All,
I’m seriously thinking about buying a tractor unit in the new year and having a go on my own. I’ve been planning for a large general haulage company for several years and have alot of contacts.
Would I be better going down the traction only route or buying a trailer and getting into general haulage?
I know several of you may scream don’t!!!, but I could just do with hearing from some of you already operating.
Rgds,
U need to ask yourself y? If its purley for financial gane then id say no. But if its somthing you want to do for yourself because you’ve always. Wanted. To then id say may b. I don’t say im an expert in the od thing only. Been on my own for about a year but i don’t regret doing it yes sometimes its tough and i think i wish i was still an employed driver but i no if i hadn’t of give the od thing ago id be thinking what if? If you work in the office have you got a cpc because. Your need one in order to get your o licance there’s financial criteria aswell fuel is goingup all the time also and from i no traction rates are minimal. Some on here will say don’t do it some. Will say your mad but if id have listened to them i wouldn’t have my own lorry nw and a few quid in the. Only you can decide wot route your gona take i wish you luck if u do go down the od route but i wont mock you if you dnt
Hi,
I’ve been in the game long enough to know that I won’t make a fortune, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do.
I sit here all day planning and have come across maybe every problem that will ever arise and all the stress it causes and always think ‘I could stress myself like this working for myself’ and maybe see something at the end. OK the wages are good, but you’re only as good as your last mistake as the saying goes.
I’m lucky that my wife is a management accountant in this industry too, so I’m not really worried about the financial side of things either.
I’m just really undecided - my lot run 200 trucks and there’s no more job security here than there would be on my own, you only have to read Motor Transport or Commercial Motor to see the bigger they are the harder they fall.
But as more and more bigger companies go to the wall, does that leave a gap for smaller haulier with maybe lower overheads to make a pound?
Rgds,
SRichardson:
Hi,I’ve been in the game long enough to know that I won’t make a fortune, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do.
I sit here all day planning and have come across maybe every problem that will ever arise and all the stress it causes and always think ‘I could stress myself like this working for myself’ and maybe see something at the end. OK the wages are good, but you’re only as good as your last mistake as the saying goes.
I’m lucky that my wife is a management accountant in this industry too, so I’m not really worried about the financial side of things either.
I’m just really undecided - my lot run 200 trucks and there’s no more job security here than there would be on my own, you only have to read Motor Transport or Commercial Motor to see the bigger they are the harder they fall.
But as more and more bigger companies go to the wall, does that leave a gap for smaller haulier with maybe lower overheads to make a pound?
Rgds,
No, it means the market is saturated with not enough profitable work to go round. If the big boys can’t make it pay what makes you think you can? There are far too many trucks on the road chasing too little work hence why everyone’s working for a few pence over a quid a mile. You’ll just become another statistic, but like all ODs who come on this site asking for advice, you’ll go ahead and do it anyway so I won’t waste any more of my breath. 
There’s a big difference between someone who is totally green looking for a shiney Topliner with their name on the door and a massive overdraught, and someone who’s been in this industry for almost 25 years and knows the job pretty much inside out.
I have read a lot of other posts from people wanting to be owner drivers, and they have all received a lot of negative comments.
As I’ve said, my mind is totally open and I’ve commited to nothing, and at the end of the day I’m not going to throw a £30K a year job in on a whim.
SRichardson:
There’s a big difference between someone who is totally green looking for a shiney Topliner with their name on the door and a massive overdraught, and someone who’s been in this industry for almost 25 years and knows the job pretty much inside out.I have read a lot of other posts from people wanting to be owner drivers, and they have all received a lot of negative comments.
As I’ve said, my mind is totally open and I’ve commited to nothing, and at the end of the day I’m not going to throw a £30K a year job in on a whim.
Has it not occured to you that they may be valid reasons for that?
Yes - Of course it has.
I wish to be honest I’d never seen a bloody truck, but I know nothing else. I’ve just always wanted to work for myself, but I’m crap at plumming. hahaha
SRichardson:
There’s a big difference between someone who is totally green looking for a shiney Topliner with their name on the door and a massive overdraught, and someone who’s been in this industry for almost 25 years and knows the job pretty much inside out.I have read a lot of other posts from people wanting to be owner drivers, and they have all received a lot of negative comments.
As I’ve said, my mind is totally open and I’ve commited to nothing, and at the end of the day I’m not going to throw a £30K a year job in on a whim.
Stick with your 30k per annum Chap, if you’ve been at it 25 years you’d have done it by know anyway I would have thought. If your wifes doing accounts for a large haulier you should really be asking her whats what not us synical Sons of Whorliers 
Good luck with it anyway
Fly sheet
We work for the same company and I see the figures, so I know how little we make some weeks - but our costs are massive.
I wasn’t lucky enough to be in the position I am now a few years ago otherwise I probably would have done foolishly.
Thanks anyway.
Hi, i come on here every now and then and it seems there’s always someone asking about going it along and every time to my memory rob k’s had something negative to say about it and to be fair alot of what he’s said is true and he’s made some good points and obviously has some understanding of the business.
But i do honestly believe Rob that if you became an OD and put as much effort into it as you do trying to put off and scare every other potential OD that there’d be no stopping ya lol
Iv been a OD for a little over a year now and have found it hard, but iv still made more than i would driving for someone else and have learnt 10 times as much as i would off driving someone else’s wagon which can hopefully only mean il have a even better year this year.
I have friends in various different trades and the storys seem to be the same everywhere “it aint like it used to be” so we all just need to get on with it.
Im by no means an authority on being an OD or MD off a haulage company but my advice to anyone who’s in transport and wanting to start up on there on is do your homework and give it a go, because working for someone else is about as rewarding as poke in the eye compared to working for yourself
Just my opinion though
460MC:
Hi, i come on here every now and then and it seems there’s always someone asking about going it along and every time to my memory rob k’s had something negative to say about it and to be fair alot of what he’s said is true and he’s made some good points and obviously has some understanding of the business.
But i do honestly believe Rob that if you became an OD and put as much effort into it as you do trying to put off and scare every other potential OD that there’d be no stopping ya lol
Iv been a OD for a little over a year now and have found it hard, but iv still made more than i would driving for someone else and have learnt 10 times as much as i would off driving someone else’s wagon which can hopefully only mean il have a even better year this year.
I have friends in various different trades and the storys seem to be the same everywhere “it aint like it used to be” so we all just need to get on with it.
Im by no means an authority on being an OD or MD off a haulage company but my advice to anyone who’s in transport and wanting to start up on there on is do your homework and give it a go, because working for someone else is about as rewarding as poke in the eye compared to working for yourself
Just my opinion though
“Became” as in the future tense? I think you should try the past tense 
.
They should rename this forum the “Debt Junkies” forum as that’s more akin to what an OD is/will be these days. Frankly I don’t give a toss one way or the other whether people decide to go ahead with it or not, but for the sake of 2 minutes bullet pointing the downsides it could save some guy a whole pile of money and hassle so I’ll continue to do it. Whilst I may be the most vocal on this forum, believe me when I say you’ll find no shortage of other ex ODs on this site who will also tell you the same should you specifically ask for their input.
Rob K:
460MC:
Hi, i come on here every now and then and it seems there’s always someone asking about going it along and every time to my memory rob k’s had something negative to say about it and to be fair alot of what he’s said is true and he’s made some good points and obviously has some understanding of the business.
But i do honestly believe Rob that if you became an OD and put as much effort into it as you do trying to put off and scare every other potential OD that there’d be no stopping ya lol
Iv been a OD for a little over a year now and have found it hard, but iv still made more than i would driving for someone else and have learnt 10 times as much as i would off driving someone else’s wagon which can hopefully only mean il have a even better year this year.
I have friends in various different trades and the storys seem to be the same everywhere “it aint like it used to be” so we all just need to get on with it.
Im by no means an authority on being an OD or MD off a haulage company but my advice to anyone who’s in transport and wanting to start up on there on is do your homework and give it a go, because working for someone else is about as rewarding as poke in the eye compared to working for yourself
Just my opinion though“Became” as in the future tense? I think you should try the past tense
They should rename this forum the “Debt Junkies” forum as that’s more akin to what an OD is/will be these days. Frankly I don’t give a toss one way or the other whether people decide to go ahead with it or not, but for the sake of 2 minutes bullet pointing the downsides it could save some guy a whole pile of money and hassle so I’ll continue to do it. Whilst I may be the most vocal on this forum, believe me when I say you’ll find no shortage of other ex ODs on this site who will also tell you the same should you specifically ask for their input.
Groan 
how i hate to say this ooooooh how i hate to say it.BUT SPECIAL K IS RIGHT in what he says "
Rob K:
460MC:
Hi, i come on here every now and then and it seems there’s always someone asking about going it along and every time to my memory rob k’s had something negative to say about it and to be fair alot of what he’s said is true and he’s made some good points and obviously has some understanding of the business.
But i do honestly believe Rob that if you became an OD and put as much effort into it as you do trying to put off and scare every other potential OD that there’d be no stopping ya lol
Iv been a OD for a little over a year now and have found it hard, but iv still made more than i would driving for someone else and have learnt 10 times as much as i would off driving someone else’s wagon which can hopefully only mean il have a even better year this year.
I have friends in various different trades and the storys seem to be the same everywhere “it aint like it used to be” so we all just need to get on with it.
Im by no means an authority on being an OD or MD off a haulage company but my advice to anyone who’s in transport and wanting to start up on there on is do your homework and give it a go, because working for someone else is about as rewarding as poke in the eye compared to working for yourself
Just my opinion though“Became” as in the future tense? I think you should try the past tense
They should rename this forum the “Debt Junkies” forum as that’s more akin to what an OD is/will be these days. Frankly I don’t give a toss one way or the other whether people decide to go ahead with it or not, but for the sake of 2 minutes bullet pointing the downsides it could save some guy a whole pile of money and hassle so I’ll continue to do it. Whilst I may be the most vocal on this forum, believe me when I say you’ll find no shortage of other ex ODs on this site who will also tell you the same should you specifically ask for their input.
not all people who start on there own start in debt. maybe some of the people who are ex OD’s didn’t try hard enough or maybe made wrong/suicidal business decisions. for every man that makes the decision to try not all fail. in my own opinion you will never know till you try. any mistakes you make you will not make twice when it costs you. its mostly in your own hands, yes you need some luck along the way, alot of patience and determination, but to not try because somebody else says, well i’d rather die knowing than wondering!
Bingo another failed OD
I should imagine your right there probably are alot more OD who couldn’t make a go of it wathcing this forum thinking exactly like you its just perhaps alot of them realise that they made mistakes and could of done things a little better and possibly had a bit more luck and that just because they couldn’t it doesn’t mean no one else can, so therefore don’t feel the need to try and put every other bugger of it
I browsed this forum and read all the negativity about being an OD before i started up and i took far too much notice of it, had it not been for a couple of chance meetings with OD on the road who put me straight on a few things i may of still been wondering what if?
If everybody just resided themselves to the status quo through fear of failure we would all be on the dull!
Hi,
Thanks to all of you who’ve replied, It’s ok - I’ve got broad shoulders so I expected a bit of flack.
My main question was the traction only rates and how they compare to the rates on general haulage. I’m involved in general and we do sub out a lot of work and the rates aren’t bad. Most hauliers that ring won’t work for nothing anyway and we are so busy we need to give work away, so they tend to get OK rates. (Before you all ask I won’t say who I work for at this time as I’m sure you’ll understand)
I’ll see how thing’s change into the New Year and keep reading your comments - I’ve not been put off though.
Thanks Again
SR.
SRichardson:
As I’ve said, my mind is totally open and I’ve commited to nothing, and at the end of the day I’m not going to throw a £30K a year job in on a whim.
OD V £30K a year job…
And the winner is…the £30k a year job!
Go on, don’t be friggin’ stupid mate, stay where you are.
There are three ‘popular’ reasons people become O/Ds, firstly to make a better wage, not a lot wrong with that…on the surface. The second reason is for the ‘freedom’ of being in control of your own destiny. Third is so that they can have their name on the door of a chrome and lights supermegatoptrotterxxl.
So, reason one, you’re going to struggle to make more than your current 30k wage, especially in the first three years, you think you’ve experienced every problem under the sun? Well just wait until you own your own lorry…
Reason two, you’re far more beholden to a customer than an employer, it’s very easy to jack a job, a bit harder to find a new job today, but it’s still a lot easier than trying to switch customers, the old customer will have driven you almost to bankruptcy, which is why you’re leaving in the first place, trying to find decent work when you’re going cap in hand because you’re almost skint is impossible.
Third reason, you need shooting…twice…at least
Now this is in’t always the case and there are many successful O/Ds and small hauliers, but many of them had a lot of touch and go times on the way up the ladder, you say you have many contacts, then ask whether to get a trailer or do traction only, your wife is the accountant at the company that, I presume, allowed you to make these contacts, surely she’s the best equipped to answer this question
Now let’s do some simple maths, you’re going to need 50 grand to start up, now that can be hard cash or financed, let’s assume that 50k gets you a lorry, trailer, funds for O licence, first six week’s running costs and a little margin for error, you’re going to run 100000 miles a year at 1 pound a mile with a 10% profit margin, it will take you five years before you reach the break even point and get your initial 50 grand back, you may earn more than a pound a mile, but you’ll be very lucky to do a 100000miles, so that almost balances out, I said it was simple maths, not an exact science, but it shows my point clearly enough.
However, if you can get some decent work, I say go for it, every oak tree started out as an acorn 
Hello, I wanted to ask you experienced OD, what is the situation for European work, for example I buy a lorry, get a contract to do Italian round trips and the lorry is driven by two drivers me and for example my father, would it increase profits a lot or no and would it give me any advantages comparing to other OD who run single?
i have been on my own for 8 years. in all this time i have only done traction work people knock the rates on this type of work but i have a constant supply of work i do not have to supply a trailer and more importently i get paid on the nail every time. At the end of the day the job has provided a comfortable living for my family and me, having said that we do not live extravently but are contented.I am glad i started on my own but when the preasent lorry dies i will have to think long and hard to replaice it or to do holiday cover and relief driving for other people but i will proberly have one more lorry.Also with your own lorry you have a lot more choice in were you go and the jobs you do.In the parst i have parked the lorry up rather then do certain jobs and woiuld do again. Just for the record i have no names or numbers on the side or front of my lorry as far as i am concered the people i wont to now me already nows the lorry and that is all that matters.
if you have the contacts that are willing to give you work and pay you well for it, then go ahead why not, although its hard to make a decent living at it, and you’ll find the first year the hardest, try traction only for a while and if you need a trailer hire 1, all the best what ever you decide