I realise I may be asking much with this one but here goes. Would anyone mind saying what (in todays money) they think would be a sound and reasonable quote/asking price for a job these days, or more cheekily, what they themselves quote? I know its a dependant on much answer. If I went forwards with a price per mile say for instance either one way or both, what’s a good figure? Or would it be more the case of you price up the job with your workings and then quote a figure? I’m just trying to get an idea of how the haulage companies like a bid to fall on their desks. cheers all.
Dont take this the wrong way but 99% of the time its the customer who will dictate the rate to you , you then decide if its worth doing or not , its usually only rush jobs where you can force there hand with money and ask for a bit more than usual
Any tips on how you would know if it’s a rush job?
kitozz1:
Any tips on how you would know if it’s a rush job?
When they tell you that they need it there yesterday !
In my experience, a rush job is a rush job all the way, right up to the point when you get to the delivery point and they say "“we’re not expecting this 'til tomorrow/Thursday/next week, you’ll have to wait”.
What I think your asking is “what should I look at earning”.when I was lining up work before I bailed on my ops licence, I knew I wanted to be in the area of £500 a day or the truck wasn’t gonna move.
Finally got work, which I could still take up tomorrow, every load 20+ton, the lowest worked out at £2.80 per mile one way,most of it was £3.20. The top dollar, but only about 5% of work was £4.they named the price but are what you would call sensible, a little room for manoeuvre.
So if I went on the 150 mile jobs, I was looking at £440 which I was happy with. At that, you can afford your return load to get cancelled, or undercut , or whatever else excuse they may come out with, and I could, as an absolute last resort, run back empty.
I did open accounts with all the usual players though. Generally I’d lined up heavy returns at £250 back to within a mile of my base, or 3ton loads back to a depot 10 miles from my base for about £150, but there were options to occasionally get two of these loads for £150 each on the same run.
Look at £2500 minimum turnover to allow you to live and enjoy it. If your looking to get Kelsa bar’d out your head and alloyed up then head towards £3k +.
My mates truck expenses this week. Fully maintained scania on a spot hire lease. £380 a week. This weeks fuel, 830 litres. Me to drive it, £770.insurance, not sure but budget £70. Few bumflufferies, your upto £2000 if my maths right.
Didnt realise you had decided not to bother with it all mate, thought you where just about ready to go
Matt thanks for taking the time for that one. Bits falling into place all the time. I first started out by approaching Maritime main guy to see what their deal was. £1.37 is what they came back with! I have not been able to make things work with those figures but felt sure that can’t be the norm surely. I was hoping someone would tell me otherwise. £3.00 one way is the lowest number where I have been able to come out with what I would be happy with, also taking into consideration back loads to a degree. The insurance I was quoted is the sting for me but I think it’s doable.
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Yes chavers, iv had to retract the application, I can’t get the necessary paperwork that explains the circs around my conviction. It was only Tuesday I called it a day. It’s a tough pill to swallow, knowing iv got the ops centre, truck, insurance, work, and all the bumflufferies. Having chipped away at all the obstacles, I’m still taking it all in.
Never say never. Maybe next year.
So a trucks available if yours out of action whilst in repair 
Yes kit, it’s safe to say all these that advertise in the back of truck rags will only be enough to break even if you was given the truck, and you was nicking 200 litres of diesel a week.
How much was you quoted for insurance kit?
Mattwoodtransport:
Yes chavers, iv had to retract the application, I can’t get the necessary paperwork that explains the circs around my conviction. It was only Tuesday I called it a day. It’s a tough pill to swallow, knowing iv got the ops centre, truck, insurance, work, and all the bumflufferies. Having chipped away at all the obstacles, I’m still taking it all in.
Never say never. Maybe next year.
So a trucks available if yours out of action whilst in repair
Yes kit, it’s safe to say all these that advertise in the back of truck rags will only be enough to break even if you was given the truck, and you was nicking 200 litres of diesel a week.
How much was you quoted for insurance kit?
Shame that mate you seemed to have it all planned out
£7600 would you believe. That was from the insurance people that Maritime recommended. I maybe able to find others cheaper so I intend shopping round as you do. Those are the numbers I am working on though for now. So that works at £31 a day, phewwww!
Yeah it has left a nasty taste in my mouth but I’ll bounce back. Jus looking back at all the licence process makes me chuckle at the anomalies. They want you (in most cases) to rent a yard for three months to prove you have the centre before you get the go ahead. They want you to prove you have a maintenance contract even tho the garage can’t be bothered to entertain entering such a contract with a make believe vehicle. Then you need access to a vehicle, even tho a hire place normally wants you to have traded for minimum of a year, and won’t set up an account even if you ask them to make the account flash up “do not rent trucks to them , it’s only for the TC” 
the list goes on and on. On the plus side , I’m hoping that maybe I can go under someone’s wing, and eventually have the paperwork to reapply anyway.
It’s odd that I take the same responsibilities in law, as a driver, every day that I take a vehicle out, as say an operator does, but if I want to be the one who decides which direction it travels then me losing my rag with someone two years ago could deem I’m not fit
Regards insurance kit, at least your working it out right, looks like you’ve split the cost over expected working days as opposed to days in the year. It is too much though. I’ll send you my brokers number. I know you’ve not had your licence long , and that is probably the main factor here, but my broker allowed me to make a self declaration, that I had experience, and were claim free? Which puzzled me, so they gave me discount , think it worked out at £2100 for motor only. The closest after that was £3200, all the others were £4600 ish, I had phoned ten of them I think. Maybe they’re was a position in the army where you drove the vehicles, but didn’t pass the uk test until this year? It’s worth asking if they would accept such a declaration.
kitozz1:
I realise I may be asking much with this one but here goes. Would anyone mind saying what (in todays money) they think would be a sound and reasonable quote/asking price for a job these days, or more cheekily, what they themselves quote? I know its a dependant on much answer. If I went forwards with a price per mile say for instance either one way or both, what’s a good figure? Or would it be more the case of you price up the job with your workings and then quote a figure? I’m just trying to get an idea of how the haulage companies like a bid to fall on their desks. cheers all.
Work out your costs per working day that you have to pay whether the truck moves or not, such as insurance, finance, rent, wages, even maintenance. Then to this add your variable cost, fuel at 53ppm. Then to quote a job add the time cost (fixed costs) in days to your fuel cost , then add your profit margin, and that’s your charge out price. Eventually you will get a feel for how much to charge without having to calculate every job.
Don’t use any one else’s fixed costs as everybody’s will be different.
Surely you don’t think anyone is going to give away trade secrets,use your own brain. 
kitozz1:
£7600 would you believe.
Well, that is just a complete and total joke. I pay under £4,000 a year all-in, and that includes RAC breakdown insurance. I’d suggest you get a quote from Towergate, take that as a benchmark figure, then try to whittle it down from there.
£7600 would you believe
bloody hell , ive just got 2 artics 2 trailers 4 vans insured for £8900 and thats with a £17000 claim last year
Harry Monk:
kitozz1:
£7600 would you believe.Well, that is just a complete and total joke. I pay under £4,000 a year all-in, and that includes RAC breakdown insurance. I’d suggest you get a quote from Towergate, take that as a benchmark figure, then try to whittle it down from there.
What sort of trailer cover do you get with that Harry. IE what do they stipulate regarding detached trailers. Some I have looked at stipulate that detached trailers are only covered in a locked compound. The company I am with at the moment don’t put any stipulations on detached trailers but are expensive.