Cost to run a lorry?

[Russell]

I've been working in the building trade for the last 15 years the last 7 or 8 of those have been self employed. Over that time I have worked in most trades although it's all been private work and no site work. The more I go to the tip and gravel yard the more I think how cool it would be to earn my money driving lorry's and diggers and not doing the building work as much. My current set up is a car, trailer and micro digger. The most logical next step up as I see it (if economically viable, may take some years of saving) would be a 8 wheeler grab/tip or a hook loader with hiab for grab. If I got a hook loader then maybe I could have a flat bed to carry a big digger at a later date and a high sided skip to use for grab and tip runs to earn money in the interrim? So after all that drivel what is involved in running lorry's?
lorry £10,000+vat min
driving license £2000
somewhere to park it £?
6 or 8 weekly mot £400?
taco?
operating licence?
anything else?

 

[Mogman]

lorry £10,000+vat min
driving license £2000
somewhere to park it £?
6 or 8 weekly mot £400?
taco?
operating licence?
anything else?

Think your figures are very low
Lorry £15-20k
Driving license probably ok, cost me £500 but that was over 30 years ago
Parking will probably be £50 per week
Lorries that are cheap will cost more to keep your 8 weekly inspections,,,,,,,,£150 plus any parts
MOT will be £400 by the time you have fixed that leaking air valve and a cut tyre
Taco that is the cheap bit
Operating license mine cost £2k, 10 years ago (and was a hard exam for me anyway)
Oh and you will need financial standing £8k for the one truck in the bank all the time minimum
My insurance is just shy of £2k
And this is without tipping fees and setting up accounts with suppliers

 

[V8Druid]

Think your figures are very low
Lorry £15-20k
Driving license probably ok, cost me £500 but that was over 30 years ago
Parking will probably be £50 per week
Lorries that are cheap will cost more to keep your 8 weekly inspections,,,,,,,,£150 plus any parts
MOT will be £400 by the time you have fixed that leaking air valve and a cut tyre
Taco that is the cheap bit
Operating license mine cost £2k, 10 years ago (and was a hard exam for me anyway)
Oh and you will need financial standing £8k for the one truck in the bank all the time minimum
My insurance is just shy of £2k
And this is without tipping fees and setting up accounts with suppliers

you forgot the CPC s**t too Mog

 

[Mogman]

you forgot the CPC s**t too Mog

Oh yes drivers cpc what a load of shite that is 35 hours “training” every 5 years

 

[Russell]

Is that £150 for each inspection plus parts and then yearly mot ?

 

[Jimoz]

God no wonder everything is so expensive all these rules and regulations. Still at least it keeps things safe not like third world. Must be a happy medium

 

[doobin]

I think there is decent profit in a micro digger considering the outlay. I’d stay as you are. No hassle, a fiver of diesel and £250 a day.

 

[V8Druid]

Think your figures are very low

Oh and you will need financial standing £8k for the one truck in the bank all the time minimum
My insurance is just shy of £2k
And this is without tipping fees and setting up accounts with suppliers

does that include goods in transit Mog or basic cover ?

 

[TiltyShaun]

I have gone away from running an 18 ton beaver tail and 6 ton digger to running a 2.8ton digger that I can tow behind car it Iveco tipper. Running costs are a lot less and I can get as much for the 3tonner than I got for the 6 tonner. I do have a basic Tilty on the digger and take on the site management of the groundwork’s rather than just the hired in digger. I keep thinking about getting a hook loader but you really need somewhere to tip! For my work, the client has pay to shift the dirt. Without a tip I am not sure there is any money to be made if I have to find another bum to seat in the seat!

 

[Mintsauce]

If you're buying a grab the crane can also be f***ed as well as the lorry

 

[Mogman]

Is that £150 for each inspection plus parts and then yearly mot ?

Yepfor that they will steam clean it and give a full inspection (same as a MOT) brake test, head light aim
Oh and don’t forget servicing, oil, air and fuel filters and 7 gallons of engine oil probably a couple hundred quid

 

[Mogman]

does that include goods in transit Mog or basic cover ?

No just the lorry and trailer
Separate policy for carriage

 

[craig]

I've been working in the building trade for the last 15 years the last 7 or 8 of those have been self employed. Over that time I have worked in most trades although it's all been private work and no site work. The more I go to the tip and gravel yard the more I think how cool it would be to earn my money driving lorry's and diggers and not doing the building work as much. My current set up is a car, trailer and micro digger. The most logical next step up as I see it (if economically viable, may take some years of saving) would be a 8 wheeler grab/tip or a hook loader with hiab for grab. If I got a hook loader then maybe I could have a flat bed to carry a big digger at a later date and a high sided skip to use for grab and tip runs to earn money in the interrim? So after all that drivel what is involved in running lorry's?
lorry £10,000+vat min
driving license £2000
somewhere to park it £?
6 or 8 weekly mot £400?
taco?
operating licence?
anything else?

Road tax at around £1300 per year.
Depending on your location, or where you want to go, and whether your buying a euro 6, (£10k wont) £200 per day for `low emission zone` charges.

 

[V8Druid]

No just the lorry and trailer
Separate policy for carriage

TPFT or comp?

 

[V8Druid]

Road tax at around £1300 per year.
Depending on your location, or where you want to go, and whether your buying a euro 6, (£10k wont) £200 per day for `low emission zone` charges.

and I hear they're 'expanding' ... as in, lots of places gonna start on that scam

 

[Smiffy]

Hookloaders with hiabs are very heavy
Not much use for building work ok for tree work or De veg work looking at carrying about 10 to 12 tonnes on some of the 8 wheelers by the time you have hook gear bin and hiab on there
Also heavy lift hiab type cranes are rubbish for grab work they are far to slow talking an hour plus with some of them to fill an 8 wheeler from an awkward place Vs 15 min with a proper grab crane and they have the pipes on the outside of the boom so they get battered and broken working near trees
A local company has a pmk grab crane fitted to there 8 wheeler and it can fold in half and sit behind the cab with the grab fitted albeit a smaller grab than usual the a multipurpose tailgate that can open barn door style aswell so machines can be tracked in on a set of ally ramps
This gives you a 15 tonne plus carrying capacity
I think the ultimate setup is like the Europeans run with a proper trailer behind a tipper so can move up to 13 tonners behind them and with a 26 tonne lorry upfront you could then move the same amount of dirt per trip as an 8 wheel grab lorry

 

[hiluxman]

and I hear they're 'expanding' ... as in, lots of places gonna start on that scam

Yep we are getting it in 18mths and its from vans upwards.

 

[Russell]

I would s**t my pants running a digger up ramps in to a lorry , it's bad enough driving off the ifor with my micro.
I had a look at cat C license and it was £1200 with training but I don't know if that would include CPC stuff.
A local well known bloke can carry 12 tonne and another can carry 8 so if a hook loader can carry 12 tonne of muck with a grab that could work. Can you safely lift and carry a 9 or 10 tonne digger with a hook loader without it falling off? Time will tell on how much I can make with the micro but when there are idiots advertising for £120 a day for Digger and driver I won't hold my breath for too much, unless it's bullshit of course.
Thanks for all replys.

 

[V8Druid]

Yep we are getting it in 18mths and its from vans upwards.

where abouts is that Boyo? .... "vans upwards" ... presumably that would include privately owned vans too? Wonder how campers'd come off on that score ??

 

[Smiffy]

I would s**t my pants running a digger up ramps in to a lorry , it's bad enough driving off the ifor with my micro.
I had a look at cat C license and it was £1200 with training but I don't know if that would include CPC stuff.
A local well known bloke can carry 12 tonne and another can carry 8 so if a hook loader can carry 12 tonne of muck with a grab that could work. Can you safely lift and carry a 9 or 10 tonne digger with a hook loader without it falling off? Time will tell on how much I can make with the micro but when there are idiots advertising for £120 a day for Digger and driver I won't hold my breath for too much, unless it's bullshit of course.
Thanks for all replys.

Yeah an 8 wheel hook loader without hiab will carry a 13tonner

Its actually not as bad as you think going up ramps I find diggers preferable to dumpers toload and load and unload as the dumpers u are blind
After a while it's quite comfortable to go up and down the ramps with all the buckets clamped up against the blade