Hi all.
Over the past 4 months of setting up my new little venture, I’ve noticed 1 main thing…
Suppliers of fuel, road toll cards, and vehicles, don’t want to help a new start.
All they are interested in is taking the guarantee or thousands of pounds off you before they’ll even offer you their basic services.
Take my application to Euroshell.
2 cards required, max 8000 ltrs per month.
They wanted £6000 up front, and they wouldn’t even take a cheque or cash!!
My bank incidentally, also wanted to take the cash off me for as long as I had the cards - so that could have been for years!
DKV were worse.
They wanted £7900 up front, but they would take a cheque.
Nice eh?
Now I know I’m a limited company, but why can’t these people see past all this and look at the potential earnings of a fledgling firm, and cut me some slack?
After a lot of searching and knock-backs, especially from UK fuel suppliers, I’ve finally got sorted.
IDS provided the Euro cards with no payment up front, and Total-Butler the Diesel-Line for UK.
DKV rang me everyday for about a fortnight, but finally got the message.
One thing I do know - I will remember my friends and those who helped rather than hindered. When the likes of Shell and BP get on the phone 12 months down the line, they’ll be told “bog off!!”
I’m sure most of you O/D’s out there and small hauliers have been through exactly the same… But it’s so frustrating when you keep hitting your head against a brick wall.
Ah well, sorted now - just need to get the road toll cards from Esso sorted (£1000 up front, but not too bad).
Both trucks along with my Euroliners on the back will be starting for Italy (hopefully) next Sunday. Two more trucks are due to join the fleet in around 3 months.
If I knew before Christmas what I was letting myself in for - would I have bothered??
What do you think■■?
Ian.
Ian,
I for one, appreciate you posting all the info with regards to your ‘new venture’. I’d say this is one of the very few places a prospective OD can get any sort of reliable info, both the good and bad ‘news’!
Often on here the existing OD’s post to the effect of “Don’t do it - you’re mad!! It’s not the job it used to be,” etc. I can understand where they’re coming from but I am a great believer in going for your ‘life goals’ however hard they may be to achieve. (It’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.)
I also believe that it is an undeniable fact that trucks/driving/transport etc is in your blood! Going for it is often the easier option than not doing so, from a ‘peace of mind’ point of view.
As an example, my trade for which I am trained (6 years bloody hard work!!) doesn’t ‘do it’ for me compared to transport. I have spent a few years now focusing my energies on ‘transport’, not my trade. I am lucky at the moment in-so-much-as I am still involved with main trade but have taken a sideways move to the transport management element of it. I don’t think it will make me as successful (i.e. rich!!) but it does make me happier.
If I knew before Christmas what I was letting myself in for - would I have bothered??
What do you think■■?
I think you’d have still gone for it. The knock-backs and hurdles are all part of it and the ‘buzz’ comes from overcoming them!!
Good luck with it all and keep going. And just as importantly, keep telling us all about it!! 
By the way, check the bottom line of my signature - says it all really!!
ianyng,
I wish I had the guts to do what you have set yourself, although I am studying for the CPC it is the rising cost of fuel and the likelyhood that it will keep rising that is putting me off. Good luck and I hope all goes well next week.
Regards
Westie
Yeah - you’re probably right, I would still have done all this.
I may have only gone for one truck and trailer though, but on the flip side, nothing ventured - nothing gained.
Having more than one vehicle on the road eases the burden for me in respect that I don’t think I’ll have to flog my guts out every day. This job needs to be made as easy and relaxing as possible.
Transport is in my blood though, and I got relyy fed up of being told what to do, and treated like crud as an agency driver.
My drivers will be treated the same way as I treat myself.
As long as they understand the ups and downs of the business, there won’t be a problem.
Anyway - on another note, I shopped around quite a bit and got over three thousand pounds knocked off my insurance premium.
My last bit on that subject on here was I had been told it was £10000, but that was only for UK cover aparently!
Quite a few phone calls later, and I’d got a good deal for cover in all Europe, with Italy pushing the premuim up a bit, but not too bad. One country I’m not covered for though is Greece - they say it’s a big risk. yet when you’re on holiday there - it’s magic! Strange!!
Always shop around and get as many quotes as possible - play each company off against each other - it definately pays off.
Next step on my agenda is to tax my first 2 motors at Chester DVLA.
If you don’t want to see a grown man cry - don’t watch me hand over the cheque!! 
Finishing touches to the motors such as decent cab carpets, CB equipment, Sat Nav are all being done in the week.
I’m going to give my driver around 350 Euro to use as a float, just in case sometings can’t be paid for on plastic (assuming the plastic turns up of course…).
I think I’ve got most things covered, but I’ll get hold of Neil (Coffeholic) just to run a few things past him. His little stories were great - very useful. I’ve not done European for quite a while.
Looking forward to it again though… 
Westie - don’t let little things like that put you off.
European work has the benefit of cheap fuel - and who needs a CPC?
I haven’t got mine, although I’m taking the exam in summer.
I’m paying £40 per week for someone to act as my transport manager. They run a training school in Leek, Stafforshire. (Transed Associates).
They have been fantastic up to now, filling in all the forms for me, telling me what I need etc.
There are many ways round everything - you just have to “box clever” and weigh up the options.
Theres loads of work out there for owner-drivers and small hauliers.
Don’t let a problem stand in the way of your dreams.
Ian.
glad to see you’ve got things sorted at last ian, what will you be running to italy and back, load wise?
Think its mostly raw materials out - cardboard plastic wood etc - but some high value stuff on way back.
Once its all going full steam though, if I don’t like the type of work I can always go to someone else.
Saying that though, Archbolds seem to be the best at the moment and will be offering loads of support and help for me in the early stages.
Only time will tell.
Ian.
Ian, Thanks mate I too am going through the process of setting up and have been drawing blanks regards fuel cards etc. i will be giving total butler and ids a call first thing Monday morning.
Cheers mate and good luck
ian, both corus at rotherham and wednesbury send a hell of lot of bright bar steel to italy in curtain siders which all seem to be owner drivers, don’t know how you’d go about getting in with them but may be worth making some enquieries as i imagine the rates would be very good.
paul b:
ian, both corus at rotherham and wednesbury send a hell of lot of bright bar steel to italy in curtain siders which all seem to be owner drivers, don’t know how you’d go about getting in with them but may be worth making some enquieries as i imagine the rates would be very good.
I know some people who work for a different part of Corus, and they are struggling to get paid in 90 days, don’t forget, after profit, cash flow is essential
i don’t know about the payment side of it as i sub off a haulage firm thats based in corus so my payments are there straight away when due.
personally i’d rather leave the wagon parked up than work on 90 days!
paul b:
i don’t know about the payment side of it as i sub off a haulage firm thats based in corus so my payments are there straight away when due.
personally i’d rather leave the wagon parked up than work on 90 days!
depends on the rates if it was £2.50 a mile I bet you’d think about it 