Advice Needed Please

Have a look at adding some value in via a contract with a soild base.
Aussie Post put tenders out every 2 or 3 years for some remote locations,
Most contractors use these as their base income and add freight on top for extra $$$$$

Good luck

Snaws

Thats the plan mate. Wont be doing anything without a contract. And the contract conditions will be gone over with a fine tooth comb.

Hi,

If you have a plan run with it, but it sounds like your only listining to how many $$$ they have made, you have not mentioned how may $$$$ is is costing to keep running and in reality if they are making $120 K a year, it's money in the bank to use for running cost, rego, living, repairs and maintenance, having someone do their book work and everything that goes with trying to earn a living owning a truck. You will note that the guys making millions are not driving trusks, they are driving a business. You mentioned that some work Mon to Fri for good $$, ask them how many hours are they attached to the truck, how many hours attached to running aroung chasing payments, doing book work. You need to get a job driving for someone and use that as an exercise to work out real cost and time, time is money.
I know guys on both sides owner driver, and driver on wages, running the two trucks, the driver on wages works just as many hours as the owner and goes home to his famaily with a less amount of $$$$. The owner driver goes home, services the trucks, sits up late doing his book work, fueling up and organising work, he employs a person to take phone calls and make necessary bookings for loads, chasing payments, paying for consumables, paying truck instalments, etc.
Need to compare the incoming with the out going and see what is left to enjoy life.

You should have a go while your young at least a year and if it works out that would be good, but watch out for others already in the game cause you may be taking their cream and could get pushed out.

cheers

Ive spoken to all the others in town and with there head offices. They are all very helpful and said to give them a call when up and running for extra freight if they have it.

Im purposely not trying to step on anyones toes, rather cover a few bases so the cream is taken off anyone.

According to my figures, alot of the money is in costs. Actually 95% probably. I understand all that, and ive done the maths, added all the costs with at least a 15% margin over maximum costs. Plus added any increases in fuel, insurance, rego, loans etc .

Like i have said, im only planning all this on 2 trips per month. In between i am teeing up local work, within 1000kms. Remote stuff, mining , pastoral etc.

If i can get 3 trips a month, then that would be insane. All costs can be covered in 2 trips, plus enough profit to cover my wages, missus wage and for a offsider. Thats if one is even needed. And these costs are with a brand new truck. Costs can be reduced in many places.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism.

I wont be diving in unless i have guaranteed work. I've worked as a Stevedore for 7 years.

All the truckies i know over here, are on well over $120k a year for long hauls, $110k local Mon-Fri, or $80k town based.

And i only need to do 2 trips per month to make the money i plan to.

And for what i can charge , i will still make decent money.

I have had some interest from a couple of big companies, minor interest from mining companies, and huge interest from a freight broker and car carrier.

more support in regards to the feasability of it all.

potential clients.

I dont want to make millions, or even hundreds of thousands. Just enough for the missus to quit her job and work from home.


We dont want to be rich
or famous. Just make an honest living, off our own backs.

I understand fully though abouts whats been said. Its good because its all been covered in my business plan.



They service were i wont be going.


But like i said, if i cant get a good amount of interest then i wont try pulling it off. But i do believe that once i get some advice and a few things sorted, it should attract some more interest.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism

Mate, unfortunately there are many bits in your advice seeking mission that don't add up.

What is this all about?
Who are you trying to convince, Yourself or others around you?

I am assuming as a Stevedore, you would be making a reasonable living? Your wife is working..
If you don't want to be rich why the need to chase the big dollars?
Are you just sick of your current job and feel the need for more stress and financial hardship?
Do you want to spend more time away from home?
Or spend the time you have at home, maintaining gear in a presentable condition?
Along with co ordinating freight, chasing income and whatever else.

In your opening post your claimed you were half way through setting up a business...
I would have thought all the advice and homework should have been gathered long before the initial start?

There are a lot of people here that have offered some really sound business advice...
Some have suggested a driving position before you make a big leap..
If you cannot convince someone to give you a start, i would be very surprised!
By your own homework, these blokes are making good money with no outlay....
How much do you expect to end up with per annum after running your own show?

Get a job in a transport yard, washing trucks, driving a forklift, loading trucks, getting yelled at by irate operators in a hurry for freight trying to meet deadlines.
Get into a truck for 6 months, do a few miles..
Get on the phone and tee up some freight.
Work as a loading agent until you get serious enough to warrant your own gear..

If after all that, you still have the passion to be 'truckie' and be your own boss...
Continue on with some serious homework..

In the long run, it wont matter what anyone on an Historic Truck forum says....
It will be your decision and your decision only.

I wish you well in anything you do, nobody got hung for trying..
Rememeber though if you are willing to gain it all, you must be prepared to lose it all!


chocs

Hi mate, precisely. Part of a business plan is to work out all the pros and cons, positives and negatives. Everything thats been said on here, i have planned for in business plan. Thats what makes all this so good, and i might sound a little nieve, smart assed or plain ignorant but its just because i have covered it or partly covered it.

Thats why i like all your advice, as negative as it may seem it puts me in my place and makes me think harder. It just amazes me that ive thought about most of it already.

The thing i dont get is, whats so hard about booking freight, picking it up and dropping it off?

Don't forget to factor in Murphy's Law ... at some stage your truck will be down at the time you are contracted to do a trip. You will need to have a pre-arranged fall-back position to keep the freight moving and the contract fulfilled.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism.

I wont be diving in unless i have guaranteed work. I've worked as a Stevedore for 7 years.

All the truckies i know over here, are on well over $120k a year for long hauls, $110k local Mon-Fri, or $80k town based.

And i only need to do 2 trips per month to make the money i plan to.

And for what i can charge , i will still make decent money.

I have had some interest from a couple of big companies, minor interest from mining companies, and huge interest from a freight broker and car carrier.

more support in regards to the feasability of it all.

potential clients.

I dont want to make millions, or even hundreds of thousands. Just enough for the missus to quit her job and work from home.


We dont want to be rich
or famous. Just make an honest living, off our own backs.

I understand fully though abouts whats been said. Its good because its all been covered in my business plan.



They service were i wont be going.


But like i said, if i cant get a good amount of interest then i wont try pulling it off. But i do believe that once i get some advice and a few things sorted, it should attract some more interest.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism

Mate, unfortunately there are many bits in your advice seeking mission that don't add up.

What is this all about?
Who are you trying to convince, Yourself or others around you?

I am assuming as a Stevedore, you would be making a reasonable living? Your wife is working..
If you don't want to be rich why the need to chase the big dollars?
Are you just sick of your current job and feel the need for more stress and financial hardship?
Do you want to spend more time away from home?
Or spend the time you have at home, maintaining gear in a presentable condition?
Along with co ordinating freight, chasing income and whatever else.

In your opening post your claimed you were half way through setting up a business...
I would have thought all the advice and homework should have been gathered long before the initial start?

There are a lot of people here that have offered some really sound business advice...
Some have suggested a driving position before you make a big leap..
If you cannot convince someone to give you a start, i would be very surprised!
By your own homework, these blokes are making good money with no outlay....
How much do you expect to end up with per annum after running your own show?

Get a job in a transport yard, washing trucks, driving a forklift, loading trucks, getting yelled at by irate operators in a hurry for freight trying to meet deadlines.
Get into a truck for 6 months, do a few miles..
Get on the phone and tee up some freight.
Work as a loading agent until you get serious enough to warrant your own gear..

If after all that, you still have the passion to be 'truckie' and be your own boss...
Continue on with some serious homework..

In the long run, it wont matter what anyone on an Historic Truck forum says....
It will be your decision and your decision only.

I wish you well in anything you do, nobody got hung for trying..
Rememeber though if you are willing to gain it all, you must be prepared to lose it all!


chocs

Hi mate, precisely. Part of a business plan is to work out all the pros and cons, positives and negatives. Everything thats been said on here, i have planned for in business plan. Thats what makes all this so good, and i might sound a little nieve, smart assed or plain ignorant but its just because i have covered it or partly covered it.

Thats why i like all your advice, as negative as it may seem it puts me in my place and makes me think harder. It just amazes me that ive thought about most of it already.

The thing i dont get is, whats so hard about booking freight, picking it up and dropping it off?

I had a long rant typed up then I had a look at the DATE

You're yanking our chain Ezylivin

G'Day,

Wel I have to say you certinaly got some help here, free no BS and from the heart, use it to the best of your ability, because I say your ambition is greater than your ability is you are already a partly set up business, you siould have been already out there.

If you want your wife to stop work and work from home I wouldn'i call that stop working cause it will be more stress on both of you. What has she got to say about this venture?

As others have said, get out there and drive a truck but you will need to forget about the 38 hr week and more like 70 hrs per six days, and no two days will be the same.

let us know what your doing in three months time and how content you are.

We need truckies out there no matter what, you don't have to own the business to enjoy the profits and life style.

Good luck.

Easy tiger, ive said it a few times, i only plan on running 2 trips per month. With some local day trips in between. Maybe 2 or 3.

The two big trips are 2500kms each way.

So 2.5 days there, 2.5 days back. 5 days total.

Few day trips in between of 10hrs.

The rest of the time is maintenace and searching for more freight.

Thats why i dont want to work for someone else. I like the life i live, few days on , few days off. If i need to work more days then for the first year or two, ill be stoked. More money, quicker we can own the house.

I dont make very good money in my business, not in regards to the cost of living anyway. $650/week rent.

So its only the mines that pay enough to live here, but why would i want to do 2/1, 3/1 or 4/1 just to live peacefully. Plus i hate planes so not a great option.

I'll say it again just to get the point across, we wont be a huge business. Managed and run from home for the start, with all the tax benefits that come with that to make things a bit easier. If we get bigger, then awesome. If we dont then thats no problem either.

Its only possible to do something like this because of the rigid setup. The lower costs, and still the potential to cart enough freight. Plus the population, the growth, the mining and resources around and the lack of actual local services. I would say that things are alot different over here compared to over east.

The wages, cost of living, remoteness, and the fact we carry the nation means its a different game over here.

Don't forget to factor in Murphy's Law ... at some stage your truck will be down at the time you are contracted to do a trip. You will need to have a pre-arranged fall-back position to keep the freight moving and the contract fulfilled.

For sure mate, factored that into monthly costs and per km costs too. Will work out an arrangement locally with hire company, and also at various points of route. That was one of my biggest concerns.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism.

I wont be diving in unless i have guaranteed work. I've worked as a Stevedore for 7 years.

All the truckies i know over here, are on well over $120k a year for long hauls, $110k local Mon-Fri, or $80k town based.

And i only need to do 2 trips per month to make the money i plan to.

And for what i can charge , i will still make decent money.

I have had some interest from a couple of big companies, minor interest from mining companies, and huge interest from a freight broker and car carrier.

more support in regards to the feasability of it all.

potential clients.

I dont want to make millions, or even hundreds of thousands. Just enough for the missus to quit her job and work from home.


We dont want to be rich
or famous. Just make an honest living, off our own backs.

I understand fully though abouts whats been said. Its good because its all been covered in my business plan.



They service were i wont be going.


But like i said, if i cant get a good amount of interest then i wont try pulling it off. But i do believe that once i get some advice and a few things sorted, it should attract some more interest.

Good stuff, like i said im open to criticism

Mate, unfortunately there are many bits in your advice seeking mission that don't add up.

What is this all about?
Who are you trying to convince, Yourself or others around you?

I am assuming as a Stevedore, you would be making a reasonable living? Your wife is working..
If you don't want to be rich why the need to chase the big dollars?
Are you just sick of your current job and feel the need for more stress and financial hardship?
Do you want to spend more time away from home?
Or spend the time you have at home, maintaining gear in a presentable condition?
Along with co ordinating freight, chasing income and whatever else.

In your opening post your claimed you were half way through setting up a business...
I would have thought all the advice and homework should have been gathered long before the initial start?

There are a lot of people here that have offered some really sound business advice...
Some have suggested a driving position before you make a big leap..
If you cannot convince someone to give you a start, i would be very surprised!
By your own homework, these blokes are making good money with no outlay....
How much do you expect to end up with per annum after running your own show?

Get a job in a transport yard, washing trucks, driving a forklift, loading trucks, getting yelled at by irate operators in a hurry for freight trying to meet deadlines.
Get into a truck for 6 months, do a few miles..
Get on the phone and tee up some freight.
Work as a loading agent until you get serious enough to warrant your own gear..

If after all that, you still have the passion to be 'truckie' and be your own boss...
Continue on with some serious homework..

In the long run, it wont matter what anyone on an Historic Truck forum says....
It will be your decision and your decision only.

I wish you well in anything you do, nobody got hung for trying..
Rememeber though if you are willing to gain it all, you must be prepared to lose it all!


chocs

Hi mate, precisely. Part of a business plan is to work out all the pros and cons, positives and negatives. Everything thats been said on here, i have planned for in business plan. Thats what makes all this so good, and i might sound a little nieve, smart assed or plain ignorant but its just because i have covered it or partly covered it.

Thats why i like all your advice, as negative as it may seem it puts me in my place and makes me think harder. It just amazes me that ive thought about most of it already.

The thing i dont get is, whats so hard about booking freight, picking it up and dropping it off?

I had a long rant typed up then I had a look at the DATE

You're yanking our chain Ezylivin

Haha, well kind of. Forgot about the date.

Well spotted.

'Fraid I'm confused now, Ezy! Are you fair dinkum or havin' a lend of us?

'Fraid I'm confused now, Ezy! Are you fair dinkum or havin' a lend of us?

Fair Dinkum mate.

Just for the record, why does everyone think this is impossible? All the companies i've spoken to today are keen as mustard.

Its just like taxi service, just larger scale. Pick freight up, drop freight off.

I will also be doing removals, cars, boats, machinery, etc.

So its not just palletised freight that i will cart. I also thought of having a custom made trailer buil to haul 2 cars or a 20' container. But depends on where the dollars are, it may be a 10 pallet tautliner pig.

Just for the record, im deadly serious fellas. I wouldnt be wasting your time, never mind my own.