To all those who keep asking about becoming,or intend to,become an O/D.Don’t believe all the doom and gloom about road haulage,theres plenty of money to be made if you are hard working,prepared to put plenty of hours in,and use your imagination.If there was NO money in it,no-one would be doing it,I can assure you.Heres a few bits of positive advice to help you earn a good living at it:if you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.
(1) Get your own Customers.If you are pulling for another Haulier he’ll be getting the jam,and the further down the chain you are,the less you’ll be getting.The guy who owns the stuff on the trailer will be paying plenty for the privelege of transporting it,I can assure you.So stay as close to him as you can.
(2) It’s not about how much you’re getting per mile,it’s about how much is yours AFTER all your expenses have been taken out.For instance,there are O/D’s who are earning £3000 a week top line:trouble is they’re spending £2500 to get it!.Others are maybe doing only £1500 gross,but if it only costs them £500 to earn it…so who do you think is better off at the end of the week?
(3) Buy the best you can afford,but don’t buy new.New motors come with the peace of mind of a Warranty,but it’s an expensive way of getting an easy nights sleep.The depreciation is hideous,and its a cost,just like filling up with Derv.Trouble is,you don’t find out how much its cost you until you come to sell the truck.you think you’re doing alright until you find the motor has lost £30k in value in 3 years…thats nearly £200 a WEEK!.I know plenty of fellas in the Container game earning a good living with an old ERF,no finance/no depreciation/no digitach/and VERY few worries…
Theres plenty of people on here have made a success of it doing it differently,and I’m sure they’ll tell you how they did it as well.I did it my way,and it worked for me.My motors will be on ebay as well,btw.
Lance
Well said Dan, another addition is dont get into debt to achieve it…you will only succeed well if you pay cash up front. Thats not to say you wont make money, just that you wont make a lot, at the beginng.
So although diesel dan is wanting to sell his vehicles, and he is willing to help out any budding owner driver, maybe he will let you have the truck for a small deposit, and include the insurance on a weekly payment also…this will be a big help.
Dont go and buy the truck and waste money on bling…spotlights, alloy wheels, etc…etc…you only need a basic truck that has an M.O.T. is taxed, insured, and all above board, and is above all,reliable…good luck…and dont forget the C.P.C.
dieseldan340:
(2) It’s not about how much you’re getting per mile,**it’s about how much is yours AFTER all your expenses have been taken out.**For instance,there are O/D’s who are earning £3000 a week top line:trouble is they’re spending £2500 to get it!.Others are maybe doing only £1500 gross,but if it only costs them £500 to earn it…so who do you think is better off at the end of the week?
This is true, and from what I see posted all the while it’s not widely understood, 40 quid a mile even is useless if you only get 10 miles a week and have overheads. Pence per mile is relevant as part of the overall picture re turnover, profit is the name of the game though.
Why are you flogging your motors off then Dan?
dieseldan340:
To all those who keep asking about becoming,or intend to,become an O/D.Don’t believe all the doom and gloom about road haulage,theres plenty of money to be made if you are hard working,prepared to put plenty of hours in,and use your imagination.If there was NO money in it,no-one would be doing it,I can assure you.Heres a few bits of positive advice to help you earn a good living at it:if you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.
(1) Get your own Customers.If you are pulling for another Haulier he’ll be getting the jam,and the further down the chain you are,the less you’ll be getting.The guy who owns the stuff on the trailer will be paying plenty for the privelege of transporting it,I can assure you.So stay as close to him as you can.
(2) It’s not about how much you’re getting per mile,it’s about how much is yours AFTER all your expenses have been taken out.For instance,there are O/D’s who are earning £3000 a week top line:trouble is they’re spending £2500 to get it!.Others are maybe doing only £1500 gross,but if it only costs them £500 to earn it…so who do you think is better off at the end of the week?
(3) Buy the best you can afford,but don’t buy new.New motors come with the peace of mind of a Warranty,but it’s an expensive way of getting an easy nights sleep.The depreciation is hideous,and its a cost,just like filling up with Derv.Trouble is,you don’t find out how much its cost you until you come to sell the truck.you think you’re doing alright until you find the motor has lost £30k in value in 3 years…thats nearly £200 a WEEK!.I know plenty of fellas in the Container game earning a good living with an old ERF,no finance/no depreciation/no digitach/and VERY few worries…
Theres plenty of people on here have made a success of it doing it differently,and I’m sure they’ll tell you how they did it as well.I did it my way,and it worked for me.My motors will be on ebay as well,btw.
Lance
Thats some sale pitch, I cant for the life of me see Y yer packin in 
routier:
dieseldan340:
To all those who keep asking about becoming,or intend to,become an O/D.Don’t believe all the doom and gloom about road haulage,theres plenty of money to be made if you are hard working,prepared to put plenty of hours in,and use your imagination.If there was NO money in it,no-one would be doing it,I can assure you.Heres a few bits of positive advice to help you earn a good living at it:if you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.
(1) Get your own Customers.If you are pulling for another Haulier he’ll be getting the jam,and the further down the chain you are,the less you’ll be getting.The guy who owns the stuff on the trailer will be paying plenty for the privelege of transporting it,I can assure you.So stay as close to him as you can.
(2) It’s not about how much you’re getting per mile,it’s about how much is yours AFTER all your expenses have been taken out.For instance,there are O/D’s who are earning £3000 a week top line:trouble is they’re spending £2500 to get it!.Others are maybe doing only £1500 gross,but if it only costs them £500 to earn it…so who do you think is better off at the end of the week?
(3) Buy the best you can afford,but don’t buy new.New motors come with the peace of mind of a Warranty,but it’s an expensive way of getting an easy nights sleep.The depreciation is hideous,and its a cost,just like filling up with Derv.Trouble is,you don’t find out how much its cost you until you come to sell the truck.you think you’re doing alright until you find the motor has lost £30k in value in 3 years…thats nearly £200 a WEEK!.I know plenty of fellas in the Container game earning a good living with an old ERF,no finance/no depreciation/no digitach/and VERY few worries…
Theres plenty of people on here have made a success of it doing it differently,and I’m sure they’ll tell you how they did it as well.I did it my way,and it worked for me.My motors will be on ebay as well,btw.
LanceThats some sale pitch, I cant for the life of me see Y yer packin in
He must have got a realy good job as a sales rep selling 2nd hand trucks
truckyboy:
Well said Dan, another addition is dont get into debt to achieve it…you will only succeed well if you pay cash up front. Thats not to say you wont make money, just that you wont make a lot, at the beginng.
So although diesel dan is wanting to sell his vehicles, and he is willing to help out any budding owner driver, maybe he will let you have the truck for a small deposit, and include the insurance on a weekly payment also…this will be a big help.
Dont go and buy the truck and waste money onbling…spotlights, alloy wheels, etc…etc…you only need a basic truck that has an M.O.T. is taxed, insured, and all above board, and is above all,reliable…good luck…and dont forget the C.P.C.
Actually,I don’t believe borrowing is a problem.The issue is how much you borrow,and is what you’re buying value for money.If you borrow 100% of the cost of a truck,you’ve got no equity in it:So if things go badly,or you lose interest and you simply have to sell,you ain’t gonna get enough to pay off what you owe on it.The answer to that is put a reasonable deposit down on the truck,so what you owe on it is at least what you think it’s worth.
The other thing is to make sure what you buy will,“wash it’s face”,(earn at least enough to cover it’s own expenses,and then keep you in wages).Take the previously mentioned ERF.Costs about £5 grand,but your Customers will pay you the same as matey with his £90k Scania.
As far as it goes,sorry,but I won’t take a deposit and sell it on payments,for two reasons.(1) Anyone serious about this business has to make a commitment.Putting a few quid down and relying on others is not the way to build a successful business.(2) If I sold something on a payment scheme,I’d want to make a profit,so the truck has to earn more money,etc,etc…the buyer is on a loser straight away.I can point interested parties in the direction of a finance company that has helped me out in the past,though,if that helps.
routier:
dieseldan340:
To all those who keep asking about becoming,or intend to,become an O/D.Don’t believe all the doom and gloom about road haulage,theres plenty of money to be made if you are hard working,prepared to put plenty of hours in,and use your imagination.If there was NO money in it,no-one would be doing it,I can assure you.Heres a few bits of positive advice to help you earn a good living at it:if you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.
(1) Get your own Customers.If you are pulling for another Haulier he’ll be getting the jam,and the further down the chain you are,the less you’ll be getting.The guy who owns the stuff on the trailer will be paying plenty for the privelege of transporting it,I can assure you.So stay as close to him as you can.
(2) It’s not about how much you’re getting per mile,it’s about how much is yours AFTER all your expenses have been taken out.For instance,there are O/D’s who are earning £3000 a week top line:trouble is they’re spending £2500 to get it!.Others are maybe doing only £1500 gross,but if it only costs them £500 to earn it…so who do you think is better off at the end of the week?
(3) Buy the best you can afford,but don’t buy new.New motors come with the peace of mind of a Warranty,but it’s an expensive way of getting an easy nights sleep.The depreciation is hideous,and its a cost,just like filling up with Derv.Trouble is,you don’t find out how much its cost you until you come to sell the truck.you think you’re doing alright until you find the motor has lost £30k in value in 3 years…thats nearly £200 a WEEK!.I know plenty of fellas in the Container game earning a good living with an old ERF,no finance/no depreciation/no digitach/and VERY few worries…
Theres plenty of people on here have made a success of it doing it differently,and I’m sure they’ll tell you how they did it as well.I did it my way,and it worked for me.My motors will be on ebay as well,btw.
LanceThats some sale pitch, I cant for the life of me see Y yer packin in
The reason,friend,is crap drivers.There are very few available with the professional attitude that I require.Or maybe they think I ask too much of them.
But I do know this: I can,and will, do the job as follows:
without ranting and raving at my Gaffer
without abusing the Customer
without breaking the Law
without damaging the truck
without thieving diesel
without lying and misleading people
without holding a gun to my Gaffers head for more money when it’s too late to find someone else to do the job.
without letting my personal problems interfere with my work.
and without blaming everyone else but myself for my personal problems and situation.
I’m not packing up,me old mate,far from it.I’m going back to earning myself a good living,without all the dead wood that thinks I owe them a living too 
dieseldan340:
f you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.
Making that much money your selling them■■? or are you just a Salesman spouting the ussual “Too good to be true Spiel”
My Motto is simple, If it’s too good to be True stay well away !!!
Davey Driver:
dieseldan340:
f you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.Making that much money your selling them■■? or are you just a Salesman spouting the ussual “Too good to be true Spiel”
My Motto is simple, If it’s too good to be True stay well away !!!
And thats one of my mottos too,friend.But if you read the previous post,you’ll see why I’m selling SOME of my fleet.I’m no salesman,i can assure you,just an honest joe fed up with people trying to take me for a ride…
dieseldan340:
Davey Driver:
dieseldan340:
f you want to know more,buy one of the trucks I have for sale and I’ll help you out as much as I can.Making that much money your selling them■■? or are you just a Salesman spouting the ussual “Too good to be true Spiel”
My Motto is simple, If it’s too good to be True stay well away !!!
And thats one of my mottos too,friend.But if you read the previous post,you’ll see why I’m selling SOME of my fleet.I’m no salesman,i can assure you,just an honest joe fed up with people trying to take me for a ride…
I sold em all, for the very same reason. My only comment on your comments would be; If you don’t have the initiative, or the inclination to chase your own work, don’t be afraid of being a humble subbie. Granted you will lose 5%, but a lot of companies I know value their subbies very highly. Remember it’s a guaranteed income of 5% and if you’re doing 2 grand a week, that’s a 100 quid a week. 10 subbies that’s a grand a week. I’m not on about the agents or the big ‘couldn’t care less firms’ I’m on about the dwindling number of mid to small good reliable firms, that have a good customer base.
The reason,friend,is crap drivers.There are very few available with the professional attitude that I require.Or maybe they think I ask too much of them.
But I do know this: I can,and will, do the job as follows:
without ranting and raving at my Gaffer
without abusing the Customer
without breaking the Law
without damaging the truck
without thieving diesel
without lying and misleading people
without holding a gun to my Gaffers head for more money when it’s too late to find someone else to do the job.
without letting my personal problems interfere with my work.
and without blaming everyone else but myself for my personal problems and situation.
I’m not packing up,me old mate,far from it.I’m going back to earning myself a good living,without all the dead wood that thinks I owe them a living too
Well said indeed…Thats Y I packed up…Had all the above so can understand…
Now I understand your post! So yer just goin down to one ? How many yer sellin ?
wish yer well now
I’m going to run just the two,and sell the other three.I’m going to drive the Artic,and I’ve got a really good bloke driving the rigid on a night trunk,been with me a couple of years,really nice,reliable fella.When/if he leaves or retires,I’ll get rid of that motor as well…
Dieseldan, its nice to read something positive about beng an Owner Driver. Especially for those of us who have aspirations if you know what I mean. Usually when I mention the subject you get dont do it, leave well alone, but I get the impression this is from people who expect to make £2,000 a week for doing next to nothing. Keep up the good work.
its nice to see something positive about becoming an owner driver.
I am looking at becoming an owner driver, I am hard working honest reliable and a good driver, only i cant find a job to match it as everybody wants to pay you peanuts for all the hours in the world. Im in the industry moving plant and agricultural machinery so as this is what i know this is what i will stick with, I plan to buy an 18ton gross beavertail with a sleeper, i have seen one im interested in its used 02, i will be based in south west london moving plant around london and around the uk, i plan to tap into the farming community back home in pembrokeshire to see if i can drum up some direct business moving loads to and from there down south to keep me running steady, im 27 and have the drive and ambition to make this a success, I dont plan to be the next eddie stobbart but just want to keep my self busy making enough for me my truck and fiance to live comfortable. the hardest part is the start up and getting the whells rolling,i.e finding the right customers so any info on where to look for loads of this nature would be great, i will also try to advertise my services in such places like farmers weekly and plant trader and get in touch with various plant and construction companies, farmers and auction rooms that deal with this, it all sounds good when written down here costing nothing, i just hope i can get the funds together to make it work, any feedback would much appreciataed. thanks.
kemaro:
its nice to see something positive about becoming an owner driver.I am looking at becoming an owner driver, I am hard working honest reliable and a good driver, only i cant find a job to match it as everybody wants to pay you peanuts for all the hours in the world. Im in the industry moving plant and agricultural machinery so as this is what i know this is what i will stick with, I plan to buy an 18ton gross beavertail with a sleeper, i have seen one im interested in its used 02, i will be based in south west london moving plant around london and around the uk, i plan to tap into the farming community back home in pembrokeshire to see if i can drum up some direct business moving loads to and from there down south to keep me running steady, im 27 and have the drive and ambition to make this a success, I dont plan to be the next eddie stobbart but just want to keep my self busy making enough for me my truck and fiance to live comfortable. the hardest part is the start up and getting the whells rolling,i.e finding the right customers so any info on where to look for loads of this nature would be great, i will also try to advertise my services in such places like farmers weekly and plant trader and get in touch with various plant and construction companies, farmers and auction rooms that deal with this, it all sounds good when written down here costing nothing, i just hope i can get the funds together to make it work, any feedback would much appreciataed. thanks.
That’s my feedback for you ^
I read this post and thought, at last a sensible view of how to advise someone that a living can be made from being an owner driver, and the important statement about it not being how much per mile you can earn.
Of course you need an idea of the pence per mile or pounds per tonne before you can complete a business plan, and before you buy the truck.
Good advice too about the choice of truck, you dont need a 90k Scania when a 4k Premium will earn the same money.
This will bring calls for my head from the shiny truck brigade with quotes like “its mine & I will polish it as fast as i want”
As i said, good advice, until I got to the authors 3rd post and recognised the tone as similar to AJB.
The reason,friend,is crap drivers.There are very few available with the professional attitude that I require.Or maybe they think I ask too much of them.
But I do know this: I can,and will, do the job as follows:
without ranting and raving at my Gaffer
without abusing the Customer
without breaking the Law
without damaging the truck
without thieving diesel
without lying and misleading people
without holding a gun to my Gaffers head for more money when it’s too late to find someone else to do the job.
without letting my personal problems interfere with my work.
and without blaming everyone else but myself for my personal problems and situation.
I’m not packing up,me old mate,far from it.I’m going back to earning myself a good living,without all the dead wood that thinks I owe them a living too
unfortunately from my experience,
lying and underhand tricks from the gaffer.
lying to the customer to blame a driver for their own or traffic office shortcomings,
damaging the truck and thieving diesel are a no no in my book too, accidents can happen and a decent boss understands that, no one does it on purpose.
One thing I do remember was being taught the right way by an experienced bloke, having a boss who knew the local hauliers, businesses, he knew the local area and looked after his loyal workers. They would get their hands dirty, they could do the job as well as the guys they employ. Now there are too many graduates, computer programmers and snake oil salesmen in transport.
Has the job improved? has it hell it has gone backwards, almost back to Victorian times when every one worked “down t’mill”
Employees, in other words, are paid just enough to keep them from starvation. It doesn’t make sense to pay them so badly that they can’t get out of bed in the morning, but employers seem unwilling to pay more than the bare minimum needed to keep them turning up at the mill gate each day ready to give their all.
alternatively there are these for sale -
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32364
being replaced by newer vehicles.
Ideal for a new starter owner driver - good reliable vehicles.
Do they go round roundabouts three times before taking an exit. ?
26 years an Lgv Trainer:
Do they go round roundabouts three times before taking an exit. ?
FPMSL
Wheel Nut:
I read this post and thought, at last a sensible view of how to advise someone that a living can be made from being an owner driver, and the important statement about it not being how much per mile you can earn.Of course you need an idea of the pence per mile or pounds per tonne before you can complete a business plan, and before you buy the truck.
Good advice too about the choice of truck, you dont need a 90k Scania when a 4k Premium will earn the same money.
This will bring calls for my head from the shiny truck brigade with quotes like “its mine & I will polish it as fast as i want”
As i said, good advice, until I got to the authors 3rd post and recognised the tone as similar to AJB.
The reason,friend,is crap drivers.There are very few available with the professional attitude that I require.Or maybe they think I ask too much of them.
But I do know this: I can,and will, do the job as follows:
without ranting and raving at my Gaffer
without abusing the Customer
without breaking the Law
without damaging the truck
without thieving diesel
without lying and misleading people
without holding a gun to my Gaffers head for more money when it’s too late to find someone else to do the job.
without letting my personal problems interfere with my work.
and without blaming everyone else but myself for my personal problems and situation.
I’m not packing up,me old mate,far from it.I’m going back to earning myself a good living,without all the dead wood that thinks I owe them a living toounfortunately from my experience,
lying and underhand tricks from the gaffer.
lying to the customer to blame a driver for their own or traffic office shortcomings,
damaging the truck and thieving diesel are a no no in my book too, accidents can happen and a decent boss understands that, no one does it on purpose.
One thing I do remember was being taught the right way by an experienced bloke, having a boss who knew the local hauliers, businesses, he knew the local area and looked after his loyal workers. They would get their hands dirty, they could do the job as well as the guys they employ. Now there are too many graduates, computer programmers and snake oil salesmen in transport.
Has the job improved? has it hell it has gone backwards, almost back to Victorian times when every one worked “down t’mill”
Employees, in other words, are paid just enough to keep them from starvation. It doesn’t make sense to pay them so badly that they can’t get out of bed in the morning, but employers seem unwilling to pay more than the bare minimum needed to keep them turning up at the mill gate each day ready to give their all.
Friend,I was an Employee too,before I became an Owner Driver,and then running a small fleet.I remember what I gave my Gaffer for the dough he paid me: I was polite and reasonable tidily dressed,I did what I was asked,I looked after the motor and his customers.If I didn’t like the job or the Gaffer took the p*ss I served my notice and left the firm.I didn’t holler and shout about it,or blame them because I didn’t like the gig ,because there were always other Drivers who thought the job was ok,and I’m not so smart that I thought I was right and they were wrong.If I dinged the motor I apologised,because someone had to pay for my mistake,and it wasn’t going to be me.And I never,ever,ran bent.
Once I accepted a job the money was irrelevant,because I took the job knowing what I going to get.I did the best I could,all the time
And thats what I want out of a Driver.
You know what one of mine said to me as he drove out of the yard for the last time? “you know what your problem is?.you treat your blokes with too much respect,and they walk all over you”…
Yep,that WAS my problem all right…