Hi all. I have recently had a chat with an owner driver who had a newish unit and trailer with a hiab on it, contracted to Tarmac. I didn’t have long to talk to him as we were both tipping at a builders merchant. Basically he was saying they are great to work for and blah blah blah. So it got an old desire to be an owner driver fired up in me again so I rang their HQ. They sent me an info pack which seems to concentrate totally on tippers and mixers but I’m assuming the lady I spoke to sent me the wrong pack. Anyway, I have been doing some research on this very forum about other places such as maritime who I was going to ring but after all the negative comments don’t think I’ll bother.
I have been a class one driver for 18 years, the last 10 being where I am currently employed. I enjoy my job most of the time because of the variety each day brings but am getting a bit wound up with how they are running the job into the ground since a merger 5 years ago. Not to mention being forced to use cr@ppy auto MAN’s because they don’t trust me with a shifter and clutch anymore [POUTING FACE]
Over my career I have done mostly tautliner and flat work but have done some fridges which I don’t like.
One thing I have never done and would absolutely love to do is heavy haulage but I don’t think there is anybody round my area, south yorks., that does it.
My question is am I totally insane even consider leaving a secure and half decent paid job albeit run by idiots and look at running my own truck through say Tarmac? I really am a total novice so if I pursue this dream I will be using you all for lots of advice.
Stay where you are, and if you want to do something new look for another good job, get an ADR licence and or FLT or something that makes you worth more to a good employer.
The days of O/D ’ s making good wonga and having a holiday home in the sun are well and truly over I promise. Look at the rates that are on offer, absolute [ zb] .
And it wont get better in a recession.
Oh ok 
I do have my truck mounted flt licence. Maybe ADR is my next step.
When I started where I am Rygors transport had the contract and the first 5 years were great as I was a valued member of the team and was left alone to practically run myself. Then Wincanton took over just as the company I delivered for bought out a competitor. It’s not really wincantons fault but the merged company seem intent on driving away their customers and ruining what was a great company and its very frustrating. I know I would never make a fortune being an o/d but I would be in more control of my destiny and maybe some of the job satisfaction would come back as well as the pride in a job well done. If I could clear £6-700 a week take home I’d be happy. Is this not realistic?
Depends on what you pull , for who, payment terms, can you afford the truck outright ? , and lots of Luck…Pulling boxes for someone like Maritime will just not work , and pulling boxes also may incur tyre and trailer costs too.
Without lots of knowledge and customers that pay on time I canot see it happening.
And as a new boy the only way you can get in with new customers is by undercutting the present hauliers…forget the idea and keep drawing a wage.
Shame I always thought I had been born 30 years too late.
nomiS36:
Shame I always thought I had been born 30 years too late.
Yep, sadly I reckon thats true…when the like of Nobby D pays just over minimum wage for ADR drivers in Essex , buys new trucks cheaper than you and fuel too, and can finance his work how the hell can you compete. There are eastern europeans working here and earning 1400 euros a month living in the truck.
Until govt. changes laws its a no brainer.
There’s nothing wrong with chasing your dream but earning £6-£700 take home is a dream. Won’t happen. I owned and run my haulage company for six years and about 3 months ago it went bang. For no fought of my own. 3wheeler has it spot on fella.
I’ve just come back from spain with my girlfriend and it was the first hoilday I enjoyed and relaxed through and why?, because I didn’t have to chase work,payments, drivers not turning up etc etc. There is no such thing as easy money in haulage. The big boys control the prices and the govement has sat idely-by and let it happen. They wanted a “even playing field” which it is if your at the top looking down…
Keep where you are mate.
Nomi,
Regret what you have done and not what you wished you had done. If you have a few quid and you don’t go silly on the borrowing, what’s the worse that can happen ? There are plenty who will tell not you to bother, but if no-one bothered, then where would we be ?
I bet plenty of people told Eddie Stobart he was mad and should stick to driving for someone else !
Remember, Great journeys of ten thousand of miles begin with one step !
the kaiser:
Nomi,
Regret what you have done and not what you wished you had done. If you have a few quid and you don’t go silly on the borrowing, what’s the worse that can happen ? There are plenty who will tell not you to bother, but if no-one bothered, then where would we be ?
I bet plenty of people told Eddie Stobart he was mad and should stick to driving for someone else !
Remember, Great journeys of ten thousand of miles begin with one step !
Quite probably better off rates wise as there wouldn’t be such a glut of people running their own wagon about for buttons.
the kaiser:
I bet plenty of people told Eddie Stobart he was mad and should stick to driving for someone else !
Remember, Great journeys of ten thousand of miles begin with one step !
those are the words that have made thousands of banktrupcies, divorces and even suicides possible 
milodon:
the kaiser:
I bet plenty of people told Eddie Stobart he was mad and should stick to driving for someone else !
Remember, Great journeys of ten thousand of miles begin with one step !
those are the words that have made thousands of banktrupcies, divorces and even suicides possible
and the award for most melodramatic post of the year goes to…
He ain’t far wrong happy sack. A small minority do alright at it. The rest are just deluding themselves. I’ve had great times and poor times but I’m lucky enough that I’ve been doing it long enough that I have a reasonable idea of what to do & what not to do.
I’ve heard of guys topping themselves when the business goes bankrupt, I’ve heard of guys losing the house as well. If this even happens to only a few blokes, you have to ask yourself is it worth that risk?
If the answer is yes then crack on.
Silver_Surfer:
He ain’t far wrong happy sack. A small minority do alright at it. The rest are just deluding themselves. I’ve had great times and poor times but I’m lucky enough that I’ve been doing it long enough that I have a reasonable idea of what to do & what not to do.
I’ve heard of guys topping themselves when the business goes bankrupt, I’ve heard of guys losing the house as well. If this even happens to only a few blokes, you have to ask yourself is it worth that risk?
If the answer is yes then crack on.
Silver surfer,
You have written one line that sums it up " i’ ve been doing it long enough that I have a reasonable idea etc etc"
You have EXISTING work and knowledge …he has to start from scratch in a recession.
If you asked a bank manager is it sensible to start in this industry now he would tell you to invest in something more stable, when I stopped due to ill health not even the lad who was driving for me wanted the company and work, the heartache and worry and stress to earn not enough to replace the tractor units every four years as we used to do.
How many hrs a week do you work ? How many evening are you on the phone or doing something related to the job, how many weekends are you sat thinking about it, and how is your profit to turnover percentage, and i mean real profit after truck depreciation and all others included. I bet its less than you would get in interest on a safe investment.
If its not please tell me are you a subbie firm to someone bigger or do you haul for end users? I along with lots of others would love to know the answers.
Its not a dig at you , i would just love to know the answers . If you look at the bankruptcy figures on haulage companies its not a pretty picture.
Things are getting worse in this industry and I don’t hold out that it will get better in the near future but that doesn’t go to say you can’t make a living at being an od
The Tarmac jobs ( bricks n blocks ) is certainly better than the container work and pays better but the Initial outlay and overheads are a lot more a new trailer and hiab will set u back around 40 k then you’ve still got the unit to purchase and they won’t want you running round in some old 15 k hack
Some will say don’t do it others will say go for it but its your decision at the end of the day no one else’s good posotive advice is free but so is negativity
Thanks for all the responses folks. It does seem container work for an O/D is tough because I suppose its a relatively inexpensive way into the business therefore lots of people including the big firms are fighting over the work and driving the rates down.
I like the Tarmac idea but it means starting off with a huge 100k + debt which is obviously a worry. Also I have never operated a hiab so would have to sort that out.
The bottom line is my head is saying be sensible and stay as you are which is fairly secure and I am on a decent contract which is better than the others that started after wincanton took over but my heart is saying you have always wanted to be self employed and own your own truck so why not arrange the meeting with a manager and see what he says.
I’ll sleep on it for a few more nights…
Another lamb heading to the slaughterhouse.
Rob K:
Another lamb heading to the slaughterhouse.
Agreed, but his bankmanager will hopefully have some sense !
Tomorrow i will write up a few thoughts on costs etc etc , and then we can all add bits to it until we can prove its not viable or sensible in these recession times and with all the foreign companies running here.
Your not listening NomiS36. I lost my wife (I spent more time in the truck or something to do with the truck then with her. The hours, effort and time you put in does not justify the insanely low reward you get out of it). I lost my house. I even sold my car and even put on ebay all my boxing gear, punch bags, weight machine. I did everything and sold everything to keep my business heading sky wards. It didn’t happen.
You say you want to get into the tarmac game but whose to say you get this HUGE loan out and the work your promised disappears or worse still, you get under cut. I know of a company that lost a contract to another over a dispute over a £2 pallet charge increase. And I bet there is guys on here that can tell you the same. Plus, I don’t know any bank manager who would loan you the kind of many your quoting to go into a industry dominated by multi-million powerhouse companies like Dhl, Wincanton, nobby D, Eddie stobart etc. They and do work for cost or even at a loss to poach contracts of small haulage companies. And yes, I speak from experince.
One final point, something worth keeping in mind. If you are married or have a girlfriend and have kids or you like time off to watch the footie etc how are they and your free time work into your plans?. Your day won’t stop when you turn off the truck. Spare time for you?, forget it. Please, really consider these factors. This side of the business I over looked and it cost me dearly.
If you want any info as a tarmac contract haulier pm me as I may be able to help
I was a contract haulier with a brick and block drop and go crane trailer