Consider this before anything if your married, how understanding is your wife, by this I mean you will be putting big hours in during the week, and as has happened to me this weekend, a full day of maintenance on sat, followed by a rear wing bracket repair, which took up most of this afternoon, an hour of which was in the dark!! 
Weekends like this are fairly frequent, and just another joyless part of the owner driver experience!! 
Ok, to take these points one at a time, and this is my experience only.
Rattray:
What’s it like getting work as a subbie? Will I walk in and be working and earning from the off? I don’t mean signing with them or payment terms etc but I mean do you have to build up a relationship with them like you would a customer etc before they give you the full amount of work so to speak?
For the firm I sub to they would want to meet you for a quick chat and a look at the truck, then provided you and it seemed ok then you would be up and running from the word “Go” with as much work as you could handle, in 17 months there hasn’t been one day when they haven’t had work for me.
Rattray:
In your experience what’s it like for getting time off? How much notice do you need to give and so on?
If I want a week off then I would normally let them know as soon as possible, if I need time off at short notice then I just let them know as soon as I know, there have been occasions when the Saturday six-weekly inspection has flagged up urgent work (cracked brake discs etc) and I have had to “give back” a job on Saturday which I had already accepted for Monday.
Rattray:
Also are there penaltys for not hitting targets and or deadlines?
No, but if you regularly missed slots that had been legally scheduled because you overslept or went AWOL then my lot might start getting fed up with it.
Rattray:
Can you stop at all… For toilet etc?
Hope you recorded it in your Rtd/Wtd ,lol.
Lol seen that thing about the dump in the cab!
I was being serious asking… I’ve had jobs where I’ve been told no stopping.
And jimmy I’m always working anyways 
Anyone who becomes an owner driver before working full time for a general haulage firm as a tramper for at least a year is seriously off their ■■■■.
I know as that’s what I didn’t do & wish I had of done.
Rattray:
Lol seen that thing about the dump in the cab!
I was being serious asking… I’ve had jobs where I’ve been told no stopping.
And jimmy I’m always working anyways
So long as you don’t sub for Amazon you’ll be fine 
lol
Ok here’s one. I know mileage rate isn’t everything and there’s other things to take into account but what should I be looking for in the way of a rate?
Or should I just be happy with whatever I get asking as I’m earning out of it?
Suppose what I’m asking is. What’s realistically achievable?
Its hard to say with rates. Some work is ok by the mile others more by the hour a lot of bulk tipper work is by the ton
Rattray:
Ok here’s one. I know mileage rate isn’t everything and there’s other things to take into account but what should I be looking for in the way of a rate?
Or should I just be happy with whatever I get asking as I’m earning out of it?Suppose what I’m asking is. What’s realistically achievable?
Hard to say without having an idea of standing and running costs. Everyone (or a majority at least) will have different amounts that they need to make it worthwhile.
As others have said - learn the job while someone else pays you. At least after a bit of experience you will know a bit more clearly cos without any experience people will shaft you cos you know no better.
A bit flippant but if I make a mistake - my bosses wallet/reputation gets stung. Not mine. And in your first year - things almost certainly will go wrong.
This isn’t a dig but questions such as toilet breaks/whether a certain times delivery is even feasible when taking the job on etc will be answered just by having done the job and using what you will pick up.
By all means have ambition - view the next 12 or so months as an apprenticeship towards a goal be it driving or potentially operating yourself.
It is my plan to work for somebody first. Probably the complete wrong section to be asking but does anyone know what it’s like for newly qualified drivers getting employment?
Rattray:
It is my plan to work for somebody first. Probably the complete wrong section to be asking but does anyone know what it’s like for newly qualified drivers getting employment?
Very difficult, not many will take you on regarding no experience etc. You obviously have to get a start to gain experience,best of luck.
Some firms take on newbies, Stobarts for example.
I had thought about stobart. Thought there would be a good choice of shifts/patterns to do…
I.E tramping, days, nights, weekends, international…
Get a good all round feel for the trade.
Kinda subject hopping here but back to our original topic… I’ve got some real numbers together and I’m going to need a long hard think about being an operator!
It’s a dream I suppose but the numbers arnt fantastic! They work and leave a profit after my wage but anything other than routine maintenance isn’t really caterd for 
And yes, some toerag nicking a tank of fuel or a couple unexpected repairs come ya way and you could be working for nothing that week…(edit) MONTH!
I agree.
Let’s get a job and see if my heart still rules my head in 12 or so months time.
And thank you again to everyone for your helpful input.
In all honesty dude unless you know something no one else does, 80% of owner driver artic work that new starts can get on you’ll only be pulling a decent trampers wage, if that, horses for courses, this may suit you.
There’s a lot of firms using subbies who don’t give a toss about them & feed off blokes desire to be the next Mr. Big. Ideally you need to be double shifting the wagon, to make a shilling.
Take the knock & you can be in a world of pain though.
On the bright side if you’re the 20% odd that are actually making some bank out of it then it’s a right laugh!
Dave the Renegade:
Rattray:
It is my plan to work for somebody first. Probably the complete wrong section to be asking but does anyone know what it’s like for newly qualified drivers getting employment?Very difficult, not many will take you on regarding no experience etc. You obviously have to get a start to gain experience,best of luck.
Rattray - have you got the C1 yet? I only ask as am playing with the idea of getting mine and the training firms I have been talking to (South East England) are reckoning that they can put newly qualified drivers straight into top shelf firms at 25k+/annum which I find hard to believe.
TheMissus:
Dave the Renegade:
Rattray:
It is my plan to work for somebody first. Probably the complete wrong section to be asking but does anyone know what it’s like for newly qualified drivers getting employment?Very difficult, not many will take you on regarding no experience etc. You obviously have to get a start to gain experience,best of luck.
Rattray - have you got the C1 yet? I only ask as am playing with the idea of getting mine and the training firms I have been talking to (South East England) are reckoning that they can put newly qualified drivers straight into top shelf firms at 25k+/annum which I find hard to believe.
Are you talking about C1 which entitles you to drive upto 7.5t or C+E which allows you to drive an artic. Either way I’d be very careful about any training school that says they can get you work? Plenty of qualified and experienced drivers looking for work.
Do a search on here for training brokers, seems like some the promises they make, whilst disspearing with lare quantities of your money.
Best to find a training company with a good reputation, ask in the newbie section, and then go and see them a pnd make sure they actually have trucks to train you in.
muckles:
Are you talking about C1 which entitles you to drive upto 7.5t or C+E which allows you to drive an artic. Either way I’d be very careful about any training school that says they can get you work? Plenty of qualified and experienced drivers looking for work.Do a search on here for training brokers, seems like some the promises they make, whilst disspearing with lare quantities of your money.
Best to find a training company with a good reputation, ask in the newbie section, and then go and see them a pnd make sure they actually have trucks to train you in.
Sorry yes, Class 1 - C+E. Yep, just discovered the minefield which is the brokers! This is exactly why I was dubious of their claims as 25k+ for a newly qualified driver sounds very suspect to me.
(and exactly why I’m here before spending any money with anyone)
TheMissus:
Sorry yes, Class 1 - C+E. Yep, just discovered the minefield which is the brokers! This is exactly why I was dubious of their claims as 25k+ for a newly qualified driver sounds very suspect to me.(and exactly why I’m here before spending any money with anyone)
There’s quite a regional variation in wages, although newly-qualified drivers normally earn the same as anyone else at most firms but I wouldn’t say that £25k was unrealistically high for an artic driver. £25k is a gross wage of around £500 per week, or take-home pay of around £400 per week which is about the going rate.
It wasn’t so much the money Harry, it was more the fact they were saying they could get you into to top shelf work after passing your test. Of course they might have an agency with the training operation, but I’d still be wary of claims like that.
Thanks Harry and muckles - I’ll be treading carefully! Two were broker trainers with recruitment agencies on the side which I think I’ll steer clear of anyway after reading the training threads.