Not sure if this has been done, according to this article it is now the best time to become an owner driver! I’d thought I’d ask the ones doing it if they think this is the case!
What a load of BS. Unless you’re mates with the guy dishing out the work or you’re back handing said fellow or even better both then sub contracting is a waste of time unless of course you are happy just earning a normal drivers wage but being able to maybe say you’re your own boss. Or if you’re in a niche, specialised market so that any muppet can’t rock up & under cut you.
If you can get a wagon paid for and are lucky on the maintenance then you may be able to earn 50% more than the average driver but that’s a big IF.
Big company’s only use subbys to protect their own fleet when times are quite. Simples.
I have not got a lot of time for some of the BS printed in the commercial motor, a lot provided by folk that have not owned or operated a haulage operation, it is a long standing joke that if you provide an interview fo the CM it is the kiss of death and you wont be a haulage operation for much longer!
As for the best time to set up as an o/d i dont see it myself, rates are poor in many areas of transport unless you are in a niche area
Over the past 2 years i have read many interesting posts with regards to setting up as an o/d by regular posters on here, mr repton and mr monk, it now seems that mr repton has decided to call it a day “due to various reasons”,i would of thought lack of proffit for effort involved being the main problem, for some reason we had far more advice posts and progress reports at the start of the venture,
best of luck for the future with the change of direction
moose
Moose:
it now seems that mr repton has decided to call it a day “due to various reasons”,
If Paul has, then he hasn’t made a statement to the effect on here.
Ken.
With you on that Ken 
I’ve just done a quick search round the site and can’t find anything from ‘repton’ along those lines. Think ‘moose’ should provide something to back his assertion up or remove the post asap coz unsubstantiated rumours could prove just as damaging to an OD as a big company 
Regards
Dave Penn;
Having known Paul on here for sometime, if he was in trouble, I’m sure he would be the first to say so.
Just my opinion.
Ken.
Moose:
Over the past 2 years i have read many interesting posts with regards to setting up as an o/d by regular posters on here, mr repton and mr monk,
I’m not an OD, I’m an employee of a limited company, and it stands to reason that I earn a similar amount to other employees of limited companies who subcontract to the haulier I subcontract to, and their profit margin, except that because I own the limited company which employs me, I can quite legally kick the arse out of the tax system.
As I always say though, I wouldn’t recommend doing any of this to anyone with a decent PAYE job, you’ll have a far easier life sticking with that.
that’s great news.
are we now excempt from jumping through hoops and burning valuable money just to get an o’licence before we buy a truck? can we now buy better and safer vehicles with all that money that the EU and traffic comissioners demand off us?
NO.
so what a ridiculous waste of paper that article is. the bureaucracy is still there. the stranglehold is still there, the overbearing regulations are still there.
therefore the insentive isn’t there.
Quinny:
Moose:
it now seems that mr repton has decided to call it a day “due to various reasons”,If Paul has, then he hasn’t made a statement to the effect on here.
Tis true, and it has been mentioned on here, albeit only in passing in a post where I was asking about ADR courses in the Safety/Law forum.
There were two main reasons. Firstly the fact that the only work I could find through the winter involved being away all week which I hated and it didn’t work at all with my home life given we have a lot of animals and it was too much to ask LT to look after them without me. Secondly I have another business selling electronic bits and bobs mail order that even with me spending very little time on it has been getting really busy of late (it turned over more than £2k last month and there is a very healthy profit margin on that) and I want to try and develop that more which I simply couldn’t do while I was working full time as an O/D.
Money wise I was making a drivers wage plus a very small amount on top, although I believe in time there would be more to be made as my business was still very young (I did 2.5 years at it) and I was gradually getting more and better work as time went by.
I did consider putting a driver in the truck but I didn’t feel the likely return would be worth the hassle of employing someone.
On the whole I’m glad I did it but it turns out it wasn’t for me.
Paul
@Moose, I will be the first to apologise but we do get the big hand of TNUK coming down on us from time to time when things are written about the bigger company’s and their demise or loss of contract’s. 
Hope there are no bad feelings 
Regards
Dave Penn;
repton:
Quinny:
Moose:
it now seems that mr repton has decided to call it a day “due to various reasons”,If Paul has, then he hasn’t made a statement to the effect on here.
Tis true, and it has been mentioned on here, albeit only in passing in a post where I was asking about ADR courses in the Safety/Law forum.
There were two main reasons. Firstly the fact that the only work I could find through the winter involved being away all week which I hated and it didn’t work at all with my home life given we have a lot of animals and it was too much to ask LT to look after them without me. Secondly I have another business selling electronic bits and bobs mail order that even with me spending very little time on it has been getting really busy of late (it turned over more than £2k last month and there is a very healthy profit margin on that) and I want to try and develop that more which I simply couldn’t do while I was working full time as an O/D.
Money wise I was making a drivers wage plus a very small amount on top, although I believe in time there would be more to be made as my business was still very young (I did 2.5 years at it) and I was gradually getting more and better work as time went by.
I did consider putting a driver in the truck but I didn’t feel the likely return would be worth the hassle of employing someone.
On the whole I’m glad I did it but it turns out it wasn’t for me.
Paul
Fair play to you for givin it go and being honest in the reasons your packing up
Me I’ve been at it for about 3 years I make a little more than I would do driving for someone but as Harry’s mentioned I pay a lot less tax than say some one earning 30 k
As an employee
There be some say but u don’t get holiday pay etc but I facter this into my accounting
I generally take the same amount of holiday as I would get being an employed driver
I’ve accepted I’m never gona get rich but its a job and praps one day ill feel like you and pack up
All the best
Sorry to hear that Paul, i,m sure you havent taken the decision lightely
Best of luck for the future, wherever it takes you
Good luck in your new venture repton & fair play for your honesty, nice to hear your going to be home & busy.
As to the origional poster, the comercial motor is a joke.
As moose says seeing your name in it is the kiss of death.
fly sheet:
Good luck in your new venture repton & fair play for your honesty, nice to hear your going to be home & busy.
Thanks, and to the others who have wished me good luck too.
The mail order thing has actually been going longer than the owner driving had but I never really thought it would ever amount to much more than a hobby until earlier this year when it suddenly started to get very busy.
I’m currently doing a mixture of driving for other people (3 or 4 days a week on average) and the electronics, the plan being to do less driving if the electronics does keep getting busier.
Paul
Fair play, I would do exactly the same myself if I saw a different opportunity which was more advantageous. Good luck with the new venture!
Like Dave, I offer my apologies to Moose, and Like Dave, I was unaware that Paul was calling it a day and following a new venture.
Paul. Sorry to hear that it wasn’t for you, and I also wish you well. I’m of the opinion, if you don’t try, then you may well think later on, what if…
By the way, what sort of electronics is it you do? PM me if you want.
Ken.
Quinny:
By the way, what sort of electronics is it you do? PM me if you want.
I’m on the verge of having to moderate myself for advertising but I suggest you google “Sheepwalk Electronics”.
Paul
repton:
Quinny:
By the way, what sort of electronics is it you do? PM me if you want.I’m on the verge of having to moderate myself for advertising but I suggest you google “Sheepwalk Electronics”.
Paul
Definitely seems an idea worth concentrating on.
Some one who has a successful business once told me. start it in the bad times, becuase if your good enough to make through the rough times then when the good times come around your onto a winner.
If you cant make through the bad times then your going no where…
Your basic business model should be on the worst, and you should be able to make a profit on that any thing else is a bonus and when the good times roll around put some aside for when it all goes wrong