Hi
After long consideration I am going to venture into setting up a haulage business.
Baby steps to begin with however a vision to expand all being well.
My first issue to get operating is what vehicle class. I wanted to start with 7.5t curtain but thinking maybe safer and less overheads initially with 3.5t, however this would limit capability and I dont want the man and a van tag as it’s a haulage business I want, so advice here would help.
My main concern is picking up sufficient back load work to make the business viable, i have researched several online platforms most notably ’ loadie ’ . The site looks great and makes it sound easy ( I’m sure it’s far from such ) however reviews are poor with driver getting little or no loads ? Any pointers or advice here would be great also
Apologies if this is an exhausted topic but any tips to help me succeed would be more than welcomed
Thanks
First thing to know is: 3.5T, no O licence needed, 7.5T you’re into O licence & TM territory.
Either you need to become your own TM or hire someone in, then apply for an O-licence.
The whole kit and caboodle is not for the faint-hearted.
Plenty of previous posts on here on this topic, but it’s worth reading something like this to let you know what it is you’re planning to get into.
amazon.co.uk/Lowes-Transpor … 189&sr=8-1
Lee07:
After long consideration I am going to venture into setting up a haulage business.
Don’t want to be all doom and gloom but you can’t have given it much consideration if you don’t know the difference between vehicle classes, but you have already decided to venture into it.
If you want to lose the man and van tag, hope you have tens of thousands in cash that you can afford to lose instead.
It sounds like you have little or no experience of the transport industry, and in that situation backloads will be the least of your worries.
Perhaps I’m wrong and you have a golden goose customer waiting, in which case crack on.
Otherwise if you are set on going in to transport, start small with a van.
A 3.5t curtainsider can make money and be in demand as it gives you capacity above the average panel Van, and they are quite rare amongst owner drivers.
Though even with this you will still be undercut at every turn and ■■■■ on from a height when it suits, especially if the pony fantasy types frequent your laybys.
Forget the sales pitch from the backoad apps and the national franchises.
Contact local courier and haulage firms directly. Wait patiently until someone gives you a chance, then do a great job and impress them.
You will still need several thousand pounds to cover costs while waiting for the work to build up and then waiting to get paid.
It has always been a hard market to break into from scratch, but now more than ever it’s a huge race to the bottom without a niche and contacts.
Generally speaking, rates are terrible, competition is huge, loyalty is zero.
That said, Good luck to you!
Thanks for the replys
I’m more than familiar with vehicle classification having spent many years behind the wheel of HGVs
I did open with costings of 7.5t outweighing 3.5t, I get what these costings are , however I think 3.5t is the way to begin as you have reassured my feeling there
The man with a van tag was more I dont want to pick up Mrs Smith’s mother in laws sofa a run it down the road for her etc.
I do have experience in this industry but I far from know it all hence the post !
Back loads are still my main concern but I get you have to build relationships, earn trust and be extremely proactive to stand any chance in this cut throat industry, so I guess these online marketing platforms are as I thought, crap
Thanks again
Lee07:
Thanks for the replys
I’m more than familiar with vehicle classification having spent many years behind the wheel of HGVs
I did open with costings of 7.5t outweighing 3.5t, I get what these costings are , however I think 3.5t is the way to begin as you have reassured my feeling there
The man with a van tag was more I dont want to pick up Mrs Smith’s mother in laws sofa a run it down the road for her etc.I do have experience in this industry but I far from know it all hence the post !
Back loads are still my main concern but I get you have to build relationships, earn trust and be extremely proactive to stand any chance in this cut throat industry, so I guess these online marketing platforms are as I thought, crapThanks again
Fair enough, I may have taken your post wrongly.
If you have outward bound work for a wagon at decent rates and you know the business then go for it.
I’m setting up an operation right now, just a unit and two trailers, and it’s costing a fortune and is a lot of hassle.
But someone else is paying the bills, and it’s a bulletproof opportunity in a very safe niche.
I’ve never understood running a 7.5 as an owner driver unless there’s a specific reason.
The costs and restrictions are huge compared to a van, but not much less than running an 18 tonner etc
Whatever you go for, just don’t include backloads in your costings as it’s rare that they work out and normally pay peanuts. You will build up contacts for better quality return loads in time, but make sure your outward journey is paying the costs and your wages, anything else is a bonus
as you have an HGV licence a 7.5 is a definite dead duck , if i wanted a small limited access for deliveries motor , i’d go for a 10 to 12 tonner , same size but gets more weight on and less risk of overloading. after that as a rigid i’d go straight to a 26tonner, i used to run a mixed fleet from 7.5’s up to 44t on mostly pallet work , plus full loads , and i came to the conclusion that the only motors worth having were 10 to 12 tonne 4 wheel rigids ( a 10 tonne rigid looks very much like a 7.5 so no hassle in 7.5 tonne access only roads) 26 tonne rigids (no axle overloads and you get more weight on than an 18tonner) and 44 tonne artics , i was always being pestered to take urban trailers but i had so many rigids i preferred to send out full size trailers with a tail lifts , urbans have their place in a mostly artic fleet , but in a 50/50 fleet as i had i could plan the artics on 4 or 5 big drops plus collections and the rigids could do about 14 drops on the smaller one’s . starting out with a 3.5 is the classic way of starting out and there’s no shame in that , good luck, you’ll need it. find a niche market , if you can .
tony
Broadly what idrive said.
History of albion trucking Co. Left working in a freightforwarding office (had been a van and an flt driver before), meant I had contacts there. Shortly after got in with a new start plastic trunking company. That was great because I had OK paying load going out and loads coming back for freight forwarders. Got in with a very niche blue chip, just did an ad hoc load one day, they came back, did more. Moved into 7.5s as well. Couple years later contract for all their work from the Northern office. Acquired more customers in the same niche, then got contract for the whole of the UK, moved into 44 ton as well. Retired after 28 years
My advice is do what you feel will work for you. If you can get work to start with, doesn’t have to be amazing needs to pay enough and get your foot in other doors. Vans are cheaper as a way to start, but as idrive said, the competition is brutal.