I am thinking about starting out as an O/D, yes I know must be mad in todays market conditions. Just in the process of getting quotes for trucks. Really considering renting a 420 topline from Scania(05-55), £380 per week and only thing I have to pay extra for is punctures. The main reason I am thinking about renting is if it all goes pear shaped then I can just give it back. I would love to know what other people think about this avenue of getting a truck.
Too dear.
If you set up as a limited company you don’t have to worry about your house if it goes pear shaped.
You can get a brand new daf with servicing etc included for £250 a week on lease.
I don’t think your mad at all, It’s the nuggets with there heads in the sand that are mad, There’s loads of work about.
Have you got guaranteed work?
You don’t sound too optimistic by saying you will hand it back if it doesn’t work. Not the right attitude to take as starting any business is a risk and should be taking seriously…and sounds as if you aren’t
I am taking this very serious, thats why I am seeking other people’s opinions. I am making inroads to try and get regular work and setting up a business. As for handing the truck back, nobody can predict the future, if we go into recession then work will be in short supply and I presume the subbies will be the first to feel the pinch. I don’t want to buy a job I want to be able to pay a wage and make a profit. Any advice on who are best to work for and pay regularly gratefully appreciated.
You won’t get anyone on here telling you who is best to work for, that would be an unwise thing to do. PM me with your email address and I will give you a bit more advice.
there are good jobs about but its the specialist type of jobs were you can make money, any tom ■■■■ or harry can pick up a 40ft skelly and stick a container on the back for a pound a mile or whatever it is you get nowadays, but i get a good rate for the job both ways { no back load rates} but i had to invest 20k in a trailer to show i was serious
suppose what i,m trying to say is, dont just look at the obvious work, broaden {sp} your horizons and look at the work which you may need different equipment for but will pay better, good luck anyway 
check out the search facility on here and you will find everything you need to know
You can get a brand new daf with servicing etc included for £250 a week on lease
where ? dyer have details? PM me if ye can!
limeyphil:
You can get a brand new daf with servicing etc included for £250 a week on lease.
Where? Merc are advertising 4 year old Actroses in CM at the moment on lease for more than that!
Paul
What about the small print?
Why say what the weekly rate is and not say how long you have to commit to the lease■■?
Leasing is dead money on a single truck.
repton: whats CM?
chappy261:
repton: whats CM?
CM = Commercial Motor.
hello fileep i started out sixteen months ago and here are some monthly figures for you to consider.Truck, your price £1520,does that price include vat?insurance £400,opp centre £180,fuel £4000-£5500 depending what type o f work your doing,trailer hire £400,have you got your own cpc if not thats another cost so in a nut shell fileep you are looking at fixed costs of £2500 per month wether you run or not plus most good firms pay on 90 days so £15000 is a realistic figure you will need to have behind you having said all that it is all about the work.so good luck mate and let me know how your doing. not trying to be clever with this post but need to have your eyes wide open and just to let you know if sixteen months ago the market place was like this i would not have started…
pthaulage:
hello fileep i started out sixteen months ago and here are some monthly figures for you to consider.Truck, your price £1520,does that price include vat?insurance £400,opp centre £180,fuel £4000-£5500 depending what type o f work your doing,trailer hire £400,have you got your own cpc if not thats another cost so in a nut shell fileep you are looking at fixed costs of £2500 per month wether you run or not plus most good firms pay on 90 days so £15000 is a realistic figure you will need to have behind you having said all that it is all about the work.so good luck mate and let me know how your doing. not trying to be clever with this post but need to have your eyes wide open and just to let you know if sixteen months ago the market place was like this i would not have started…
sorry but your maths makes no sense whatsoever? 
Is it possible for you to explain what you mean?
Looks simple enough to me. Just add £1520,£400,£180 and £400 together and comes to £2500.
My maths are good.
yeah, it was just the putting fuel costs then excluding them in standing costs - my mistake, sort of
mind you the VAT comes back to you anyway (if you can’t wait 3 months for £266 to come back then maybe you’re on too thin a shoestring
and if you think 90 days are terms from good firms, hope you don’t work for any bad ones
Wincantons (Hanbury Davies as used to be) pay at the end of the second week
Maritime pay on week five
Elite pay on week three
all of the above are on container transport
F Swain and Sons pay for work done in june at the beginning of August, approx 35 days from end of month that the work was done.
i would not work for any company that pays on 90 days 
all they are doing is keeping the money in their bank accounts for longer to get better rates from the bank
I am aware of what Maritime and Wincanton are paying per mile, does anyone know the rate elite are paying? Not an owner driver yet (and won’t be at the rate they pay)and don’t know how you can make Wincanton’s rate pay!
Elite pay per job, most of the rates work out at around £1.12 per mile before the fuel surcharge.
most companies advertise rates INCLUDING the fuel surcharge to make them look better, but, if you do your estimated earnings on those rates, be aware that they can go down when the surcharge amount goes down.
i always work out the earnings on a set PPM that i have always got from Maritime, then ad the fuel surcharge to that