Warrington - Litovel (Czech Republic), distance 1825 Kms approx, fuel cost approx £300 based at 55 pence per litre in Europe more if UK fuel, RATE OFFERED ■■?:
£498!!! (755 Euros)
How do they do it for that?Must be paying the driver a £5! This is being offered by Large Blue Chip Company that I wouldnt blow my nose on (clue to who it is)!
routier:
Warrington - Litovel (Czech Republic),£498!!! (755 Euros)
How do they do it for that?
It’s not the blue chips fault. Nor is it the fault of the eastern european who will back load it. It comes down to the slant of the playing feild. The sooner we walk away from the EU, the better. We don’t have to be in europe to trade with europe.
Tramper:
It’s not the blue chips fault. Nor is it the fault of the eastern european who will back load it. It comes down to the slant of the playing feild. The sooner we walk away from the EU, the better. We don’t have to be in europe to trade with europe.
This is a Company based in the UK , with exports from the UK, so how does this help the plight of UK haulage ? Overseas crossings from UK by UK hauliers are continually on the decline, things like this just put another nail in its coffin.
Until these idiots learn to say NO. They will continue to sell loads at this and lower prices.
I find it amazing that whlst costs increase the rates actually get less and less.
The Easten Europeans are begging to be constantly abused and more to the point manufacturers will continue to abuse them,until they see the sense and refuse to do loads that they cannot possibly earn any money on. 
you would be very surprised to learn how many idiots there are running trucks around the uk.
some operators can’t even work out if they are making any money until it’s too late.
some throw money at jobs to keep a regular customer happy without realising that the rough work that costs them money to do strips the profit from the good work that they actually make money on.
i remember being asked to quote for work from ■■■■■■■■■■■ to northampton and/or staples corner, they wanted either job doing for the same rate and the current operator was doing either job for £385.
i wanted to bid £375 for the northampton and £525 for the staples corner but the owner decided he would take either job for £375 - in the 4 months we did the job we got 2 runs to northampton and all the rest were for staples corner, i had to get agency drivers - rental trucks and an extra trailer to cover the job and in the end there was that many things went wrong we lost the work going to scotland which actually paid that good we had previously been doing it and running back empty and still making money, i left just after because i realised i was employed by a nutter who wouldn’t listen to common sense.
routier:
based at 55 pence per litre in Europe
Talking to a TM recently of a smallish German spedition company; he said the phone is hot with calls from Polish (and sometimes other E. European) transport companies and O/D’s asking for work.
He said that now most Germans have had to adopt a ‘if you can’t beat them - join them’ attituide. Now when a Polish company phones him, the first question he asks is “How big are your fuel tanks?”
He gives half of his loads to the Poles so long as they have big fuel tanks…and he fills his motor from their tanks for (Polish) cost price, receipts and all!!
I think sooner or later it’ll bite them on their arse.
I was quoting for a job earlier - £600 over what they’re payin’ at the moment.
Ah well, they wont be getting my vehicles for any less!
routier:
Tramper:
It’s not the blue chips fault. Nor is it the fault of the eastern european who will back load it. It comes down to the slant of the playing feild. The sooner we walk away from the EU, the better. We don’t have to be in europe to trade with europe.This is a Company based in the UK , with exports from the UK, so how does this help the plight of UK haulage ? Overseas crossings from UK by UK hauliers are continually on the decline, things like this just put another nail in its coffin.
It is not the job of the UK Blue chip to help UK transport. Its their job to get their goods to market via the cheapest route. UK hauliers crossing the channel is of no concern to them, and neither should it be. It’s our government that is selling us down the river.
i agree with tramper. the only thing unlevel about the playing field is the price of running the truck and thats not the fault of any company uk or european .if i ran a company i would like the goods my company made taken to the continent in a brit truck but economic climate dictates so if a brit couldnt do it id get a euro truck to.hauliers in this country know what it costs to run a truck in this country but until haulage bosses stand together and ask for what is right instead of undercutting each other to get work the situation will never change .eastern europeans earn less because the cost of living in there country is less.if there happy working in the conditions they have then what bussiness is it of ours.cabotage was done away with brit trucks are entitled to do internal work in eu countris but 2 things stop them there derv costs the same as everyone else so there is a verybig level playing field and europeans particuley our french cousins a very patriotic and will not give work to a forigner
our french cousins a very patriotic
You’ve just hit the nail on the head!! I returned from Australia a few months ago, they had an advertisements on a billboard and it went something like this
“Employ Australians to keep Australia Australian” , another says “Keep Australia Australian” which I always found strange because its a country built on immigration!
But they have the right attitude, this country needs to take a look at other countires policies but doesnt and it aint just this government, name one government thats been in power that has put the UK haulage industry on a level palying field ?
I appreciate its not the manufacturers fault, they need to get their goods transported as effeciently as possible and everyone has a budget.
I think all UK hauliers really should quit the UK and setup in another country and do it all back to front!! Then we would be equal!
Thankfully the freight forwarding and transport company I work at, is doing only national work in Germany and Germany-Switzerland and vice versa with a occasional run to the alsace area of France.
Eastern european companies don’t bother me (at the moment) that much, but in general you have to work very, very hard to run this business profitably.
Every now and then I am offered loads going from Switzerland (Bern area) going to the Ruhrgebiet (Cologne/Duisburg/Dortmund area) paying 550 to 650 Euros. That is for 700 to 750 kms (one or multiple drops), with waiting times at the swiss-german border, with swiss and german roadtax. It’s simply crazy.
I usually turn down those offers and try even harder to find and negotiate somethig else.
But then again, there are good paying loads out there if you can provide an exceptional service and if a trustful and healthy relation to the customer is established. Two examples from the last few days:
One pallet of race tyres from Italy (Milano area) to Stuttgart airport (for oncarriage to Mexico). Customer called on thursday afternoon, the shipment had to be in Stuttgart by monday noon. Customer said just do it and issue an invoice, no discussion about the price.
One full load of equipment (24,5 tons) from Frankfurt airport to Alborg, Denmark (roughly 900 kms). 1.700 EUR and my colleague, who worked on this, made the customer pay 330 EUR (!!!) on top of this for about 180 kms running empty from the Bamberg area. This was a high value load and the storage costs in Frankfurt are extremly high.
So, having a niche and offering a special service to the customer is a must.
Although I agree with the comment that manufacturers should not worry about uk hauliers not getting any euro work and shipping for the cheapest price.
I would always avoid companies that advertise work from “Blue Chip Companies”, they are blue chip because they are ruthless in their management, and loyalty counts for nothing.
You will earn more money pulling jars of fred smiths famous jam, then you ever will for pulling for the golliwog 
routier:
our french cousins a very patriotic
You’ve just hit the nail on the head!! I returned from Australia a few months ago, they had an advertisements on a billboard and it went something like this
“Employ Australians to keep Australia Australian” , another says “Keep Australia Australian” which I always found strange because its a country built on immigration!
But they have the right attitude, this country needs to take a look at other countires policies but doesnt and it aint just this government, name one government thats been in power that has put the UK haulage industry on a level palying field ?I appreciate its not the manufacturers fault, they need to get their goods transported as effeciently as possible and everyone has a budget.
I think all UK hauliers really should quit the UK and setup in another country and do it all back to front!! Then we would be equal!
i can see the sign now - keep britain british - employ only british people.
jack chirac would be having a fit - you are not british anymore - you must write european - bah fooey!
i had to laugh at an article in trucking magazine where a minister (labour) claimed that it costs exactly the same to operate trucks in this country as it does in other european countries - she based this on the fact that our employment regulations and business taxes are lower than the rest of the eu.
i can’t see how this would equate to the term mpg?
and the cost of running a truck which is a set cost per mile and not a set cost per truck or driver.
i was rather surprised that richard simpson (editor) did not pick up on this part of the letter but then i suppose he had a lot on his mind as he has now left trucking.
johnny:
richard simpson (editor) … as he has now left trucking.
When 
Where
it’s in the latest edition - trucking was taken over earlier this year by another publisher, now richard is going and his job is being taken over by someone who isn’t a truck driver.
just like parliament init?
someone who knows nothing about the industry meddling with it.
Thanks for that Johnny.
As i’m not a subscriber, and haven’t had a UK trip in the last couple of weeks, i’m behind on my ‘reading’.