Gardiner 's question time
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rus for longer than the originally planned three years could be due to the way the vehicle has performed.
"It's a very good truck," he says. "Well up to the job.' From an owner-driver point of view, you want that."
The vehicle has now clocked up 80,000km arid has had very few, if any, problems. Neil had a scare when his fuel consumption figures dropped from a steady 8.5mpg to 7.6-7.8mpg, but quickly rectified the problem — one of the exhaust brake butterflies was staying' closed, The vehicle is now producing its usual 8.5mpg. Another ownerdriver that Neil knows had exactly the same problem until he cured the fault for him.
Neil would like another Maggie when he eventually replaces his current vehicle but says there are a number of factors to consider. While he has no complaints about the back-up he receives from his nearest dealer in Worthing ("they'll work long hours to finish a job," he says), life would be made much easier for him if he had a dealer in the Crawley area. There is, for instance, an ERF dealership nearby which is something he will have to remember when choosing a new vehicle.
"I'd like to be able to plump for another Maggie but I'll have to see nearer the time," he says.
Neil gets great satisfaction from the fact that whenever he has been stopped for a Department of Transport mechanical condition check (under sections 53 and 56 of the 1972 Road Traffic Act) no faults have been found on his vehicle.
I asked him if he has, like so many tipper operators it seems, had any brushes with the law because of overloading. A wry grin on his face really said it all. Indeed he has been stopped for spot-checks on several occasions, but has had no problems so far.
He admits that "you can run into trouble with muck away jobs," but as he is carrying aggregates in the main, never overloads — intentionally or otherwise — Neil has nothing to gain and everything to lose by doing so.
"I'm still doing mostly aggregates and I'm only paid for what I carry. If I overload I might have done myself out of a run the next day."
In Neil's experience, traffic enforcement is regular, thorough and fair. So regular, in fact, that he has been stopped three times in one week.
"They get to know you but will still stop you. I've found that if you can show that you don't deliberately run foul and that you've taken reasonable steps, you're OK. They're decent enough."
I asked. Neil whether he has incurred any major unforeseen costs since he started out as his own boss? Hidden costs that he perhaps failed to even consider previously?
One of the biggest shocks, he replies, is the level of National Insurance contributions that he has to pay (both as an employer and employee).
Another huge area of expenditure is fuel. He is using about as much dery as he originally planned but it is costing him far more than he predicted. In fact, Neil knows exactly how much he paid for fuel and oil during his first year in operation — £7,121.12.
His telephone charges over the same period were also something that he could gladly live without.
"My phone bill now costs me £600 a year. If I could just sit back and let the work come to me I'd obviously save."
Though Neil says his bank is helpful, he begrudges paying heavy bank charges. He believes that if he uses a certain amount from the bank for a month, then has the same amount of his own money sitting in the bank at a later date for a month, charges should be waived. His bank manager, unsurprisingly, has different ideas.
"No matter how well you put your .case, you're on a loser. They're a bit one-sided," says Neil.
On a happier note, his servicing and repair bills have been cheaper than he had expected. And he has a warning to everyone using a commercial garage.
"Go through the service reports with a fine-tooth comb," he suggests, "and check the work."
While Neil Gardiner is delighted with his under-spending on servicing and repairs (the truck got through its MoT without any problems, too), he is far from happy with the life he is getting from the tryes on the vehicle. They are frequently being replaced — at £240 a time — after receiving side wall damage on site, says Neil, who in desperation resorted to using remoulds.
Since he has had them fitted at the rear, he has found they are more than adequate and has yet to replace one. Curiously, he is finding that he is getting far less side wall damage with his £70 remoulds. As a result he has been using them on the front and after 16,000km has nothir but praise. (He admits thoui that winter will be the real test., The Magirus was original fitted with 11 x22.5s on the ba. and the prohibitively dear. 12x22.5s on the front. Ni claims that the smaller vane are equally suitable for the fro wheels and has according fitted them.
Any other unexpected cos during his first year?
"Yes, people dropping thin! on my truck when I park," sa Neil.
I asked him what the futu holds for existing owner-drive and those thinking of venturir into the market? How hard is for the owner-driver to carve o a decent profit for himself?
"Harder than I thought. l' having to use my previous perience as a transport manag extensively. I'm still learnii every day."
While he admits that he gai great satisfaction from what is doing now as his own bot Neil says that drivers should n be fooled into thinking that th will be better off financially working for themselves. (N reckons that he has never foul an owner-driver who is makil money — whether he is or nc What they will have is "a carte comfort in what they're doing the end of the day."
He also says that the likes the Road Haulage Associati. are of little help to the small-tir operator.
If you're an owner-operat you're on your own," he wan "The RHA does not do enough And the sometimes murky putation that owner-drivers ha is slightly unfair, he claims, "The name they have is i • proving — but drivers are oft underestimated."
The best advice that Neil c give to any newcomers is sou and positive.
"Keep a careful track on your figures and adjust them necessary. You've simply got be polite to customers. prepared to be nice to pec4 You've got to say why you a your truck are the best.
"There are a lot of small fin; cial savings that can be ma after a while. I learned by mistakes and have really cut costs down."
The direction that N. R. G diner (Haulage) is likely to take the future is anyone's gue Neil himself is a thrifty, metho cal businessman who kno better than to make too ma predictions about the future.
"This is a means to an en' he says. "It's not my final vo lion," Make of that what you will.