Please excuse me for posting this if I’m going to got 100+ posts complaining that this has already been mentioned, although I have only posted a couple of times on here this site has been my bible since I passed my class one, my question for tonight…
I hate working for the man, I work class one international driving for a large firm in the south east and do enjoy my job, I pretty much live on certain bidding sites watching jobs that come up across the country. I’m considering going alone, buying a sprinter or equivalent and trailer and bidding for work, I understand it will take time to build the business up etc, I see that alot of the paid work Is through car transportation which I would would be concerned about as a first timer, I’m used to heavy haulage and general haulage, as said owner driver class one work dosnt interest me at the moment, so looking for people’s experiences UK international etc van and trailer including insurance and all the hiccups, will really appreciate any replies.
You don’t have to own your own vehicle to set up as a self employed driver. Why not look into becoming a freelance driver? Set yourself up as a limited company, tout your card around local firms offering to work for them direct on a self employed basis (as opposed to through an agency) and it won’t take you long to build up a client base if you get a good reputation.
Well, good luck, some folk make a decent living at it, the only ■■■■■■■ on your bonfire I’ll do is to say that you will be hard pushed to break even if you get the bulk of your work from reverse auction sites.
Rhythm Thief:
You don’t have to own your own vehicle to set up as a self employed driver. Why not look into becoming a freelance driver? Set yourself up as a limited company, tout your card around local firms offering to work for them direct on a self employed basis (as opposed to through an agency) and it won’t take you long to build up a client base if you get a good reputation.
It has to be worth my while to go alone, it does worry me, I appreciate the reply, but surely taunting the digi card around is the same.as.working for an agency? And I would have to undercut them… Agency drivers down here come at about £15/hr class one with my current employer, guaranteed work (50% of the time, don’t think they have ever taken self employed)
Rhythm Thief:
You don’t have to own your own vehicle to set up as a self employed driver. Why not look into becoming a freelance driver? Set yourself up as a limited company, tout your card around local firms offering to work for them direct on a self employed basis (as opposed to through an agency) and it won’t take you long to build up a client base if you get a good reputation.
Does this apply to class 2 aswell?
It works for guys driving vans so yeah class 2. Just limited work.
Big thing though, I need a £600 mortgage paid on my own, think they pay the agency £15+/hr drivers getting a £10 ish, but not the point anyway! Lol I might as well stay in my job if in trying to undercut £10/hr
Gwinness:
Big thing though, I need a £600 mortgage paid on my own, think they pay the agency £15+/hr drivers getting a £10 ish, but not the point anyway! Lol I might as well stay in my job if in trying to undercut £10/hr
If you charge £12 an hour instead of the £15 then that’s still an extra £20 a day more you’ll be earning rather than £10 an hour… £100 a week, £400 a month… By the way a pm is coming your way.
Rhythm Thief:
You don’t have to own your own vehicle to set up as a self employed driver. Why not look into becoming a freelance driver? Set yourself up as a limited company, tout your card around local firms offering to work for them direct on a self employed basis (as opposed to through an agency) and it won’t take you long to build up a client base if you get a good reputation.
Does this apply to class 2 aswell?
It works for guys driving vans so yeah class 2. Just limited work.
I already have a ltd company set up for the future but didn’t realise I could become my own agent. Just don’t know if it would work with 2 weeks driving experience■■?
Some of the sites I looked at were cheap quotes to move items quite a few miles! It’s hard to see how covering overheads. Be nice to do this to cover non working days from agencies. Bit of new year research as a mini project !
I would love to do it in my down time, but you have to have public liability, carriers insurance etc… And if you are a lorry driver by trade and have a bump on the weekend you will be screwed with WTD etc that’s why I’m on about going alone…
By the way excuse me I’m on my android phone and don’t know how to look at my pm’s …? Lol
nurburg340:
I already have a ltd company set up for the future
If you don’t mind me asking - have you got this as a dormant or active company. I was thinking of this so got the name reserved and ‘switch on’ when enough work to justify it and start the ball rolling with accounts etc.
Only just started driving with agency and only had a couple of days, hoping more after xmas!
That’s why courier/ freelance interesting as week fillers
dcgpx:
Some of the sites I looked at were cheap quotes to move items quite a few miles! It’s hard to see how covering overheads. Be nice to do this to cover non working days from agencies. Bit of new year research as a mini project !
Yeah but surely the trick is to try to get drops on the way up and down the country. Try to get 7 on the way up and 7 on the way down. So 14 drops over 2 days at about £40 a drop (don’t know the average rate) is about £560 over 2 days…
nurburg340:
I already have a ltd company set up for the future
If you don’t mind me asking - have you got this as a dormant or active company. I was thinking of this so got the name reserved and ‘switch on’ when enough work to justify it and start the ball rolling with accounts etc.
Only just started driving with agency and only had a couple of days, hoping more after xmas!
That’s why courier/ freelance interesting as week fillers
I have an accountant I use for my 1st business so he has opened up this other ltd company for me but it is dormant until I want it open. Hasn’t cost a lot to set up, can’t remember how much but only was about £80 or something but then accountant fee on top of that.
Gwinness:
I would love to do it in my down time, but you have to have public liability, carriers insurance etc… And if you are a lorry driver by trade and have a bump on the weekend you will be screwed with WTD etc that’s why I’m on about going alone…
By the way excuse me I’m on my android phone and don’t know how to look at my pm’s …? Lol
But surely if you were going to do as someone suggested above (go self employed and undercut agencies) you would then be using their lorry/vehicle so be covered under their insurance. If not then it would cost a bomb on insurance. I know a bloke who has a single car transporter and picks cars up for other people, he’s been doing it for 7 years and is in his mid 40s, his insurance is still £4000 ish, that’s on a beaver tail single car transporter.
Oh also I just asked where abouts your company was and if there hiring any class 2 drivers? Been driving 2 weeks though…