Hi Guys,
Newbie to the site, thinking about contracting for either Elite or Maritime containers. Just wondeing if anyone has any eperience/thoughts on these OD schemes, and most importantly is anyone making a reasonable living on them■■? Much appreciated
Cheers
Maritime is £1.12 per mile at 44 tonne with fuel surcharge about measly pence so I don’t know who you are shagging at the firm?
If Elite are offering £1.50, thanks for the tip! (and of course go for it yourself!)
Wincanton is £1.14 per mile with no mention of a fuel surcharge.
Silver Surfer,
I have requested Elites updated OD pack, so when it arrives I will update if the figures have changed, or indeed if I have been misinformed completely!!
Silver_Surfer:
Maritime is £1.12 per mile at 44 tonne with fuel surcharge about measly pence so I don’t know who you are shagging at the firm?If Elite are offering £1.50, thanks for the tip! (and of course go for it yourself!)
Wincanton is £1.14 per mile with no mention of a fuel surcharge.
I have recently seen it documented that Maritime work is available to new subbies only if they buy a tractor from Maritime. If they continue to sell lorries on that basis, I’m not sure what it does for (to!) existing subbies as these new ones come on board!
I think this article from IFW (hope it’s OK to reproduce it here?) speaks volumes:
A fight to the death
"Everyone involved in container haulage in the UK is suffering from a nightmare they are desparate to wake up from.
The rail boxcarriers are being undercut to the bone by road haulaiers, who are offering their services at “suicidal rates” - some working for no profit at all, just to keep the lifeblood of any firm, cash, flowing through the books"
it goes on to say that shipping lines should feel some moral duty not to accept low rates, but ends with
“Unfortunately there is also the notion [amongst shipping lines] that if firms go bust, so what? There is always another transport firm out there to fill it’s place”
jj72:
I think this article from IFW (hope it’s OK to reproduce it here?) speaks volumes:A fight to the death
"Everyone involved in container haulage in the UK is suffering from a nightmare they are desparate to wake up from.
The rail boxcarriers are being undercut to the bone by road haulaiers, who are offering their services at “suicidal rates” - some working for no profit at all, just to keep the lifeblood of any firm, cash, flowing through the books"
it goes on to say that shipping lines should feel some moral duty not to accept low rates, but ends with
“Unfortunately there is also the notion [amongst shipping lines] that if firms go bust, so what? There is always another transport firm out there to fill it’s place”
Actually, it is the shipping lines themselves who are driving down the rates aggressively in many cases. The rail carriers have done their own rate-cutting too, and by some substantial amounts. Many in the lines have no interest in, nor even any knowledge of, inland transport. It is unusual to find someone in a senior position in a shipping line with any proper idea about road haulage. Pretty amazing considering how much some of them spend on it!
pm shuttlespanker he will give you a good inside into maritime as he has a motor on for them
Thanks tilerman, will do
I had a look at maritime last year there motors are way overpriced but well looked after although the deal they are offering may just about cover your costs dont think you would return much else though if anything.
I would seriously think about it i have been looking for 18 months and cant justify packing in a job although not a good one to buy a motor and make no money or break even with all the hassles, you are going to need a good amount of spare cash to keep you going poss upto 90 days times are hard and i think they are going to get harder before it levels out.
Good luck
Andrew
Everyone’s gagging to take on subbies at poor rates at the moment to cope with the Christmas rush so they don’t have to take on extra motors & agency drivers themselves then once Christmas is out of the way it’s either see you later or oh the rate is now 25% less, if you don’t like it, there’s the door.
If you can hammer it and do 400-500 miles everyday with drop and swaps on containers or double shift it, even better (if you are bumming the planners) then you could pay yourself more than the average truck driver with the poor rates being touted but there is an awful lot of dicking around on containers with 3,4,6 hour load and tip times and then there’s the rail terminals, container interchange points (which for some reason are usually about 30 miles from where you took your previous box off) and ports to Q in and not to mention hell on earth: Felixstowe. First time in there this week in the dark and the rain, 50 wagons waiting to get in. Nearly went postal. Southampton and Liverpool are OK.
This week I had a clutch go on one of my trucks,£800 plus labour, No hire trucks available in midlands, chauffered one up from Kent, £150. A day later the replacement broke down with clogged fuel lines and filter, someone had probably been putting dodgy bio diesel in it or it hadn’t been serviced for yonks which would be surprising for a HIll Hire truck, 6 hour delayed load. Happy days.
boys…look back at my post ref. taking Maritime to the small claims court…
madders
I pull for Maritime and whilst they slashed their rates earlier this year, I can just about scratch a living. They will try to run you ragged and it appears that tacho rules only apply to their own drivers. I know of 4 people who’ve bought Maritime wagons, but only two of them are still working for them. One criticism I do have is that do cap your earnings.
FROGMAN.42:
I pull for Maritime and whilst they slashed their rates earlier this year, I can just about scratch a living. They will try to run you ragged and it appears that tacho rules only apply to their own drivers. I know of 4 people who’ve bought Maritime wagons, but only two of them are still working for them. One criticism I do have is that do cap your earnings.
Don’t they also do a minimum miles you have to do a week thing ?
Also, the later in the week it is the more they want, especially Friday into Saturday, 
or has that changed ?
just wandering slightly off topic for a minute, im just getting into the container game but my usual run ends friday afternoon, is there much happens saturdays container wise or do most people only want them mon-fri
there is occaisional weekend work, but not much from the jobs i am on, if there is, it is usually a trunk down to a southern port and another trunk back to the rail head with RCL
thanks, not used to being finished at 4 on a friday afternoon
Hi, also newbie to forum, I was on Maritime recently as general haulage went quiet. Lasted 3 days before encountering planner who had no interest in hours laws. Left on good terms but very rapidly with O licence intact, rates werent that bad doing locals but was away all week.
240 gardner… i ve a couple of trucks on direct for a major shippin line … and our rates have not changed since early this year… we’ve had no deductions… you’ll find most of the rate cutting is done by the major hauilers names mentioned above… who need to increase there profits…
240 Gardner:
jj72:
I think this article from IFW (hope it’s OK to reproduce it here?) speaks volumes:A fight to the death
"Everyone involved in container haulage in the UK is suffering from a nightmare they are desparate to wake up from.
The rail boxcarriers are being undercut to the bone by road haulaiers, who are offering their services at “suicidal rates” - some working for no profit at all, just to keep the lifeblood of any firm, cash, flowing through the books"
it goes on to say that shipping lines should feel some moral duty not to accept low rates, but ends with
“Unfortunately there is also the notion [amongst shipping lines] that if firms go bust, so what? There is always another transport firm out there to fill it’s place”
Actually, it is the shipping lines themselves who are driving down the rates aggressively in many cases. The rail carriers have done their own rate-cutting too, and by some substantial amounts. Many in the lines have no interest in, nor even any knowledge of, inland transport. It is unusual to find someone in a senior position in a shipping line with any proper idea about road haulage. Pretty amazing considering how much some of them spend on it!
jody1980:
240 gardner… i ve a couple of trucks on direct for a major shippin line … and our rates have not changed since early this year… we’ve had no deductions… you’ll find most of the rate cutting is done by the major hauilers names mentioned above… who need to increase there profits…
Jody, you are indeed fortunate and I am pleased to hear that - however, I’ve recently come from a major shipping line, and I can confirm that your experience is not universal.
Right! Can of worms? Yes!
I am about to give you first hand advice of Maritime, and I have not doubt Elite are the same, They will sell you a truck and yes it will be a very well lokked after truck, trouble is you probably won’t get the best finance pakage so you will take the next best, Maritime will guarrentee you work for life, which they will forefill, problem is what they don’t tell you is that most weeks you will only earn enough to cover your costs with about £100-£200 spare which has to go towards any other problems like serving inspections any extra parts, you will be sentenced to a very slow a pian full business death unless you break free and find work elsewhere, I wouldn’t wish Maritime Transport on my worst enemy, oh and if you are wondering what my experince is? I brought a truck off them and have Subbied for them for two years, thats two years of my precious life flushed down the pan me friend, they prey on they ignorant and make you pay. It sounds like a nightmare and I can assure you it ■■■■■■■ is STAY AWAY SAVE YOURSELF!!!