as you will see I am new to the forum so go easy!!
For the past 5 years I have operated 3 Mercedes 1823 and a renault premium 420 26T delivering own goods on a restricted License.
With a current slow down in business I have at least 1 truck off the road for the week with the rest available most nights. So I contacted a National Courier Company who has offered me £1,200 per week for a 17T + Driver inclusive of fuel, taking into account the mileage normal wear etc. and driver wages I am left with roughly £200 per week, out of that I need to cover the insurance uplift 26 per week, so best return will be £174
Having no experience of additional pitfalls and courier payment issues is it worth the hassle■■?
any advice from anyone who’s made the same transition much appreciated!
can’t give any advice on the courier job but what i would say is you can earn far more than that subin off of a bigger firm, think i’d be tempted to tout your wagons around all the local firms to see whats about, one job could earn you more than the above, might be worth a go.
didn’t answer my own question just showed i’d worked out the finances and to be honest there better than dead revenue from a sitting truck. Just interested if anyone else has experienced this courier market (4 drops to regional warehouses a day)
Paul B,
I have tried that route but in Kent the market seems covered if not swamped already (Maybe its the whole Country before someone say’s it ) I have been offered the odd bit here and there but the cost of moving from Restricted insurance £1,400 per truck (NFU Mutual) to Hauliers insurance again dictates the need for a constant stream of work that just doesn’t seem to be there. Unless I am looking in the wrong place.
also youll need to change the Olicence aswell if its only short term untill you regular own gods are going out again it maybe worth doing as at least it will keep you at a breakeven point and keep your drivers working. WHich in the long term will save you having to find regular drivers when work picks up as well
as said in the very short term yes. meadium to long term it wouldnt justify the costs or the profit made
although it pains me to say it, you could try the load up type web sites, generally crap rates but at what your looking at earning out of this courier job they may not look bad, take it your running curtain siders or boxes? have you tried the variouse freight forwarders working out of gatwick or tnt?
N2N Transport:
Work is definately more available even if the rates ■■■■ £1.12 PPM is the best offered laden and unladen.
Yep, sounds about right - and is the reason I decided to get out. Just not worth doing at that rate given current costs, in my opinion. And that is without paying someone else a wage to drive the truck…
Horses for courses, if you want everything done for you, then that sort of money is about what you’ll get. However, if your willing to put the work in, i.e, take outbound loads and source your own work back, and not rely on a regular source of work, the benifits are greatly improved rates.
Tramper:
Horses for courses, if you want everything done for you, then that sort of money is about what you’ll get. However, if your willing to put the work in, i.e, take outbound loads and source your own work back, and not rely on a regular source of work, the benifits are greatly improved rates.
nail on the head - wombling around thumb-up-bum only ever will pay you £1.12
not entirely correct, i sub fulltime off of one firm and the rates are better than i’ve found working direct and certainy a lot more than the rate posted above but i can see the thinking, say three units on regular work will net the owner a decent wage for not a lot of work, given three decent drivers who can actually get out of bed five days a week and not reck everything they touch.
Tramper:
Horses for courses, if you want everything done for you, then that sort of money is about what you’ll get. However, if your willing to put the work in, i.e, take outbound loads and source your own work back, and not rely on a regular source of work, the benifits are greatly improved rates.
But if you found work that paid decent in the first place then you wouldn’t have to wrry about needing to get a back load to make the job pay. Basically, that work doesn’t exist any more so the best thing you owner driver mugs should do is pack up before the job rates pack the job up for you.
don’t forget the work the OP is doing for 1.12 pm is short term work while his own stuff is quiet and saves him having to lay 3 guys off who may not be available other wise when his other takes off
so he may run at a small profit or break even for a short time. and his his main work will subsidise the lesser paying work to a small extent
Rob K:
But if you found work that paid decent in the first place then you wouldn’t have to wrry about needing to get a back load to make the job pay. Basically, that work doesn’t exist any more so the best thing you owner driver mugs should do is pack up before the job rates pack the job up for you.
think the idea is the outward load DOES pay decent money, the back load just increases the PROFIT!
I still think ther’s something in the mans past that has burned him. He calls ODs mugs but forgets that people like Art Gregory and Eddie Stobart started out as ODs because it suits him to.
His ego is astounding, though rather droll.
Rob K: Yeah alright Paul, you carry on working for your “DECENT MONEY” then eh, along with the rest of your mug mates.
Those rates have bought me a nice detatched house in the Somerset countryside (bought and paid for), 2 nice cars (mine and hers), a Merc megaspace, a Volvo FH Globetrotter and a “toy” yank truck to play with, and keep 2 drivers in work.
You driving for the agency tonight Rob?
think the idea is the outward load DOES pay decent money, the back load just increases the PROFIT! 