The same question asked over and over - should be made a sticky so the good, realistic advice can be looked at over and over.
There are some very thin-skinned people on here btw.
Wheel Nut:
blah
Stop wasting your breath Malc. 
They know best.
Hello
Rob k, I have to say you do do seem to agressive style of posts on this subject, do you have personal experience on this matter or are you just voicing an opinion, if the latter is more suited to your personal situation perhaps you would care to explain why you feel so agrieved, then that would answer all those who disregard your rather derogatory comments, surely if you feel so strongly,(and I must add that from your posts you must feel a tad agitated as you type) then it would be better to explain why you feel as you do then perhaps people may sympathise with you on the terrible injustice that has been served upon you.
One last thing, do you really believe you are the Alan Sugar of trucknet or is this wording just for comedy effect…
Best regards
Lrm
Another one who can’t use the ‘SEARCH’ function. Look back at RobK’s posts and it will give you all the information that you require.
If you’re on here a lot, you will know that about 3 times per month someone comes on asking the exact same question about setting up on their own. Many times, these people get the hump when someone gives them a ‘non-rosy’ picture of life as an owner driver.
To be honest, I’m surprised the mods do not just lock these posts as I would expect them to as they are all pretty much just duplicates of previous ones.
Surely the op can post what he likes (within the rules), of you dont like it dont post a reply, no need to be so harsh…
LRM:
Surely the op can post what he likes (within the rules), of you dont like it dont post a reply, no need to be so harsh…
the OP can certainly post what he likes ( within the rules) but this is a public forum so any member can post what the like as a reply ( within the rules) 
It may not always be the answer that a poster was hoping for !
LRM:
Surely the op can post what he likes (within the rules), of you dont like it dont post a reply, no need to be so harsh…
Equally, if the OP only wants to hear what they want to hear then they shouldn’t post on discussion forums asking for people’s thoughts and advice. This is one reason why this site is so popular because there are a lot of opinionated members here (myself included) and we all have a lot of very different opinions on stuff. For the vast majority of people, it makes good reading as it’s no fun reading pages of replies on topics where people constantly agree with each other = no discussion = yawn.
LRM:
Hello
Rob k, I have to say you do do seem to agressive style of posts on this subject, do you have personal experience on this matter or are you just voicing an opinion, if the latter is more suited to your personal situation perhaps you would care to explain why you feel so agrieved, then that would answer all those who disregard your rather derogatory comments, surely if you feel so strongly,(and I must add that from your posts you must feel a tad agitated as you type) then it would be better to explain why you feel as you do then perhaps people may sympathise with you on the terrible injustice that has been served upon you.
One last thing, do you really believe you are the Alan Sugar of trucknet or is this wording just for comedy effect…Best regards
Lrm
You’ve been on this site long enough to know my “position” on owner driving. Like hammer says, it’s all there in the archive posts if you’re that bothered. As for being agrieved[sic] and agitated by it all - 
I think you’re confusing me with someone else.
And yes, I am the Alan Sugar of trucknet, at least according to glenman anyway. 
.
Rob K:
LRM:
Surely the op can post what he likes (within the rules), of you dont like it dont post a reply, no need to be so harsh…Equally, if the OP only wants to hear what they want to hear then they shouldn’t post on discussion forums asking for people’s thoughts and advice. This is one reason why this site is so popular because there are a lot of opinionated members here (myself included) and we all have a lot of very different opinions on stuff. For the vast majority of people, it makes good reading as it’s no fun reading pages of replies on topics where people constantly agree with each other = no discussion = yawn.
What Rob said and more.
If you walked in a pub on a Friday night with your best mate, and told him you were going to put all Great Aunt Florences inheritance money on a horse tomorrow, they would tell you that you were barking mad,
if you told them that you were going to remortgage the house, and buy a lorry and look for some sub contract work, he should still tell you that you are barking.
Meet RobK, he is your new best mate
hammer:
To be honest, I’m surprised the mods do not just lock these posts as I would expect them to as they are all pretty much just duplicates of previous ones.
Hi hammer,
As Rob said, it’s a discussion forum.
IMHO, locking such posts would simply be contrary to the whole idea of a forum.
dieseldave:
hammer:
To be honest, I’m surprised the mods do not just lock these posts as I would expect them to as they are all pretty much just duplicates of previous ones.Hi hammer,
As Rob said, it’s a discussion forum.
IMHO, locking such posts would simply be contrary to the whole idea of a forum.
I understand that Dave but this is a question that comes up over and over and over again and generates exactly the same responses, often from the same posters. If the discussion is the same every time then it ceases to be a discussion and becomes like another repeat of Only Fools and Horses (RobK can be Boycie being as he’s so successful and popular! )
I have read alot of people saying on here there is no point in sub-contracting for large firms such as maritime etc but there must be subbies making money otherwise wouldnt everyone just pack it up?
Thanks to the people for giving there advice, appreciate you taking the time out to reply. Also to the others who have got annoyed at me posting this question, that wasnt my intention however I wasnt asking from a owner driver perspective more of a how to start up a company etc. However no worries, thanks to everyone for giving there opinions.
AS1:
I have read alot of people saying on here there is no point in sub-contracting for large firms such as maritime etc but there must be subbies making money otherwise wouldnt everyone just pack it up?
Dude, if you’d bought a £40k truck from Maritime and realised after 6 months that you weren’t making enough what would you do?? Phone around and try to sell your 55 reg FH13 480 and find your being offered 24k for a truck you still owe 30k to a finance company for. Do you go throw it back at the ‘friendly finance Co’? and face the NEGATIVE EQUITY shortfall of 6 grand??
That’s all hypothetical, but there are many owner drivers in exactly that poverty trap, or a very similar one, what should they do? (even the ones who own their trucks outright still need to find a job to provide for their families) So they simply struggle on hoping for something better to turn up, while all the time knowing that they don’t have a decent pension to look forward to.
When I packed in in 2006 I had cash in the bank, owned my truck and two trailers outright and owed nobody but saw the ‘writing on the wall’ so, when offered a decent job back on the tools (by a good mate) I jumped at it.
Ross.
bigr250:
AS1:
I have read alot of people saying on here there is no point in sub-contracting for large firms such as maritime etc but there must be subbies making money otherwise wouldnt everyone just pack it up?Dude, if you’d bought a £40k truck from Maritime and realised after 6 months that you weren’t making enough what would you do?? Phone around and try to sell your 55 reg FH13 480 and find your being offered 24k for a truck you still owe 30k to a finance company for. Do you go throw it back at the ‘friendly finance Co’? and face the NEGATIVE EQUITY shortfall of 6 grand??
That’s all hypothetical, but there are many owner drivers in exactly that poverty trap, or a very similar one, what should they do? (even the ones who own their trucks outright still need to find a job to provide for their families) So they simply struggle on hoping for something better to turn up, while all the time knowing that they don’t have a decent pension to look forward to.
When I packed in in 2006 I had cash in the bank, owned my truck and two trailers outright and owed nobody but saw the ‘writing on the wall’ so, when offered a decent job back on the tools (by a good mate) I jumped at it.
Ross.
So why did you spend 4 years of that time giving me nonstop grief on these forums telling me that I didn’t have a clue and was talking out of my arse? 
I’m not looking for an argument here, it was just something that I couldn’t let slip by unnoticed .
AS1:
I have read alot of people saying on here there is no point in sub-contracting for large firms such as maritime etc but there must be subbies making money otherwise wouldnt everyone just pack it up?
Two reasons I can think of. The first one Ross mentioned above which is a very real situation for a lot of owner drivers who have big finance on newish and therefore rapidly depreciating kit and find they are in negative equity and so can’t pack in until they’ve got some money to settle the finance. I know a chap on bulk work up here who would like to get out but his 06 plate FH is worth considerably less than he owes on it so he has no choice but to carry on.
Another is that some folk are happy to run themselves ragged for a wage well below what you could get as an employed driver because they like having their own wagon. If you don’t mind only taking 300-400/week as wages for your 70+ hours then you can probably keep going.
Paul
repton:
AS1:
I have read alot of people saying on here there is no point in sub-contracting for large firms such as maritime etc but there must be subbies making money otherwise wouldnt everyone just pack it up?Two reasons I can think of. The first one Ross mentioned above which is a very real situation for a lot of owner drivers who have big finance on newish and therefore rapidly depreciating kit and find they are in negative equity and so can’t pack in until they’ve got some money to settle the finance. I know a chap on bulk work up here who would like to get out but his 06 plate FH is worth considerably less than he owes on it so he has no choice but to carry on.
Another is that some folk are happy to run themselves ragged for a wage well below what you could get as an employed driver because they like having their own wagon. If you don’t mind only taking 300-400/week as wages for your 70+ hours then you can probably keep going.
Paul
Rob K:
So why did you spend 4 years of that time giving me nonstop grief on these forums telling me that I didn’t have a clue and was talking out of my arse?
Well yer gettin an argument, remember, I’m a scouser so it’s second nature.
My only complaint with your responses over the years was your ‘slap across the face’ style of putting down anyone ‘stupid enough’ (in your opinion) to even give consideration to owning their own truck. I never said "you don’t have a clue’ and on many ocasions agreed with part of your description of O/D’ing and the people getting rich out of it, just a shame it’s not the truck owner!!!
Ross.
bigr250:
Rob K:
So why did you spend 4 years of that time giving me nonstop grief on these forums telling me that I didn’t have a clue and was talking out of my arse?Well yer gettin an argument, remember, I’m a scouser so it’s second nature.
My only complaint with your responses over the years was your ‘slap across the face’ style of putting down anyone ‘stupid enough’ (in your opinion) to even give consideration to owning their own truck. I never said "you don’t have a clue’ and on many ocasions agreed with part of your description of O/D’ing and the people getting rich out of it, just a shame it’s not the truck owner!!!
Ross.
It’s only been this past couple of months you’ve had a change of heart and started telling people it’s a bad idea.
And imho the ‘slap across the face’ posting style was/is more than justified when you put the reality of it in front of people’s eyes and they still think it’s a good idea. Over the past 8 years on here I can’t recall any prospective OD saying “yes, after reading that it doesn’t sound like a good idea, I’ll hold off/not bother” etc, every single one has gone ahead with it regardless. “Stupid people is stupid” as the Yanks would say.
Rob K:
It’s only been this past couple of months you’ve had a change of heart and started telling people it’s a bad idea.And imho the ‘slap across the face’ posting style was/is more than justified when you put the reality of it in front of people’s eyes and they still think it’s a good idea.
I have always said, & continue to say that I could go back on the road tomorrow and make a decent living with my own truck & I’m not a genius, it can be done, just not ‘on for’ a container company or one of these bulk haulage companies offering trailer hire, fuel & full time work.
The only people to get rich out of these operations are the ones offering the work. (& I’ve always said that too)
Me!! (still)
At risk of getting my head bitten off…
I think it’s not so much people are stupid but that people have a dream, and perhaps a little optimism and a warm gooey feeling in their tummy at the thought of running their own business, being their own boss (sort of) and owning (OK, borrowing off the finance company) their own truck.
And I guess it’s not until the reality of negative equity hits them that they realise perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea. But people will always want to try. Because if you don’t try, how will you ever know if your dream might have been the one that came true?
We run a small business. It’s already established and we have money in the bank. We’re not going anywhere today or tomorrow. But I don’t envy anybody trying to set up from scratch. The most important thing you will ever need is one or two good customers. If you’ve got that, and you want to, then have a go. But please don’t go out and spend all your money on a truck because you’re going to need cashflow. And if you don’t know what that means, then I suggest you find out before you start. There is no way on this planet you will make it without cashflow.