Local heating oil tanker round

Rural households, farms, holiday lets, village halls and small businesses with oil-fired heating.

You buy kerosene in bulk and sell by the litre at a margin. Repeat customers, group orders and a tight delivery area keep costs down. With one tanker, revenue is capped by how many deliveries you can make, and it is higher in winter and lower in summer.

• Heavy vehicle driving
• Safe fuel handling
• Route planning
• Pricing and cash flow management

• Dangerous goods driver training and vehicle approvals (ADR), so check exactly what you need before buying
• Whether you need a goods vehicle operator's licence, which depends on vehicle weight and how you use it
• Insurance for the tanker, fuel load, pollution and public liability, which can be expensive
• Cash flow, as you pay for fuel up front and price swings can squeeze margins
• Environmental rules on spills and on storing fuel at your depot, so check with the Environment Agency or its equivalent for your nation
• Competition from established suppliers and online price comparison

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £40,000 to £120,000, depending on the tanker you buy, insurance and depot arrangements. Fuel is paid for up front, so cash flow needs careful planning too.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £12,000 to £45,000, depending on how many deliveries you make and fuel prices. Price swings can squeeze margins, so this is revenue before costs.

Check dangerous goods driver training and vehicle approvals (ADR) before buying, and whether you need a goods vehicle operator's licence. Also check insurance for the tanker, fuel load and pollution, and environmental rules with the Environment Agency or its equivalent.