Considering Team Expediting.... Opinions?

TobyTime · Mar 20, 2015

Hello, been reading through the forums and finding a lot of good info. My situation is somewhat unique. I am 47 and wife is 37. Empty nesters and kind of a gypsy spirit.. Wherever the wind takes us. We have our own authority with an additiOnal unit leased on. We are car haulers and both my wife and I have CDL A, no hazmat, passports and no violations.

We enjoy our business but, it's a lot of work. Not the actual driving but dispatching, invoicing, settlements, compliance, IFTA for the trucks and such.

Lets just say that we do about a 100k a year. Have savings. Credit is good.

We run hot shot trucks and yes as stated we both have CDL A's. It is grueling. We are doing 150k miles a year with 1 month off a year. We stay in hotels every night on the road. Approx 25k last year in hotel rooms..

So that is the foundation for the question. We can leave whenever needed, we can stay gone as long as needed and we can put ourselves in a straight truck.

Is expediting for us? as a team. Will pay justify the move? Thinking about keeeping the authority and working for a fleet owner as a trial. Spoke briefly to Fedex CC and they seemed very interested in us. Then again, I can fog a mirror, so, I'm guessing that would get any recruiter interested.

Thoughts and feedback appreciated. Really would like to hear from married couple teams. Thanks for your time.

jjtdrv4u · Mar 20, 2015

TobyTime said:
Hello, been reading through the forums and finding a lot of good info. My situation is somewhat unique. I am 47 and wife is 37. Empty nesters and kind of a gypsy spirit.. Wherever the wind takes us. We have our own authority with an additiOnal unit leased on. We are car haulers and both my wife and I have CDL A, no hazmat, passports and no violations.

We enjoy our business but, it's a lot of work. Not the actual driving but dispatching, invoicing, settlements, compliance, IFTA for the trucks and such.

Lets just say that we do about a 100k a year. Have savings. Credit is good.

We run hot shot trucks and yes as stated we both have CDL A's. It is grueling. We are doing 150k miles a year with 1 month off a year. We stay in hotels every night on the road. Approx 25k last year in hotel rooms..

So that is the foundation for the question. We can leave whenever needed, we can stay gone as long as needed and we can put ourselves in a straight truck.

Is expediting for us? as a team. Will pay justify the move? Thinking about keeeping the authority and working for a fleet owner as a trial. Spoke briefly to Fedex CC and they seemed very interested in us. Then again, I can fog a mirror, so, I'm guessing that would get any recruiter interested.

Thoughts and feedback appreciated. Really would like to hear from married couple teams. Thanks for your time.

you and your wife can make a lot more money in a straight truck... if you can get used to it; also, it is harder to park a straight truck in a hotel parking lot usually, but if you sleep in the truck at truck stops or rest stops, etc., you will make more money anyway.

it is a good idea to try it with some fleet owner, hundreds on this forum would love to have y'all, you just won't have your freedom to come and go like you do now, until you run your own truck.

good luck.

tknight · Mar 20, 2015

if you can park car hauler and pickup truck in a hotel lot you surely can park a straight truck in one, i know i used to park a truck and a 45 motor home in hotel lots all the time, just need to get there early and leave late, cause you surely gonna get blocked in at some time........I know that for fact!, hotels used to complain we took up too many parking spaces, I had to tell em were only taking 8 spaces, and renting 14 rooms, so wheres the probem, hahaha?

Daffyduck528 · Mar 20, 2015

Some of us fleet owners run the large custom sleepers with all the bells and whistles and pay for most everything while your out on the road so you don't need to use hotels. This way the $100k you make driving our truck goes into your pocket and not to Hilton, Marriott or Westin. ;-)

TeamCaffee · Mar 20, 2015

You have the same story as many of us! We became empty nesters and decided to see the United States and that many years ago and we are still having the time of our lives.

I would suggest getting your Hazmat endorsement as the more qualifications you have the more opportunity to make money.

Sleeping in a hotel is only something we do if forced as we have a sleeper that is comfortable.

I suggest that you look at the different trucks and sleepers and you will see how well off many of us have it.

I would suggest driving for a fleet owner to make sure you like this before buying your own truck.

SWTexas1 · Mar 20, 2015

Its a great business, but do yourselves a favor, drive for a fleet owner First. What you will want in a truck will change a lot over the first few months.

TobyTime · Mar 21, 2015

Thanks all for your replies and PM's.. Got to meet a nice couple today with CC and let us take a look at their 2015 FL with 110" sleeper. Just the time we would save alone in finding hotels, parking , getting to the room and on the road again would be 20+ hours.

Trying to keep my expectations grounded. looking at things, without too much detail. I think it may be a pay cut up front but, think I would be able to keep more of my money without all the time for hotels and running my authority.

cheri1122 · Mar 21, 2015

Another benefit to the well equipped sleeper is meals - you'll eat better and spend less when you cook your own, rather than relying on restaurants.

x06col · Mar 21, 2015

TobyTime said:
Thanks all for your replies and PM's.. Got to meet a nice couple today with CC and let us take a look at their 2015 FL with 110" sleeper. Just the time we would save alone in finding hotels, parking , getting to the room and on the road again would be 20+ hours.

Trying to keep my expectations grounded. looking at things, without too much detail. I think it may be a pay cut up front but, think I would be able to keep more of my money without all the time for hotels and running my authority.

You may find driving for someone else or even Contracting to a Carrier extremely stifling a lot of times with the "big brother" and petty bs that you will experience. Keep your Authority it will come in handy. Inevitably you will wonder what other freight is out there besides what "they" are putting on my plate.

Lawrence · Mar 23, 2015

TobyTime said:
Hello, been reading through the forums and finding a lot of good info. My situation is somewhat unique. I am 47 and wife is 37. Empty nesters and kind of a gypsy spirit.. Wherever the wind takes us. We have our own authority with an additiOnal unit leased on. We are car haulers and both my wife and I have CDL A, no hazmat, passports and no violations.

We enjoy our business but, it's a lot of work. Not the actual driving but dispatching, invoicing, settlements, compliance, IFTA for the trucks and such.

Lets just say that we do about a 100k a year. Have savings. Credit is good.

We run hot shot trucks and yes as stated we both have CDL A's. It is grueling. We are doing 150k miles a year with 1 month off a year. We stay in hotels every night on the road. Approx 25k last year in hotel rooms..

So that is the foundation for the question. We can leave whenever needed, we can stay gone as long as needed and we can put ourselves in a straight truck.

Is expediting for us? as a team. Will pay justify the move? Thinking about keeeping the authority and working for a fleet owner as a trial. Spoke briefly to Fedex CC and they seemed very interested in us. Then again, I can fog a mirror, so, I'm guessing that would get any recruiter interested.

Thoughts and feedback appreciated. Really would like to hear from married couple teams. Thanks for your time.