Ive parked my truck up just not worth doing the work on offer. I’m covering my costs but what’s left is not in my opinion acceptable reward for running a truck.
I know how you feel, I’ve done alright the last few weeks but before that it was terrible. People said it was bad when I started up just under 2 years ago but in that time fuel has gone up 20% and tyres up 40%, yet some of the rates haven’t changed and even the ones that have are mostly not even up by enough to cover the increased diesel costs.
Paul
As stated elsewhere on here, I got rid of the Daf last week and i’m back in the Volvo. It’s been ■■■■■■■ awful for the last couple of months. Didn’t do too bad this week, still only 4 days though and next week is nearly full. Fingers crossed. Been trading with this company for 3 years next month. Difficult times imo. 
not that difficult if you diversify.
subcontracting in haulage has never been a business, it’s a cheap way for the big boys to expand.
the work is out there.
Chin up lads, this is the final quarter of the financial year and the first quarter of the calendar year - and it’s always been a ■■■■■■ 3 months since the days of horse and cart haulage!
If it makes you feel any better, we’re on course to make a loss of £27k across the board in the 3 months to 31st march, and that’s before exceptional items and depreciation! 
But that’s still better than either of last three years, so I consider that a roaring success! 
limeyphil:
not that difficult if you diversify.
subcontracting in haulage has never been a business, it’s a cheap way for the big boys to expand.
the work is out there.
I’m sure you’re right Phil, just not much of it at present.
As for subbing, you’re bang on. That’s why i’d rather stand it. Don’t get me wrong you’ll get the occassional spot hire job from another haulier/clearing house when they’re in the ■■■■, that pays ok but in the main it’s a waste of time, imho.
Kr79
What sort of work are you doing mate if you don’t mind me asking ?
Thanks Paul
Roller265:
Kr79
What sort of work are you doing mate if you don’t mind me asking ?
Thanks Paul
He was doing traction work for coblefret (i think) i could been wrong though
I’ve been pulled off coblefret
Was on cobelfret mate. Work was ok and planners were good just rates not enough to cover fuel etc.
Thing is, all that traction work on ferry trailers is all the same, i.e. a waste of time, unless you’re running 5 or more on it direct and can get a higher rate. Shame, I couldn’t tell you that before you started.
Why don’t you try ringing other local companies, see if they use subbies.
Tried lots of different people and not a lot of good work there. My dad has jumped in it and is paying the finance and insurance as he has some good work but not regular and picked up a last minute panic night trunk for someone last night. But just not enough stuff like this all the time.
limeyphil:
not that difficult if you diversify.
subcontracting in haulage has never been a business, it’s a cheap way for the big boys to expand.
the work is out there.
What work do you do then?
I assume you must be an owner driver / small haulage business owner? Because if you aren’t, people would think you’re somebody who is quite happy to pick fault yet haven’t got the gumption to do the job yourself with statements like this ^. 
Yep, i got three parked up at the minute, total waste of time at the moment, having to bite my tongue a lot to keep the last three running.not my strongest point normally
hammer:
limeyphil:
not that difficult if you diversify.
subcontracting in haulage has never been a business, it’s a cheap way for the big boys to expand.
the work is out there.What work do you do then?
I assume you must be an owner driver / small haulage business owner? Because if you aren’t, people would think you’re somebody who is quite happy to pick fault yet haven’t got the gumption to do the job yourself with statements like this ^.
been there done it years ago. we did spain week in week out, it went quiet, so we got a couple of tippers on local waste work. then moved into timber supplies, and a few other things.
but my partners ex wife. well i won’t go into detail, but it killed a good run.
kr79:
Was on cobelfret mate. Work was ok and planners were good just rates not enough to cover fuel etc.
Can I ask what you PPM or PPKM was ? I have a couple of trucks doing traction for other trailer firms and I am getting between £1.18 and £1.25 having said that I am making money but with traction you need the right set of circumstances.
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Not a new truck and not something which is 12 years old and costs you a couple of days a month in downtime - the trucks I use where brought and the end of lease 3 years old and will be kept for between 2 and 4 years and sold for export. Two things which determine how long I keep a truck for are the export market and when something big is on the way out I had a Daf 85 6x2 with small mid axle not a popular spec second hand that cost me £16k with 300ks on it I sold it 3.5 years later with 780k for £6.8k for export in between in made me £9k per year in profit after all costs!!
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Having all you eggs in one basket in terms of customers - I try to have no more than 15% invoice debt with one customer.
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Fuel price - enough said
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make the ■■■■■■■■ pay you ontime - simples but I work for some one take the ■■■■ with my terms if it says 30 it means 30 not sixty !
Was earning a little more than 1.25 four year old MAN nothing flash.
Respect to you lads who have a go, but I also have to say, you’re barking!
The amount you invest in a truck and all the rest of it for the returns you get are just nowhere near a sound business proposal. I’ve seen far to many really nice folk who have worked their butts off and then lost it all when one co they have got tied into goes pop (yes, they would always be a ltd co that the directors never get done for dodgy trading when they obviously were).
Fair play to you, I had the money, yard I could have got an O licence for at the time and really wanted to do it many years back. Fortunately, I resisted the urge and stick to driving other peoples trucks.
I think we all must be barking…but where do you go do get a decent rate when GB plc can have the stuff move around by Stobarts and Maritime at less than cost price to me and you buying a newish truck, paying a driver a fair wage and paying a thousand quid to fill up…?
There will always be a few operators on a decent crack, but the jobs with good earnings don’t last for ever
So what is the answer…■■
Stobbies probably put more family firms out of business in recent times than anyone in history
Maritime are doing exactly the same to get the biggest customers now
And a driver who is desperate for a few quid to pay the bills is not going to turn down a days work that is a bit less than the usual rate
We are all guilty because we don’t have the attitude the French have
The costs having been going through the roof! Tyres are crazy at the moment, cant get the ones you want and they are so expensive! I dont know who is going to be buying Euro6, as the basic vehicle cost is going to be very high. I would assume truck build slots will be full in 2013 for Euro5. I have noticed a large fall in truck movements out on the roads aswell. Sometimes on the A34 it is dead!