Is freight pickin' up yet?

[Curlyeers]

Still sitting on sidelines, just have to pay the insurance downpayment and I will be legal. Thinking about starting out hauling them flowers out of NC, understand they have to be unloaded and all that goes along with that. But for a NOOB, seems like a good place to gain experience and knowledge. I am a service manager now at a International Truck dealer, kids are gone, bored with life in the garage. Have owned my truck now for near three years. It is a 2002 Volvo 770 under 700k miles, was an Ashley Furniture unit. Has been well maintained and in really good shape. I have used it to haul my 20k 40 foot fifth wheel camper in the past. Take your shots. I find useful info in every post.
Thanks in advance.

[magicman]

Well, we'll start out with the niceties, first.

WELCOME TO TSU.

Now we got that out of the way, I'll answer your question, with a comment. In reading your post, I'm ASSUMING you're getting your own authority and operating under it. Am I correct??? If so, you sir, are one brave or stupid man. Time will only tell, which. WHY would a newbie start out, doing the hard part of the business. You do realize all the things the owner of a company with their own authority has to do, I hope. There's Drug consortiums, DOT audits, of which the first one is supposed to occur in the first 18 months, just to correct any problems they spot, before they become a huge furball. You also have to do IFTA reports, and the list goes on.

I don't know how much experience you have running a business, but a trucking business can bring the strongest among us to our knees. You will be buried in paperwork, EVERY time you come home. You can't put it off, because the Agencies sending it out, expect to get it back, promptly. I hope you have joined OOIDA and are using them for advice, because they're here, to help owner operators. If you do have questions, feel free to ask, because several of us on the forums are owner operators and a few are independents, such as you'll be.

When you have questions, sometimes it's easier to send a PM to one of us, with your phone number and ask us to call, regarding such and such situation. Many will help, some won't. Some are hesitant to help a newbie out, figuring he shouldn't have put himself in the position he did. Some will openly chastise you. Don't take it personal, for there are those that find no good at all in the trucking industry.....Yet, they're STILL in it, themselves.

Anyway, to answer your main question, I haul refrigerated products from the Midwest, to California, and then haul the same from California to the East Coast. Then I haul mushrooms out of PA to MI and surrounding areas. So, I would say I haven't seen a downturn. I'm staying busy. Although, the guys doing dry freight seem to be struggling a little more, as well as SOME of the reefer guys. If you can get your foot in the door, hauling the flowers, that's great. Just don't cut yourself short. Make sure you get good pay for what you do. When they offer you a load, you need to see what is coming out of that area, heading you back to get that next load. For instance, if you go to Denver, CO, forget about getting a decnt load out. All you'll get is a cheap load. So, you need to make sure the ROUND TRIP is profitable enough for you.

As an example, let's say you get $2 per mile plus fuel surcharge for your trip out. Let's also assume you need $1.25 to pay all expenses to operate the truck. Now that will mean you'll get $2 plus let's just pick $.50 for fuel surcharge. That means you made a profit after truck expenses of $1.25 per mile. You still have your regular monthly expenses to deal with and you need to pay yourself. Now, you can only find a load paying $.80 per mile plus $.40 fuel. That's only $1.20 income. Doesn't even pay your expenses to operate. Since you'll never get them to come up with more out of Denver, you have a couple options. 1. Charge more on the NC load and that will help make up the difference. These shippers know the dead ares and will try to hustle you into doing them for what seems like a good rate. BUT, by doing your homework, you'll find out it's not as profitable as you thought it would be. $2.50 p;us $1.20=$3.70. Divided by 2= $1.85 per mile round trip. MINUS expenses and you just did that turn for $.60 per mile profit. NOT as rosy as it looked, before, huh?

2. The other option is bounce out of there, empty. NO INCOME, there. You have to find a happy medium, like grabbing a cheap, but short load, to get you to some decent paying freight. Then you can get back to NC, for another flower load. Hope this helps. I know it confuses.

One more tip. DO NOT discuss rates on the CB radio or on an open forum. SOMEONE WILL try to steal your freight. Why do you think I'm vague with what I do? The only thing I identify is mushrooms and we WON'T lose that account. Besides, WHICH mushroom place am I hauling for????:D:D:D

Good Luck
Dave

[tommy]

One more tip. DO NOT discuss rates on the CB radio or on an open forum. SOMEONE WILL try to steal your freight. Why do you think I'm vague with what I do? The only thing I identify is mushrooms and we WON'T lose that account. Besides, WHICH mushroom place am I hauling for????

No truer words were ever written.


I know loads have picked up a great deal for us as we have been short of drivers this past week. Somehow it all works out though.

[magicman]

Curlyeers......

What did you end up doing?? I hope I didn't scare you off with my answer. Tell us what you've found out since my blatently honest post.:thinking::thinking::thinking:

[Curlyeers]

Still sittin as a matter of fact. But not your fault. Just got Mom and Dad out of the hospital. In the same room no less. More than a week total. Dad has Black Lung from years of coal mining, and this was his third trip to the hospital this winter with pneumonia. The scar tissue from the Black Lung leaves little to no room for air in his lungs. Does not appear that he will be with us a whole lot longer. Mom has dimentia, does not know where she is more often than not. I also have an older sister who is mentally handicapped, so you can see what I have been doing the last month. Just sold my house to a fellow in Germany, over the internet no less.
I greatly appreciate your response. I have a business degree, but as we all know we go to school to get a degree, and go to work to get an education. I have managed several large corporations, was recently a service manager for a International truck dealership. Owned a computer business in the 80's. Manufactured and patented the first 80% let-off hunting bow in the mid 80's. Flew around the world numerous times in the late 70's aboard the USAF AWAC's as computer specialist. I lust for the open road. No phones, no deadlines, no reports, no irrate customers, no long hours.
Just kiddin'.
My experience tells me that if I learn my trade well ( by asking questions on this board as well as OOIDA) talking to the drivers who have come through my shop, working hard as well as smart, looking to go where others do not, I should be able to make a living in my new venture. My kids have graduated college, my health is good, I have always loved the open road, I lived out of suitcases for years. I own a used Volvo 770 with 700k miles, great shape, 90% rubber. Autoshift, came out of Ashley Furn lease. Have driven it for three years now. But . . .
Fuel prices, parents health, economy sagging, cheap freight being hauled all over it seems, maybe being on the sidelines for a while longer is not such a bad thing.
Thanks for the encouragement.

[trashwagon]

I'm busy but there isn't any rate .............Nope