Van based outside the UK

Hi everyone, I am based in Poland and we have been looking at the economics of running a van from here covering deliveries in the UK and mainland Europe. The costs based on leasing a new van are around 50% cheaper than a UK based van as the insurance and driver costs are much lower. There is no VED either. Would anyone be interested in setting up a joint venture with us.

[Admin Edit: A number of posts from moray and others. Please keep it on topic and be nice. Your posts are nothing to do with what the OP posted.]

Some of you don't read and listen properly. That was a business partner offer, nowhere saying let's bring down rates. I am not british born but I earn my money in this country and spend it in this country. And I don't work for peanuts. If it's not paying at least market rate I am not doing that job. And that is what everybody working in this country, no matter where they are based, should be doing. It is about the insurance companies charging by the number of drivers and postcode of vehicle, rather than just an insurance policy. And I don't think many people are against road tax and toll roads. It's all about the cost of insurance in the Uk. Keep the rates up, keep the wages up, bring insurance costs down. And by the way Romania and Bulgaroa are part of the EU since 2007. Only that their people have not got the right to be an employee in the UK. I don't believe any of them wants to work for £6.08/hour anyway. Search for yourselves if you're bothered, before you ill inform others.

Fuel & Maintenance costs alone for a moderately busy van will come to £15k per year in the UK saving a £5 per week on insurance which may not pay out when you actually need it would be false economy.

Neculau Logistics Ltd said:

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Some of you don't read and listen properly. That was a business partner offer, nowhere saying let's bring down rates. I am not british born but I earn my money in this country and spend it in this country. And I don't work for peanuts. If it's not paying at least market rate I am not doing that job. And that is what everybody working in this country, no matter where they are based, should be doing. It is about the insurance companies charging by the number of drivers and postcode of vehicle, rather than just an insurance policy. And I don't think many people are against road tax and toll roads. It's all about the cost of insurance in the Uk. Keep the rates up, keep the wages up, bring insurance costs down. And by the way Romania and Bulgaroa are part of the EU since 2007. Only that their people have not got the right to be an employee in the UK. I don't believe any of them wants to work for £6.08/hour anyway. Search for yourselves if you're bothered, before you ill inform others.

I understand the point you make, the trouble is you probably know as well as I do that if all foreigners that operate on these shores had the attitude you have then maybe there wouldnt be the ill feeling that there is. All i know is that 8 years hard slog as an owner artic driver was for nothing and that was part to the influx of east european trucks doing our work and many not abiding the law either. Im sure if the shoe was on the other foot you would feel the same.

Also if I ever see proof that most east europeans run at similar rates to us giving a level playing field for us all then I may just rethink my stance on the affairs, as well as all running legally. I am not accusing you of this as you appear to do none of the above, but I think you are unfortunately in the minority my friend.

First post... ''I am based in Poland and we have been looking at the economics of running a van from here covering deliveries in the UK and mainland Europe''.

Last post...''I am not british born but I earn my money in this country and spend it in this country''

To which country are you referring?

moray couriers said:

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First post... ''I am based in Poland and we have been looking at the economics of running a van from here covering deliveries in the UK and mainland Europe''.

Last post...''I am not british born but I earn my money in this country and spend it in this country''

To which country are you referring?

UK

[Admin: Please use the 'Quote' button on the right hand side of posts. Thanks :)]

Esi Logistics said:

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Also if I ever see proof that most east europeans run at similar rates to us giving a level playing field for us all then I may just rethink my stance on the affairs, as well as all running legally. I am not accusing you of this as you appear to do none of the above, but I think you are unfortunately in the minority my friend.

I am in the minority, but that doesn't mean the polish companies don't run at similar rates to yours'. Just that you are owner drivers and get to keep the whole of the profit. Foreign drivers get half the profit, the other half goes to the company that runs their business. You see just half of the thing, what foreign drivers tell you that they end up with.

moray couriers said:

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Eugen, Without putting another multitude of words in here that most people know already, the point I was making is:- quote ... ''Romania and Bulgaroa are part of the EU since 2007. Only that their people have not got the right to be an employee in the UK'' No, but they will have come next January! So I dont think I was ill informing others at all. But I fail to see why you would want a British partner anyway as your colleagues seem to have stitched the job up good an proper and how would you get and keep the work if you rates are going to be higher than the market is presently paying?

I cannot find enough to keep me going at the pitiful rates that are paid in the UK so I have to do other work to subsidise my van costs as it is and that profession has been swamped with East Europeans as well who will work for far less than I can. Insurance is just a small overhead, UK fuel duty isn't, cost of living here isn't either, etc etc

Whoever wanted to come has done so. And is free to come to the UK anytime now, not just after 1st of January 2013. None of us is going to cry after a job in a petrol station that pays £800 a month after tax. And I don't think many are waiting for 1st of January 2013 to get that job. It is not my colleagues that have stitched the job. Whoever has done anything wrong have done it for themselves by themselves. I am not working if it is not paying like I've said before. And I am a class 1 HGV driver working for decent money, £10.50/hour is lowest I have charged at a minimum 8 hours a day guaranteed pay. That is what I mainly do, and I have 2 vans, no car in my own or company's name. I do go to work as a lorry driver in my van. If there is work worth doing anytime as a van driver I do it, if it's not I don't. It's a problem created a long time ago, and it has to be sorted out and it will be sorted out with time. It takes though time for none to maintain running around for nothing, and that is not the eastern europeans. Running and maintenance costs are all the same, diesel price is similar, having a bed and night heater added as extra to a nice brand new polish or british registered van costs extra. There is something more to it than blaming eastern europeans to get cheap rates talked about.

You just don't keep working for rates less than what you are supposed to get payed. It has to be the british ones that work for next to nothing running old vans that don't stand out from the crowd with UK plates. I have an 06 and 04 on private plates, well maintained and serviced more often than needed, but can't afford new vans like the polish have with night heater and bed. You also see the british ones with dirty number plates and then the owner driver being quite excited he's invoiced £500 a week, including diesel.

Only thing I could mention VOSA or someone should be doing a better job at weighing vans more often. Point the finger in the right direction. And then the insurance companies leaving us out of pocket.

And I am not a courier (that is working for £1 a parcel, before paying for diesel, insurance, tax and mot) but I do sameday light haulage, when it is worth doing it. I have paid £3500 including any driver over 25, GIT, employers liability and public liability, then £1500 TPFT only myself no GIT or liability insurance, now £1350 no GIT or liability insurance. GIT is not needed by RICO and they do pay £1.50 per mile when it's urgent.

Also I've noticed Courier Expert doesn't require it, and I am looking forward working for since I've bought a long time ago a courier guide I've never read, and now that annual fee is not required any longer.

Probably you should join the club of the big boys that don't offer insurance unless paid for by the customer, rather than naming and shaming the ones that don't have Goods in Transit insurance, worth next to nothing, but a small fortune paid in advance. I will do a job for anybody if it pays the right money, that is what is supposed to be done by any of you. And I will get GIT in 5 minutes of a phone call for £200 to cover the cost of the goods at any time, for 1 year, valid in the EU, not just CMR worth nothing, as soon as any of you is paying to cover all the costs.

Neculau, I actually do get the point you are making. The UK is in Europe and thats that so other europeans are entitled to work or run business from here. The points you make you make well. I have worked from different countries and have been free to do so. The important thing to remember is that this is not personal and if I could go to another country and make a better living than here then I would be off like a shot. I am in fact looking into this anyway. So if a foreigner works or run his business here I cant argue with that. But to hit the nail on the head I hope, I believe its about percentages. Yes there are many British who have carved the job right up and they should be vilified for it. I believe though that out of every 100 British couriers there will be a percentage who run bad practice and so then can run at lower rates leaving less work for the likes of me and you. Out of every 100 East europeans I believe the percentage who run bad practice and at low rates is higher. That is what I think many British get upset about. If you are carving the industry up whether your British or from wherever its not good but a higher percentage of East europeans appear to be doing this.

moray couriers said:

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[Admin Edit: A number of posts from moray and others. Please keep it on topic and be nice. Your posts are nothing to do with what the OP posted.]

Not in your opinion obviously!

I think it is sad that posts are removed. This country used to be proud of allowing it's citizens free speech, something envied by many other countries people.

Just because a minority might not agree with what is said, it seems wrong that members are unable to air their views for fear of the mtvan police!

I've stopped posting on anything realated to foreigners now sick of being called racist... I'm far from it I'm British and proud is all.

RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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I think it is sad that posts are removed. This country used to be proud of allowing it's citizens free speech, something envied by many other countries people.

Just because a minority might not agree with what is said, it seems wrong that members are unable to air their views for fear of the MT Van Police!

Quite agree RLT. It's happening more often. And the posts that do go up are more proactive towards promotion. Whatever happened to freedom of speech.

RAPID LIGHT TRANSPORT LTD. said:

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I think it is sad that posts are removed. This country used to be proud of allowing it's citizens free speech, something envied by many other countries people.

Just because a minority might not agree with what is said, it seems wrong that members are unable to air their views for fear of the mtvan police!

Posts have been removed because this thread was posted to gauge interest in taking advantage of the different regulation in other parts of the EU. It was not an invitation to start spouting off about foreigners. You are entitled to your opinion on the effects of the free movement of people in the EU, but this wasn't the place to air them.

I think you'll find that we still have free speech in this country, you may go out of your front door and say what you want. However, you are posting on mtvan and if you wish to do so you must adhere to the rules. If you went to a bar and started mouthing off about the bar staff or the other people in there would you not expect to be removed?

Gas Motorcycle Couriers said:

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Whatever happened to freedom of speech.

Whatever next, this is not parliament. This is mtvan where (just like most websites where people can post their thoughts) we have some pretty common sense rules that you must adhere to. You are free to set whatever rules you like on your own website.