It’s your responsibility to turn your business profitable.
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Thank you for your advise. By cold calling I established that £1.50 per mile is the most the companies are willing to pay to subcontractors in my are (Tilbury docks). I will have to start with them a have a bunch of business cards on me, checking the industrial estates near by etc.
Your rates advise was very helpful to me and made me more confident that what I’m gonna do is the right thing to do.
Any further advise will be gratefully received
Thank you for your advise. You have managed to swing me in to buying Renault Premium (you are very consistent mentioning the truck, are you Renault dealer? ).
I’m gonna open a topic about used Renault Premium to get some more opinions on the truck.\Thank you.
Be aware that a full service history from a main dealer carrying out its obligations under an R&M contract does not guarantee that the vehicle will be in 1st class condition for its age.
I will relate again the experience of one of my customers. Noticing a 4 year old unit for sale at the other end of the country they were reassured by the fact that it was a manufacturer approved and backed used vehicle with a FSH from an R&M contract. Accordingly they did not carry out their own inspection. When it arrived at the local dealer through whom it was being purchased and who was charged with obtaining a 12 month MOT as part of the conditions of sale, it was found to require significant and expensive remedial work. This dealer refused to present the vehicle for test in that condition. Various arguments followed between two dealers and the manufacturer about who would be paying.
Thank you for your advise. You have managed to swing me in to buying Renault Premium (you are very consistent mentioning the truck, are you Renault dealer? ).
I’m gonna open a topic about used Renault Premium to get some more opinions on the truck.\Thank you.
Not a dealer no,
Just an ex O/D trying to give my 2p worth of advice for new start.
I did own a previous model 6x2 03 Premium 420Dci (remapped to 500horse) Opti-drive box and on 44T gross quarry work and she went well.
Managed to haggle a SHARP deal from Renault dealer trading a 6x2 01 Foden 3000Alpha 440■■■■■■■■
They are a few “new/used” truck threads on here mentioning Premiums just use search function.
cav551:
Be aware that a full service history from a main dealer carrying out its obligations under an R&M contract does not guarantee that the vehicle will be in 1st class condition for its age.
I will relate again the experience of one of my customers. Noticing a 4 year old unit for sale at the other end of the country they were reassured by the fact that it was a manufacturer approved and backed used vehicle with a FSH from an R&M contract. Accordingly they did not carry out their own inspection. When it arrived at the local dealer through whom it was being purchased and who was charged with obtaining a 12 month MOT as part of the conditions of sale, it was found to require significant and expensive remedial work. This dealer refused to present the vehicle for test in that condition. Various arguments followed between two dealers and the manufacturer about who would be paying.
I’ve always preferred controlling the servicing aspect myself, but was persuaded by Mr A to give R&M a go on two units, both Scania. (Note to self, stick with Plan A and ignore what the men say… ). One we sent back, the second we negotiaged a deal to keep it. First time it went in for inspection/servicing there was a list of things wrong a mile long. In fairness, nothing major, but stuff that should have been done as we went along. Never touch an R&M contract again.
Driver Pete:
Thank you. Especially for the rates. As soon as I get approval from the bank I’ll carefully consider ask the options. I don’t think I’m brave enough to buy a unit for £6k as there is a reason why it’s so cheep. Most manufacturers only offer R&M on vehicles up to 7 years old. However they have to had fsh up to date.
That’s exactly what stopped me in the past and I’m still glad I didn’t go for it.
Harry Monk:
If I did it again I would lease one with a full R&M deal. I rode my luck and got away with it but a run of mechanical bad luck can easily send an owner down the pan.
The modern lorry is so complicated that this is the way to go to start out, as time goes on it may be that you feel comfortable buying a lorry and taking a chance with repair bills, but having the safety net of the full maintenance lease at those prices is a no brainer for a new start.
I never thought I would give that advice, but after recently spending almost 30 grand on repairs on a 2014 Volvo, I couldn’t even advise going after one of those 12 grand Premiums anymore, which would have been my recommendation a year ago. A few big repair bills and that Premium isn’t a cheap lorry anymore. An established business can absorb the hit, but a new start would have no chance.
I would spend two months visiting auctions and ringing potential customers, you will struggle to get anything in writing for rates until you start, a collection of Renault or DAF from large fleets are not being sold because they are knackered, they are at the end of the contract and will have been serviced to manufacture specs. R&M is not a golden rivet, the workshop will do the absolute minimum to keep the lorry “legal.”
Forget trailers too unless you are going for a specialism. If you lease a trailer it will be the wrong height, weight, length, colour, and your stuck with it for 3 years or more.
You won’t be able to pull a Morrisons trailer with a Maritime unit.
I’ve got a Volvo at the moment which came on their approved used scheme with warranty, saved me a lot so far, new partial loom, intercooler, radiator, CCV valve + the labour to fit all at no cost which in my first year was a real benefit.
I would have a chat with a good trusted workshop and see if they know of any good units coming up for replacement. The firm I sub to, also look after my unit and trailers and they have not long got rid of some older stuff which would have done a new starter brilliantly for the first 18 months - 2 years.
cav551:
Be aware that a full service history from a main dealer carrying out its obligations under an R&M contract does not guarantee that the vehicle will be in 1st class condition for its age.
I will relate again the experience of one of my customers. Noticing a 4 year old unit for sale at the other end of the country they were reassured by the fact that it was a manufacturer approved and backed used vehicle with a FSH from an R&M contract. Accordingly they did not carry out their own inspection. When it arrived at the local dealer through whom it was being purchased and who was charged with obtaining a 12 month MOT as part of the conditions of sale, it was found to require significant and expensive remedial work. This dealer refused to present the vehicle for test in that condition. Various arguments followed between two dealers and the manufacturer about who would be paying.
I’ve always preferred controlling the servicing aspect myself, but was persuaded by Mr A to give R&M a go on two units, both Scania. (Note to self, stick with Plan A and ignore what the men say… ). One we sent back, the second we negotiaged a deal to keep it. First time it went in for inspection/servicing there was a list of things wrong a mile long. In fairness, nothing major, but stuff that should have been done as we went along. Never touch an R&M contract again.
This is how Scania work. At my last job we bought new Scanias,starting with 2 in 1998 - which had 2 years R & M included in the price. This was a major selling point to my boss,along with the galvanised cab (had ran iveco & daf - cabs rotten in 5 years…) & the fact clutches were covered - volvo’s R&M doesn’t cover clutches. We bought another in 99 & 00.
My boss decided to just use the main dealer to service the trucks after the 2 years free was up - no contract - just on an ad-hoc basis. The first inspection after the end of the free 2 years threw up a list a mile long - with a prospective bill of almost £1200. The gaffer went mental - telling me I should be looking after the truck better…
I explained that it was just Scania trying their hand to get him to enter into an R&M contract - and it worked.funnilly enough the £1200 bill disappeared when he signed the contract. He signed up all the trucks (eventually 5 in total) , buying them outright,getting 2 years free then taking out an R&M.
This was an expensive option -but we had a 100 % pass at mot & more importantly they put a recon engine in an 11 year old truck when it ran main bearings. It may be expensive,but it was a fixed cost & they did stand behind their product.
Its great to see both sides of people who have been there and done it, signing up for a 2/3 yr deal puts you imo in a massive rut, forcing you to almost stay at the bottom taking what you can get, working the truck, sometimes just to break even.
Because you have to make those payments. It gives you little freedom to pick and choose what you do, when and for how much.
Im under no illusion that new starts have to start at the bottom, take what they can get etc. But that doesnt meen we have to stay there.
If i wanted everything guarenteed id go and be a franchise haulier. But that would take away the freedom to do what i want with my truck, which is the exact reason why it makes it appealing to me to be a o/d.
).