hi everyone,
ive been toying with the idea of going it alone, ive got a good erf tractor unit which ive had parked up on a farm for sometime.
but everytime i think right thats it lets get it sorted i see or hear people are going under left right and centre.
and there seems to be hell of alot of red tape to get through before you actually turn a wheel.
would anyone recomend running on someone elses O Licence or is it worth the wait and getting my own. ? i come on here alot and tend to only read negative comments so some positive stuff would be great
to be honest my head is mashed with all the reading iv done.
maybe im just impatent and just want to get going .
but as long as its legal im happy to do it. iv looking into return loads and wonder if i can make it pay that way but then i,ll need to spend on a trailer, or do i go traction only ? ther is a lot to consider thats why i thought well would it be possible to work on someone elses O L and do it that way.
cheers paul
i am sure i am right in saying u need your own o,lic but you can use someone elses cpc at a cost of course i am about to send the forms off and so far theres no red tape just a lot of homework to be done keep reading the topics on here they are very very helpful alot of very experienced people helping out and if you dont no ask i have and its been a huge help
shuttlespanker:
i thought it was illegal to run your truck on somebody elses O Licence :
You do need your own license as it is a no no to run on somebody elses. People often get confused with the CPC qualification. If you do not have this qualification you are not ‘Professionally Competent’ therefore you are unable to obtain an ‘O’ License. So all you do is ‘employ’ a CPC holder to be your transport manager and have his/her name on your license.
Hope that makes sense ■■
shuttlespanker:
i thought it was illegal to run your truck on somebody elses O Licence :
You do need your own license as it is a no no to run on somebody elses. People often get confused with the CPC qualification. If you do not have this qualification you are not ‘Professionally Competent’ therefore you are unable to obtain an ‘O’ License. So all you do is ‘employ’ a CPC holder to be your transport manager and have his/her name on your license.
Hope that makes sense ■■
shuttlespanker:
i thought it was illegal to run your truck on somebody elses O Licence :
You do need your own license as it is a no no to run on somebody elses. People often get confused with the CPC qualification. If you do not have this qualification you are not ‘Professionally Competent’ therefore you are unable to obtain an ‘O’ License. So all you do is ‘employ’ a CPC holder to be your transport manager and have his/her name on your license.
Hope that makes sense ■■
Hi It says ERF not RAF, I’d say you and shuttlespanker are spot-on about not running on somebody elses ‘O’ licence, but I hope you won’t take a little correction the wrong way mate…
A person needs a CPC to be the ‘nominated’ TM on either type of hire-and-reward ‘O’ licence, the actual applicant for the ‘O’ licence doesn’t necessarily need a CPC though.
The person acting as the CPC holder must also sign the ‘O’ licence application form, and also supply their original CPC certificate(s) to the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for inspection. After inspection, the TC will return the CPC by post.
Since I know you’ve done your CPC, I guess that’s what you meant to say.
Running on somebody elses O Licence is a definate No No…its illegal and if you get caught you are likely to have your vehicle impounded , VOSA arent stupid they know that if the vehicle is registered in your name and the licence disc states another name then somethings probably not right…you would then have all the hassle of this hanging over your head when you do try to get your own O Licence.
There are always adverts in Commercial Motor stating that for a monthly fee a Transport Manager (with CPC of course)can be hired to your business but not sure how legal it all is as they may be hired to 3 or 4 different people at the same time.
Best bet if you are serious about starting on your own is take your own CPC…even if you decide not to go ahead later on its another qualification that might help you get employment in the future
Hey PJL if you can get or have the right contracts then I am sure you can make it pay if your good with money & if you can make it through this credit crunch period and come out the other side of it then theres hope for the future.
What sort of driving are you skilled in? Taut? Fridges? Flatbed? Tipper? Or what do you want to work in?
Hi PJL, you will need an awful lot of capital to start off with, at least £500 a week for diesel, depending on how well maintained your vehicle is, you will need to factor in running costs, then there is tax, insurance, wages for yourself, plus you will need to show VOSA that you have the required financial standing (available capital to make sure that you and your vehicle are well maintained and legal) for when you apply for an operators licence.
You will probably have to survive for at least 3 months, before any money comes in, so you will need at least £10,000 to support you and your business.
pjl:
to be honest my head is mashed with all the reading iv done.
maybe im just impatent and just want to get going .
but as long as its legal im happy to do it. iv looking into return loads and wonder if i can make it pay that way but then i,ll need to spend on a trailer, or do i go traction only ? ther is a lot to consider thats why i thought well would it be possible to work on someone elses O L and do it that way.
cheers paul
buy yourself a V8 scania with twin exhausts, does it for me every time
or have i read that wrong ?
You will probably have to survive for at least 3 months, before any money comes in, so you will need at least £10,000 to support you and your business.
…jimmy2loads is about right…this amount would cover some repairs in that period, fuel of course (payable every 14 days by direct debit no choice and maybe even with a cash bond paid up front to the card co) and some bills but not I repeat not wages! I would plan on having at least £10K available to get going in the first 90/120 days and if the business picked up reasonably you could then look to paying yourself wages…assuming no engine, clutch or gearbox expiries in the first few months (if no R&M deal to cover this stuff)!
The £10K would also obvioulsy be handy to sit in your account for proving to the TC that you had available funds for repairs and initial running costs as part fo your O licence application criteria.
Sounds harsh, but survive the first period and still feel good about it overall and you are on the way, big time! You’ve overcame a lot of hurdles in that initial baptism of fire so if you get through that you should celebrate it!
Good luck - I hope you succeed. Working for yourself is at times crap (no doubt about it) but mostly (in my experience) very satisfying. It’s down to how smart (not always how hard) you work and if you can slot into a good niche or method of work which is economical (as it’s always about money) meaning profit, not turnover. Keep your eyes always on the figures, never ignore them, trust me…by all means do cheap jobs when needed but ask yourself what the end goal is…to bring this new customer on board? To fill quiet times? Always be able to justify your any ‘deals’ or ‘bargain prices’ to yourself as if you use these all the time you will run the risk of ‘popping’.
I think thats half the bother with people on here when asking for info/guides on how to start up, the fact people might try to take there work.
Yes. And you would be protective of that work too…if it was yours. Haulage is a cut-throat game and many competitors/wannabees will undercut your rate to get your work, strange as it may sound. Rates only go in one direction generally…downwards.
You’ve just learned lesson one of becoming an O/D…play your cards close to your chest! Always.
Blissy:
Running on somebody elses O Licence is a definate No No…its illegal and if you get caught you are likely to have your vehicle impounded , VOSA arent stupid they know that if the vehicle is registered in your name and the licence disc states another name then somethings probably not right…you would then have all the hassle of this hanging over your head when you do try to get your own O Licence.
There are always adverts in Commercial Motor stating that for a monthly fee a Transport Manager (with CPC of course)can be hired to your business but not sure how legal it all is as they may be hired to 3 or 4 different people at the same time.
Best bet if you are serious about starting on your own is take your own CPC…even if you decide not to go ahead later on its another qualification that might help you get employment in the future
I “rent” my “CPC” out, Im national + International qualified, and, Ive got a VERY GOOD track record with BEV + co.
I`ve just finished with a guy who has passed his exams [with my help], and is now a fully made up member of the “CPC Club”
I`m not cheap, but, you do get very good service, from someone who has run plenty of trucks in the last 32 years, still drives them when needed [very busy at the moment] and knows plenty of contacts work wise
Hi pjl, WELCOME. 
