Help! Starting Up As An Owner Driver

Mr Bump · 01-06-2012 9:46am

First point for me is, make sure you get the right insurance, you will have to produce a copy of your insurance to the company you are contracting to, also they may require you to have a min insuranse ie claim up to lets say 2million or what ever because of the goods you will carry for them, so thats a must,
The ford jumbo is a great van for this type of work, also think before you jump, DHL, UPS are always the first people that peope think of in the business, as it stands in ireland they are not the biggest or best anymore, IMHO i would try nightline, they are looking for owner drivers now i heard, also you can buy into fast and get an area,
As for the monies, you are not to far of the mark, but i do know that some of the nightline drivers in the right area are making a lot more then 800, up to 1400 so do a little home work

Hope this is of some help

TOPMAN99 wrote: »

I am starting as a courier/owner driver in the next month in Dublin and need some advice on getting started. Mainly:

1.Insurance
I am setting up as a sole trader and hope to do both local delivery work in dublin and work for some larger multinational company like DHL,UPS etc delivering goods for them.Most major insurance companies refuse to quote me the minute I say I am delivering anything, they all refer me to one broker who insures couriers and there quote was 3500 euros for the year.Some people have said to tell them I am a fitter or tradesman,but I was wondering will any of the big multnationals employ me if I had just ordinary commerical insurance and not this special courier insurance and also if I am carrying goods for some one and they get stolen or damaged I dont have insurance for goods in transit were do I stand then.

2.Proper Van
I have been advised to buy a Ford Transit 280 LWB Semi High Roof or a 350 LWB HR.Are either of these vans correct and does the colour matter.

3.Money
I have been given different figures on money I should expect to earn weekly , could someone tell me roughly how much I can expect to take home weekly after I've paid for my overheads.

I'd greatly appreciate any help anyone could give me on any of the above .

Cheers.

soundman45 · 21-06-2012 9:57pm

Has anyone worked as an owner driver for Superior Express in Dublin, they are looking for owner drivers at the moment but ive no idea what their like to work for.

Dub13 · 22-06-2012 12:05am

soundman45 wrote: »

Has anyone worked as an owner driver for Superior Express in Dublin, they are looking for owner drivers at the moment but ive no idea what their like to work for.

Checkout from post 351 here...

http://www.irishkop.com/forums/showthread.php?p=682228&

Evan La Crey · 08-01-2014 3:25am

Apart from a van, what other equipment does an owner/driver need to have? A two wheel trolley? A pallet pallet lifter?

Im mainly concerned with loading a and unloading pallets and how to do so, or do they tend to have pallet trucks and the collection snap destinations?

Cheers.

garymangan85 · 20-03-2015 9:11pm

this job is a churn through people job.awful set wages which you still pay expenses out of so minus 200 peek no matter what,point to point is soul destroying,hours of traffic daily starting before 9am and ending after 6pm nowhere near your area.rates are pathetic can be 1 euro on some .seems job is to abuse anyone who takes it wear them down then replace with another hapless soul

Paddy Irishman1985 · 04-09-2015 3:43pm

Hi I know it's being 9 years since the last post but I'll give it a shot.

I've being offered a courier run with nightline.
I've had a chat with a van rental company and for 1000 a month I'll get a van fully taxed every year and all maitinence take care of and new ish can every year.

It seems most of nightlines drivers rent vans.
Just wondering how any of you are managing out there?
Any advice would be great on.

Mr Bump · 04-09-2015 4:21pm

A mate of.mine works for.them, he gets about 900 a week for his set run, he does not lease van, he purchased it by the month and trades up every 3 years, if you go sick you must have your run covered, if you don't they fine you, holidays must be paid by you, everything comes out of the 900, you will never get rich but my mate seems to get by, just about, you also have to pay for there sign writing on the van which is bout €1500,

Paddy Irishman1985 wrote: »

Hi I know it's being 9 years since the last post but I'll give it a shot.

I've being offered a courier run with nightline.
I've had a chat with a van rental company and for 1000 a month I'll get a van fully taxed every year and all maitinence take care of and new ish can every year.

It seems most of nightlines drivers rent vans.
Just wondering how any of you are managing out there?
Any advice would be great on.

Paddy Irishman1985 · 04-09-2015 4:33pm

Mr Bump wrote: »

A mate of.mine works for.them, he gets about 900 a week for his set run, he does not lease van, he purchased it by the month and trades up every 3 years, if you go sick you must have your run covered, if you don't they fine you, holidays must be paid by you, everything comes out of the 900, you will never get rich but my mate seems to get by, just about, you also have to pay for there sign writing on the van which is bout €1500,

The company I rent the can off will have it done with Nightline signs and the special locks for doors will also be on it so money saved there. I was told by Nightline I'd get 1200 a week before expenses, so I'm working out 600/700 take home a week obviously I can't pay myself the or I'd prob go out of bussines very quick.

Mr Bump · 04-09-2015 4:53pm

Hope you get the €1200 a week so, my mate not getting that

Paddy Irishman1985 wrote: »

The company I rent the can off will have it done with Nightline signs and the special locks for doors will also be on it so money saved there. I was told by Nightline I'd get 1200 a week before expenses, so I'm working out 600/700 take home a week obviously I can't pay myself the or I'd prob go out of bussines very quick.

Paddy Irishman1985 · 04-09-2015 5:11pm

Mr Bump wrote: »

Hope you get the €1200 a week so, my mate not getting that

Who is the company you mate works for?
I'll be totally new to all this so I have a nervous feeling if it will work or not.

Streetwalker · 09-09-2015 12:21pm

You'd be lucky to take home 400 Euro a week after everything and it will be a looooong day. The high turn over of drivers in most courier companies speaks volumes.

DWG · 03-10-2015 1:39am

more tea vicar wrote: »

Bleedin couriers seem to be stressed out grumpy aul sods.

Always turning up at any time and rarely call to confirm a drop, driving battered old ford vans.

The worst company is Fastway, they seem to have a bad reputation always on joe duffy, drivers not happy, nearly as bad as GLS. Bleedin Fastway, new drivers every week, don't know where they ae going, keep phoning for directions, get a feckin Sat Nav f' christ sake.

Why don't they drive Mercedes Sprinter vans or something decent, instead of clapped out Ford transits, pile o shyte, and get bleeding organised and a bit happier with clients, grumpy old gits.

DHL wreck every delivery, Fedex don't carry phones, don't know much about UPS or TNT.

Interlink are a rip off, now called DPD, the smaller operators are fairly bad for organising stuff, Langans, Lynx and that Swift is all over the bleedin place.

Some good ones, Hartleys, DSV, Zeigler.

I would give you a hug to make you feel better but afraid I might be told I am firty ducker, so I wont.

jackaljuice · 03-04-2016 3:41pm

I have a transit van, working as a fisherman and bricklayer. (Inside of van is clean only tools when I have a job on, no fishing gear/boxes etc go inside it.) For fishing and building in winter time I would be lucky to get 3 days a week work and I would be free for the rest of the week, Im looking to get into deliveries wheither its pallets or parcels I dont mind once it pays. Anybody any suggestions on how to get in on it, tips? I live in the south east.

Lorne Malvo · 04-04-2016 1:52am

What age is your van? Some companies require a van no more than 5 years old.:)
And white...

HilltopViewer · 15-03-2017 8:04pm

Hi,I want to find out,if as an owner driver,is it handy sorting out your own income tax throughout the year.I haven't gone ahead and purchased a van,trying more for driving a company van first.Do courier companies get you to print there company name on your van?I see Deadline Couriers are looking for 80 new staff.Most companies seem to look for white transits.If you have any other info,that would be great!Thanks!