Thinking of putting my own lorry on the road in the next few years and just wondering if theres any advantage to being your own transport manager. I just had a look through the revision notes for the course and the files is about 3 inches deep. Don’t know how i would ever pass the course so thinking it might be a better option to hire an external transport manager. Would there be more owner drivers out there that would be there own transport manager or would there be more using external ones. In no rush to start up on my own was just going to get a head start on doing the course if i thought it would be the better option. Any feedback appreciated.
The transport manager course is an equivalent of taking an A level and not for the faint hearted with people taking it failing it several times .
Ah… the old “going it alone” topic, shed loads of older threads with broadly similar advice
Tarmaceater is correct, on average more than half the exam candidates fail, it is not uncommon to see a candidate return for resits once, twice or even three times; usually by that point people throw the towel in.
Often, drivers with lots of real-world experience are unable to set aside what they know to be common practice and give the kind of text-book answer that the exams require.
You need to be able to study the material and keep calm in the exam, managing your available time in an objective way, ie if a question is worth 15 marks from a total of 60 marks available, you only give it 25% of the exam time.
I wouldn’t say don’t do it, just go into it in the correct frame of mind.
Alternatively, an external transport manager will take that responsibility off your hands, the going rate is typically around £300-350 per month. The OTC are cracking down on ETMs, they’re sick of situations where people who are just a name on a piece of paper, so you’d need someone reasonably local who can convince the OTC they’ll do a proper job.
A good ETM is worth their weight in gold or tacho sheets and can keep you out of the ■■■ whilst your out driving just as easily as a poor O/D own TM running themselves non-compliant can mean a rapid trip for tea and biccies with the TC.
It’s how the roles are managed. Many make a success of it, but I doubt you’ll find many who’d say it was easy!
Very easy to pass. Basic mathematics and a knowledge of drivers hours are all that is required. People seem to fail through not reading the questions properly.
I came out of the second exam and practically no-one I spoke to realised that the costing question had to be double manned (was some scenario whereby the lorry had to be back at base by a certain time - could only be done double manned)
I did a RHA course and passed first time. Good luck with it
Choose carefully and pay for an ETM. You’ll more than recoup the cost by being able to give your full concentration to what is your core business which is driving a lorry. Anything else is peripheral nonsense. Do you really want to be grafting 80 hours a week (which, as a start up you’ll really want to do) and then spend time ■■■■■■■ about with reams of paperwork on your valuable down time? No, you won’t.
If I wanted a ■■■■■ extension I could conceivably peruse you tube how to videos and take the job on myself, but I’d rather employ a proper plastic surgeon and concentrate on making X hamster videos.
the maoster:
If I wanted a ■■■■■ extension I could conceivably peruse you tube how to videos and take the job on myself, but I’d rather employ a proper plastic surgeon and concentrate on making X hamster videos.
No good if you can only last 3 minutes, and that includes foreplay.
Quality rather than quantity old boy.
Ken.
3 minutes including a cigarette! Thank God I live in a bungalow 
I work as an external TM and don’t need any clients at the moment so it would be a good time to talk to me if you want to. I mean I am not touting for new business 
The TCs (as mentioned by someone earlier) are cracking down on TMs in name only so you need to be certain what you are looking for and how you are going to run. Have a talk to a couple of them (if you can find them) and pick the one you get on with who knows what they are talking about. Ask questions regarding the type of haulage you want to do and make sure it’s their area of expertise. No point in having a ETM who doesn’t understand hours and double manning if that is likely to be your core business. (Yes they do exist!)
Try and avoid the companies that find TMs for you. They are normally rip off merchants who have never met the person they are suggesting you employ. There’s better ways to find someone 
I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour
Do the course yourself it is not that hard just read the test questions properly. Better of with doing an attendance course as the tutor usually will give pointers to what is asked in the around 4 papers used . It’s a bit daft spending money doing something that can be done in house and it won’t take any more time than the paperwork you already deal with.