I’m an employed container driver, but when i’m out and about on my travels, especially at ports I see lots of owner drivers which got me thinking. Is there any money in it? I was always told that being an owner driver was very hard and it was difficult to make any money out of it, but loads of people seem to be doing it.
Is it a case of getting an O licence, getting an operating base and going out and buying a 10 year old DAF tractor unit then touting for work?
I’m not thinking of taking the plunge, i’m just curious…
There’s a bit more in it than being an employed driver, but not a great deal. There are other advantages though, such as being able to come and go as you please, take time off when you want, having more control over the vehicle you drive etc.
If you have a decent employed job and a reasonable employer then I’d always suggest sticking with that.
I’m too comfortable doing what i’m doing now to become an OD. No aggro, not much thinking and when I knock off I go home and forget about it all. I have to admit running my own motor does have a certain attraction.
Maybe to be an OD you have to be a certain kind of person, some i’ve met I could never imagine working for somebody else.
Harry Monk:
There’s a bit more in it than being an employed driver, but not a great deal. There are other advantages though, such as being able to come and go as you please, take time off when you want, having more control over the vehicle you drive etc.
If you have a decent employed job and a reasonable employer then I’d always suggest sticking with that.
This is true, but you can’t really come and go as you please, you have a little more flexibility than an employed driver, but not much more, you still take orders as such.
And the second point about taking time off, well that depends on the first point and also the financial impact it will have, which can also impact the third point, which is…
The choice of truck, very unlikely to be anything approaching what you will get as an employee, but it will be yours
I have been self employed for thirty years, If I had the time over again I would do the same, if you have a comfy well paid job then stay as you are, it’s not for everyone but we are all different, the best question you could ask yourself is - what am I prepared to lose if it goes wrong?
Lankytim:
I think that’s a a very important question… many could lose everything if it went flat after a few months. House, the lot!
That’s another piece of advice I’ve offered to people asking about going OD, don’t EVER risk your house to do it, e.g. by using it as security against a loan. If you have some money kicking around and you’re prepared to take a gamble with it, then fine, but don’t jeopardise your family home. Ever.
see it all the time on here people saying there is no money in it, yet most the big scania’s with all the bells and whistles i see are driven by OD’s, it doesn’t make sense
Lots of OD’s mortgage their houses to buy a truck, when the engine or gearbox goes bang then you see a truck and a house for sale, it can be as pretty as you want but it will still only do the same job, my solution was keep it simple and smart but I never went for the whole bells and whistles. When each light on the bar costs upwards of 80 quid and you break the lenses every week it all comes out of your pocket.
Sorry to jump in and ask a question on someone elses post, Is there certain types of truck that, pound for pound, makes more money than others? reason I’m asking my Dad used to be a tipper driver, and meeting hid OD friends always seemed to have a lot of cash about them (Flashy motors, big houses ect) Also got chatting briefly to a guy at a DCPC course, he was telling me he owned a few general haulage artics, ended up couldn’t afford to pay his drivers wages. He ended up buying a 8 wheeled tipper and operating it himself, he says he has never made so much money. Anyone got any info on this, as it’s a route I’m thinking of going down in the future
G6Bob:
Sorry to jump in and ask a question on someone elses post, Is there certain types of truck that, pound for pound, makes more money than others? reason I’m asking my Dad used to be a tipper driver, and meeting hid OD friends always seemed to have a lot of cash about them (Flashy motors, big houses ect) Also got chatting briefly to a guy at a DCPC course, he was telling me he owned a few general haulage artics, ended up couldn’t afford to pay his drivers wages. He ended up buying a 8 wheeled tipper and operating it himself, he says he has never made so much money. Anyone got any info on this, as it’s a route I’m thinking of going down in the future
Probably true, paid by the load and don’t abide by any of the laws of the road, there on a par with cyclists at red lights too.
Some ■■■■ in Thetford forest yesterday nearly took my mirror off yesterday I was down to 20mph as it was a tight road, tipper driver at warp speed 6 and over the white line.
Lankytim:
I’m an employed container driver, but when i’m out and about on my travels, especially at ports I see lots of owner drivers which got me thinking. Is there any money in it? I was always told that being an owner driver was very hard and it was difficult to make any money out of it, but loads of people seem to be doing it.
Is it a case of getting an O licence, getting an operating base and going out and buying a 10 year old DAF tractor unit then touting for work?
I’m not thinking of taking the plunge, i’m just curious…
Well I do see a lot doing the work I do on boxes,
Iv spoken to many od over the years and from what Iv noticed is the ones doing general haulage and distance work seem to struggle more than the ones that pull boxes locally from the inland rail heads…
Most owner drivers I know maybe do two boxes a day work permitting just covering the north of England and are home most nights.
Must be some money in it as they are plenty doing it.
The od thing comes up time n time again to sum it up if it was Tht bad and no money in it there would be no ods would there ?
If it was that good and pots of cash in it the ports and rdcs would be a wash with ods ?
I’ve been an od for 5 years and I make a decent enuff wage from it with a few quid left over for shiny bits here n there for my truck nice holidays etc i wll not get stinking rich from it fact
As for mortgaging property etc I never have I’ve had two finance agreements on trucks and I have never had to put my house up as security would be hArd tho as I don’t own one
I would never discourage any one from bein an od as long as there going into it with there eyes open and there finances sorted and have wAit for it constant steady resnioble paying work
It’s not a way to get rich but with the right work you will make a nice living, as for trucks and value I brought my last one 4 years ago, it was a DAF XF brand new, in the two years I owned it I only had to change tyres and brakes apart from routine servicing, I would back that marque all day and the economy was good. It’s personal choice.
G6Bob:
Sorry to jump in and ask a question on someone elses post, Is there certain types of truck that, pound for pound, makes more money than others? reason I’m asking my Dad used to be a tipper driver, and meeting hid OD friends always seemed to have a lot of cash about them (Flashy motors, big houses ect) Also got chatting briefly to a guy at a DCPC course, he was telling me he owned a few general haulage artics, ended up couldn’t afford to pay his drivers wages. He ended up buying a 8 wheeled tipper and operating it himself, he says he has never made so much money. Anyone got any info on this, as it’s a route I’m thinking of going down in the future
Probably true, paid by the load and don’t abide by any of the laws of the road, there on a par with cyclists at red lights too.
Some ■■■■ in Thetford forest yesterday nearly took my mirror off yesterday I was down to 20mph as it was a tight road, tipper driver at warp speed 6 and over the white line.
[zb]!
Yeah, I call that type of driver “■■■■■■■ McTipper”. I’m obviously no expert but, driving the same road like a maniac, then driving it safely with fuel efficiency and vehicle sympathy in mind, in reality would only save minutes going flat out, but savings on fuel and vehicle maintenance would be greater, especially if at the end of the day it comes out you pocket.
I’ve heard the phrase “Per tonne, per mile” used, is that the same as paid per load? and when there queued up don’t they get paid for waiting in that queue like £25-30 per hour?
I would say that if your motive for being an O/D is a big flashy lorry, then don’t do it. Do do it if you have a genuine interest in running a business and you can see an opportunity in transport, but do all the figures first. And if you don’t feel confident doing the figures, and can’t get your head round the difference between contract hire and lease purchase (for instance) don’t do it.
And, as stated above, don’t remortgage your house to get the business off the ground.
Al lot of the ‘loadsamoney’ o/ds you see will be consuming capital at a fearsome rate with little margin. I have known people put out of business because they’ve written off two tyres in month and couldn’t pay the bill when it arrived. They should never have gone into business in the first place.
