I can’t help thinking that this weeks drama may have well put my business at risk. I’m at a loss as to what to do. Its been a bad year financially and now my truck is off the roadIt could be 18 months before i get paid out. I won’t last 8 weeks with these losses.
does your insurance cover a hire truck or loss of earnings ?
or as it wasn’t your fault maybe the other insurance company will cover the hire costs ? you will need legal advice but you should have a good case to sue the other insurance company for either hire costs or loss of earnings
Good Luck Rob
Sorry to hear about the incident Rob, only caught up with it late last night, not nice especially when plod immidiately assumes everyone involved is guilty, but as Denis said, haven’t Bartrums a spare unit they could hire to you.
Your own insurance should pay for the damage to your truck and claim it back off the other parties insurance, its what they’re there for. How much damage is there to Mr Vain.
Get a hire truck, least it will keep the money coming in. Hill Hire/Fraiken will rent to sole traders, might have to pay a week up front. Factor your invoices if you don’t already, I get paid week 1 in week 2, minus their fee of course but it’s better than having no money in the bank. www.silverburnfinance.com
As it’s such an improtant part of your life I would keep on trying as once you stop, it will take ages to start again if you want to in the future. The big question though is, do you still enjoy the job? If the answer is no or the money situation is too dire then yes it may be time to pack up. Not worth getting yourself in too deep. Getting an easy trunk driving job with no agro or stress is the right way to go for some, may be boring but better than worrying all the time.
I Started up on my own about 5 years ago (28) and moved from a good managerial job on £35k a year, 9-5, but was fed up with telling blokes what to do and ended up hating it. Part of this job involved some driving which I loved but didn’t really have much experience of tramping or the Knowledge in general. I started on containers for SOCL but hated it so moved on to the parcel side and had a nice regular trunk for a while but then as they inevitably do things change and I lost this.
Decided to call it a day, was depressed/nervous breakdown and didn’t work for a year. Eventually pulled myself together and realised the only way out was to make a success of the business, the thing I loved to do. So I started up again and have had an amazing 4 years running 5 trucks and earning a LOT of money coupled with a sense of achievement. Things are harder now but I will not give up and I am older, wiser and stronger in the head.
Keep on the phone searching for that better paying work, it is out there, just don’t get down with the rejections as that’s life. Keep up the good fight! 
when my truck was hit by someone else and virtually undriveable {though it was only bodywork } it went into the garage had all the repairs done within 5 days and i was back on the road after taking 1 week off ! my insurance paid out for all the work then claimed it back off the other company later, you pay your insurance good money so let them do the chasing for you, i could have had a hire truck through them as well for the week but decided to go on holiday for the week instead, if your hearts still in it then pick up the phone give the insurance a good talking to and tell them one way or another you cant be without a truck in the short term and its up to them to claim the hire costs back etc, its what i did and it worked fine for me, good luck whichever way you choose to go
You are going through a very emotional time mate.This could cloud your judgement.Yeah its tough going,but,do you really want to walk away from everything you ave worked so hard for■■?
As stated, keep on to the insurance people.They are working for you remember.
Hope your rolling soon.
Bear:
You are going through a very emotional time mate.This could cloud your judgement.Yeah its tough going,but,do you really want to walk away from everything you ave worked so hard for■■?As stated, keep on to the insurance people.They are working for you remember.
Hope your rolling soon.
Exactly, you should be able to claim for loss of earnings and allsorts! I can fully understand your not wanting to claim from an estate, and I, I imagine, would feel the same. Now I don’t know if I was in your situation I would want to follow this advice, but I do know I have a lot of mates who would strongly recommend I do. So here goes, contact your insurance company, they will contact the other party’s insurance company, and put a claim in, it’s massively impersonal, and doesn’t in my opinion make you any less of the Gentleman you obviously are by doing it.
The business side is different, only you know if you are making money. but I do know if you’re on the tippers it will get better in the next 2 to 3 weeks, Harvest is here, and with a bit of luck there will be work till Christmas.
And finally, if you are on tippers don’t, if there’s anyway at all possible factor your money, as Factoring companies normally charge 5% and you’ll be lucky to make much more than that.
That’s my twopennorth, there’s only you can make the descision but take as much time as you can afford to make it.
Mr Vain before I carry on sorry that the trouble and stress is giving you grief
but please sit down and think as a hasty descion made while stressed out is
one that you may regret later, I know it is easy to be a outsider sitting on the fence and not being a O/D ,however its the O/D,s who count a lot not just the big faceless companies,please wait and talk it over with those who matter to you, all the best ,
This may seem to some cold and heartless,however have you got a lawyer
-solicitor doing the job of getting Your rights organised, Are you a member of RHA or the FTA if so get in touch with them as they should have people whose job it is to help with members problems,You and yours are what is important as well
take your insurance policy to a lawyer-solicitor and get them to read the small print and then take action ,you have all ways payed your premiums correctly so they should pay up now ,
Mr Vain, I have just looked back through the post on the main forum. Just wanted to express my sadness at the whole situation you unwittingly find yourself in. Just wanted to say that things will get better and to keep fighting.
Don’t know if you know but I had a serious smash 4 DAYS into being an o/driver. Truck was a near write off, car driver escaped uninjured somehow. Anyway, they wouldn’t hire me a truck or give me loss of earnings because I had only been going a short time. With a few years behind you, you should definatly be due loss of earnings, although it may take some time 
. I would also imagine you should be due a replacement vehicle. I couldn’t get one because it was ‘specialist’ (26t tipper is specialist apparently 
) but someone should be able to sort you out a unit to hire for a couple of weeks. If they won’t play ball, it might be worth checking the insurance fine print and if you’ve got a case and they STILL won’t help you, take it to the ombudsmen and see what they say.
My only advice with the insurance company is to ring them all the time. I had to wait for an assesor to come out as it was a borderline write off. They said he could be two weeks. I rang them 9am, 1pm, 5pm everyday for three days - he magically appeared! Don’t know if you require an assesor but it can take longer for them to come and have a look than what it takes to fix it.
I was pretty down about the whole thing and didn’t really want to be on the phone but you have to keep on at them. However, your case is miles worse than mine so perhaps a partner/close friend could do the ‘angry on the phone’ thing for you while you sort yourself out?
Whatever happens, good luck with it.
well didnt shuttle offer to lend you one of his trucks as he has 2 parked up at the moment 
jessicas dad:
well didnt shuttle offer to lend you one of his trucks as he has 2 parked up at the moment
He did JD, But i don’t want to take advantage of someones good nature. Not everything is black and white mate.
To all of you, i’m greatful for all yr thoughts and words of support. A dear friend has helped me with a hire truck. Just gotta sort out what is the mess of Mr Vain. Written off in his prime.
MR VAIN:
jessicas dad:
well didnt shuttle offer to lend you one of his trucks as he has 2 parked up at the momentHe did JD, But i don’t want to take advantage of someones good nature. Not everything is black and white mate.
To all of you, i’m greatful for all yr thoughts and words of support. A dear friend has helped me with a hire truck. Just gotta sort out what is the mess of Mr Vain. Written off in his prime.
cant belive mr vain has been written off
im really sorry for that rob really sorry. hopefully you can salvage all the extras you have put on especalliy the wheels.
sorry mate.
Get your insurance company to do their job, otherwise its a waste of time paying them if they aint.
MR VAIN:
jessicas dad:
well didnt shuttle offer to lend you one of his trucks as he has 2 parked up at the momentHe did JD, But i don’t want to take advantage of someones good nature. Not everything is black and white mate.
To all of you, i’m greatful for all yr thoughts and words of support. A dear friend has helped me with a hire truck. Just gotta sort out what is the mess of Mr Vain. Written off in his prime.
How bad? If the damage is superficial and it’s an write off due to economic reasons you could buy it back. The decision then would be, will it ever be the same?
If this is so you could probably get it back on the road with a cushion of money, by sourcing 2nd hand/non genuine parts.
Personally though, reading between the lines, you need to get out of Mr Vain, saying that, if you can’t get your ‘bling’ off. I would still buy it back, and get everything of value off it 1st.
Well after discussions between the repairer and the insurance assesor they came to an agreement to repair with 2nd hand parts where ever possible (it is a 2nd hand truck after all!) So all seems ok, just gotta fight for whats mine and make sure i’m compensated. Thanks everyone.
good news mate
what you driving in the mean time■■? 
There you go mate…youve had your 3 steps backwards now you get one forwards 
MR VAIN:
Well after discussions between the repairer and the insurance assesor they came to an agreement to repair with 2nd hand parts where ever possible (it is a 2nd hand truck after all!) So all seems ok, just gotta fight for whats mine and make sure i’m compensated. Thanks everyone.
Great news
Now get a great big stick and beat em every day till they get it done
Instead of the kid’s ‘are we there yet?’
Do the ‘is it done yet?’ When they say ‘we’re waiting for parts’ you ask ‘where from?’ and offer to go and get them, or get one of us to pick em up if we’re passing.
Good luck and has already been said. You’re due a step forward 
good to see things going right for you.
good news of sorts mate, glad its starting to turn for you 