Running your own Artic Lorry

TomB

Member
Location
Wiltshire
Do able I guess, but would be easier if there was an owner driver who you could use, even if you had to buy a couple of trailers. Operators licence is easier if you’re only working for yourself, more complicated if hauling for others, which you probably need to do if going any distance. IMO dairy farmers make more money the less kit they have (and probably less stress?)
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
In the ops instance he'd be better off doing a deal with a local contractor,they could fit loads in on rainy days/quiet spells.
 
Location
southwest
I've run fair sized transport operations for the last twenty years, so here's my input.

As soon as you start doing commercial haulage (backloads) rather than just "own goods" you'll need a Manager CPC ticket etc.(or someone who will agree to act as your Manager for O licence purposes) as DVSA will have you jumping through lots of hoops. Even just for Own Goods, you will need to get an O licence which means advertising for Objections, proving you have the finances to maintain the vehicle and that you are "a person of good repute".

All of that's doable but in your position (literally) the whole thing might fall down on times & distances. Where ever you're fetching from needs to be no more than 4 hrs away as the driver is limited to 4.5 hrs drive/45 min break/4.5 hrs and that includes traffic jams. So getting stuck in North Wales holiday traffic can suddenly mean you're into a two day job. Which is probably why hauliers charge so much
 

wdah/him

Member
Location
tyrone
I've run fair sized transport operations for the last twenty years, so here's my input.

As soon as you start doing commercial haulage (backloads) rather than just "own goods" you'll need a Manager CPC ticket etc.(or someone who will agree to act as your Manager for O licence purposes) as DVSA will have you jumping through lots of hoops. Even just for Own Goods, you will need to get an O licence which means advertising for Objections, proving you have the finances to maintain the vehicle and that you are "a person of good repute".

All of that's doable but in your position (literally) the whole thing might fall down on times & distances. Where ever you're fetching from needs to be no more than 4 hrs away as the driver is limited to 4.5 hrs drive/45 min break/4.5 hrs and that includes traffic jams. So getting stuck in North Wales holiday traffic can suddenly mean you're into a two day job. Which is probably why hauliers charge so much


can I ask does the time spent doing other work count as driving time?

only asking as I did 8.5 hrs work on minday on a lorry and only shy of 4 hrs drinving recorded on the taco, with a 15 min break. rest of time was loading or unloading lorry on multi drops
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
I think, providing you can get all the right licenses, permission etc to own your own truck the biggest problem may be around drivers and the farming mindset. To keep it running long hours at busy times you'll need at least two drivers and as far as I can tell (UK laws are a mystery to me) anyone that drives a truck is limited to, drivers hours/ EU 48 hour rules for ALL their work, not just when they're on a truck.
I'm sure there's lots of ways around it, but getting caught has big penalties for you and the drivers.
There's a tendency on farms to 'just crack on'. When the jobs held up because the drivers parked on a 45 min break or cant make it back to the yard that night with the load you desperately need, will the blood pressure handle it?
Still think its a good idea, it just needs a different mindset to farming.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
We started off with and old but sound and CHEAP unit and a similar bulk trailer with a part time driver and it didn't matter that it wasn't running all the time because it was cheap. As soon as you start getting more expensive stuff about the standing costs and depreciation starts to bite. When they break down they are expensive to fix and if you have to employ a driver that will kill it for what you have in mind.
If you have a farm worker who will get an HGV licence possibly at your expense ('000's) they will probably then leave to go full time HGV driving as it pays better and for less hours, so it comes back to bite you.

Sorry to be so negative but been there ....

I've heard this before and don't really get it. Why does it need to run 24/7 on a farm just because its a truck? Your tractors don't do 5000 hours a year and your combine sits doing nothing for 10 months a year. Put the driver on a salary and treat them like any other staff member, when the particular machine they drive isn't running.
Also not sure why a Volvo would cost more than a Fendt to fix?
 
Location
southwest
can I ask does the time spent doing other work count as driving time?

only asking as I did 8.5 hrs work on minday on a lorry and only shy of 4 hrs drinving recorded on the taco, with a 15 min break. rest of time was loading or unloading lorry on multi drops

Daily 9 hr driving but no more than 4.5 at a time. WTD breaks after 6 & 9 hrs
Max daily duty 15 hrs, normal daily rest 11 hrs-can be reduced to 9 hrs twice/week Min 36 hr weekly break in week one followed by 45 hr break week 2. 90 hr limit on fortnightly driving. Can have max 60 hrs duty week but must average no more than 48 over 17/26 week reference period.
If you drive on 1 occasion in a fortnight, your hours for the whole two weeks must be compliant-1 occasions and you are under Rules for 6 months!
That's the basic rules in simplified form, once you use 2 drivers and/or a ferry, it gets complicated
 
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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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