Running a wagon as a side line

[tomg]

Morning, after a change in farming practice (packed up breeding pigs and now rearing them instead) we have spare time on our hands and could do to generate a bit more income. We've looked down the usual lines of buying a bigger tractor for contract work etc but there are plenty of people doing similar.
So we have thought about buying a tractor unit and flat bed/low loader trailer. Dad used to run his own wagon many years ago and we both have a class 1 licence c+e.
In comparison to a tractor and trailer a tractor unit and trailer can be bought quite cheaply. There are some people I could maybe approach for work but I was wondering if anyone else does something similar and if they think there is much work out there and is it worth while?
When we're busy clearing pigs out and pigs in again the wagon would have to be parked up for a week or two so wouldn't want work where we are committed to something every week.
The pigs are our main income and this idea is simply to make use of our free time and generate some extra income.
Any info is much appreciated!

Tom

 

[Penmoel]

@nick channer

 

[Farmer Palmer]

I would get on an agency's books and get paid by someone else to drive; running a wagon is as cut throat as the
Tractor / contractor scenario;

 

[Spud]

@tomg You are looking in the right area of haulage, and the right way of doing it, especially with two drivers. We run six artics, a gradual increase from one initially in 1991. (And prior to that grandpa ran a 4 wheel blower til he passed away in 1986) Its our second biggest single enterprise, and our main diversification.

Running one wagon and driving it yourself is the most profitable way to run it, wagon looked after, driven economically, doesnt cost as much if work drys up a bit. Machinery hauliers in short supply in this neck of the woods, and plenty dealers to serve. Plenty subby work on grain over summer and taties in autumn, haulier does the organising, finds the work, often supplies the trailers, in return for a %age, you drive run fuel and insure the truck.

It would probably pay better to employ a bit of casual labour to help one of you with the pigs move , and the other keep the wagon rolling.

For hells sake avoid the agencys, you dont want tarring with the numpty brush.....got the scars from employing such! #neveragain


Good luck, Spud

 

[nick channer]

Buy a wagon and low loader
I bought a good king step frame for less than 10k
I could find work for it lot more than I do and at much better rates than bulker work
It could afford to be parked up several days a week.
We have more than enough work for Bulkers so we stick to that and do low loader work when we can.
An owner driver on bulker down here would have £2000+ at end week after putting diesel in tank

Obviously running costs for unit/trailer out that.
We aim for £1000 week after driver/diesel
Most weeks lot more but that's bottom line.
Good thing is it's every week 51 weeks yr!!

 

[tomg]

Thank you for the replies and info, its really appreciated. I think its definitely an avenue we are going to explore further. Low loader trailers seem reasonable money but cant figure wagon prices out? Seem to be endless trucks for sale at below 15k will these all be dogs of trucks? Dont want to buy new as l dont want it to be costing a fortune when its parked up.

 

[nick channer]

Thank you for the replies and info, its really appreciated. I think its definitely an avenue we are going to explore further. Low loader trailers seem reasonable money but cant figure wagon prices out? Seem to be endless trucks for sale at below 15k will these all be dogs of trucks? Dont want to buy new as l dont want it to be costing a fortune when its parked up.

We have 3 well under 15k
Have found they don't cost anywhere near as much to maintain in a month than the much newer one costs on finance

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

How many pigs do you b&b? And is the site AIAO?

I could about find work for a lorry on pigs if I had my pigs on your site and you kept clear of other pigs.

You could manage after that with a bulker?? Or something to fit in with regular pig work.

Something like that may work for whoever has your site now??

PM me if you like

 

[Shorty]

My boss runs several older units all on bulker work, his phone is always going with offers of work, his problem is finding poeple who want to drive. Seems to be plenty of work out there, he swears that well maintained older units will earn you more than new ones, matinance is all done in house to a very high standard

 

[tomg]

What make of wagons does your boss run? I agree with your boss about running older wagons and keeping them well maintained. Seems to be a lot of work out there for bulkers.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Why does anyone buy a brand new truck? The money they are new and the money they are at one year old is unbelievable.

 

[Bill Turtle]

You are right Pete, but if you compare the price of an Artic tractor unit to an ag tractor they are an absolute bargain!

 

[Rob Holmes]

I maybe barking up the wrong tree here, but all the fert merchants are scaremongering us to buy our fert now because of delivery issues come spring because lack of hauliers.... get a curtainsider maybe????

 

[Shorty]

What make of wagons does your boss run? I agree with your boss about running older wagons and keeping them well maintained. Seems to be a lot of work out there for bulkers.

All Volvo,s don,t think he would entertain anything else,

 

[roscoe erf]

I maybe barking up the wrong tree here, but all the fert merchants are scaremongering us to buy our fert now because of delivery issues come spring because lack of hauliers.... get a curtainsider maybe????

thats because they run it like a closed shop and you just can't start hauling fertiliser without a lot of hoop jumping

 

[Lofty1984]

thats because they run it like a closed shop and you just can't start hauling fertiliser without a lot of hoop jumping

Not much money in it either ?

 

[tomg]

I would need to do an ADR course to haul fert which is something I could do looking forwards. There is a firm in the village who haul fert and im sure they would give me work.
All the trucking magazines at the moment seem to be predicting driver shortages so there could be some truth behind it. I think the farcical driver cpc has meant a lot of drivers have packed up driving.

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Did I hear somewhere that you could do the ADR as part of your CPC or vice versa?

 

[roscoe erf]

Did I hear somewhere that you could do the ADR as part of your CPC or vice versa?

it counts towards your drivers cpc

 

[roscoe erf]

I would need to do an ADR course to haul fert which is something I could do looking forwards. There is a firm in the village who haul fert and im sure they would give me work.
All the trucking magazines at the moment seem to be predicting driver shortages so there could be some truth behind it. I think the farcical driver cpc has meant a lot of drivers have packed up driving.

you need to be a member of fias as well