I know this topic comes up time and time again but is there anything good about being an owner driver? I’m sure there is because people wouldn’t be doing it!
I would of thought it all comes down to the type of person you are and what character strengths you have as to the success/enjoyment of it.
Well, just read some of the horror stories on the Professional Drivers Forum about the unbelievable way that so many employed drivers are treated worse than dogs by scumbag employers, read the thread about the drivers from the ■■■■■■■ firm who will be spending Christmas behind bars for tachograph offences when even the Judge stated that there was a culture of bullying and intimidation in the firm, read about the poor distraught bloke who couldn’t even get the day off when his dog had to be put down etc etc etc etc etc…
Agree with puntbrava here, you have to be cut out for it! I have always been self employed, starting out at 16 with my father and one truck. We built that up to 14 and then went our separate ways when I was 30, ten years on my own and back down to one truck and two trailers and I have to say that I have never been happier in work!
There is great satisfaction in going to work in the morning knowing that it’s up to you to get on with it, no TM calling to see where you are and why you’re delayed etc, if you want to take a day off or finish early then you sort it out with your customers and most of the time it’s no problem, if there’s extra loads and you want to work on and earn more then it’s up to you! Having decent work and a good working relationship with your customers is the key and you actually enjoy the challenge and the rewards it can bring.
I hear drivers moaning about things and read the drivers forum on here and have a little laugh to myself about how pathetic some of there issues are and of course most of them think they can do the job better than the man that pays there wages but in reality they wouldn’t last two months as an owner driver!
So realistically most owner drivers, me included would be financially better off driving for someone else but it wouldn’t be nearly as easy to get up at 3 am and face into a 15 hour day!
Thanks for the reply I would love to be a one man band and build it up as my family already have a haulage firm but want to try and start one up for my self also do owner driver earn more I heard some are on 2k a week before tax etc is this true?
SCANIA730:
also do owner driver earn more I heard some are on 2k a week before tax etc is this true?
It’s as true as anything else you’re likely to hear in a supermarket RDC waiting room. 
SCANIA730:
Thanks for the reply I would love to be a one man band and build it up as my family already have a haulage firm but want to try and start one up for my self also do owner driver earn more I heard some are on 2k a week before tax etc is this true?
If your family have a haulage firm I fail to see why you feel the need to ask on here… 
Think that 2k a week is gross earnings not take home pay and to be honest unless you’re using 50 litres or less of diesel a day 2k isn’t much good!
It depends what work you do I suppose, there’s owner drivers who earn far more at it than I do, either because they have their own work, or they work far harder at it than I do. I’ve never really been “driven” in the way you have to be to be a successful businessman, I’m quite happy to bimble along earning a reasonable living, having lots of time off at night, not doing early starts, taking days off as and when I want to, not finding the agency drivers ■■■■ bottle in the fridge on a Monday morning etc.
I suppose most subbies figures on the same firm as me would have similar figures to mine, over the long term the truck grosses an average of around £2,400 a week, that costs me about £1,000 in diesel to earn and I calculate “all other costs” at £600 a week. For me personally, that’s enough, YMMV. 
YMMV■■?
Tipper Tom:
YMMV■■?
You Mucky Mucky Virgin ■■
This is another good thing about being an owner driver, Harry works at a steady pace for a large company and is happy with what he earns , that’s his choice, it’s the way he wants it…
I’m more of a ’ make hay while the sun shines’ type and push it when things are busy so that now when it’s gone quiet I can take some time off and not worry about not having ant work! I had a good year, everything is paid up to date and I have enough in the bank to be able to park up for a few weeks and take some time out.
I like it this way but it’s not for everyone, like I said I would be financially better off driving for someone else but I would be no where near as content!
Harry what the hell is YMMV !!■■
Harry Monk:
not finding the agency drivers ■■■■ bottle in the fridge on a Monday morning etc.
Or in the case of redressing the balance, the staff drivers when the agency driver takes over for a week in that truck.
Ken.
You have to do everything
Drive, maintain, get work, do the work, chase the money, plan for the future it’s a lot more than driving.
As for earnings I’ve been self employed most of my working life and one year I took a wage £100 a week apart from that never have, I take out only what the wife needs.
I started our current venture 6 months ago, we bought 1 truck £119k other costs added a further £16k, to me this business won’t be able to pay me a wage until it’s paid back the £135 I have lent to it, now that’s 135 out of the profit then I will want to save up for my next truck, I guess i’ll probably never get a wage out of this business either.
I get paid when we sell the business.
If you do as a lot of people do and either traction only or mixer franchise then it’s more about monthly income not about building a business.
There’s lots of ways of being an O/D
Skip wagon, poop truck, gas, oil, fuel tankers, beaver tail plant movements, brick lorry, hiab builders supplies, tippers, tipper & grab,
road sweeper, dustbin wagon, the list is endless.
Some you need to build a business, some you can just go subbing.
Its like mr monk says its all about choice i have one lorry on traction.I will never be rich but i make a comfortable living for me and my family,as said earlier i could earn more wages working for some one else if all the driver stories are true but i found out years ago that what some drivers tell you what they earn and what they actually earn are two very different stories indeed.As it is i drive a lorry of my choice go on holiday as and when i wont help my two daughters out at uni with computers phones and shopping etc as i do not like stupid o’clock starts i can run my time out and have a night out and a lay in bed with out any one moaning about paying a night out or wonting you to leave in the morning its all down to choice MY choice
I have been self employed since 1986 and can honestly say im still learning. I have 2 trucks and 4 trailers. I started with a transit luton van. there have been very good, very bad and very average months/years but through the hard times is when you have to soldier on and work your way out of it. I don’t like to think of myself as an owner driver, but try and have the mindset of a “transport business” with all its ups and downs. some o/d,s are happy with one customer doing traction but that a precarious choice cos if your customer goes bust they could bring you down as well. my philosophy is you can NEVER EVER have enough customers, the more the better as far as im concerned, my favourite part of the job is sitting down with potential customers and negoitiating rates with them, just like the big players do.
this comes up al the tme what suites one wont suit anorher
fact i run one truck and have done for 5 years
fact i earn on average 2500 a week
fact this is not take home/proffit
fact weekly fuel bill on avg is 850 pounds not pence
fact a trl tyre /truck tyre on avg costs 4oo pounds not pence
fact while im sat on a beach or eating my x mas pud im not getting paid
fact is my lorry my own trully my own yes
fact do i come in on a mon mornning n find some crash bandicoot has smashed my moter up or left 5 wheel greeseallover my madona duvet no
fact im i happy yes
fact am i rich no
fact do i sit here thinking what if id of tryd it no
fact dont listen to the doom merchants
fact be realistic
fact make your own mind up
happy xmas HUMBUG
£ 850 fuel, do you do brick/block type work?
10 4 i do but i dont drive heavy footed and own a merc which imho is if driven properly is a v fuel efficiant moter nothing over the top just a 460 obviously that feul fig is not incl vat
monarch of the highway:
this comes up al the tme what suites one wont suit anorher
fact i run one truck and have done for 5 years
fact i earn on average 2500 a week
fact this is not take home/proffit
fact weekly fuel bill on avg is 850 pounds not pence
fact a trl tyre /truck tyre on avg costs 4oo pounds not pence
fact while im sat on a beach or eating my x mas pud im not getting paid
fact is my lorry my own trully my own yes
fact do i come in on a mon mornning n find some crash bandicoot has smashed my moter up or left 5 wheel greeseallover my madona duvet no
fact im i happy yes
fact am i rich no
fact do i sit here thinking what if id of tryd it no
fact dont listen to the doom merchants
fact be realistic
fact make your own mind up
happy xmas HUMBUG
Thanks for this, wow that looks a bit tight.
1 truck 6 months
Earn ave £1980
Fuel £450
Tyres £180
Mileage 750-800km/week
My earnings should steadily grow year on year hopefully end of 1st year to £2150,
my running costs are very low £0 for my operating centre, £650 tax, £2100 insurance