Can't decide

[Jamin_Joe]

Just getting started and found a great 16' box truck, but it's a1993. The owner races cars and motor cycles. He replaced the motor, rebuilt transmission, overhauled brakes, suspension inspected/bad parts replaced. He installed chrome wheel rims and the truck looks good, just needs the Harley Davidson logo. Selling price $5k. Here is the issue that is keeping me from buying, most of the larger shipping companies won't release freight to old vehicles. At least that is my belief. I was wondering what you guys think about this, it would help my operation out tremendously and needs to be considered. As with Ann Landers closings,

Itchy wallet fingers in Virginia.

 

[xiggi]

What's the gvw on it?

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

 

[tknight]

In my opinion they never look past the box

 

[Jamin_Joe]

What's the gvw on it?

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

I believe it has a gvwr 9400, max payload 4300, 5100 curb weight? 10000 max pull weight? These numbers dont look correct to me, I cant see pulling 10000lb trailer and cant find the gcvwr. Of course the scale and the door sticker wil give me the answer. It looks like a black uhaul and that overhang would make a good sleeper birth. Since I am very low on funds, got to be very careful that I dont shoot myself in the foot.

 

[xiggi]

IMHO if your low on funds that's a very old truck to sink your money into. You might give serious thought about driving for an owner for six months and see if you even like the biz.

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

 

[layoutshooter]

Driving for an owner is very much the way to go. You may find out your really can't stand the lifestyle and find your self stuck with a truck.

 

[Jamin_Joe]

Most of them I talked too required a class b cdl, the courier companies pay $1 per piece. Been out of work for 4 months and have a small covered pickup truck. Afew years ago worked for a large trucking company in their freight forwarding department, but got layed off and was an independant sales/installation DircTv contractor. Had to give it up since I suck at sales and my knee gives me problems when climbing ladders all day.

Am waiting for my MC number to be approved and paid a large chunk of the yearly insurance in advance. I am shocked by the per mile fee for rental trucks, buying a larger truck maybe the best option, but may go with a regular cargo van.

Sorry for rambling on, just got to do something to make money and keep me from going nuts in the house.

Thanks for all your input, it helps alot to get advice from people that made the mistakes that you dont know you may make later.

 

[zorry]

Just because you paid a large chunk of the insurance money upfront doesn't mean you have to go deeper into something you may not fully understand.
Get as much insurance money back that you can and go drive for someone in the type vehicle you'd like to own.

You can thank me later. Seriously.

 

[Daffyduck528]

Just because you paid a large chunk of the insurance money upfront doesn't mean you have to go deeper into something you may not fully understand.
Get as much insurance money back that you can and go drive for someone in the type vehicle you'd like to own.

You can thank me later. Seriously.

I agree. This game destroys people all the time. Find an owner to drive for and learn the business and save every penny you can. You may decide in a month that you want to drive a straight truck instead or that you want the security found in a carrier that specializes in van freight rather than run your own authority.

Right now if you get on the road in any vehicle can you afford to replace the transmission or engine if it gets 1000 miles from home? Can you afford the tow bill? The hotel because the repair shop won't allow you to stay on their property in the truck? The next tow and repair because the first shop didn't repair it correctly?

These things happen all the time and if you don't have the money you abandon the truck and get a bus ticket home and have to rethink everything.

Trust the people on here. If everyone says you should start with an owner, maybe they are right.

 

[Daffyduck528]

And welcome to the community. In a year you'll be giving similar advice to the next guy that post these questions.

 

[zorry]

It's not hard in most places to get a class B CDL
It's easy to start in a van.

I drove about everything you can pull with a Tractor, owned 34 trucks with my Father.

I started expediting about six years ago.
I still learn things. I still make mistakes.

I really enjoy it. I think I sat about seven days at the Flying J in Dallas, my first seven days as an expediter.
I mentioned that to a recruiter once, that I was lucky enough to sit my first seven days. I learned the rates,paperwork, Qualcomm, etc. The recruiter chuckled as few would consider it lucky.

 

[xiggi]

Getting your mc number when you honestly have no idea what this business is? I think you may be putting the cart before the horse. If I may ask what was your plan to get loads? Call a Blair in Louisville ky and see if they have any openings. You don't need a cdl and drive their sprinter. They don't pay the best but you can rack up enough miles to make some money while learning about the biz. If you don't hate this industry after six months there you good to move on.

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

 

[Jamin_Joe]

Thanks for the "heads up," that truck might not be a good fit. My little covered Nissan is good for only really small loads. I may have to go with a regular van and get rid of the Nissan, at least my tools will fit better if this fails.

I've got a few contacts in the industry, who have told me that they can keep me busy.

During my sales/directv experience I realized that I'm starting to get old and can't do construction for much longer, and my ADHD makes working for someone else not the best fit. Getting layed off twice since I was in the last hired/first to go group, even though being a great employee doesnt help much.

There I go rambin again.

 

[Jamin_Joe]

I did the forwarding side of the business for three years, so Im not totally green. Hold a TSA cargo security clearence and Hazmat trained. The trucking company I worked with is well known nation wide and they pull freight into Canada and Mexico. My 10 hr shift included tracking, tracing, saving shipments that missed the fedex and ups cut times by hotshot or plane.

I do realize that there is alot to learn and the FMSCA rule book is a very boring read.

 

[xiggi]

That's good you have some experience but have you lived in a closet for weeks on end. Sometimes not moving for days other times sleep deprived and smelling bad. Those are the things people have to find out if they want to live with.

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

 

[Jamin_Joe]

I can imagin, been watching a lot of Utube with Truckers sharing their daily experiences. This is one reason why I want to be able to stay with in the 10 hr. Radius, so that I can sleep at home.

One trucker, Wayne Loomis has been really helpful with sharing his knowledge and frustrations. He had a stroke on the road reciently and his truck's motor is shot so his business is dead in the water, and he is financially strapped due to medical bills.

If I was in texas, I would see if he could train me while I drive. At any rate, he could use our prayers.

His example shows just how risky this can be, one moment everything is great/next moment your screwed.

 

[xiggi]

You just added an entire new element. Dead heading home to sleep in your own bed almost doubles truck expenses, fuel, maitenence etc. You wear your van out even sooner. In reality you now need to spend even more money on a newer van than you had in mind. I would never tell someone not to go for it but your stacking the hurdles higher between you and success.

Sent from my - Fisher Price ABC - 123

 

[Jamin_Joe]

I appreciate all the feed back, would rather be steared away from problems than face them.

So, now the question is what would be the best way to go about this. I do need a larger vehicle to at least try. The best thing about this forum is that it us full of useful information. Dead head is a big concern, guess that is why you cant make money from uship. I see too many bids that wont even pay the fuel for the regular run. $100 from Roanoke VA to VA Beach, which in my empty Nissan would cost about $70.

I would love to be able to do the freight swapping st the half way point, like when line haul does hub runs.

 

[Daffyduck528]

I appreciate all the feed back, would rather be steared away from problems than face them.

So, now the question is what would be the best way to go about this. I do need a larger vehicle to at least try. The best thing about this forum is that it us full of useful information. Dead head is a big concern, guess that is why you cant make money from uship. I see too many bids that wont even pay the fuel for the regular run. $100 from Roanoke VA to VA Beach, which in my empty Nissan would cost about $70.

I would love to be able to do the freight swapping st the half way point, like when line haul does hub runs.

I could be mistaken but weren't you offered the name of a company to talk to already? That company, I believe, has vehicles already. You just need to contact your insurance guy and get all your money back, same with mc number if possible and call these people to go to work for them.

Also, watching a YouTube video and living the life are 2 totally different things. I wanted to build fire trucks and I talked to people that did that for a living. I went out and trained for the craft, visited the factory many times and then went to work for them. Shortly after being there I discovered 12 hour days at the factory were miserable and I quit. That can happen to you being out on the road. It may not and you may love it, but even if you stay you may decide to go t/t or straight truck.

 

[Jamin_Joe]

Was planning to call them on monday to see what they offer. My old forwarding coworkes do have some routes they can get me on, but I need the MC#, biggrr vehicle, and insurance to do them. The drawback is that while working there we would be slammed with work, which pittled out and then the layoffs.