Few Questions :)

Knightrider5401 · Dec 29, 2005

My wife and I are starting into Expediting( i have been driving semis for 3 yrs) we are hiring on with an owner for awhile before we buy our own (with panther2)we are going to be in a cargo van.

we were wondering if there are any pointers for making more money

how are the miles we were told about 1500 max is that true? thats kinda low
is there a way to get free showers or is it because we are in a van that we have to pay for them?
thanx for the input

L&M:+

RichM · Dec 29, 2005

Flying J has a deal with their frequent fueler card similar to the ones the big trucks use. I believe you have to get 2 fillups totaling over 50 gallons to qualify. Itmight be part of their RV program. Terry O can give a more defenitive answer on this.

terryandrene · Dec 29, 2005

Flying J's frequent fueler card may be used at the 4 wheel gas or diesel pumps. Buy 20 gallons of gas or diesel and 1/2 shower and 1/2 beverage will be applied to you card account. The half credit will get you a half price shower. Get 20 gallons a second time and you'll then have enough credit for a free shower. Have a card for your co-driver linked to your card and you'll get identical additional credits applied to the co-driver card. Each credit expires at the end of seven days.

Other national truck stop chains offer varying premiums with the use of their company credit or fueler cards; check out all of them. Ask for the old people discount at the restaurants, if you can pass the age test, you'll nearly always get 10% off the bill. Ask for the 'road warrior' discount at all of the food stands at all of the turnpikes.

The very best pointer for earning more money in expediting is to get into your own truck as soon as you've decided to stay in the expedite field and it is financially feasible.

Terry

Tennesseahawk · Dec 29, 2005

Pointer to making more money... get into a C or D unit instead of a van. I'm not saying that to be a smartarse. You not only get a higher rate, but as a team you'll get TONS more miles.

SHARP327 · Dec 30, 2005

And Remember Big can haul small but Small can't haul big!

There's so many times that I'll have a B load in my D unit because theres no vans in the area to take the run.

hondaking38 · Dec 30, 2005

so true but ive taken small straight truck loads in my sprinter, because of the heighth and it holds 3 pallets...ive never done a side by side comparrison..however with the lower payments, higher fuel mileage, i bet i keep more in my pocket at the end of the month then a single straight truck driver...i have grossed as high as $3210.00 in a 6 day period...take out all the expenses such as fuel,payment etc and i still pocketed 2500.00 that week...however i repeat that was the best week...

LDB · Dec 30, 2005

I believe the D unit is going to net more per mile. Fuel costs are definitely higher however if we say $2.50 per gallon fuel, 9mpg D unit and 22mpg Sprinter the cost per mile is roughly 11cpm for the Sprinter and 28cpm for the D unit. If we use the fairly common 77cpm van rate and $1.20 D unit rate that's 43cpm more to the D unit. Fuel takes about 17cpm of that leaving about 25cpm more to the D unit. From what I understand a D unit typically gets about double the fsc of a van so the difference isn't really that large but for discussion we'll use it. The D unit is probably only going to pay more like a dime a mile higher fuel after surcharges though.

As mentioned, payments are the other big variable. It's tougher to compare that than it is fuel costs but if a team averages 2500 miles per week that's another $625 based on the 25cpm after the fuel upcharge. I would guesstimate the D unit payment to be more like $200-300 higher per week at most so for the same miles a D unit should put $300-400 more into the pocket plus however much more the higher fsc contributes.

There are other things to consider like convenience, logs, etc. that the Sprinter wins on. Those don't have a specific dollar value but have to be factored in the decision process.

Leo Bricker, owner trucks 3034, 4958
OOIDA 677319
73's K5LDB
EO Forum Moderator 1+ Years of Service
Expediters Online.com - The Best is Getting Better!
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terryandrene · Dec 30, 2005

LEO:
you said "a D unit typically gets about double the
fsc of a van" Why would that be so? My understanding is the customer pays a FSC based on the tariff miles/weight without regard for the actual size or fuel type of the vehicle hauling the freight.

I submit that you over-simplify the cost/benefit analysis to determine the net profit of a van vs a straight truck (ST). Among the things that need to be considered are:

Usable life of the Sprinter : usable life of the ST;

Miles traveled per year Sprinter : Miles traveled per year ST;

Cost of Sprinter with financing : cost of ST with financing;

End of life scrap value, Sprinter : End of life scrap value, ST;

Operating cost incl fuel/maintenance, Sprinter : Operating cost incl fuel/maintenance, ST

Tax liability/deduction Sprinter (i.e. mileage allow.) : Tax liability/deduction ST (i.e. depreciation)

Revenue potential solo in Sprinter or team (+33% of solo) : revenue potential solo in ST or team (+68% of solo)

Dreamer · Dec 30, 2005

The difference in a van vs truck (the age old question..) is simply a question of complexity vs income.

Van .. , lower costs, lower regulation, lower expence, lower income (yes 1500 miles a week is about right)

Truck, higher initial costs, higher regulation, higher operating expence, but higher overall income.

I like vans for the simplicity, but that's just me. It's getting harder for vans to make a buck with some companies, yet I talk to one now and then who's running their butt off.

Dreamer
Forums Administrator

Knightrider5401 · Dec 30, 2005

Ok so really its looking like we might want to get into a straight truck. but for now we will have to run the van due to money.

to the drivers running vans are you making money at it?

Will it help to have my wife drive too?

any guess on how much fuel i will bur a night keeping warm any tips on that we are running under an owner but we have to pay our own fuel. we are doing a 70/30 split on the pay
L&M

greg334 · Dec 30, 2005

> to the drivers running vans are you making money at it?

Yep!

> Will it help to have my wife drive too?

Yep!

> any guess on how much fuel i will bur a night keeping warm

I can burn up to 7 gallons a night if I don't drive it and get it to operating temp. The ECU goes into the warmup cycle and adds too much fuel during the idle cycle. I know what the problem is and will fix this in the spring. I suggest getting an Espar heater.

Tennesseahawk · Dec 30, 2005

One other thing to look at in a s/t is living space. Imagine taking a 2000 mi run straight thru that fills the van. How are you going to sleep? If you're planning on running for someone for a time, find someone with a truck. You can negate all the extra costs if you take 40% vs 60% and deal with fuel, etc. You can always go back to a van if you don't like it. But I think you'll find a team running a van gets too cramped for comfort.

RichM · Dec 30, 2005

In Europe one of the most poular RV's is the Sprinter.Every year when we watch Lance blow the French,German,Italians away,all you see on the side ofthe road are Sprinter RV's. Not too long ago I was talking to a guy at a Supermarket and he had a Sprinter RV. Turns out he was from Norway and him and his wife were touring the USA.He said it was a lot cheaper to ship his Sprinter roundtrip from Bremenhaven in Germany to Baltimore that it was to rent one for 4 months. It was oufitted nicely but had no cargo space. He drove a Scania T/T all over the Euoropean Common Market countries,amazing how professional drivers always find each other.

LDB · Dec 30, 2005

>LEO:
>you said "a D unit typically gets about double the
>fsc of a van" Why would that be so? My understanding is
>the customer pays a FSC based on the tariff miles/weight
>without regard for the actual size or fuel type of the
>vehicle hauling the freight.

I based that on what I've had other drivers tell me they are getting for fsc in vans and trucks. I presumed the weight of the load was the difference since most of the guys I've talked to were telling me about half the fsc in a van as I was getting in my D unit and the weight of the load was half or less in the van. I could certainly be wrong about that but that's my impression based on discussions with Panther drivers.

Leo Bricker, owner trucks 3034, 4958
OOIDA 677319
73's K5LDB
EO Forum Moderator 1+ Years of Service
Expediters Online.com - The Best is Getting Better!
-----
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Broompilot · Dec 31, 2005

Listen and re -- read what these people have posted. It is all very good information. T-Hawk and LBD are correct a D unit is going to out earn and be much, much more consistant than a B or C unit. Now some C- units are speciality set ups I am just talking in regards to a large Cube Van.

Honda King posted some #s and those are healthy even for a D unit and expenses vs gross is outstanding. Teams in a D unit should average very close to between 4K a week to 6 maybee even a little higher. Ateam or the Gibster would have much more accurate #s. Of that gross if you owned the truck including payments, insurance I find that all operating expenses run me around 40-44% of the gross including FSC.

I wished it werent so but this is the reality. The first 5K generated is the most critical cause fixed expenses are just that fixed after the first 5K than its pretty much fuel, maint etc..

FIS53 · Jan 1, 2006

Well I agree with Greg.

Yea you can make money, I do!

Yes take the wife

And definitely get a heater!!!

Money will depend on loads you get and your availability.
The wife will help with availability and hours you can run so helps with getting some extra loads as your not as tired.

If you're going to run northern US and into Canada definitely get a heater (Espar or whatever) and one that heats the engine coolant.

I run solo and at times to deliver on time have to do a few too many hours. I use the passenger seat for a quickie sleep or if the load is large (takes up cargo space) so I try to put a small skid up front and off angle behind drivert to allow passenger seat to lay back, otherwise use my bed. The heater is better than running the engine. I did a run to the bush north of Thunderbay Ont, and it was -24f with the wind chill, went back to Nipigon to sleep at a truckstop but it was -22 there so my Sprinter did not keep me warm enough. Left after 2 hours went east to Marathon and it was only -17 which was better and I got some sleep.
I like the van, have driven semi and straights but I really like the greater freedom in a van. Coming from Ottawa (summertime) I stopped at a lake (was tired) and fished for 2 hours (would never have gotten a straight down the little dirt road). More freedom to sightsee and do the tourist thing in the van. But that's me.
Try it and see, good luck
Rob Fis

Knightrider5401 · Jan 1, 2006

More freedom to sightsee and do the tourist thing in the van. But that's me.
Try it and see, good luck
Rob Fis

that is something we want to do too. I have drove a T/T for 3 yrs and we always want to stop at places but they dont allow trucks so that is something we are looking foward to
as for a heater i can only hope that the guy i am going to run for has one in the van other wise we will be cold till i get a van lol

we will just have to see
L&M