Hello again, well further to me helping out this plonker whos just spent 20K on a lowloader, and hiring a truck, it seems no thought has been given into working out rates and pricing jobs up so im getting alot of phone calls from him asking for help. Now, low loaders are abit of a grey area to me so i dont really know how rates are priced for them? I know theres gonna be lots of comments stating that he should have thought about all this before hand, and ive told him the same, but please, im just after a few pointers.
regards
AaronR
What is it a semi low loader, 1 with a detachable kneck? Whats it plated for? Whats he pulling it with? Wheres he able to travel with it? What gears he got on it? The list goes on…
Personally I think this sector of transport is overcrowded like most others, like most others you can pour money down the drain but a ■■■■ site quicker as a novice dipping your toe into this market. Your tyre wear & fuel consumption will cruscify you in no time if your not charging enough, tyres need putting on in pairs thats a standard procedure on 17.5 / 19.5s, your insurance costs will be greater as will maintainance if your on & off site daily. I’m not here trying to depress you but if he can sell his new toy for £19.500 he’d be better off doing so.
Happy travels
Fly sheet
fly sheet:
What is it a semi low loader, 1 with a detachable kneck? Whats it plated for? Whats he pulling it with? Wheres he able to travel with it? What gears he got on it? The list goes on…
Personally I think this sector of transport is overcrowded like most others, like most others you can pour money down the drain but a ■■■■ site quicker as a novice dipping your toe into this market. Your tyre wear & fuel consumption will cruscify you in no time if your not charging enough, tyres need putting on in pairs thats a standard procedure on 17.5 / 19.5s, your insurance costs will be greater as will maintainance if your on & off site daily. I’m not here trying to depress you but if he can sell his new toy for £19.500 he’d be better off doing so.
Happy travels
Fly sheet
I can see your point here, a bloke a drinking buddy works for has a couple of 360 machines and a crusher and when they move jobs they get them shifted on a weekend for nowt by borrowing a trailer and another mates unit. They were on a big job in Loughborough and the site agent arranged the transport. It seems that these lads all ■■■■ in the same pot
I tell you what Wheel nut it would make your teeth itch doing spot hire with a semi & ramps, its a nightmare & some of em work for shag all. No one ever rings me anymore to even ask me for a price. The most frightening thing I’ve seen lately is Swains have got in on the act I saw a 4 axle semi in Dartford last week & am seeing them with 70’ loads of steel on new extenders on the A1 regularly plus 2 hiabs on M25 FFS One of the last jobs I quoted was an 18t gearbox to Llanelli from Warrington I’ll not post my price on here but your man was over £300 cheaper than me 
Fly sheet
I know you know this but didn’t you say he bought a new low loader? What on earth is he doing buying a new trailer with no idea of how to price jobs up? Wasn’t there malarky with the licence as well? Your mate is on a hiding to nowhere i’d say.
I presume with a low loader, you will be coming back empty from each job so need to price it up like that. Then if you can get back loads fair enough. Maybe price it at £2.50-£3.00 per mile one way then if you’re coming back empty, not the end of the world. There will be guys who can do it loaded both ways so you probably won’t be competative at that. I have no experience of low loader haulage so this is just my 2 cents.
Joe with the mega space merc is a member on here, he does low loaders but wether he’ll give you advice or not is another matter.
Another approach may be to just level with the company and ask them what the going rate is, they may BS you but it’s an option.
And as has been said, he may be better off selling the low loader and try something else, maybe traction were he will be dictated the rate and he won’t have to price it up, may be poor rates but he shouldn’t lose loads on it. A trailer which is 6 months old, you are going to get a shed load less for it.
fly sheet:
I tell you what Wheel nut it would make your teeth itch doing spot hire with a semi & ramps, its a nightmare & some of em work for shag all. No one ever rings me anymore to even ask me for a price. The most frightening thing I’ve seen lately is Swains have got in on the act I saw a 4 axle semi in Dartford last week & am seeing them with 70’ loads of steel on new extenders on the A1 regularly plus 2 hiabs on M25 FFS One of the last jobs I quoted was an 18t gearbox to Llanelli from Warrington I’ll not post my price on here but your man was over £300 cheaper than me
Fly sheet
Swains have bought someone out in this game IIRC
The 70 loads are from Scunthorpe, he has a new job from there, its around 3500 tonnes worth or so Im told
I’ll bet the local boys round Scunthorpe are over the moon that Swains are in town Stanley 
No offence to his drivers but from my local gossip around the north west he’s carved many a job up.
Fly sheet
AaronR:
Hello again, well further to me helping out this plonker whos just spent 20K on a lowloader, and hiring a truck, it seems no thought has been given into working out rates and pricing jobs up so im getting alot of phone calls from him asking for help.
Change your number or don’t answer the phone so he goes under quickly and quietly. It’s the humane thing to do.
fly sheet:
I’ll bet the local boys round Scunthorpe are over the moon that Swains are in town Stanley No offence to his drivers but from my local gossip around the north west he’s carved many a job up.
Fly sheet
Gotta agree Fly sheet, cheap and cheerful, poor pay, the usual stuff
Silver_Surfer:
I know you know this but didn’t you say he bought a new low loader? What on earth is he doing buying a new trailer with no idea of how to price jobs up? Wasn’t there malarky with the licence as well? Your mate is on a hiding to nowhere i’d say.
I presume with a low loader, you will be coming back empty from each job so need to price it up like that. Then if you can get back loads fair enough. Maybe price it at £2.50-£3.00 per mile one way then if you’re coming back empty, not the end of the world. There will be guys who can do it loaded both ways so you probably won’t be competative at that. I have no experience of low loader haulage so this is just my 2 cents.
I really wouldnt have a clue on what to charge for this sort of thing as im led to believe most of it is local.
Joe with the mega space merc is a member on here, he does low loaders but wether he’ll give you advice or not is another matter.
Another approach may be to just level with the company and ask them what the going rate is, they may BS you but it’s an option.
And as has been said, he may be better off selling the low loader and try something else, maybe traction were he will be dictated the rate and he won’t have to price it up, may be poor rates but he shouldn’t lose loads on it. A trailer which is 6 months old, you are going to get a shed load less for it.
It isnt a new trailer, its used but still, like you say, its crazy buying a trailer with no idea how to price jobs up with it!
I totally agree, if he was going to go into being an owner driver, he should have spent 10 of the 20K on a half decent 2nd hand unit and kept the rest for running costs to get himself going. I have had numerous offers from traction only companies offering full time work. Ok the rates may not be world beating but its a start!
Thanks for all your help!
AaronR
I think the going rate for traction is £1.40-£1.60 for a decent firm like Nestle, if you have Aladdin’s lamp and can get on for them.
Then the usual suspect like Norfolk Line out of Felixstowe are usually £1.30 odd per mile which isn’t worth the grief if you ask me. Your mate would be better off trying to get a decent rate on traction where he can keep it lit all the time and maybe double shift it.
Luck plays a small part too so maybe he will make the low loader pay against the odds.