How much would you expect to earn top line to drive a rigid flat on general haulage ,how much with a trailer on ,and how much tax free night out money per night ,up to 4 nights out ? Not a contest ,just out of interest and for future reference .
With trailer, £30k for 45 genuine hours no POA, plus overtime over 8.25 hours at proper rate time and a half, daily not weekly overtime.
Sat x 1.5 Sun x 2, including if part of normal working week.
Average holiday pay.
£25 N/O and all parking/ex’s paid.
For rigid maybe £2k less.
This is for days obviously, no earlier than 4am start.
what does it matter what t/ net posters think,if this firm pay £7 p.h then I doubt the boss is going too pay £15 p.h if the t/ net massive think that’s what the jobs worth 
,just find out the wages ,can you live on it ,will you be happy and then make your decision ,yes/ no
When i was at my.old job driving a 26t rigid i was on £8.50 for the first 45 hours, time and a half after that £25 night out money. Parking was paid for through snap account or if you paid out your own pocket you got the money back in the week after pay packet. Only reasons i left was lack of hours and nights out. But that was general haulage.
Hope that helps some what 
Cheers
Jonny 
Dan Punchard:
How much would you expect to earn top line to drive a rigid flat on general haulage ,how much with a trailer on ,and how much tax free night out money per night ,up to 4 nights out ? Not a contest ,just out of interest and for future reference .
I’d like to earm £10 PH and £25 per N/O. Trailer or no trailer.
Other owner operator within a mile of you that does flat bed hiab stuff pays £100 per day £20 for night out. Starts you on steady 8-10 hour days which quickly become 15 plus night out… so £600 gross good wage but a lot of work…
Not done it myself but know some one who lasted 4 days once did the maths and got a job on hourly pay…
dozy:
what does it matter what t/ net posters think,if this firm pay £7 p.h then I doubt the boss is going too pay £15 p.h if the t/ net massive think that’s what the jobs worth
spot the guy who earns £7 ph plus meal allowance, shift rate, fuel bonus.
although his point is somewhat valid, you can have a great easy job paying £8 ph get good hours and take a decent wage home or earn £12 for ■■■■ work dodgy hours etc.
Juddian:
With trailer, £30k for 45 genuine hours no POA, plus overtime over 8.25 hours at proper rate time and a half, daily not weekly overtime.Sat x 1.5 Sun x 2, including if part of normal working week.
Average holiday pay.
£25 N/O and all parking/ex’s paid.
For rigid maybe £2k less.
This is for days obviously, no earlier than 4am start.
What he said. I’d probably jack in what I am doing now if something like that came up near me, West Wilts/ East Somerset.
Paid by the hour pay may be ok but if your not guaranteed the hrs like a 0 hrs contract then the fixed weekly pay is best.
£12 per hour for the first 8
£18 per hour thereafter
£18 Saturday
£20 Sunday
£25 Night Out
That’s what SOME agencies are offering, ok, it could be stupid start times or long hours, but it’s money.
I would rather do 2 or 3 days as the above rates than work 48 hours at £7, regardless of “Allowances”.
Flatbed/curtain/fridge/container/tank… who cares, go for where the money is. You will need to do some phoning round and use your head. Self employed is the way to go as you can ask a premium rate and are free to choose your availability.
Just spent a few HOURS! (What a carry on) registering at an agency today and they are pushing for me to take a job that’s about 5min from house, 8am till 6pm Mon to Fri, occasional Sat and paying £11 for first 8 then 1.5 for rest. After 8wks if both happy becomes permanent. Seeing TM Monday if not before to see about nitty gritty.
Now why do I feel cynical about it all?
Cat C work multi drop with drivers mates - max 15 drops per day
trubster:
£12 per hour for the first 8
£18 per hour thereafter
£18 Saturday
£20 Sunday
£25 Night OutThat’s what SOME agencies are offering, ok, it could be stupid start times or long hours, but it’s money.
I would rather do 2 or 3 days as the above rates than work 48 hours at £7, regardless of “Allowances”.
Flatbed/curtain/fridge/container/tank… who cares, go for where the money is. You will need to do some phoning round and use your head. Self employed is the way to go as you can ask a premium rate and are free to choose your availability.
I must be in the wrong area or the wrong agency. Wages like that I can only dream of.
just landed a job after not driving since 2002, they offering £9.50 for 40hrs, and they’re paying for half of my cpc training. looking forward to getting started. 
I was working with a Polish agency driver here in Manchester the other week who was a newb to Class 1 work and he was on £12ph then £16ph after 8 for Mon-Fri day work. He was showing us text messages on his phone from the agency who were offering him similar rates for many other places. He had set himself up as a limited company mind you.
Just goes to show what can be earnt.
trubster:
£12 per hour for the first 8
£18 per hour thereafter
£18 Saturday
£20 Sunday
£25 Night OutFlatbed/curtain/fridge/container/tank… who cares, go for where the money is.
Amen. At those rates I’d drive a milk float or postman pat’s red van.
I heard a guy who owns a transport company recently saying that he has Class 1 drivers who refuse to drive his 18t and 7.5t vehicles because they’re ‘Class 1’ drivers even though they’re salary paid and would get the same money.
I know what I’d be telling those drivers If I were the MD. Get in the truck or get on your bike 
Our rigid flat drivers are on the following.
£9.60 p/h for 1st 10 per day.
£12 thereafter.
£14.40 p/h Saturday’s.
£19.20 Sunday’s.
Extra hour if with hiab each day.
Extra 30 mins If its ADR.
Nights out are £20 + parking.
We don’t get any more if pulling a trailer.
Guaranteed min 50 hours per week.
On another note, I came across one of yours in London last week Dan. 14 plate 18t flat daf. On Burdett Rd holding area for Crossrail 512. Didn’t get chance to speak to the driver as he was in his cab the whole time.
Looked smart on the alloys
P222 that will be our cousins at uttoxeter,my brothers are the pink ones ,it’s our sister who brings the exhaust filters to your place for de coke .
as a new driver with an agency im on £8 ph, time and a half after 8 hrs. driving a 18t fridge. start times are between 21.30 and 01,30 (nights) working on average 12hrs a shift,4 per week . ok its not everyones cup of tea , but its a start , the firm I work for are pretty good ,decent tackle and im left alone to get on with it. they have also offered me permanent after the agency qualifying period all in all im happy with my lot .
syramax:
as a new driver with an agency im on £8 ph, time and a half after 8 hrs. driving a 18t fridge. start times are between 21.30 and 01,30 (nights) working on average 12hrs a shift,4 per week . ok its not everyones cup of tea , but its a start , the firm I work for are pretty good ,decent tackle and im left alone to get on with it. they have also offered me permanent after the agency qualifying period
Your rate for a “dark shift” is a lot more like what I am getting for PAYE and I am no newbi with 35 years in. Class one £9 days £10 nights. Class 2 £7 days £8 nights. Obviously some may get more but equally some get less.
Don’t be dazzled by (IMO) ridulous rates being quoted. The truth is the job is not very well paid anymore and people who think it is, by quoting earnings of £700 per week, are forgetting the number of hours they need to work to get that. My missus works at the council and she gets more than me for about 35 hours.
There will always be some braggers. I hear them in drivers rooms all the time but I do not think they get that kind of money, especially, in the Liverpool area. Maybe some other areas pay better and I cannot speak for them.
Like wise all the drivers that say “I will not work for less than big money and the agency will come after you” are to my mind deluded. Search were paying £12 for a Sunday and I rejected that and I did not work for them again. They would not increase the rate and I did not work. Then they increased the Sunday rate to £14 beginning Nov (maybe Oct) 14 and they would not even pay a week early to fill a position.
Lorry drivers are thier own worst enemy by quoting rates that they will not get and thus giving feelings of envy and lack of parity. If they were honest and admitted the job was poorly paid then newbies would not join and immigrants would not come and a genuine driver shortage could push rates up.
Despite the daft remarks there is no shortage of drivers, the EU has seen to that.
However that may not bother a lot of new drivers as thet get thier wages made up by tax credits. It matters not too much to a family man with a couple of kids whether he earns £300 per week or or £350 as his money is made up by the state to nearly £600 per week. it is the old guys with no access to benefits and the single person who suffer.
In this day and age, and for a few years now, time and a half and double time are few and far between.
One of the best payers around liverpool are P rt em s and the last I knew of them was £9 days, £12 sat, £15 Sun. Add an extra £1 for nights (not sat or Sun) and an extra bit for Ltd.
However there is not much to gain on the Ltd Co route and you would be better off on PAYE and ask again if you need advice on how to maximise that.
shake:
…The truth is the job is not very well paid anymore and people who think it is, by quoting earnings of £700 per week, are forgetting the number of hours they need to work to get that…
You wanna come down to Brum to work mate! 