So the boss has a more expensive car, a bigger house and works less hours than his drivers. When trucks come to the end of either their leases or natural working life they’re replaced with new ones.
I never really understand why this is seemingly such a revelation to some folk or frankly why they’d expect it to be any other way.
IN any continuing nil-sum economy, the business profits by what others lose.
The losers traditioally were the punters (customers) but these days in the name of “cutting costs”, you’ll see the staff, insurers, and perhaps the financial backers all expected to take a haircut to keep a business afloat.
Once the big economic upturn comes, the insurers are making easy money, the bankers get paid.
The staff won’t be getting that catch-up pay rise though, which might have a few of their staff migrate to other johnny come lately start-ups that pay a decent wage - NOW that “jobs for life” have gone… THe risks associated with ditching a steady but low paid job in favour of a possibly fly-by-night well paid one have narrowed considerably. 
Time was always hard,but Law is now more strikt
JLS Driver SOS:
It is said that if you cannot make 3-4% profit on turn over, pre tax, you are going to go bust unless you have deep pockets to keep baling out as a general rule and that’s any business.
20 years ago, my last company turned over ± 3000 a week, per truck, mind you that was tramping with 1 driver, 1 truck, out all week (5.5 days) . would be interested to know what the average is now per truck per week, guess at 16k a week if running 24 hours/6 days perhaps.
Ha, about the same as 20 years ago. Your last company must have been comfortably profitable doing £3k per week per truck 20 years ago. It’s just competition has increased multiple times in the last 20 years negating proper rises in rates.
guess at 16k a week if running 24 hours/6 days perhaps.
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What planet are you on? £16k per week?! If anybody got within £10k of that for 24/7 they would be ordering a new Bentley on the strength of it. £3k per week tramping with a tautliner still takes some doing. I could point you to one large, approaching 500 trucks, haulier whose depot managers target for the general fleet is £2,500, but £2,200 is nearer the mark, I was shocked bet that’s the fact. If you are using specialist equipment you will get more, and tippers tend to be more, but that just covers their higher fuel and maintenance costs.
I recall in the 70s and even early 80s, changing units at 2 to 3 years, drivers paid just over the union rate and still making 30% net before tax, these days anybody doing better than 5% has found a niche. Why do they keep doing it? For the same reason drivers keep doing, because it’s what they do, and they don’t have the confidence in themselves to walk away and do anything else.
acd1202:
guess at 16k a week if running 24 hours/6 days perhaps.
What planet are you on? £16k per week?! If anybody got within £10k of that for 24/7 they would be ordering a new Bentley on the strength of it. £3k per week tramping with a tautliner still takes some doing. I could point you to one large, approaching 500 trucks, haulier whose depot managers target for the general fleet is £2,500, but £2,200 is nearer the mark, I was shocked bet that’s the fact. If you are using specialist equipment you will get more, and tippers tend to be more, but that just covers their higher fuel and maintenance costs.
I recall in the 70s and even early 80s, changing units at 2 to 3 years, drivers paid just over the union rate and still making 30% net before tax, these days anybody doing better than 5% has found a niche. Why do they keep doing it? For the same reason drivers keep doing, because it’s what they do, and they don’t have the confidence in themselves to walk away and do anything else.
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Well I have been overseas for over 20 years so bear with me, looking at that rate progress though , I will probably be here another 20, if I live that long, 2500 sterling a week in 2013, pretty bad, a truck must be burning most of that in fuel, mind you we used to average about 700 kms a day for our 2.5-3k a week tramping.
Right now as an example we pay equivalent of Sterling 4k for a round trip Jhb to Harare-Jhb, normally 1 week, total kms 2400 and Round trip Jhb to Lumbumbashi - Jhb 2 weeks transit time sterling 10k, better off here really I suppose rates wise 
.
JLS Driver SOS:
acd1202:
guess at 16k a week if running 24 hours/6 days perhaps.What planet are you on? £16k per week?! If anybody got within £10k of that for 24/7 they would be ordering a new Bentley on the strength of it. £3k per week tramping with a tautliner still takes some doing. I could point you to one large, approaching 500 trucks, haulier whose depot managers target for the general fleet is £2,500, but £2,200 is nearer the mark, I was shocked bet that’s the fact. If you are using specialist equipment you will get more, and tippers tend to be more, but that just covers their higher fuel and maintenance costs.
I recall in the 70s and even early 80s, changing units at 2 to 3 years, drivers paid just over the union rate and still making 30% net before tax, these days anybody doing better than 5% has found a niche. Why do they keep doing it? For the same reason drivers keep doing, because it’s what they do, and they don’t have the confidence in themselves to walk away and do anything else.
Well I have been overseas for over 20 years so bear with me, looking at that rate progress though , I will probably be here another 20, if I live that long, 2500 sterling a week in 2013, pretty bad, a truck must be burning most of that in fuel, mind you we used to average about 700 kms a day for our 2.5-3k a week tramping.
Right now as an example we pay equivalent of Sterling 4k for a round trip Jhb to Harare-Jhb, normally 1 week, total kms 2400 and Round trip Jhb to Lumbumbashi - Jhb 2 weeks transit time sterling 10k, better off here really I suppose rates wise .
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Well said
strongbowpeter:
no i dont think they pay cash for there trucks but i know if ime finding it hard to make ends meet at home i dont go out and buy a new car on the knock i make do with what ive got,but if ime making good money i feel confident to stretch myself and buy somthing new,also no one is in buisness just to pay your wages there in it to make a profit or whats the point■■?
If you’re paying £100 a week lease on a truck and it is now a 5 year old million km dog and a new one is going to cost you £100 a week to lease what would you do, continue to drive the old dog or take on the new one?
Most trucks on the road are leased. They are not owned by the haulier but merely rented.
JLS Driver SOS:
It is said that if you cannot make 3-4% profit on turn over, pre tax, you are going to go bust unless you have deep pockets to keep baling out as a general rule and that’s any business.
Utter bollox especially when you consider some of the expenses in the outgoings don’t actually cost what you put down.
JLS Driver SOS:
£3k per week tramping with a tautliner still takes some doing…
Tramping is one of the most inefficient ways of utilising a truck. If the wheels aren’t turning its not earning and if the wheels aren’t turning 13hrs a day whilst the driver is in his bed you’ve lost 50% of its earning ability. At the very least you want double manning and ideally double shifted wagons so the wheels are turning as many of the 24hrs in a day as possible.
If any of you are inclined to read it, this study paper goes a long way in explaining the answer to the OP question. It also dispels government myths about who and what is responsible for the state of the economy and why your wages are being kept at a minimum.
cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/special/cepsp21.pdf
This interactive graph is an excellent aid to understanding the above study.
SHYTOT:
£1 per truck per week who told ya that? i herd it was £1 per shift per truck
They should get into hauling cattle. Mate of mine does it and makes good money, none of this £1 per shift bull [zb]. Too many cowboys calving the job up these days. 
Its a very false economy, I have noticed while working with some older units how poor the fuel figures can be.
I was driving a 07 plate Renault Premium and got an average MPG of 7.2 
I then did the exact same run in a 62 plate for the same company with the same load and destination, weights almost identical (+/- 500kgs) - on this run I got… wait for it… 9.25 MPG!
On the whole run of 573 KM’s the old truck used 225 Litres of Fuel, the newer one used 175, thats 50 litres less on a run, the truck is double shifted and runs non stop all week
Based on 14 runs saving just 25 litres each, there is a saving of 350 Litres (£500) but based on my results above, this amount can be doubled but I have allowed 50% variance
The argument is used that older trucks are paid for and do not “owe anything” but the older trucks are constantly off road, tend to break down and use a lot more fuel, for £400 a week you can rent a brand new unit on spot rental and still be AT LEAST £100 up on the deal… Also the rentals include full R&M including tyres so the savings are even greater
That is why a lot of companies run newer vehicles.
trubster:
Its a very false economy, I have noticed while working with some older units how poor the fuel figures can be.I was driving a 07 plate Renault Premium and got an average MPG of 7.2
I then did the exact same run in a 62 plate for the same company with the same load and destination, weights almost identical (+/- 500kgs) - on this run I got… wait for it… 9.25 MPG!
On the whole run of 573 KM’s the old truck used 225 Litres of Fuel, the newer one used 175, thats 50 litres less on a run, the truck is double shifted and runs non stop all week
Based on 14 runs saving just 25 litres each, there is a saving of 350 Litres (£500) but based on my results above, this amount can be doubled but I have allowed 50% variance
The argument is used that older trucks are paid for and do not “owe anything” but the older trucks are constantly off road, tend to break down and use a lot more fuel, for £400 a week you can rent a brand new unit on spot rental and still be AT LEAST £100 up on the deal… Also the rentals include full R&M including tyres so the savings are even greater
That is why a lot of companies run newer vehicles.
tubster is not far off the mark with his prices, its now cheaper to lease a truck than to buy one, I’ve just sorted the deal on my new truck which I was given a free hand in by my boss, I spec’ed the truck negotiated the price and then he signed off on the deal, with tax in the window, tyres covered and full R&M it was under 2 grand a month, the last scania we purchased the R&M alone was £700 per month plus the repayments for a new truck over 5 years and the payments on R&M over 7 years then there’s the tax and tyres still to add on top, as my boss said he is never going to get rich doing this but as long as all the bills are paid and there is a little bit left he is happy, and he keeps 4 of us in a job 