D Units on the Highways

[x06col]

Atta girl Cheri. You tell em about making and keeping happy customers. The large print on the box don't necessarily make happy customers, or, drivers, as we all know.

Yes Coz, those numbers are easily attainable, with reasonable hometime, if, thats important.

This has turned into a good thread since our thin skinned originator departed. Eh?

 

[RichM]

Comon Larry that wasn't called for.

 

[arrbsthw]

There's one in every crowd

 

[cheri1122]

Compliments from the Col. are so rare, I hate to spoil the euphoria, but Rich is right. BroomPilot is one who genuinely wants every one of us to do well, and I'd sure miss him, if he quit posting.

 

[x06col]

Aw cmon he needed a little jab, ya know. Just to keep him on his toes. Enjoy yer new gig Cheri, there IS fun and prosperity to be had out there. Too bad a few others don't realize it.

 

[kwexpress]

KW Express
o/o till i die

I dont see nothing wrong with the old trucks myself I run with a unknown carrier that consist of 3 trucks.My truck is a 94 volvo class 8 with a detroit 60 set at 430 hp its a real truck that I paid around 6k for.I wouldnt have it any other way.

I run as much or little as I want all I have to worry about is doing one run a month to cover insurance and without those fancy nancy toys on the the truck theres not as much that I need to pay someone $65+ per hour to work on when I can do most things myself.

I dont want to depend on someone else to find me freight cause I dont want to have to say Im sorry but I dont go there.I sit at home spend about 48 hours away from home and gross over 2k every week that I choose to run.No sitting in the truckstops letting them suck my hard earned cash back out of my pocket no idle time just freedom.
yes I haul ltl and some expedite.but dont you sometimes expedite for $1.05 per mile so really the only difference I see between my old truck and your new one is I make back my original investment every month.and I still get 9-10 mpg so your not spending less on fuel than me.It doesnt make you a better person just because you choose to go 100k plus in debt to make someone elses company look good to me its about a move from point a to point b and back as close to point a then family time.

 

[Jefferson3000]

My truck right now is a 1998. I like not having a payment. My truck runs well and I keep it fairly clean. My decals are on my door. Maybe on my next truck I'll put them on the box just a bit bigger. Maybe not. Maybe next year I'll get a newer truck. 2001 maybe?


Drive Safe!

Jeff

Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119

[em]"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." --Mark Twain[/em]

 

[RichM]

KW and Jeff make some very good points. They are not working for a truck but working for themselves.What they earn stays with them rather than making a huge payment to a bank or finance company. Why have a $255,000 truck and no home when you can make the same income with a $40,000 truck,have a decent home,take time off when you want to and enjoy your children and your life.

One guy who has really done it right is John O, one of the EO Moderators. While his truck may be considered basic by some individuals his bottom line is way above basic.

 

[x06col]

But, that model, seems to me, I read, staying out 3 - 4 months each sitting. Not many us clowns choose to do that. I'd be real careful what model I follow. There is success, and, there is success, at what cost? Intensity, with some sence of norm would be my suggestion.

 

[davekc]

I think John did have the right approach. Most of it is what the return and margins are in your investment. If you compare the cost of a single new dry van against a reefer truck that is twice as much, the revenue has to be close to double. Assuming a $1.20 rate and .25 cent FSC, the reefer truck has to do at least $2.90 a mile on a consistant basis. I don't see those consistent rates on reefer frieght with a carrier.
Of course the expenses are higher on two trucks, but that offsets with twice the coverage.








Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[Broompilot]

I believe one of the questions was where have been? I - 77 I-64 Us 35 US 23 US 33 US 68 OH 15 I-75.


SAME OBSERVATION last week, very few FECC Panter vs companies names that I do not or you would recoginize.

If you take care of your truck, I have total respect for you. Ride and Pride = An Individual who cares about himself and equipment. What more could be said?

As to my original post, and the comments as to where I have been questioning what I posted. ANSWER.... not sitting in the truck stops. Where according to people I talk to is where the Expediters that I am not seeing ON THE ROAD are at. "do not beat up the messenger its only the message I am repeating from Expediters".

I stand by my orignal Post Not seeing name brand expediters but many I do not recoginize. Its growing individuals that is.

PS I think thats a good sign as well......

 

[Broompilot]

Excuse me Col. but let me just say it straight.

Your thin skinned original Poster is back.. Sorry I do not have time my fellow posters, to just sit back and open a six pack and post. I have been out drivimg and making a living. Not just sitting back watching a screen drinking beer like some who post on here do. Want facts? An old operator of this individual informed me of ones habbits explains the critisizm one has for everyones post by the way also.

 

[x06col]

Problem we have here, this seems to be a fairly small regional analysis. Maybe Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina. Probably not a real good view of the overall picture.

A number of small Carriers are in fact regional(maybe a half dozen states) and don't haul that "really" time sensitive freight. Some do. Experienced equipment, if, maintained well, will in my experience, yield less actual "down time" than the neat newer equipment, with all the bells and whistles, sensors, etc. that constantly fail. I will agree the shadows from former Carriers is not acceptable. My spin is, if the owner don't take the time or, make the effort to clean those things up, then they won't take the time, or, make the effort to do anything else right either. So, i'd just let them keep floating.

As far as "shooting the messenger" go's, I wouldn't even consider authoring something that I got from such a small sample, or, second hand truck stop BS, from people that really aren't that observant at all.

BTW. It would be such a waste to open a whole six-pack. I personnaly do mine, one bottle at a time.

 

[ATeam]

Problem we have here, this seems to be a fairly small
>regional analysis. Maybe Ohio, West Virginia, North
>Carolina. Probably not a real good view of the overall
>picture.

I agree. There is more to expediting than what any single driver sees on the road. Drawing conclusions about the industry based only on what one sees is a dangerous path. It would be like the ant in a happy, bustling community, seeing his friends and neighbors hard at work, but being totally unaware of the big foot that is about to stomp him out of existence. A broader perspective would help one know to scramble out of the way.

There is not a single source of information about the industry that is good enough to base conclusions on. The more sources you consider and weigh against the others, the more accurate your information will be, and the better conclusions will be made.

To assume that the industry is as you see it to be on the road is an extrordinary leap of naive self confidence (putting it kindly) that will lead to one bad decison after another, because the information on which the decisions are made is itself bad.

 

[greg334]

Phil, that’s a very very interesting statement you have there.

I think that it can be applied to some of the issues that have been brought up in the past about recessions and the niche of this industry itself – do you think?

 

[flatbedin]

I'd say that the man sitting at home popping the tops has a much harder job than loading freight, and holding the steering wheel.. I've worn both t-shirts, and the steering wheel is much easier...

As far as carriers go.. Sometimes the small guys are much hungrier than the big dogs... I like to eat steak, not spam.. And my chrome appetite is for my harley, not my truck..

 

[ATeam]

>Phil, that’s a very very interesting statement you have
>there.
>
>I think that it can be applied to some of the issues that
>have been brought up in the past about recessions and the
>niche of this industry itself – do you think?

No. I do not draw conclusions about recessions and this industry based only on what I see on the road.