Driving As A Job Or Business Part 2
Types of Transport
Types of Transport
Obviously, before you decide to open a business, or even start typing up your CV and applying for jobs, the first thing youll want to think about is the type of transportation you wish to provide. The two main considerations here, therefore, are cargo and distance.
The most obvious driving job out there is that of a taxi driver in which case your cargo is people and the distance is short term. With taxi driving you can work freelance or as an employee. Working freelance you will have to, once again, sort out your own vehicle, tax, insurance and fuel, as well as your plates and licence, but you could well recoup that initial investment making runs to and from the airport. Working as an employee, as mentioned, will mean less control over your routes and schedule, so instead of picking up high-flying businessmen and getting generous tips before lunchtime you instead find yourself ferrying around loud chundering yobbos at 3am.
There are other similar services, such as chauffeur driving, which is essentially a more upmarket version of a taxi driver. You might also want to look into becoming a bus driver, in which case you will need to apply for a bus drivers licence and pass the necessary tests. Though if you find driving a large bus or tour coach too ungainly you could always look into driving a small mini bus or people carrier and provide a shuttle service, carrying groups of people to their hotels, the airport or other common destinations.
One of the most popular freelance transportation businesses out there is the so-called man with a Truck service. The name is pretty self-explanatory you hire both man and truck for various purposes for example as a courier or for transportation and/or delivery of heavy items, house removals, etc. It is common for people to do work like this unregistered, however I would not recommend it, because the penalties for getting caught are severe. Besides which, if you ever want to make any serious money with it youll want to appear as legit, trustworthy and reliable as possible.
The other alternative is to seek similar employment, working as a courier driver, for example with one of the large delivery firms like DHL, Fastway or Toll. You can also look to see if there are any removal firms in your locality and ask to work with them though be prepared, as a courier you may be asked to carry a parcel or box up a flight of steps, but as a removals guy you could well be asked to push a piano up twelve.
Last but not least we get to haulage. In this case the type of goods can vary and its more a case of quantity and distance. The distance is sure to be the primary concern for people, particularly those who would rather not be separated from loved ones for long periods of time. Being a trucker is quite a commitment, not only will you need to be on the road for long periods of time, you also need to maintain your concentration over long distances which, for some, can become quite monotonous. In other words, not everyone is cut out to be a trucker, so you need to think carefully about whether or not its the right job for you.
Haulage also means different types of trucks and different types of cargo. You could be hauling pretty much anything from pallets of washing powder to a dozen new cars. Different cargo may need different types of trailers, e.g. a refrigerated trailer to haul boxes of frozen fish, and might also have different licensing and insurance considerations. For example, theres a huge difference between hauling a tanker full of milk and hauling one full of sulphuric acid. Size is also an issue, for example how wide the load is, or how long driving an articulated lorry is one thing, driving a road train a couple of thousand kilometres is quite another. Which brings us onto our next point.
Training and Licensing
There is no one-size-fits-all license for transport, otherwise a taxi driver could also drive an ambulance and a postman could also drive road trains cross country things would get a little crazy. So before you take the plunge, you need to think about the type of work you want to do and the type of vehicle you want to drive.
Driving a van or a minibus isnt all that different to driving a car, the only difference is one of size, but if youve never driven a van before it will take a bit of getting used to.
Driving a large bus or a big truck, however, is completely different. In addition to different classifications of vehicle there are also different types of cargo and so you may need different training, including safety training and materials handling, in order to get qualified. So, before you make any decisions, you need to think carefully about the type of driving you want to do as well as the level of commitment involved, both in terms of the work itself and the training required.
We hope that helps you if you are looking at a Working in the Trnasport industry either for someone or self employed.
by: garry robbins
Profiting From Your Business Dashboard Are The Marketing Fulfilment Companies Really Worth Their Business? Pos Management System Helping Businesses As Well As Its Customers E-commerce Fulfilment Efficiently Helps The Business Growth Never Underestimate How Useful An It Support Company Could Be For Your Business The Advantages Of Having Competition In The Business World Questions To Ask Before Investing In Business Useful Tips For Starting A Business From Home Quality Performances In Business With Transceivers Finding The Right Home Business Or Job For You Why Take On An Office Located In Atlanta For Your Business? Tips To Help You Save On Your Business Phone System/ Business Voip Things You Should Remember When Generating Leads For Your Business