this might be a stupid question but why didn’t you just go out and buy/hire a trailer and tout for your own work?
take it from your posts your somewhere near me? i hate to tell you this after the wagons gone but theres a hell of a lot of decent work up this way at the mo, paying a hell of a lot more than the rates you’ve quoted.
as for the fella on HD, i really have no idea how they make it pay?
Without the certainty of getting good work , and without the “feel good factor” i simply did not want to be in the position of having money invested in both a unit and trailer and still being offered crap rates.
You say there is loads of work at mo and that i do not doubt - but what will be the position after xmas?
I have big mortgage and bills to pay like most and need that regular income.
If it all had worked out as hoped then i would have had enough money circulating to get me through the slow periods after xmas but on the rates offered there is no way you can reinvest money to survive.
I take my hat off to you Paul,see you running along the M1 and M18 almost on a daily basis and hope you continue to make a success of it - maybe i am not cut out to be an Owner Driver■■?
well the position after christmas will be the same as it is every year, it’ll be slow to get going and all those who do the supermarket work will be touting for anything to keep their wagons rolling even doing something as distastefull as steel but the thing is you know it’s coming, me personally i like to go on holiday the the end of jan get a bit of sun and don’t feel i’m missing out on much, work wise, i like your figures based on 44 weeks, that to me is very realistic when you take a fortnight for christmas, the a two week holiday plus other days off and maybe a week at home for whatever reason etc, at the end of the day if you’ve got to work everyday god sends, whats the point of being self employed?
so whats the plan now then, you going on agency up to christmas?
I am always sorry to hear about o/d,s giving up.but why did you not find other work its out there if you look for it. as you probably always hear me banging on
never have all your eggs in one basket. you can never have enough sources of income. hopefully you can start again in the future and learn from previous
experiences. good luck
routier:
Big Truck:
Pop Larkin:
megaspacedout:
This provides a Gross Income of £723.63/week which after tax equates to about £500/week in the pocket.Did an extra day for the agency last week to keep the customer happy, so 6 days, 3 of them 8 hours and 3 of them 10 hours. In the bank today £490. No unpaid admin or maintenance time, no dreading the next breakdown, no chasing the money and hoping it arrives before the bills and no depreciating asset that gets nearer needing replacement every day it’s used.
Fair enough comment,
but do you still think you will pull in £490 come the second week in January
Fair comment but will You ? Will the majority of ODs ?
January is a dreaded month for most ODs and small hauliers after the Xmas rush etc, unless, and Im sure you are, one of the sensible ones in a niche and the January blues will have no effect on your business
However for the most ODs doin General haulage/Containers/Fridges/traction etc its very quiet. You still have however your overheads to pay.
I haul roadstone at 44t along with 3 other o/d’s running out of a local quarry to Belfast docks where it is shipped to the “mainland” or even to the continent 
It does slow down slightly in January but the quarry does not have any room whatsoever to stockpile it so it has to keep being hauled to the docks,they just slow down the crusher abit, come February it starts to ramp up again for the Spring rush. 
megaspacedout wrote: This provides a Gross Income of £723.63/week which after tax equates to about £500/week in the pocket.
I dont think it would of worked like that. You wouldn’t of payed any tax in the first year because of your truck purchase etc. and If you had an accountant that is as good as mine you wouldnt of paid tax until the january after your second year of trading and then it could of only equalled to £60 a week.
one thing I have just done though is list all my operating costs / overheads like you did and it frightened me!! wish I never done it now!! but once again at the end of every month theres money in the bank and with me running a 8 wheeler tipper, theres also enough for the tyres it likes go through and all repairs etc.
Im sorry it never worked out for you.
Did you think about giving the tippers / mixers ago? because its the short runs that pay the most. £2.20 + per mile ands thats not loaded miles its quarry to site and back to the quarry.
Its the short runs that cause the heavy maintenance i have found.We have had tippers for years but about 25+ years ago we put an artic on general haulage and containers, we couldnt believe how little work we did at the weekends to keep it right. We currently run 2 8 wheelers 1 6 wheeler and a 5 wheeler and its brakes and tyres all the time.If the tyres aren’t worn out the have been cut to the wire by a stone.
pursy:
Its the short runs that cause the heavy maintenance i have found.We have had tippers for years but about 25+ years ago we put an artic on general haulage and containers, we couldnt believe how little work we did at the weekends to keep it right. We currently run 2 8 wheelers 1 6 wheeler and a 5 wheeler and its brakes and tyres all the time.If the tyres aren’t worn out the have been cut to the wire by a stone.
Pursy, have you got a picture of your FIVE-wheeler, I’d love to see one. 
hammer:
pursy:
Its the short runs that cause the heavy maintenance i have found.We have had tippers for years but about 25+ years ago we put an artic on general haulage and containers, we couldnt believe how little work we did at the weekends to keep it right. We currently run 2 8 wheelers 1 6 wheeler and a 5 wheeler and its brakes and tyres all the time.If the tyres aren’t worn out the have been cut to the wire by a stone.Pursy, have you got a picture of your FIVE-wheeler, I’d love to see one.
Bet the Battenburg would to Hammer 
specialy if it’s meant to be a 6
Might wanna do a bit MORE weekend maintenece Pursy
Its a ex Tesco unit stretched and a midlift fitted she aint a 6 wheeler and she aint a 4 wheeler so round here we calls em 5 wheelers. Shes a 340 too so she does go well at 23tonne
pursy:
Its a ex Tesco unit stretched and a midlift fitted she aint a 6 wheeler and she aint a 4 wheeler so round here we calls em 5 wheelers. Shes a 340 too so she does go well at 23tonne
I shall include that in the next ‘What did you Learn this week?’ 
I found it tough being an o/d over here as well unless you have your own work it is very border line and pulling other peoples trailers is where you loose out… I parked my truck and have found work. I’m making the same money clear with out the head aches and less hours.I will go back to being an o/d in a couple of years but with a better plan and my own work its the only way to make it pay.