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Owner drivers and small operatorsSubcontractors and owner drivers wanted
We place regular work with carriers across the UK. If you run your own vehicle, hold the right cover and turn up when you said you would, we would like to hear from you.
What we are looking for
Van capacity across the UK is our most consistent need, particularly outside the South East, and Class 1 traction for HGV work. We are less interested in how large your operation is than in whether you are reliable and properly covered. A single owner driver who answers the phone and arrives on time is worth more to us than a fleet that does neither.
What you get from us
- Regular repeat work rather than the occasional emergency call
- The rate agreed before you accept the job, not adjusted afterwards
- Clear job detail up front: what, where, when and any site restrictions
- Prompt and predictable payment terms
- A named contact who answers the phone
- Honesty about what the work is, including when it is hard
What we need from you
This is the same vetting we describe on our compliance page, because we are not going to demand documents from carriers that we would not produce ourselves.
| Requirement | Applies to | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Goods Vehicle Operator Licence | HGV work | Valid, in your trading name and of the correct type for the work. Required for anything over 3.5 tonnes carried for hire or reward. |
| Goods in transit insurance | All work | Current cover with limits appropriate to the freight you want to carry. We read the exclusions, not just the certificate front page. |
| Public liability insurance | All work | Cover for third party injury or property damage while you are on a customer site. |
| Employers liability insurance | If you employ | Required if you employ anyone, including a second driver. |
| Hire and reward insurance | Van work | For van operators. Standard commercial van cover does not extend to carrying other people's goods for payment. |
| Vehicle in sound condition | All work | Clean, maintained, presentable. You are turning up at our customers' sites, and their view of you becomes their view of us. |
Subcontractor questions
What vehicles are you looking for?
Vans of all sizes from small through to Luton with a tail lift, 7.5 tonne rigids, and Class 1 tractor units. Van capacity across the UK is our most consistent need, and we are particularly interested in operators outside the South East.
Do I need my own operator licence?
For anything over 3.5 tonnes carried for hire or reward, yes. Van work under 3.5 tonnes does not need an O-licence but does need genuine hire and reward insurance, because standard commercial van cover will not pay out when you are carrying goods for payment.
How does the vetting work?
We check your operator licence where applicable, your insurance certificates and cover limits, and that the cover suits the work. It is not onerous and it does not take weeks. We then re-check documents when they expire rather than filing them once and forgetting.
How and when do you pay?
On agreed terms confirmed before your first job, and we keep to them. Late payment is the single biggest complaint owner drivers have about main contractors, and a carrier who does not get paid on time stops answering the phone, which costs us more than the invoice.
Will you keep me busy?
We will be straight with you: it depends on where you are based and what you run. We would rather tell you honestly that we have limited work on your patch than sign you up and leave you waiting for calls that never come.
Do you take on drivers without their own vehicle?
That is employed work rather than subcontract, and it goes through our driver jobs page instead. Both routes are genuine, they are just different arrangements.