was 43%, but the first week in August (during the grain harvest) it was 27%, and the first week in February (a week of crap winter work) it was 51%!
That said fuel percentage isn’t everything, if you can earn £3k/week then you’ll still make money at 50% fuel spend, and I have had odd weeks like that, but in reality most of the 45-50% weeks the earnings are well below £3k and you’re not making any money.
Paul
When i started in 05’ it was roughly 25%, by the time I finished it was 40-45% virtually all the time. On dry stone jobs it was sometimes as much as 60%+ 
with a 6x4 tipper your wasting your time really. So, I gave it up and bloody glad I did now. 
I always figured if it was 40% I was wasting my time, I did hear the same off a bloke I know on a bulker saying 3k & 50% squirt, glad to be out of it to be truthfull, I cant see setting up on general being much fun nowadays, I was hoping to hear what the container men & tautliner blokes where using/averaging etc…i used the same method about 25 years ago wheelnut but doubt it cuts it now.
Whats sort of ppm on long runs is common I wouldnt go out for less than $1,95ppm in gbp of course at the finish, that was for little stuff on a semi or flat? Out bigger was $2,50 each way minimum.
If I was going to the smoke I would charge it out anyway that suited me…
repton:
Mine varies a lot as the work is quite seasonal. Last week it was 43%, but the first week in August (during the grain harvest) it was 27%, and the first week in February (a week of crap winter work) it was 51%!
I reckon on average it’s about 40%, I’m not making much more than a living but at least I’m liberated from “Oh, didn’t your wages go in, and meanwhile would you mind loading off the card?” type idiots.
But then I wasn’t expecting to make any great amount of money now, we’re in the middle of the worst recession in my lifetime, all I hope for is that when we come out of it I’ve got a couple of years of trading history behind me and then I may, possibly, be able to make some money at it.
Or I might go bust beforehand, if I did I wouldn’t be the first and at least I’ll always be able to say that I gave it my best shot. Looking at the past, it’s the things I thought about doing but bottled out of that I regret, not the things I did do, even if they didn’t work out quite how I had hoped. 
Fair play Harry, least you seem to be enjoying it which lets face it is half the battle won.
Depends on the work.
3 lt teys per day at about £50 per trip is 28.6% ish.
I’m on an Olympic job for the next few weeks on a day rate. Reckon on about £50 a day shunting. Be about 8.3%!!!
Offered a 40’ ex Fxt to manchester from a well known national container haulier
About 60% FFS. ■■■■ knows who did it.
Generally no more than 30% or it stands.
Not being a clever ■■■■■ it’s a business not a ■■■■■■■ charity.
mine is between 40 and 46% and a bit more on a real bad week with heavy loads and very strong winds on dock work.I know people will say at this it is time to pack in but i have been on my own for ten years and the % has nether changed much if the derv goes up so do the rates after a while and if it goes down so do the rates it has been like it for years and i can nether see it changing.I have a choice pack up or move on or put up with it i like the work i do the money is always in the bank and believe me if you like i still make money if not i would not be doing it.I know i could possibly make more money working for someone else but when ever i was employed the job nether quite turned out how it sounded at the interview so i am with mr Monk i will keep on working for my self
Interesting stuff, mad how they expect you to take a box north for so little, 40% as I say was my cutoff point, I suppose if you have an itch to scratch being an OD you need to do it.
Ive been weighing up the pros & cons again this week or so, not in the uk though fear not.
Thank yee all for posting
fly sheet:
Ive been weighing up the pros & cons again this week or so, not in the uk though fear not.
What sort of percentages are the ODs working on over that side of the water then? I would guess with fuel being cheaper over there that they’re lower than ours.
Paul
repton:
fly sheet:
Ive been weighing up the pros & cons again this week or so, not in the uk though fear not.What sort of percentages are the ODs working on over that side of the water then? I would guess with fuel being cheaper over there that they’re lower than ours.
Paul
When I know this I will answer repton, its a bit confusing, they have a surcharge type thing running, its $1,17 per litre in Canada, in the US its $4 ish per US gallon at the moment, I’m doing a bit of asking at the minute…
The average fuel surcharge here is based on $1:25 a US Gallon and 6MPG (US) so if fuel is $4 per gallon the fuel surcharge is $0:46 per mile. So if you have a truck that does more than 6MPG your fuel costs drop below $1:25 per gallon and you can reach a point where you’re being paid to pump free fuel into your tanks if you get a motor that does very well on fuel
Definitely a lot easier to make a few bob out of a lorry over here 
newmercman:
Definitely a lot easier to make a few bob out of a lorry over here
Always was that way Stateside…you work…you get paid…you work harder,you get paid more…It seems to be the opposite in socialist Europe…the harder you work…the more tax you pay and the less you earn…