war1974:
Jake_Brake:
war1974:
as I have said its taken you 2 years from idea to thinking of what trucks you want for your drivers. whilst proper planning is good 2 years isn’t ideal in a fast paced environment.it also depends on what ‘type’ of driver you want? the ones who will be happy on minimum wage but in a v8 supermegahighline 700+ bhp truck or on a decent wage and driving a Renault?
add on some lights and frilly curtains pay minimum wage and get a load of cab happy drivers = in more profit for you.
Cant be helped unfortunately due to the constraints of my Current forces engaement which is finally coming to an end. No regrets, just time to do something Different. Wages will be a touch above the National average. I am not one to get excited about bling on trucks. Personally ithink it looks silly and reminds me of the dolled up trucks they have in India. And as for it being a V8 700+ BHP that is just overkill. For the average work you dont need anymore than 450. If you did heavy haulage then an STGO 6x4 will easily match the task. Thats my Opinion.
again it would depend on the work and where you were running to. for me bigger bhp = less stress on the motor and better mpg as at a constant speed, less wear and tear.
will the drivers be away all week? odd nights? again this would affect the choice of unit I would want.
will the work be paid per tonne? per mile? per trip?
You need to relax before you give yourself a stroke bud. Trucks will all have sleepers and drivers will be briefed to always take an overnight bag incase. In terms of remuneration i will discuss with the contractor and come to an agreement.If its distance we will charge per mile. Some contracts have tonnage targets annually so for those we will charge per tonne. Flexibility is key obviously. That will be part of our Strategy.
truckyboy:
If your buying a fleet of trucks…big decision…if its to work as an owner driver…buy the renault…from a dealer…get full maintenance contract on it ( ie servicing etc, 6 weekly checks etc ) and bobs your uncle, if you rent a trailer…its gonna cost you…if you pull someone elses…some charge…some dont…so my advice is just get your facts and costings right.
i will not be involved in any of the driving. I will get my HGV license towards the end of the year but will leave the driving to the lads/ladies etc. Whetehr it be be dealer or local mechanic i need to satisfy that requirement when i apply for Op license and show i have a system in place to maintain the wagons and keep them road legal etc. Did look at the Volvo leasing option and it made sense. Will keep it in hand for future. Looking more at MAN trucks though, and the Renault trucks.
Seriously look at leasing. A 10 year old Scanny will be a dog or not far off being one. By 10 years old most units are getting well on for over a million km and not far off being yard shunters and they’re going to start to come with some very big bills no matter how pretty the cab and its interior looks. My experience of 10 year old units is they start by that age to drink oil, have turbos that long since stopped providing any boost and have knocks and bangs all over the shop from various knackered bushes, pins and cab mounts with all kinds of electrical gremlins to do with engine management starting to show as wiring looms which’ve been moving around rubbing against various bits of body and chassis for several hundred thousand km start to chafe through.
Newer trucks may seem a more expensive option but I bet the total cost of ownership over a 3-4 year period is a lot lower than buying a cheap motor and having to continually fix something on it and lose earning because of breakdowns.
Jake_Brake:
Trucks will all have sleepers
Yeah you’re not getting the point as most wagons have sleeper cabs but some trucks are far better than others for sleeping out in. Some are OK for the odd night out but you’d not want to be away all week in them. Simply saying its got a sleeper cab might sound like its enough to someone with zero experience of having to kip out in a wagon but to those who have done its far from as simple as that.
Jake_Brake:
war1974:
Jake_Brake:
war1974:
as I have said its taken you 2 years from idea to thinking of what trucks you want for your drivers. whilst proper planning is good 2 years isn’t ideal in a fast paced environment.it also depends on what ‘type’ of driver you want? the ones who will be happy on minimum wage but in a v8 supermegahighline 700+ bhp truck or on a decent wage and driving a Renault?
add on some lights and frilly curtains pay minimum wage and get a load of cab happy drivers = in more profit for you.
Cant be helped unfortunately due to the constraints of my Current forces engaement which is finally coming to an end. No regrets, just time to do something Different. Wages will be a touch above the National average. I am not one to get excited about bling on trucks. Personally ithink it looks silly and reminds me of the dolled up trucks they have in India. And as for it being a V8 700+ BHP that is just overkill. For the average work you dont need anymore than 450. If you did heavy haulage then an STGO 6x4 will easily match the task. Thats my Opinion.
again it would depend on the work and where you were running to. for me bigger bhp = less stress on the motor and better mpg as at a constant speed, less wear and tear.
will the drivers be away all week? odd nights? again this would affect the choice of unit I would want.
will the work be paid per tonne? per mile? per trip?
You need to relax before you give yourself a stroke bud. Trucks will all have sleepers and drivers will be briefed to always take an overnight bag incase. In terms of remuneration i will discuss with the contractor and come to an agreement.If its distance we will charge per mile. Some contracts have tonnage targets annually so for those we will charge per tonne. Flexibility is key obviously. That will be part of our Strategy.
nothing is getting to me I have run a small firm before - all I am doing I pointing out why you seem like a kid in a sweet shop - if a driver is going to be out all week you would ideally pick truck type 1 if its paid per mile uk or euro work then a bigger engine will return better fuel etc. if its per tonne then a lighter gross unit and trailer increases profitability on every run (hence alloy tanks / wheels etc.) if your running locally and day and night with 2 drivers per unit then that makes a different choice again.
its your venture and totally up to you but you really do sound like a school kid on holiday going I want that one! until you know the type of work you will be mainly doing then a choice of unit will be easier. have a look at whitewhitewhite on here it will help.
like I say its not an issue to me, pick which one you think best but I would be considering all plus possibly a lot more before deciding on units.
war1974:
Jake_Brake:
war1974:
Jake_Brake:
war1974:
as I have said its taken you 2 years from idea to thinking of what trucks you want for your drivers. whilst proper planning is good 2 years isn’t ideal in a fast paced environment.it also depends on what ‘type’ of driver you want? the ones who will be happy on minimum wage but in a v8 supermegahighline 700+ bhp truck or on a decent wage and driving a Renault?
add on some lights and frilly curtains pay minimum wage and get a load of cab happy drivers = in more profit for you.
Cant be helped unfortunately due to the constraints of my Current forces engaement which is finally coming to an end. No regrets, just time to do something Different. Wages will be a touch above the National average. I am not one to get excited about bling on trucks. Personally ithink it looks silly and reminds me of the dolled up trucks they have in India. And as for it being a V8 700+ BHP that is just overkill. For the average work you dont need anymore than 450. If you did heavy haulage then an STGO 6x4 will easily match the task. Thats my Opinion.
again it would depend on the work and where you were running to. for me bigger bhp = less stress on the motor and better mpg as at a constant speed, less wear and tear.
will the drivers be away all week? odd nights? again this would affect the choice of unit I would want.
will the work be paid per tonne? per mile? per trip?
You need to relax before you give yourself a stroke bud. Trucks will all have sleepers and drivers will be briefed to always take an overnight bag incase. In terms of remuneration i will discuss with the contractor and come to an agreement.If its distance we will charge per mile. Some contracts have tonnage targets annually so for those we will charge per tonne. Flexibility is key obviously. That will be part of our Strategy.
nothing is getting to me I have run a small firm before - all I am doing I pointing out why you seem like a kid in a sweet shop - if a driver is going to be out all week you would ideally pick truck type 1 if its paid per mile uk or euro work then a bigger engine will return better fuel etc. if its per tonne then a lighter gross unit and trailer increases profitability on every run (hence alloy tanks / wheels etc.) if your running locally and day and night with 2 drivers per unit then that makes a different choice again.
its your venture and totally up to you but you really do sound like a school kid on holiday going I want that one! until you know the type of work you will be mainly doing then a choice of unit will be easier. have a look at whitewhitewhite on here it will help.
like I say its not an issue to me, pick which one you think best but I would be considering all plus possibly a lot more before deciding on units.
All sound advice apart from the school kid in a sweet shop. I asked to get advice an you seem to know your stuff. Having done trucking in Southern Africa before, it is a steep learning curve for me doing it here. I am starting with general Haulage to get the wheels turning and then looking for contract work. Already have contacts looking to take me on once I am established. I am only on here to fact find.
no problem jake - like I say trying to give you some food for thought before you go and spend x/y/z on units.
I take it you have your o licence and things like that sorted (also the financial backing/means for each vehicle).
depending on what type of work your looking at do any of your potentials have any vehicles you could buy off them (similar to maritime) as at least this way your more likely to keep them earning until they are paid for?
I would also if you can find any get a couple of old boys who are after a bit of as and when work to cover any sickness or holidays (these guys will be like gold dust from my own experiences)
chances are on general your looking at a few nights out a week so I would be looking at a above fleet spec motor and high cabbed (nothing worse than laying on a bed trying to get trousers on).
A fair bit of concurrent activity going on. Currently studying for My TM exam which is in June. Was meant to have done it in Jan but had to deploy so couldn’t. Finances are in place for the trucks. looking to buy outright for the first lot then look into other options as we grow. That is the plan anyway. Looking for a yard with office space as well.
its possibly changed since my time but you used to have to have x amount of free capital per vehicle not just finance for them? I think it was about 4k per truck iirc.
as I have said its a tough game to get into lots have tried and failed those who succeed tend to go for more niche work so maybe a thought for you?
best of luck with it all, also the owner operators forum may be able to provide more up to date facts and figures etc. regarding set up costs.
war1974:
its possibly changed since my time but you used to have to have x amount of free capital per vehicle not just finance for them? I think it was about 4k per truck iirc.as I have said its a tough game to get into lots have tried and failed those who succeed tend to go for more niche work so maybe a thought for you?
best of luck with it all, also the owner operators forum may be able to provide more up to date facts and figures etc. regarding set up costs.
Yeah its working out to be about 20K in addition to the initial outlay to but the unit. In hand so all good. Yeah i here you about saying its tough. I have noticed people keep their cards close to their chest. Especially if they are onto a good number. Fortunately i am one half of the set u team for this venture and my business partner is well versed on neotiating good contracts so should give us a fighting chance. Thanks for the top tips though fella.
do what i do, i will not buy something i wouldnt be happy driving myself 