Does anyone have any experience or knowledge on this scheme that Maritime are offering? (It was briefly discussed in another thread but did not want to take that way off topic so started a new one) Is it a workable solution to someone who would like to enter the OD world or is it all pie in the sky and just a dead end that would leave me feeling like I didnt bother my ■■■ after a few years.
Hay1908:
pie in the sky
Many times this subject has been covered, and the answer is taken from your own point.
Ken.
Buy with free mug more like.
I’ve now had a chance to look at the rates, and I wouldn’t be able to make it pay… was never my first choice though anyway.
These schedule appear every time there is a recession, I looked into similar scheme during the last recession with a container company that has now gone bust. They offer what appear to be good rates but realasticaly you are struggling to make a living wage after all your outgoings are taken into consideration. This is capitalism, no company is ever going to let you make a fortune so easily, if you are thinking about it, do lots of research, try and talk to people who are already doing it, no offence to members on here but you won’t get a straight answer here,
Myself after doing loads of research on being an OD, I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole, unless you’ve got plenty of spare capital and are lucky enough to get a good paying contract, or can offer specialist service it is just not worth it. Even the big boys such ES, Dhl and so on are struggling these days.
I am here: maps.google.com/maps?ll=55.928329,-3.270422
Been told I can’t use my signature by some elitist ■■■■■■
if you buy one of their overpriced trucks, they will supply you with work with a guaranteed minimum earnings per week
the guarantee is for 1400 miles, if you work that out with the current mileage rate that they are paying, it works out at £1610 per week + fuel surcharge
do not let them tell you that their current mileage rate is £1.30 per mile, it is not, it is (last i heard) £1.15, they add the fuel and add that on to the rate to make the rate look better, but, if the fuel surcharge disappears altogether, the rate will be £1.15, not £1.30
also, with the guarantee, you have to be available for work every possible working day, you cannot refuse a job, i.e. going to a scrapyard, any of these will lose you the guarantee for that week
another thing is, if you have a good week in week 1 and earn £200 over the minimum, then on week 2, you have a bad week and earn £200 less than the minimum, they will take a job off week 1 and pay it on week 2, this way, they don’t have to give you any extra money (names can be supplied of 2 people that they did this to)
personally, i wouldn’t bother 
Cheers guys, it pretty much swings in the favour of a dead end option by the sounds of it. Always better hearing it from guys in the know rather than the sales pitch from the company.
Well it looks like its back to knocking on doors, emailing and posting CV’s and hopeing for the agency to phone.
Hay1908:
Cheers guys, it pretty much swings in the favour of a dead end option by the sounds of it. Always better hearing it from guys in the know rather than the sales pitch from the company.Well it looks like its back to knocking on doors, emailing and posting CV’s and hopeing for the agency to phone.
What about Wincanton, they advertise for OD? just dont buy a truck at anything more than its market value, then there will not be too much of a ‘fall’ if it doesnt work out, but you cannot give 7k over the top and then work on a shoestring.
puntabrava:
Hay1908:
Cheers guys, it pretty much swings in the favour of a dead end option by the sounds of it. Always better hearing it from guys in the know rather than the sales pitch from the company.Well it looks like its back to knocking on doors, emailing and posting CV’s and hopeing for the agency to phone.
What about Wincanton, they advertise for OD? just dont buy a truck at anything more than its market value, then there will not be too much of a ‘fall’ if it doesnt work out, but you cannot give 7k over the top and then work on a shoestring.
Wincanton aren’t too bad on the containers out of felixstowe, just don’t expect to get paid any money between christmas and new year, or the week after new year 
i have found that you have to push them all the time, as the planner will sort out the first job for the day, then concentrate more on the following day rather than get the second jobs done
I looked at there wagon and drags when they where getting rid of them a few year ago thinking it was a good way of starting out as an o/d thank god i didnt and wasnt able to do its a bad way to start off youve got alot of learning to do a you dont want to be in it upto and probaly above your eyeballs start at the bottom and make your way up you need to be able to walk away from it and be able to sleep at night be sensible youll see alot of things you wont like ive been on containers for nearly 2 years and the prices of the trucks on the other thread would of made it impossible plain and simple start off sensible nail your costs to the floor and youll be able to give it ago for alot less