Hi everyone. This is my first post so please be gentle.
Same subject you’ve all read about a million times , I’m debating buying a truck.
I know there is a stigma with owner drivers and the best days of it are long gone but I believe it could work for me. Here’s why…
I’ve got a steady job at Mercedes as a HGV mechanic. This is my bread and butter , I wouldn’t be leaving this job. The idea is my dad would drive the truck and I’d take over weekends / his days off etc. * He is retired and doing a bit of agency driving to keep him busy and give himself some extra spending money.
I already have permission to use the workshop where I work ( and have for the last ten years ) to carry out inspections myself outside of work. eg; Sunday afternoon. I am also in the position to get Merc genuine parts at cost price. You would be amazed at how cheap cost is compared to retail… Even with customers discounts etc. !
I also have the luxury of a life long friend owning a farm - I’m pretty certain I would be able to get an operators licence from there with free parking no problem. ( my friend has agreed this )
By doing all of the above my costs are quite minimal compared to other OD’s.
No inspection fee
Cost parts
Able to fit / Diagnose /Repair the vehicle Myself
Free parking
I’ve made a few enquires with transport managers in my area that I’ve known a while through work and they have all said there are plenty of opportunities for myself.
Would be keen to know you thoughts on this idea…
My only outlay would be a tractor unit / trailer and to have a bit of a bank balance before hand.
I wont be financing a brand new truck thinking I’ll become a millionaire either. I could probably / maybe afford a 56 plate actros with my savings. (and a bit of the wife’s!)
if you can get and keep the contracts for work and you have all the other bases sorted and you have the cash to run it then go for it. You are in a good position compared to most who try to look at becoming O/D’s in this day and age.
Something I’ve been thinking about for a while , slowly putting everything in to place ( in my head anyway )
If everything went ■■■■ up all I would do is sell the motor , stay in my day job and my old chap would return to the agency. It seems minimal risk in my head but its easy for me to say that as I’ve never done it !
I would suggest also considering a used truck from Mercedes on their finance. Keep your own cash in the bank. You’ll need quite a bit to run for the first few months until invoices start to get paid.
DAN88:
I’ve got a steady job at Mercedes as a HGV mechanic. This is my bread and butter , I wouldn’t be leaving this job. The idea is my dad would drive the truck and I’d take over weekends / his days off etc. * He is retired and doing a bit of agency driving to keep him busy and give himself some extra spending money.
You seem to be placing far too much in this idea in the plan of your dad driving the truck during the week. In order to keep any contracts you get you’re going to be pretty much expected to be running full time. They’re not going to use someone who is only available as and when and give you enough work every week to pay the running costs. Your dad is retired, somehow I doubt he wants to be doing 50+hrs a week every week which is what its going to take to keep the contracts. You don’t want to pack in your fulltime job and I doubt that your employer is going to let you have a day off at short notice when your dad isn’t available or is ill. No doubt you’ll now reply that your dad is happy to do it but as he’s you’re dad he’s going to say that he is isn’t he?
From a legal point of view you can most likely only work every other weekend as well in order to satisfy weekly rest periods.
Your costs may be minimal to set up but you’re still going to have things like insurances that need to be paid and a transport manager to pay whether or not the truck earns anything.
your dad would need to be full time you need to work out any business cost verses earnings and wages if your dads retired it could impact his current pension adversley. the 56 plates are a good motorbim one one full time at the momentnalso depends how much work your dad wants to do
the costs of knsurance arent that bad really a outsourced tm wont be horrific either but will need costing. and youll need to check up on wether the farm is ok to use as an op centre
Conor he doesn’t necessarily need to be contracted to a customer. Spot hire can make good money. If I had kept my unit back in 1999 I would have withdrawn it from the co. I was pulling for as there was little profit in it (in fact begger all) put it on spot hire & would very likely have made more money for less time/miles.
The OP is well set up for spot hire as his fixed costs will not be astronomical (especially if, contrary to my suggestion above, he buys the truck outright) and he would not need to pay the driver (Dad) on days when the there is no work.
Firstly speaking as an ex o/driver, albeit a long time ago, I wouldn’t advise anybody to buy a truck today with the way things are…, but you have already heard all this.
However, if that’s what you want to do you seem to have a better basis to start than most. The fact that you are not busting the bank to buy a top range new motor, and that it is apparent that your expectations of the job are realistic, are both positive.
Your present position at Mercs seems to be beneficial and will do away with a couple of hurdles, it will also act as a fail safe for you and risk reducer, if things don’t work out.
Also if it’s your Dad at least you know he will give 100% and neither ■■■■ you about or rip you off, so another potential problem solved.
Just try and get some half decent work and not for some big outfit that eat o/drivers and one man outfits for breakfast.
You will never know unless you give it a go mate, so good luck in what you decide.
Some good advice. I’m not in this to make a fortune. Just to top up the bank balance. Hopefully !
Also the truck wouldn’t need to be running 24/7 to pay bills etc. As long as it made enough to cover a driver/Dad and a bit to go back into my savings account regularly then happy days in my eyes.
Driveroneuk:
Conor he doesn’t necessarily need to be contracted to a customer. Spot hire can make good money. If I had kept my unit back in 1999 I would have withdrawn it from the co. I was pulling for as there was little profit in it (in fact begger all) put it on spot hire & would very likely have made more money for less time/miles.
The OP is well set up for spot hire as his fixed costs will not be astronomical (especially if, contrary to my suggestion above, he buys the truck outright) and he would not need to pay the driver (Dad) on days when the there is no work.
That’s my take on it it’s not a bad plan at all he probably won’t need to drive the truck very much at all
