Commercialmotor.com has calculated it costs the average owner-operator a maximum of £34,048 to set themselves up as a single vehicle business running a 44-tonne artic.
This figure is based on cost estimates for one individual to obtain the correct licensing, skills and financial standing in order to become an owner driver running just one 44-tonne artic, without a trailer, in today's economic climate.
The first thing you need is an HGV drivers' licence. Presuming you don't have one already, you are looking at between £1,000 and £1,500 for training and the test.
And don't forget your Driver CPC training, which is anything from £35 to £120 per day on a public course, and you need to complete five days to meet the 35 hours required in total. So that's another £175 to £600 you have to fork out.
So now you can drive a vehicle, there's the small matter of getting your hands on one: the Road Haulage Association (RHA) estimates that a three-month lease for a 44-tonne artic is £7,710.
