What to do

Brilliant just b***** brilliant !! Phone just rang with the first job for my new venture from 9 mile from my doorstep to 72 miles away, with a heavy heart I had to turn it down as my insurances do not start until midnight tonight and although my motor traders policy would cover the road risk (just on paper maybe) I would have no GiT cover so no way would I do that. I hope the company at the other end of the phone don't hold it against me. What would you have done in my situation? Should I cry now or wait until later?

I'd have stuck it on here as a job for someone to cover on your behalf

It is on here

There is the question should I or should I not !

Its plain black and white some people wont care if you do it in an uninsured Morris Ital Van !!! Others would like to see things done properly Its like the issue of leaving loaded vans unattended overnight they will never pay out on it so in reality its not insured at that point in time . Some care about this and others pretend the van is empty !!!

The question was answered a lot more easily than that Mr B Stick it on an exchange site, that way the customer gets his job done, you don't lose a potential new customer, and everyone's happy.

As for the "don't care", well that's as maybe, but they'll soon care if it arrives damaged so it's not worth taking the risk. We all know some do, and there are many flauting the law with courier insurance and GIT but that doesn't mean we should all stoop to those levels.

GIT isn't worth the paper it's written on but it's still something everyone expects you to have, so have it we all do.

If I didn't want to be 100% legit I could have spent a hell of a lot less than I have, so I think I did the right thing mesen. Not nice to have to turn the very first job away but there you go ....

This industry needs regulating, has done for years so how do we get it done?

I would contact the potential new customer and honestly tell him why you could not but turn it down. They may well appreciate a/ your honesty, b/ the fact that you want to be legit, c/ the fact that you got back to them, thus proving that you're motivated and willing to put effort in your customer relations

Rob, I think he's talking about the Forres - Dyce job posted on here by Pronto.

Ray, I think as long as you've told them why you can't do it, then they can't really hold that against you. It's as good a reason as 'sorry I'm already on a run today'

Totally understand your frustration though, it's as bad as taking the £50 sub-job on and then ten mins later getting offered a £150 sub-job elsewhere. You can't re-sub a sub job if you want to last.

I was called personally, and did indeed tell him that I felt I had to turn it down because of the insurance issue. Like I said I just hope he understands and don't just forget about me in future. With regards to regulation, one day some overpaid under worked official sitting in his plush office in Brussels will wonder 'wot the hell do I do today to pass the time, Oh yes lets have a bash at them'. But IMO would be a good thing.

When I say dont care I was assuming that Moray was subbing from another company some companies dont care its well known

And as i said, they don't care UNTIL something goes wrong, then they care very much.

It's shame people put up with shoddy.

Then again it's also a shame a lot expect a 1st class service for a second rate price.

But the biggest shame of all is we let it happen

We all let what happen?

we give a 1st class service for a 2nd rate price MK

Been and collected the new (secondhand type) van, not a blemish on the bodywork and runs as sweet as a nut with plenty of poke. Fully gassed up and ready to go. It has no electric windows .... less to go wrong, and no A/C ... top 'o Scotland ? who needs it. Main service tomorrow with new cam belt & tensioner fitted first thing Monday morn. But could do with a change of radio for one with a CD player in it or sat nav even.

To many cowboys flauting the law..........companies are failing the ligitimate couriers who go out of there way to protect the public/road-users and goods they carry........I wish you wel Moray Couriers and hope we can be of assistance in the future...good luck

if i had called you and you said sorry no git, i would have put your vehicle on my git job done ;-) for the day

It wasn't only the GiT, it was the hire & reward and P/L but like I said the van could be legally taken out on the road under my traders policy but not with good in the back so I was stuffed. And thanks to all for the good wishes, greatly appreciated.

I don't believe you can give a first rate service at a second rate price, something has to give.

I agree completely MKBikes.........

Dead right Tony.

I think you're missing the point....we're all doing it I very much doubt any of you are charging anything like what you should be given the fuel and insurance hikes over the last few years.

I started in 1998 and with fuel alone, charges should now be double what they were back then, and they're not.

1st class ? 2nd class?

Only recorded delivery signed for from us

Honesty pays says me old mate. Who sadly died last Monday. Cremated friday so am back to full commitment. Any business worth their salt would understand, and, more than likely give you another call if the price was right for BOTH of you. I am sure some of the guys would give you respect for your posting on here. One big happy family [with the odd wayward child]. Let try and get busy some we dont have to sit and watch all the friggin christmas programmes thats already being aired.

Around the late 90's small van end user rates were £1plm and subbies with the big boys were getting paid around 50pplm (however as you usually didn't go anywhere without at least a double up or a return journey the rate was slightly irrelevant it was the bottom line at the end of the week that counted), working for a smaller courier normally paid around 60pplm

From my memory the fuel was about 70p per litre in the late 90's and it is now 140p an average mpg of around 44 would be equivalent to 10 miles per litre so in the late 90's fuel was costing 7p per mile travelled and now costing 14p per mile travelled so essentially a subbies should have seen at least an increase of his rate by at least 14pplm (7p extra a mile each way, any backloads are a bonus and should not be seen as a requirement). So as I see it subbies should be looking for at least 75p-80p and end users charged between £1.15-£1.20 a mile.

However what further compounds the problem is that some national operators intent on offering silly rates to end users end up having their drivers hanging around for an hour or two in order to double up before it becomes viable trip, this as I see it has created a two tier service. Customers have to decide whether their items are very urgent and require moving now or not so urgent and require getting to the destination "same day" usually with a transit time of 4-5 hours for a 2 hour trip.

If I ever get a customer telling me some other courier has quoted less for an urgent job, I implore them to insure they are getting what they have asked for and not a van travelling down the inside lane at 55 mph or stopping to pick up/drop off other jobs, as unfortunately they usually find out afterwards.

The service I offer is an urgent premium service and charged accordingly, there's no point whining about low rates if you contribute to it!

How could you justify doubling rates when the true fuel costs amounts to about 14p per mile (each way) travelled?

I agree, If customers were charged correctly, subbies could be given a more realistic rate, rather than having to rely on getting a backload or resorting to being a mobile chicane whilst trying to conserve fuel!

I think a 2 tier 'sameday' has evolved too.

If a customer asks for an urgent delivery, that is what they want, expect and pay for, NOT someone pottering about trying to conserve their fuel.

Urgent Premium Service at a cost, or Sameday when it is not so urgent!

I came across this 2 tier sameday service a while back and I have to say for me it just confuses the customer. What happens if its 12 o'clock Its a London to Manchester and needs to be there by 1700? To me thats an urgent sameday can't f**k around type of job, to the customer that's a 2nd tier by close of play.

This is more like a sneaky way of introducing a price hike, by manufacturing a service that never existed.

A dedicated service is another one i've seen....it's also a service that is open to abuse by the controller cos if he's got something going the same way he IS going to use the same driver.

If everyone charged a decent rate in the 1st place there's be no need for such confusion, or such sneakiness.