Silver_Surfer:
I’d say having 22k in the account before deciding to knock it on the head as the omens weren’t good is making it work…
He didn’t actually ‘say’ that, what he did write was that after liquidating he was left with £22k and the only way you could assume this represented a success was if you knew he started with less!! He might have started with £50k in which case it was more of a failure.
I’m not saying either, but if you don’t read the post you will always misunderstand.
Ross.
PS, for what it’s worth, I think this is a bad time to set up in haulage, unless that is you have first hand access to direct, good paying & reliable work.
Equitran:
Sorry but I guarantee that you won’t learn how to run your business on here, we give tips and share info, not wet nurse.
im was just interested how it all works because it maybe something id look at in the future and just wanted some info from the people that already do it thats all
Silver_Surfer:
I’d say having 22k in the account before deciding to knock it on the head as the omens weren’t good is making it work…
He didn’t actually ‘say’ that, what he did write was that after liquidating he was left with £22k and the only way you could assume this represented a success was if you knew he started with less!! He might have started with £50k in which case it was more of a failure.
I started with £4.8k as I said in my posts around Feb 2008.
If we’re talking about % chance of success as a “new start” O/D, what has been the % failure rate in the first 3 years of a new O/D in the last 20years
I would hazard a guess@ 90% fail to make it pay
Took a while but I,m now working for a trucking company that would be one of the best payers in NI.
Was over at another drivers house for a beer at Xmas before we went out on the company “do” and he showed me his P60 for 2010/2011, £43k gross and he works Mon/Fri 5am/2/3/4/5pm(every other Sat morn) NO nights out.
Can tell you this there is not a SINGLE O/D in Northern Ireland who can gross(in drawdown wages) that kind of dough, nevermind all the company perks that go with it
Big Truck:
Can tell you this there is not a SINGLE O/D in Northern Ireland who can gross(in drawdown wages) that kind of dough, nevermind all the company perks that go with it
43K is good money for certain, but you can’t compare that to an O/D’s ‘drawn wages’, even in my last two years before I packed in I made considerably more profit than £43k with 1 truck & 2 trailers.
BTW, I wasn’t suggesting that you either did, or didn’t make money, just pointing out that from what you finished with no profit or loss concluions could be drawn.
Big Truck:
Can tell you this there is not a SINGLE O/D in Northern Ireland who can gross(in drawdown wages) that kind of dough, nevermind all the company perks that go with it
43K is good money for certain, but you can’t compare that to an O/D’s ‘drawn wages’, even in my last two years before I packed in I made considerably more profit than £43k with 1 truck & 2 trailers.
BTW, I wasn’t suggesting that you either did, or didn’t make money, just pointing out that from what you finished with no profit or loss concluions could be drawn.
Ross.
Not trying to put ANY of you established O/D guys down either but for your “considerably more” profit you work considerably more hours with the added bonus of CONSIDERABLY more hassle/stress etc etc
Its is not easy work here by any means as driving “deckers” and rolling cages about busy garage forecourts/town centre streets etc you need to “know your onions” and the company does not suffer fools gladly.
This is not a “dead mens shoes” company as we were looking for class1 drivers a month ago and interviews are still to be held and any O/D who reckons they can consistantly “take home” £600/week for similar hours in todays financial climate must have some VERY good paying work/customers
Big Truck:
Not trying to put ANY of you established O/D guys down either but for your “considerably more” profit you work considerably more hours with the added bonus of CONSIDERABLY more hassle/stress etc etc
,
I didn’t think you were trying to put anyone down bud, & anyone thinking of setting up as an owner driver needs to understand that it’s not like being a driver with more money.
Put simply, a prospective O/D should think of how much he drives now, add 20% then add on half as many hours again to take into account that he’s a transport manager, accounts clerk, yard labourer, fitter & tea boy. It’s NOT an easy option & I know plenty of blokes who’ve failed as they wouldn’t put the hours in, & in this day & age, most owner drivers do all the extra work for just the money of a well paid driver while it’s going well, but a lean period of work followed by some mechanical problems can put you well into ‘the red’!!
Big Truck:
Not trying to put ANY of you established O/D guys down either but for your “considerably more” profit you work considerably more hours with the added bonus of CONSIDERABLY more hassle/stress etc etc
Sorry, but I am going to have to disagree. Being an O/D (or even small fleet operator) is no more stressful than running a corner shop. If its causing you ‘stress’ then you must be going about it the wrong way, as in the great scheme of thing there are few easier business to run on a day to day basis than a small haulier. Just my opinion.
Big Truck:
any O/D who reckons they can consistantly “take home” £600/week for similar hours in todays financial climate must have some VERY good paying work/customers
In my opinion it’s not worth being an O/D unless you are taking home MORE than £600 a week. But that’s not a difficult barrier to jump, as you say it is all about the right contacts and doing less work for more money.
The problem most O/D’s have is that they are truck drivers. To be a succesful haulier (even a one man band) you have to forget about being a truck driver and start being a businessman. Many O/D’s shy away from business because “it’s too much hassle” and instead buy their shiny Volvo/Scania/Daf on the drip and sign on for some two-bit haulier as a subbie, happily taking their “quid a mile and a mars bar” whilst having absoloutely no idea what the operating cost of their truck actually is and as you rightly say, a couple of years down the line they find they’ve run out of cash and the finance company want the truck back. That is the recipe for failure, trouble is few of them bother to experiment a bit a find a recipe that tastes a bit better, even though the profit is there to be made.
Big Truck:
Not trying to put ANY of you established O/D guys down either but for your “considerably more” profit you work considerably more hours with the added bonus of CONSIDERABLY more hassle/stress etc etc
Sorry, but I am going to have to disagree. Being an O/D (or even small fleet operator) is no more stressful than running a corner shop. If its causing you ‘stress’ then you must be going about it the wrong way, as in the great scheme of thing there are few easier business to run on a day to day basis than a small haulier. Just my opinion.
Big Truck:
any O/D who reckons they can consistantly “take home” £600/week for similar hours in todays financial climate must have some VERY good paying work/customers
In my opinion it’s not worth being an O/D unless you are taking home MORE than £600 a week. But that’s not a difficult barrier to jump, as you say it is all about the right contacts and doing less work for more money.
The problem most O/D’s have is that they are truck drivers. To be a succesful haulier (even a one man band) you have to forget about being a truck driver and start being a businessman. Many O/D’s shy away from business because “it’s too much hassle” and instead buy their shiny Volvo/Scania/Daf on the drip and sign on for some two-bit haulier as a subbie, happily taking their “quid a mile and a mars bar” whilst having absoloutely no idea what the operating cost of their truck actually is and as you rightly say, a couple of years down the line they find they’ve run out of cash and the finance company want the truck back. That is the recipe for failure, trouble is few of them bother to experiment a bit a find a recipe that tastes a bit better, even though the profit is there to be made.
Agree,
but running a corner shop,
I deliver to alot of them(Spar/Vivo) most hours are 6am to 11pm
Big Truck:
but running a corner shop, I deliver to alot of them(Spar/Vivo) most hours are 6am to 11pm
You misunterstand me, I said “running” a corner shop not “working” in one.
I have a few fingers in that sort of pie, and all I’m willing to say is that provided you have one reliable person to ‘supervise’ along with a decent supply of part-time workers (students are your friend), then you don’t need to set foot over the door other than to do your shopping!
