I’m new-ish to the forum. Used it generally to get advice.
I’m a military driver, been in for nearly 8 years. Obviously got all my licenses, full ADR etc, got a digi tacho but no CPC (despite what people may know about military drivers and tachos, I mostly drive class 1 and have to use a tacho) I’ve got a fair amount of experience driving throughout Europe and I’m now looking to leave.
The dream is I’d like to become self employed and set up my own covered car transporting business and work for myself. I’m passionate about cars and Motorsport so seems like a good route to go down. I’d probably start with a pick up and trailer or even a covered transporter van. Then I’d like to work my way up to getting an artic covered transporter.
Now I’ve read numerous amounts of threads and keenly followed the posts on the various Facebook groups about guys who are self employed/ltd and a lot say it’s not worth the hassle but I’m looking at starting my own business and not necessarily going self employed and working through agencies.
I’m really keen to hear anyone’s experience or advice if they’ve ever done something similar. Ways to get started, getting business etc. Any particular forums or places that give a step by step guide on going self employed. I’ve never been self employed before so I’ve got a lot to learn on that side of stuff. I’m trying to book a self employment workshop through the Career Transition Partnership to start getting my head into it.
Sorry for the long winded first post and if this kind of thing has been covered hundreds of times.
whatever you get make sure its very low , for ease of loading. i saw a great rig a year ago it was a renault or iveco flatbed it was front wheel drive meant the bed was extra low only about 18 inches bed height from the ground likely was a real joy to load - dont get rear wheel drivenearly always the beds are overly high to clear the diff , just my opinion
Go and get yourself booked onto a transport managers course, it will teach you a lot of what your asking, and youll need it for your o license. The o/o forum has a lot to offer, but what your asking gets asked every week, so spent a hour scrolling through that and reading the threads which look useful. Starting is pretty much the same for all small operators, its just the goods which you want to transport are different.
Dont forget that o-license, the amount of people i see and know that tow without it is rediculous.
Concretejim:
Go and get yourself booked onto a transport managers course, it will teach you a lot of what your asking, and youll need it for your o license. The o/o forum has a lot to offer, but what your asking gets asked every week, so spent a hour scrolling through that and reading the threads which look useful. Starting is pretty much the same for all small operators, its just the goods which you want to transport are different.
Dont forget that o-license, the amount of people i see and know that tow without it is rediculous.
All true.
How many reliable contacts for work do you have? MotorSport transport probably won’t be just advertising a cheap service. Owners will surely want their kit taken care of by someone they know, or who has a good reputation.
Getting some driving experience in the business will be a good start.
So you get a car to go to Nardo for 10 days testing and it has to be back in Millbrook on Monday, have you got enough money to sit around waiting and flying a spare driver around? Some of these automotive companies have been going for years and have contacts and contracts!
Is my field, like much in transport its a very crowded & over subscribed area, are a plethora of folks doing just the same as its easy to start up, to still be in the game & profitable after a few yrs is the tricky bit.
Are many ways to skin a cat as they say so are tons of ways to equip yourself with gear, I personally can’t justify to go shiny new stuff, well I could, but then would earn naff all, others do & seem to make it pay, but it’s a juggle between big initial outlay & big depreciation & usually big loans or older & cheaper & stuff breaking all the time thus letting you down and/or looking tatty & for most a backup vehicle is essential.
The self employed bit is easy, well I think it is, but all depends on your ability to sort out the finances, are many weird & wonderful ideas folks have regarding it so end up working for nothing or in trouble with hmrc.
Going to a big set up is not always the route to more profit, more headaches certainly! But big rigs are usually away a lot more wk ends & longer runs, for events & shows if that’s OK with you fine, but it doesn’t suit all. Sometimes you can park by event and fly back, rather than bring sat days or wks, but if you don’t have another rig to earn when you are back its a tad of a waste.
One thing that I will say is what you basically selling is you as a person, are tons of competitors that can do the job as well as you, but bring polite to clients, which is usually your customers–customer, their positive feedback is worth its weight in gold, well all feedback is as on my humble opinion of over a decade at this is advertising is almost worthless, but word of mouth & contacts is where the business will come from.
I could earn a mediochre living with a two car open carrier messing about between dealer transfers and auction houses but can’t be harassed, that’s only using family friends and contacts, I love to meet a trier though
Yep, two vehicles minimum to make it worthwhile, preferably 3.
The lads i know, even with all the contacts (ex full size car transporter driver one of them), couldn’t make it pay carrying one car only.
Another ex transporter driver couldn’t make it pay with a full sized covered transporter when he went on his own.
Suggest you get into full size car transporter driving, gain the experience and contacts whilst being well paid for it.
There are single car transporters running for 50p a mile at the bottom of the internet.
Not race cars granted, but that’s who you will be up against when starting out on general work
you only have to look on sites like shiply or uship to see how little people charge to move motors, while these do it for next to nothing you will struggle to make it pay as an employer of people as they are your biggest outlay and the face of the company, no one wants a monkey moving their pride and joy unless its an ebay banger, they will have tried to get the AA or RAC to move it as a recovery breakdown first.
Juddian:
Yep, two vehicles minimum to make it worthwhile, preferably 3.
The lads i know, even with all the contacts (ex full size car transporter driver one of them), couldn’t make it pay carrying one car only.
Another ex transporter driver couldn’t make it pay with a full sized covered transporter when he went on his own.
Suggest you get into full size car transporter driving, gain the experience and contacts whilst being well paid for it.
It’s very quiet at the minute. At times like this it must be much worse for the self employed owner drivers. Plus the thought of keeping an old truck and trailer running (maintenance/repair/down time) would scare me to death. Not worth the stress imo.
There seems to be loads of people setting themselves up with a van or pick up and Brain James trailer, many have been working in motorsport for years, so have the contacts in the industry to get the first few jobs, and then if they’re any good pick up more by word of mouth.
I doubt my boss would get somebody to transport our cars, if we hadn’t used them before or hadn’t been recommended by somebody we knew, everybody uses the same few companies for transport, because they have built a reputation for getting the car to where it has to go, when it has to be there, in one piece and they have enough insurance in place. I’d recommend you go and get employed by a company doing covered car transport first and build up your experience and contacts, before thinking about going it alone.