Discussion
Anyone do this as a transport provider?
We are coming into our quiet time here and thought I would create an account to see whats out there.
As of September I will have a driver pretty much stood around doing nothing a few days a week and we have a van and a pickup so I thought perhaps it might be a nice side line as we are fully insured and also have a fleet of larger vehicles and can pretty much move anything except STGO..
But after 20 seconds browsing my local area....there are people doing stuff at a loss big time.
Moving small items 20 miles people are quoting £20.
Larger items maybe £30 for a similar distance.
I can only assume there are people out there who don't have commercial road transport insurance / couriers insurance? And I can only assume they are getting their fuel for next to nothing some how?
Take the 20 mile small item. Might be 5 mile drive to pick up. Then 10 minutes on site, collect item. Then 20 mile drive call that half an hour. Then 10 minutes to unload. Fuel £6. Driver. £12. Base cost £18. That's before insurance, road tax, depreciation, tyres, etc. This discounts the 25 mile drive back the depot!
I guess I could look at it that the driver would be doing nothing anyway.?!?
We are coming into our quiet time here and thought I would create an account to see whats out there.
As of September I will have a driver pretty much stood around doing nothing a few days a week and we have a van and a pickup so I thought perhaps it might be a nice side line as we are fully insured and also have a fleet of larger vehicles and can pretty much move anything except STGO..
But after 20 seconds browsing my local area....there are people doing stuff at a loss big time.
Moving small items 20 miles people are quoting £20.
Larger items maybe £30 for a similar distance.
I can only assume there are people out there who don't have commercial road transport insurance / couriers insurance? And I can only assume they are getting their fuel for next to nothing some how?
Take the 20 mile small item. Might be 5 mile drive to pick up. Then 10 minutes on site, collect item. Then 20 mile drive call that half an hour. Then 10 minutes to unload. Fuel £6. Driver. £12. Base cost £18. That's before insurance, road tax, depreciation, tyres, etc. This discounts the 25 mile drive back the depot!
I guess I could look at it that the driver would be doing nothing anyway.?!?
The way they work with Shipley is they pick stuff up ‘on the way’ per say, and it’s part of a bigger route, had a few cars moved with a transporter and they picked one up for me dropped it off, picked another up about 10miles down the road and beaded back the way they came.
Repeat a few times and they get paid, but it’s cut throat from what I can see
Repeat a few times and they get paid, but it’s cut throat from what I can see
I don't get the bigger route thing. Sure its A to B to C but its still set miles per drop - between IYSWIM.
In my example it would only really pay if you had sudden requirement for a second delivery in the specific area. I cant see that happening that often? I would not want to cover more than 1-2 hour radius so I guess that might be limiting.
Or is there enough work for these guys to run set daily route i.e every day they plan to do the London to Birmingham run and just try and pick stuff up as they go?
I think what some transporters are doing is taking the goods back to the depot and then waiting for a couple more drops in that area over the course of a few days.
Its something to look at but I cant see it being that profitable as a "proper" business we have a lot of costs perhaps its more suited to owner driver.
In my example it would only really pay if you had sudden requirement for a second delivery in the specific area. I cant see that happening that often? I would not want to cover more than 1-2 hour radius so I guess that might be limiting.
Or is there enough work for these guys to run set daily route i.e every day they plan to do the London to Birmingham run and just try and pick stuff up as they go?
I think what some transporters are doing is taking the goods back to the depot and then waiting for a couple more drops in that area over the course of a few days.
Its something to look at but I cant see it being that profitable as a "proper" business we have a lot of costs perhaps its more suited to owner driver.
It’s a case of driving back with an empty trailer on a return leg from a profitable drop off or driving back with something that’ll make you a few quid. If you don’t have the profitable drop it’s probably not worthwhile.
I’ve used it as a customer and prices are incredibly low. I’ve had a couple of cars moved from Bristol - Glastonbury for £50 a pop, a round trip wouldn’t be far off that in fuel.
I’ve used it as a customer and prices are incredibly low. I’ve had a couple of cars moved from Bristol - Glastonbury for £50 a pop, a round trip wouldn’t be far off that in fuel.
AdeTuono said:
Just took delivery of a 5 tonne ambulance today. Manchester to Beccles, £700. Only one quote on Shipley, so I was pretty much given no choice. Have used them in the past several times though, and have had the pick of several providers, but they were for more 'normal' loads.
That's reasonable to me. That's the type of load we can do (we have a low loader). Out of interest what were the collection / delivery arrangements - did you provide a time and date or did they? How long were you willing to wait etc. Thanks!red_slr said:
AdeTuono said:
Just took delivery of a 5 tonne ambulance today. Manchester to Beccles, £700. Only one quote on Shipley, so I was pretty much given no choice. Have used them in the past several times though, and have had the pick of several providers, but they were for more 'normal' loads.
That's reasonable to me. That's the type of load we can do (we have a low loader). Out of interest what were the collection / delivery arrangements - did you provide a time and date or did they? How long were you willing to wait etc. Thanks!It wasn't as smooth as it could have been (a couple of issues loading at the other end) but overall I was just happy not to have to drive across country to collect on a trailer.
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