I have had my licence for about a year now and never really used it as I have a well paid but un rewarding job outside the industry. However I am giving some serious thought to giving it up and going to Tarmac as an owner operator (Tipper) and am really looking for some advice about this set up and if anyone has had any experience with them I. e Them as a company Hidden tie in.'s ,Money and the general day to day of living with this kind of work.
i would be extremely grateful of any feed back good or bad. Plus any other suggestions are very welcome
Theres a guy on here who does blocks for them called Shine Wheels i havent seen him post for a whil might be worth looking for his name and e-mailing him.
JagBoy,
You’ll be swapping your well paid unrewarding job for a poorly paid stressful unrewarding job. I know because I’ve had years of it. Unless you can bring a substantial amount of capital with you as a deposit (I’m talking £30,000 plus) you will not be able to buy a new truck comfortably. This means a second hand vehicle which means lots of repair bills and time off the road.
I do this job (like many others) out of habit. If I was looking at it from the position of a fresh starter, I’d look elswhere. I heard of a guy who recently started on the scheme who discovered after his first month (without any repair bills) that he had made more wages on the agency 
Why give up a well paid job to come into a dog eat dog industry 
You as a tipper driver will be chaseing your ■■■ all day long to get as many loads done as possible in a day.My advice would be to do agency work,one day a week just to get the feel of the industry b4 you commit to it.Also if you have a family life make sure they know what they are letting themselve’s in for,with the long hours and 6 yes six day’s a week in that line of work.( at 12+hr shift’s).I wish you all the best in what ever you decide.
Welcome to TruckNet UK Jag Boy and good luck 
They have a depot at Hayes (West London). It’s depressing to see just how many “franchised hauliers” have their vehicles parked up in there when you’d expect them to be working.
The days of making a comfortable living out of owning a truck have long since passed I’m afraid. Leave your money in the bank (or don’t borrow it in the first place!) and spend your time digging out a decent driving job instead.
Thanks for the advice I’m still unsure of what to do really as i have heard so many different storeys about Tarmac I might consider buying out right but one thinks for sure it can’t be any worse then where i am now
Jag Boy:
I have had my licence for about a year now and never really used it as I have a well paid but un rewarding job outside the industry. However I am giving some serious thought to giving it up and going to Tarmac as an owner operator (Tipper) and am really looking for some advice about this set up and if anyone has had any experience with them.
I would suggest you get a job as an employed driver for a bit before you go self employed. I think starting your own business in ANY industry when you don’t have any experience of it is unwise personally.
Paul
Jag Boy:
Thanks for the advice I’m still unsure of what to do really as i have heard so many different storeys about Tarmac I might consider buying out right but one thinks for sure it can’t be any worse then where i am now
Yes it can be worse. You can go bust in business, loose your money, house and sanity. You may detest what you do at the minute but on the blackest day I bet you don’t risk bankruptcy do you?
If you still feel the need to pursue the idea at least try to get a feel for the job. Offer yourself as a temporary driver at the quarry your thinking of. Do it for free if necessary so at least you’ll see the job first hand. Talk to the guys doing it - they will tell you it straight.
Last I heard things in the North West were very quiet and there were lots of very worried o/d’s with shed loads of finance and no work.
The job itself is repetitive, boring, very fustrating and not very well paid. I’d urge you to look for more of a fulfilling challenge.
Jag Boy, i was talking to a topblock owner driver delivering to a diy store that i drive for. He told me that he was making a decent living at it. It got me tempted, but i am at the do i, dont i crossroads too. I have the drive and commitment to make it work and have no illusions that it will be easy. What frightens me is the amount of finance involved, and if the work does dry up, can work for anyone else as the vehicle is in Tarmac livery? If anyone knows anymore pls HELP!!!
repton:
Jag Boy:
I have had my licence for about a year now and never really used it as I have a well paid but un rewarding job outside the industry. However I am giving some serious thought to giving it up and going to Tarmac as an owner operator (Tipper) and am really looking for some advice about this set up and if anyone has had any experience with them.I would suggest you get a job as an employed driver for a bit before you go self employed. I think starting your own business in ANY industry when you don’t have any experience of it is unwise personally.
Paul
don’t know if i’d agree with that, i went straight into owner driving and although i made a few mistakes it’s not brain surgery and is in a lot of ways easier than working for a firm that are going to treat you like crap!
it all boils down to the same thing, if you find the right work, you’ll make it pay, if you don’t, you’ll strugle.
I RUN 4 TRUCKS IN A SMALL HANSON QUARRY AND THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT TARMAC WILL DO THE SAME.THEY SIGN YOU UP ON A BIG FINANCE IF THEY CAN ,FIGURE ABOUT £1600 A MONTH FOR A NEW 8 WHEELER THEN OFF U GO AMONGST SOME OTHER GUYS IN THE SAME BOAT ANDTHERES USUALLY 1 OR MORE BLUE EYED BOYS THAT GET THE BETTER LOADS :.CAN YOU MAKE ANY MONEY? YES I WOULD SAY IF CONTRUCTION IS STRONG I RECKON £350 TO 500 A WEEK ,IF THINGS ARE QUIET FIGURE £150 AND THE JOB GETS A BIT BORING ON SHORT RUNS :.HOPE THIS HELPS YOU OUT
I started as an O/D in October but with an artic and Insulated trailer,it has its ups and downs but so far so good.My main difference is I went independant rather than “contracted haulier” so I have the pick of which quarries are the busiest and above all who pays the best rates!!!
I am lucky as there are quite a few big quarries near where I park the truck namely Tarmac,Northstone and Whitemountain and they all have “blacktop” plants which is where the best rates and handier work for an artic is.For instance last week I was hauling SMA tarmac for Northstone to a new buslane only 3 miles from the quarry 3 loads at £120/load plus two loads of stone to a site in Belfast docks was easy money for the day.Not every day is like this but with the 30t payload in the artic it means as I’ve kept my repayments down by buying decent secondhand kit I’m not chasing my arse all week to make it pay.
Also with the artic it means I can haul sand etc and make it pay for the local concrete/block plants when the quarries are slow,disadvantages with the artic are abit higher maintenance and very limited work as regards to travelling onto sites.
As regards finance I’ve kept my repayments under a grand/month over 3 years and I put down a deposit of £4800 for the unit/trailer.
Big Truck:
I started as an O/D in October but with an artic and Insulated trailer,it has its ups and downs but so far so good.My main difference is I went independant rather than “contracted haulier” so I have the pick of which quarries are the busiest and above all who pays the best rates!!!
I am lucky as there are quite a few big quarries near where I park the truck namely Tarmac,Northstone and Whitemountain and they all have “blacktop” plants which is where the best rates and handier work for an artic is.For instance last week I was hauling SMA tarmac for Northstone to a new buslane only 3 miles from the quarry 3 loads at £120/load plus two loads of stone to a site in Belfast docks was easy money for the day.Not every day is like this but with the 30t payload in the artic it means as I’ve kept my repayments down by buying decent secondhand kit I’m not chasing my arse all week to make it pay.
Also with the artic it means I can haul sand etc and make it pay for the local concrete/block plants when the quarries are slow,disadvantages with the artic are abit higher maintenance and very limited work as regards to travelling onto sites.
As regards finance I’ve kept my repayments under a grand/month over 3 years and I put down a deposit of £4800 for the unit/trailer.
Glad to see you are making it work Kev 
BTW. White Mountain is now Ringway in these parts - have things changed over the water??
Thanks Jim (Its Andy by the way 
),
Things are ticking over alright “touch wood”,although I did have a large repair bill ref an axle casing in March 
but I’ve turned that corner now.
“Whitemountain” are still called that overhere but “RJ Maxwells” have changed their name to “Northstone”.
Are Whitemountain still rumoured to be building a quay for landing stone at Immingham?
Big Truck:
Thanks Jim (Its Andy by the way
Big Truck:
Are Whitemountain still rumoured to be building a quay for landing stone at Immingham?
Tar plant up and running. We’ll see how things develop though
Qhunter:
They have a depot at Hayes (West London). It’s depressing to see just how many “franchised hauliers” have their vehicles parked up in there when you’d expect them to be working.The days of making a comfortable living out of owning a truck have long since passed I’m afraid. Leave your money in the bank (or don’t borrow it in the first place!) and spend your time digging out a decent driving job instead.
Please dont have a go at me here or anything…I have read alot on this website and on this post that haulage isnt any good, poor pay and bad hours…when people ask if they should become an owner driver people reply with a NO.
Now maybe some of you have had bad experiances but i must say the money isnt all bad. My dad for example has a good standard of living i.e holiday home in france building a home over here brought on by the fact he brings home around £4,000 profit each month with his mixer which is frenchised to hanson premix in ■■■■■■■■■■■ to me that seems good. (dads been in haulage all his life)
Now I have been owner driving for 2 months and yes at times people do delay in paying what they owe me but nothing that gets me stressed out, I earn a hell of alot more being a owner driver than what i ever would working for someone else and the work as always been avalible to me.
from mine and my fathers experiance the haulage industry as not treated us badly and upto now neither of us have a bad word to say about being a owner driver.
But of course there are bad contracts out there and yes some companys dont pay you on time and can make you wait quite a while but if you are carefull enough and source the right contacts i dont see how you could have much of a problem…my only advice would be that if you are not buying brand new then you make sure you get a reliable truck and always keep abit of money to one side (overheads) incase it does break down.
I think some people might disagree with what i have said but i am only speaking from my experiance (and my experiance is a good one) thats all.
Matt
lard:
JagBoy,You’ll be swapping your well paid unrewarding job for a poorly paid stressful unrewarding job. I know because I’ve had years of it. Unless you can bring a substantial amount of capital with you as a deposit (I’m talking £30,000 plus) you will not be able to buy a new truck comfortably. This means a second hand vehicle which means lots of repair bills and time off the road.
I do this job (like many others) out of habit. If I was looking at it from the position of a fresh starter, I’d look elswhere. I heard of a guy who recently started on the scheme who discovered after his first month (without any repair bills) that he had made more wages on the agency
I have never heard of anyone from tarmac, hanson, tilcon, readymix, ever say you need £30,000 before you could think about owning your own truck.
if you sign a contract with tarmac hanson or any other above firm you can usually get a brand new truck with little or no deposit to put down.
as is the case with my father his and my mates non of them have ever needed to pay a depost no where near the £30,000 mark if working for tarmac, hanson, bardon.
Matt
Owner-Driver1980:
lard:
JagBoy,You’ll be swapping your well paid unrewarding job for a poorly paid stressful unrewarding job. I know because I’ve had years of it. Unless you can bring a substantial amount of capital with you as a deposit (I’m talking £30,000 plus) you will not be able to buy a new truck comfortably. This means a second hand vehicle which means lots of repair bills and time off the road.
I do this job (like many others) out of habit. If I was looking at it from the position of a fresh starter, I’d look elswhere. I heard of a guy who recently started on the scheme who discovered after his first month (without any repair bills) that he had made more wages on the agency
I have never heard of anyone from tarmac, hanson, tilcon, readymix, ever say you need £30,000 before you could think about owning your own truck.
if you sign a contract with tarmac hanson or any other above firm you can usually get a brand new truck with little or no deposit to put down.
as is the case with my father his and my mates non of them have ever needed to pay a depost no where near the £30,000 mark if working for tarmac, hanson, bardon.Matt
Matt,
I see where your coming from but Jim (Lard) knows the score as well,he did change his 8 wheeler every 3 years for a new one via the Tarmac O/D scheme and still managed to keep his payments under a grand a month over the 3 years.It meant if he ever wanted to “pull the plug” he could still get his original £30 grand deposit back by selling the truck.
Yes,all the big quarry companies will love to “rent” you a nice new 8 wheeler weither it be a tipper,mixer or block lorry but it will cost you the guts of 80 grand with if your lucky a 20t payload and worst of all, £1500 to £1800 truck payments to make per month for 5 years.These payments are the killer in the quiet months of Dec,Jan!!!
For that same 80 grand I would buy two brand new fully insulated tarmac trailers and pull them with two 3 year old 6x2 artics,if the quarries go quiet park the trailers in the corner of the yard and go and do traction only for a week or two.
Owner-Driver1980:
he brings home around £4,000 profiteach month with his mixer
