Right, so I am still thinking of starting up as an OD, although not for the forseeable as things don’t look to rosy at the moment. I’m looking at the bulk haulage industry as that is what I am doing now and also have a family farming background. Just wondered if any of you could give advice as to what I will need to get started (insurances,running costs etc) and also how much would it cost to use someone elses CPC until I can get round to doing my own?
I would take a long hard look at the state of the haulage industry before even thinking about starting.
I know of several owners with artic bulkers packing up,because of the poor rates and high running costs.
Cheers Dave.
xfmatt:
also how much would it cost to use someone elses CPC until I can get round to doing my own?
My first bit of advice is to do your own CPC. You’ll be paying 50quid a week I would think for the services of an external TM and you’ll have got that back within a month or two if you buy a decent study book and get yourself through the exams.
Paul
If you are not comitted enough to do your own CPC how are you going to be prepared to do the hard stuff?
A good instructor can make your Nat/Int CPC interesting and above all useful (unlike DCPC).
Good Luck, Al
With the current job market as it is, I was thinking(again) about having a bash at working for myself! If I was to do it I would rent a tractor unit and do traction only(easier to hand back if it all goes wrong) and hopefully less risk. Obviously I know I wouldn’t be making huge amounts of cash, but would I make more than an average wage? Would it be worth the extra hassle? A friend of mine was doing the same for Norfolk line in 2004 and on a good week would do £900pw(before tax, NI) after all expenses for truck fuel etc, on a bad week probably £450-500.
Having never done it before it does take some balls to actually jump straight into it. Is it an easier/cheaper way to start, I was thinking that once I had got in to the swing of things I could then look for work of my own!
repton:
xfmatt:
also how much would it cost to use someone elses CPC until I can get round to doing my own?My first bit of advice is to do your own CPC. You’ll be paying 50quid a week I would think for the services of an external TM and you’ll have got that back within a month or two if you buy a decent study book and get yourself through the exams.
Paul
Bloody hell.I’m not charging enough,even the agencies don’t charge £50 a week.
Shnick, shnick…click.
That’s both barrels loaded, over to you Special. 
Goaty:
Shnick, shnick…click.That’s both barrels loaded, over to you Special.
xfmatt:
Right, so I am still thinking of starting up as an OD, although not for the forseeable as things don’t look to rosy at the moment.
So while you are thinking and reading your crystal balls, why dont you do the CPC before it gets more difficult.
It lasts a lifetime or until you do something unforgivable and the TC puts his thumb mark on it.
Yeah my intention is to do the CPC myself but at the moment it’s just getting time off work to be able to go on a weeks course. Not sure I could do home study living in a cab all week and then going home to the family on a weekend, wouldn’t be able to concentrate properley. A few people i’ve spoken to have recommended ggoing on an intensive course as everything is then fresh in your mind. I know that if and when I do take the plunge I ain’t gonna make mega bucks. However, I am still of the opinion that if my gaffer can make enought money from me to pay me a wage, pay for the truck and the diesel then surely I could make it pay to be on my own! My intention would be to run it 7 days a week (work permitting) as my Dad also has his license. Also reckon I could probably set myself up with a decent wagon and bulk trailer for around £20-30k. It really is hard to take the plunge though as I have young family and would hate for things to go ■■■■ up and drop us in it! One of them life changing decisions!
Oh dear…
Why oh dear?
xfmatt:
Why oh dear?
Don’t let the ‘negative’ amongst us put you off, there is still a reasonable living to be earned in bulk haulage. I packed in as an O/D in 2006 but still work in the industry, the company I work for run 4 artics in bulk haulage and being based in Liverpool we can normally find work for them. As you will know bulk tipping work by it’s nature is amongst the worst types of haulage for fuel consumption, we have an 05 Strallis that pulls a 68yd C/F trailer, this normally returns high 7’s, a Foden Alpha with a 450 Cat struggles to return 6.5!!
Our trucks rarely go further than 100 miles from base and don’t do too many empty miles, however, don’t listen to people who will tell you; “I’m getting 10mpg on bulk work” because I personally know dozens of people in the job and none of them ever see much over 8.
Do your costings carefully and try to get some direct work. On a good day we can earn over £2 per mile across three loads, poss four. (one of them a subbed load of cr@p paying stone to get it back to Liverpool) If you feel the need to have a go as an owner driver do your homework, get your own ‘O’ licence and try to find some of your own work, there a lots of companies out there (I won’t mention any by name 
) who will rent you a trailer & find you full time work!!! Guaranteed to make THEM money, not you!!
Take care & good luck.
Ross.
Ross.
bigr250:
Don’t let the ‘negative’ amongst us put you off, there is still a reasonable living to be earned in bulk haulage. I packed in as an O/D in 2006
Nuff said.
Rob K:
bigr250:
Don’t let the ‘negative’ amongst us put you off, there is still a reasonable living to be earned in bulk haulage. I packed in as an O/D in 2006
Nuff said.
Nothing I wouldn’t have expected Rob K, I could’ve still been making a decent living had I wanted to work in Bulk haulage but (despite having worked in that ‘field’ as a fill in) I simply didn’t fancy working stinking of animal feed on a daily basis. (also, ask anyone who has loaded wheatfeed out of Nelstrops in Stockport, or even tipped wheat there and you’ll find out what I mean!!)
Ross.
bigr250:
Rob K:
bigr250:
Don’t let the ‘negative’ amongst us put you off, there is still a reasonable living to be earned in bulk haulage. I packed in as an O/D in 2006
Nuff said.
Nothing I wouldn’t have expected Rob K, I could’ve still been making a decent living had I wanted to work in Bulk haulage but (despite having worked in that ‘field’ as a fill in) I simply didn’t fancy working stinking of animal feed on a daily basis. (also, ask anyone who has loaded wheatfeed out of Nelstrops in Stockport, or even tipped wheat there and you’ll find out what I mean!!)
Ross.
I see. So you packed up “making a decent living” at being an OD because you “simply didn’t fancy working stinking of animal feed”. Okay. I believe you.
That is all.
xfmatt:
Not sure I could do home study living in a cab all week and then going home to the family on a weekend, wouldn’t be able to concentrate properley.
I did it by reading through the David Lowe book on my 45s and once I had got from one cover to the other I booked the exam. Passed all three modules first time. Might not work for everyone though…
xfmatt:
Also reckon I could probably set myself up with a decent wagon and bulk trailer for around £20-30k. It really is hard to take the plunge though as I have young family and would hate for things to go ■■■■ up and drop us in it! One of them life changing decisions!
You’ll need more than that. You need 15k for a decent bulk trailer and 10k for any unit worth having for a start. I had just over 40k of capital when I started up and it was still very very tight for the first 12 months, the bank balance went negative more than once… And that is with a customer who paid weekly on 30day terms, if that had been any longer it would have been much harder.
Paul
Fileep:
and on a good week would do £900pw(before tax, NI) after all expenses for truck fuel etc, on a bad week probably £450-500.
it would not even pay for the bloody fuel
repton:
xfmatt:
Not sure I could do home study living in a cab all week and then going home to the family on a weekend, wouldn’t be able to concentrate properley.I did it by reading through the David Lowe book on my 45s and once I had got from one cover to the other I booked the exam. Passed all three modules first time. Might not work for everyone though…
Paul
That is how I did both my exams, that way I only had to take a couple of half days off work. I learned it all from a book whilst driving a night trunk parcel lorry, the rumble strips keep you on the straight and narrow.
XF Matt, do you know how much 1000 litres of diesel costs?
Rob K:
I see. So you packed up “making a decent living” at being an OD because you “simply didn’t fancy working stinking of animal feed”. Okay. I believe you.
That’s not quite how it happened, I was working with a Daf XF & a curtainsider trailer that I owned outright and was just about making a living, my option was to sell the trailer for £4 - 5k, put 10 grand of savings / loan to it to buy a decent bulker? No contest, with a full time job on offer back ‘on the tools’ so I sold everything, banked all the moneys owed over the next three months, paid the VAT & all outstanding bills.
I watch our trucks make money week in week out on bulker work as I said in a previous post, being based in Liverpool does help with the bulk terminals in the docks but I think bulkers are one of a few jobs where there’s still a chance of profit. Could that be because it’s one of the Jobs that Stobart has left alone??
Ross.