Nick Drew Operator Services

[Nick Drew]

Well I thought I would start a thread where I could document my struggle to get my new business venture up & running and where fellow members can offer me advice on how to turn it into a success.

So far I have had to pull out of buying a Volvo EC135B after I operated one and discovered that there were issues with it's grading performance
Then I was in talks with Komatsu to purchase a PC138-8, after a meeting with my local rep and Marubeni Komatsu's finance man at my house everything seemed settled, but then a few days later I took a call from the finance guy who told me that they were not prepared to finance the machine for me without a written garuntee of work

So far it has been one setback after another!! This coming week I am hoping to talk with Caterpillar about a 314LCR , our member here Stuart (SRB) is very kindly setting up a chat with one of their reps, I am also going to speak to Hitachi (ZX135USR) this week, I know from past experience that things will work out in the end

Everything is in place except a machine and if anyone knows of a good long hire I would love to here from them anywhere in England would be acceptable, The main problem I have where I live is that I am not a native of Devon & Cornwall and I'm afraid that it is a bit of a closed shop down here They do not like outsiders no matter how good you may be

I have a very good friend who is setting up a website for me it is in its early stages at the moment so not much to see but watch out for developments,
check out http://www.nickdrew-operator-services.co.uk

I look forward to any members help

Nick

[diggerjones]

hi nick, what rates can you get for 13 ton man and machine down there i was just wondering if after paying everything out ie. fuel insurance transport etc is there much left. i mainly run a 1 1/2 ton mini with trailor pulled by nissen cabstar tipper. i do small amounts of hire plus my own work ie drives drains. with my out lay its very small compared to a 13 toner, when mines parked up its not eating any corn as its paid for. if ive got no hire and none of my own work i can go driving other firms kit or drive trucks. both these driver hires are not bad paid so i wouldnt be much worse off, though this hasnt happened for a few years. just a thought before you put your neck in the noose.

cheers diggerjones

[Nick Drew]

hi nick, what rates can you get for 13 ton man and machine down there i was just wondering if after paying everything out ie. fuel insurance transport etc is there much left. i mainly run a 1 1/2 ton mini with trailor pulled by nissen cabstar tipper. i do small amounts of hire plus my own work ie drives drains. with my out lay its very small compared to a 13 toner, when mines parked up its not eating any corn as its paid for. if ive got no hire and none of my own work i can go driving other firms kit or drive trucks. both these driver hires are not bad paid so i wouldnt be much worse off, though this hasnt happened for a few years. just a thought before you put your neck in the noose.

cheers diggerjones

Hi DiggerJones,

Thanks for the reply, Altough it sounds like my Partner has written it
She is not really keen on the idea as I have done it once before but a bad debter pulled me under in 2001, but when it was going well I really enjoyed it and I do not like failure !!

The rates down in the West Country are not brilliant it has to be said!! they want everything for nothing, you have a job to get £24 per hour for 13 tonner and man, there is money to be made as long as you can keep the kit going.

I have been running for quite a few years now as a self employed operator and I must say that there is good money to be made doing it this way, even more so as the shortage of quality operators is getting worse as each year passes.

You are quite right though, with most of the machines ranging in price from £48,000 to £52,000 it is something I am going to have to think long and hard about.

Nick

[diggerjones]

what rates do you get for hire driving i was told i could get 12.50 hr for tracked and more for rubber duck

[Nick Drew]

what rates do you get for hire driving i was told i could get 12.50 hr for tracked and more for rubber duck

Well I have been getting around the £12 per hr on tracked machines for 2-3 years now, and on some of the pipeline jobs down here they are paying £14-15 per hr but they are working crazy hours and not many chaps can stick it

Nick

[diggerjones]

that dont seem bad money for just pullin leavers less stress i mean

[Nick Drew]

that dont seem bad money for just pullin leavers less stress i mean

Yes Digger,

I get what you are saying but in my opinion you can't beat the feeling of being your own boss can you!!

Also the rate I qouted above are the best I can get in Devon & Cornwall, there are many firms down here that simply won't pay a decent rate, then they wonder why they can't attract decent drivers

Many other firms down here employ young ex farm boys many of whom are not even getting £7 per hour, as I see it they are quite simply being exploited because they don't know any different
Some of these lads turnout to be top notch drivers but they seem content to stay with these employers on crap wages I just don't get it

Is it the same in Wales ??

Nick

[Robban_C]

Hi!

Some comments from Sweden:

You have very low prices. Of course they cannot be compared with the Swedish ones as there might be differences in taxes etc.
Your prices for machine and driver are quite low and your prices for only driver are also low. But their relationship are about the same as in Sweden. Machine and driver would cost about 6-700 SEK (divide by 15 and you´ll get it in £, roughly). Only a driver would probably cost about 250-300 SEK.

... there are many firms down here that simply won't pay a decent rate, then they wonder why they can't attract decent drivers ...

You get what you pay for, don´t you? Pay for crap and you get crap. That´s it and don´t you sell yourself too cheap! Don´t forget that it is easy to get jobs just by being the cheapest guy but it isn´t that easy to raise the prices once you realize they are too low.

[diggerjones]

you cant compete with the big firms with anything much bigger than 6 ton machine. i gain with my jobs because i spend alot of time off the digger so the customer gets a ground worker aswell as digger. when i used to drive machines for plant hire firms i never had to get off the digger. so now when i go out to a job i will dig the trench then lay the drains and do the whole job.in my view small is better i run a 1 1/2 ton mini but i wouldnt get any more rate for a 3 toner also what would take 2 days on a 1 1/2 i would do the work in 1 day with a 3 tonner. just my thoughts.

[Martyn Henley]

Hi Nick, have you thought of cross hires ? i did that years ago when i bought a case 580G, got plenty cross hires and came across a nice little groundwork company on one of these cross hires that kept me on, great it was, got time sheets signed on friday and cheque on monday. went on to do a steady 6 months work with this company, but trouble was case forgot to tell me about the £12.000 vat to be paid 3 months after delivery.

Martyn