Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: bigbadee on 29 October 2013, 19:58:59

Title: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigbadee on 29 October 2013, 19:58:59
I would like to ask for your thoughts please .
Firstly a little bit about my background, I have been a class 2 driver for over 25 years spending 6 years in the recovery of cars and light commercials and lost my job last may and have been unemployed since ,have been unable to find work.
What im thinking of is buying my own transporter and transporting cars (ebay classic cars non driveable etc)now the help I would like is what you would think about this.
PLEASE im not looking for work as im still in the planning stages at the moment but in theory if this service was available what I wont to know is
would you use it
if yes why
if no why
The reason im asking is that it would take all my savings and some more so want to know if there is any demand for this service or not thanks in advance for any help and any advice would be appreciated
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: Vamps on 29 October 2013, 20:05:08
I have used such a service, to collect a car purchased blind on ebay, but only the once in a number of years........ :)

If I were in your shoes I would also consider transporting other items as well, to keep options open as wide as possible...... :y :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: symes on 29 October 2013, 20:09:31
have to agree with vamps--most classic car nuts owners can get hold of a trailer - yet down this way there are a few firms wanting drivers
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: dbug on 29 October 2013, 20:16:55
Difficult to advise - would have thought you would need to consider a usp, ie offering something "niche", such as, for example, specialising in shifting classic or other expensive cars, or something else niche.  Would have thought "run of the mill" car shipping/recovery well subscribed in the UK.  Just my opinion.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: MR MISTER on 29 October 2013, 20:30:02
Sorry to put you off, mate, but those kind of one-man-bands are two a penny round here. If I were you, I would look in your local rags/yellows and see what's out there.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigbadee on 29 October 2013, 20:42:21
Thanks so far for advice would rather have you all knock my idea rather than me wast my time and more importantly my money lol.would say the reason for my thoughts were that I needed to move my classic the other day and the only firm I could find were in my opinion so over priced I hired a transporter (not easy to do I might add)and moved it my self for less than a third of what they wanted .there price was £350 ,diesel cost me £60 so £290 for a days work not bad even with overheads and running costs still seems that I could work for much less if I could get the work.
But please don't think that by making negative comments that I will be offended all advice is good advice once again thanks
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: Broomies Mate on 29 October 2013, 20:47:52
Flip side - My neighbour does this (Call's himself "So-And-So Car Connections") and makes a bloody good living out of it.

He has a tilt-slide pick-up and a fook-off big trailer which he hitches up to a V8 Land-Cruiser.  Only him and his wife work for the 'company' and both vehicles are out most days.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: r1 on 29 October 2013, 21:01:41
I would have thought down Ipswich it would be easy to get a car moved as theres plenty of car races round there.i had a transit recovery truck for 2 years and I think in that time I did about 5 jobs for  people I didnt know.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigbadee on 29 October 2013, 21:11:59
I would have thought down Ipswich it would be easy to get a car moved as theres plenty of car races round there.i had a transit recovery truck for 2 years and I think in that time I did about 5 jobs for  people I didnt know.
thanks for the comment not sure if this maks a big difference but and sorry should have said this before if and I must say if I do this it will be based in devon(Plymouth)as have had to sell my house and move. sorry it didn't work out for you but its people like you who have done it whos opinion I really appreciate thanks
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigegg on 29 October 2013, 21:15:50
Get one with a hiab, and advertise to move "awkward loads" - I, personally in the last couple of years have needed steel roofing sheets (10ft-15ft long), a holbrook lathe (8ft long), some pallet racking (12ft long), and an omega shell (no wheels).
Obviously, none of these would fit on a pallet (otherwise I'd've used a pallet service )
All involved considerable bother - including welding up a long trailer which I use to transport steel bars/box section
I imagine there are many people who are looking at stuff on ebay or gumtree, and wondering how to transport it.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 29 October 2013, 21:19:29
Contact all the utility companies, Npower, Eon etc and ask about meter reading jobs. The pay isn't too bad and you are out and about all day with no boss breathing down your neck all day  :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: r1 on 29 October 2013, 21:32:07
but if he gets a hiab it will need to be a 7.5 tonner and then you will need somewhere to park it so more costs
think also he will need a cpc certificate if its for hire and reward and a tagograph. so the costs get a lot bigger.
don't want to but a downer on it just think you need to do a lot of research.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: Vamps on 29 October 2013, 21:36:53
but if he gets a hiab it will need to be a 7.5 tonner and then you will need somewhere to park it so more costs
think also he will need a cpc certificate if its for hire and reward and a tagograph. so the costs get a lot bigger.
don't want to but a downer on it just think you need to do a lot of research.

Why, he has a class 2, agree he will need a cpc.......
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigegg on 29 October 2013, 21:41:46
I've seen a transit with a hiab???
Haven't I?

Or some sort of lifting arm, any way.
Wouldn't have to take HUGE amount of weight - maybe a tonne, max, for the sort of load *I* personally, have needed to move.
7.5T flatbacks with hiabs are numerous round here, but expensive.

If you could get a transit with a hiab + a trailer (my transit has a 5.2T gross train weight), you could do the sort of jobs that a 7.5T flatback with hiab is too expensive for - for the reasons listed above.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: 05omegav6 on 29 October 2013, 21:43:33
Firstly driver CPC and operator CPC are two totally different things. Secondly, given Ops location, I would consider upgrading to class1 and looking to container work :-\

As suggested, alot of agency work around that there Lundun :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: Broomies Mate on 29 October 2013, 21:44:37
Anything with a Hiab should really have outriggers IMO.  Lifting a tonne of material a few feet away from the vehicle - well, you know the physics.
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: 05omegav6 on 29 October 2013, 21:45:42
Anything over 3.5t requires a Ministry operators licence :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: bigbadee on 29 October 2013, 21:46:43
r1 and vamps have a hiab cert and full cpc so that would not be a problem but parking at the moment is something I don't want to pay out for also if I use a 7.5 or bigger think I would need a op licence as well as a storage yard if I stick to a transit size truck running cost are much better road tax insurance parking less of a problem etc etc
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: 05omegav6 on 29 October 2013, 21:49:38
See above :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: 05omegav6 on 29 October 2013, 21:54:01
www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator/overveiw (http://www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator/overveiw)

Should answer a few questions :y
Title: Re: advice/opinion please
Post by: Vamps on 29 October 2013, 21:59:12
Firstly driver CPC and operator CPC are two totally different things. Secondly, given Ops location, I would consider upgrading to class1 and looking to container work :-\

As suggested, alot of agency work around that there Lundun :y

And quite lucrative it was just working weekends / holidays delivering to Sainsburys, in addition to my full time Job......... :y :y