I am toying with the idea of becoming an owner driver I know this is not a good time to start a business up if I was to go ahead with this venture what are the chances of getting hold of work out their im hoping to hear from other owner drivers on availability of work as a self-employed agency driver at the moment I’m already used to doing accounts and paperwork I know this is a risky time and other threads similar to this have been posted there if anyone has any advice for me it would be gratefully received
If you’ve got enough savings to buy a lorry and stand it for a year that might contain little or erratic work whilst you find your feet give it a whirl. If not it is a very big risk verging on foolhardy. People aren’t going to fall other themselves to tell you where the work is.
I’d have a careful look into the cost (in money and time) of getting an O licence.
Assuming you are looking at over 3.5 tonnes, as a minimum, you will need
either a CPC or employ an appointed (part time) qualified transport manager
a suitable operating centre with parking for your vehicle (the road outside your house is generally not acceptable)
be of suitable financial standing
Be of good repute.
And that’s before you can consider getting a vehicle.
You also need to think about the type of work you will do, how much you will get paid, and how quickly: you can be running at a profit and still go bust simply because you have to pay money out faster than it comes in.
Just search for owner driver in the owner drivers forum on here & twill tell you all you need to know.
Don’t do it… 
It isn’t worth the hassle unless you want to die young from stress!
Remember it’s relatively easy to start up as an Owner Driver…and easy to run the business. The hard bit is making a decent profit…
Let someone else take the risks, while you drive their wagons and walk away when your shift finishes. Generally, it’s more profitable and it’s definitely less stressful I’d say. 
I think I have been an OD for over 30 years and do advise,NOT AT THIS TIME.Britain is in an extremely precarious position and the future is VERY uncertain.Lorries will always be required but today too many lorries are chasing too few loads.I am reminded advising a young man who wanted to do continental,I asked him what had he bought that was British this week,nothing was his reply so I then asked what the hell he thought he was going to export.A wage with someone else carrying all the responsibility is probably preferable to a lower wage with all the responsibility at this time.
Look through the owners forum for Harry Monk’s posts, he’s been through it all recently and put a lot of very useful posts up about it.
Not really any good posting here because your asking employed drivers there opinion of subject they (including myself) know ■■■■ all about. With a small amount of business knowledge, common sense suggests taking a cpc exam first before you even consider the prospect of starting up as an owner driver. Also some more specific and intelligent questions may attract a completely different response compared to asking, “is it worth it?”.
Saaamon:
Not really any good posting here because your asking employed drivers there opinion of subject they (including myself) know [zb] all about. With a small amount of business knowledge, common sense suggests taking a cpc exam first before you even consider the prospect of starting up as an owner driver. Also some more specific and intelligent questions may attract a completely different response compared to asking, “is it worth it?”.
I’m not employed by anyone and, though not haulage, have run my own business for 20 odd years.
Still the same advice…don’t do it! Lorries are a money pit and, unless you have a very large wad of money in the bank you wouldn’t mind losing a lot of, I really wouldn’t bother.
If you have done all your home work and got all the facts and figures, then look for a written contract before you buy a lorry.
Some times when business is on its knees you will find an in where someone else has gone bust, and the company can’t get anyone local to for fill it 's work. Never borrow money to try the haulage game, good luck.
dew:
Look through the owners forum for Harry Monk’s posts, he’s been through it all recently and put a lot of very useful posts up about it.
I’ve just finished my first month as an owner-driver. It’s obviously early days yet and I’ll need to be able to look over a year’s figures to get a completely accurate view of how it’s going, but so far I have been kept running every day doing work which pays a fair mileage rate and my figures indicate that I’m earning a reasonable wage and sufficient profit on top to make it worth my while.
Equally important, for me anyway, is that I’m enjoying it far more than I ever enjoyed working as an employee.
Don’t underestimate the enormous amount of work it takes to get started though, it took me about eight months from taking the decision to picking up my first load in a a truck with my O licence in the window.
You’ll also need an absolute minimum of £20,000 to get started too, and even then it will be a struggle.
As has been said, the Owner and Operator forum is the place to do your first real research
That’s great news very helpful for me and I wish you all the luck in the future
Truckulent:
Saaamon:
Not really any good posting here because your asking employed drivers there opinion of subject they (including myself) know [zb] all about. With a small amount of business knowledge, common sense suggests taking a cpc exam first before you even consider the prospect of starting up as an owner driver. Also some more specific and intelligent questions may attract a completely different response compared to asking, “is it worth it?”.I’m not employed by anyone and, though not haulage, have run my own business for 20 odd years.
Perharps you could share your 20 years business experience in a more construtive way with the lad instead of just saying “dont do it”.
Saaamon:
Truckulent:
Saaamon:
Not really any good posting here because your asking employed drivers there opinion of subject they (including myself) know [zb] all about. With a small amount of business knowledge, common sense suggests taking a cpc exam first before you even consider the prospect of starting up as an owner driver. Also some more specific and intelligent questions may attract a completely different response compared to asking, “is it worth it?”.I’m not employed by anyone and, though not haulage, have run my own business for 20 odd years.
Perharps you could share your 20 years business experience in a more construtive way with the lad instead of just saying “dont do it”.
No point as it has nothing to do with haulage…the advice ‘don’t do it’ is based on the high operating costs of running a wagon and all the uncertainty that goes with that in today’s financial climate…
The hard part of haulage is finding the work…and the only work easy to come by is the work that doesn’t pay well…
FIND THE WORK FIRST before you do anything because if you hav,nt any work then you wont make any money. then research everything about being self employed in road transport then you can decide if its viable for you.