Good Team Truck?

[KeepRollin]

I am considering buying a Freightliner FLC112064St and would like to put a team in it. Here are the specs. on it: Cat C-10 335hp, Eaton 10 speed (semi auto), 70 inch raised roof sleeper, 24ft morgan box, Maxon lift gate, the truck has a single axle but I would consider adding a drop axle if needed. Is this a desirable truck for a team if the pay is right?
Thanks For the info

 

[Glen Rice]

What year is the truck and what goodies does the sleeper have? Refrigerator, sink, toilet, bunk beds, TV, stereo? You see what I'm trying to get at here? Most teams like a 84 or 96 inch condo style.

 

[RichM]

For a Fdl 112 you will probably need the tag axle,important issue is does the sleeper have 2 bunks.

 

[KeepRollin]

Glen,
It has the signature interior with TV, fridge and bunk beds. It is a 2001 and it has less than 130k miles. Would it be beneficial to add a drop axle?
Thanks

 

[ATeam]

I've seen teams operating out of trucks like that, so it can be done. Also note that I have yet to meet a driver that planned to get a smaller sleeper on his or her next truck. Given the sellers market good driving teams have going for them these days, you may find yourself at a recruiting disadvantage if another truck owner/fleet owner comes along with a more full-featured truck...sleeper space being an important feature.

 

[Lawrence]

Ateam,

You made a very good point on recruiting drivers for a smaller sleeper. I hear this on a daily basis at the EO office.

Take a look at our Classified section, then Teams Wanted. Spend a few minutes there and see the amount of responses that owners with nice, decent size sleepers get compared to the smaller ones.

This is a critical issue if you plan to hire drivers for this, I agree with the other poster - minimum 84".


Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com


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[Tennesseahawk]

Back in 96/97, my co-driver and I were crazy over a small fridge that just became an option in an FL70. Nowadays, if it doesn't have enough room to fit your local mall's metroplex theatre, it's not big enough. I understand the want for more room... especially for teams who are out 80% of the time. But we're starting to sacrifice cargo room for luxury space. At what point is it a bad business decision? Personally, I'd love to have the 150" bunk on the t-300 from truckpaper.com. I can't help but wonder what loads I'd be missing out on though.

I'm already seeing drivers forcing owners to spend more and more money on a new truck and the luxuries that comes with it. It also has proportionate payments. And owners go out of business if they're unlucky enough to get drivers who'd rather use the truck as a motel than a money maker. That's why I would say, unless you have the money to back up the goodies, stay with the cheaper stuff and hope you can find a team who will allow you time to expand, and thus get them newer equipment.

T-hawk

 

[Weave]

I run solo with a 70" sleeper, and it is great for just myself, but I think it's really too small for a team to try to live out of. At some expedite companies it really is a fine line between a large sleeper or bigger box though. Throughout last year I would have missed out on a lot of loads had I not had full use of my 24' box, which is as big as I can go with the 70" sleeper on my truck chassis. An 84 or 96" sleeper as Glen mentioned with a 22' box is becoming more or less the standard D unit for team operations. Solos I think would like at least a 60" sleeper for long periods out on the road.
-Weave-

 

[x06col]

We utilize both 60" double bunk and 110" double bunk sleepers. For me the 110" is a complete overkill. It is way difficult to keep warm during the winter months (we don't idle) Televisions are nice but i've used mine about 6 times this last year. With a little "cabin disipline" I certainly don't see the need for inordinate amounts of storage in sleepers when a small rack built in the front of the cargo area would store more than you need. I am wondering how much room folks need to sleep? We are in the trucking business and, as such, are either driving, sleeping or fueling. If we find ourselves delivering late friday or saturday without a reload right away we certainly find better places to spend our time than truckstops, malls etc. My unpopular position is... if your drivers want to go camping, send them to visit Mr. Winnebago.

 

[bluegoose94]

i run team and thay would be fine for us all we need is a bed and a truck not a condo

 

[davekc]

Another issue to consider is the 10 speed. Newer drivers will not have the experience to drive it without tearing it up. I learned the hard way many years ago on that. If you want a 10 speed, go auto shift or ultra shift.
While not the case every time, larger sleeper trucks generally are easier to recruit for. The larger the carrier, the less I think box size matters that much. We have looked at the revenue from numerous sized trucks and there is not that much difference. When talking box size, I am referring to 18 thru 24 foot.
Just my opinion based on prior fleet averages.
Davekc

 

[KeepRollin]

Davekc
The truck has an eaton auto shift 10 speed not a super 10 so it should be user friendly. I think you just clutch when starting and stopping.
On another note should I add a drop axle to the truck or is it fine with a single axle?
Thanks To all for the information I appreciate it.

 

[ATeam]

At what point is it a bad business decision?
>Personally, I'd love to have the 150" bunk on the t-300 from
>truckpaper.com. I can't help but wonder what loads I'd be
>missing out on though.

To my critics in the Open Forum, here ATeam goes again...speaking up. But since no one has so far answered the question asked with definitive information, allow me to do so.

We've been runnouing fleet-owner D-unit trucks for 17 months, both reefer-equiped and dry box. Before spec'ing out our new truck we ran a load analysis to answer the very question you ask; namely..."At what point is [a larger sleeper] a bad business decision?"

We found that 7% of our loads were true D-unit loads, either by weight or size (height/length/width). If we went with a C-unit to accomodate a larger sleeper, we projected - based on our actual results - we'd lose those D loads.

However, that does not mean that the income is certainly lost too. If we had a C-unit in the situations where the 7% of the loads were offered to us, those loads would not have been offered. But it may very well be the case that a smaller load would be available in the same city on the same day. Or it could be that no additional loads of any size would come up on the board. Such is life in expediting.

With those considerations in mind, we decided on a large-sleeper C-unit with an RV-like shower and toilet. The freight doesn't have to pee.

 

[ATeam]

>We utilize both 60" double bunk and 110" double bunk
>sleepers. For me the 110" is a complete overkill. It is
>way difficult to keep warm during the winter months (we
>don't idle) Televisions are nice but i've used mine about 6
>times this last year. With a little "cabin disipline" I
>certainly don't see the need for inordinate amounts of
>storage in sleepers when a small rack built in the front of
>the cargo area would store more than you need. I am
>wondering how much room folks need to sleep? We are in the
>trucking business and, as such, are either driving, sleeping
>or fueling. If we find ourselves delivering late friday or
>saturday without a reload right away we certainly find
>better places to spend our time than truckstops, malls etc.
>My unpopular position is... if your drivers want to go
>camping, send them to visit Mr. Winnebago.

Your comments are right on for people that are in the trucking business as you describe. For others like Diane and me, expediting is more than just trucking, it is a lifestyle. We love the travel, tourist opportunities, and simple peace and quiet expediting can provide. To enhance our quality of life on the road, a big sleeper is the ticket.

While a quick glance down the road shows that Mr. Winnebago meets a lot of people's needs, he does not meet ours. We're both truckers and tourists. An expediter truck gives us the ability to travel and earn a great living at the same time.

 

[RichM]

Nothing like running a large sleeper in order to handle B loads.

 

[Weave]

I'd rather have a good paying D load in the back of my 24 footer and just pee at the rest area
-Weave-

 

[davekc]

As you made aware, a 10 speed auto shift is a much easier sell. You are correct in saying that the clutch is used when starting and at a dead stop.
As far as a tag or pusher axle, I think it would depend on the carrier and whether they consistantly have a use for it. If you are not sure, I would run without it for a period of time and see if your truck is productive. It is a large expense that you want to justify prior to making the investment. If you find that most drivers within your carrier have them, I would talk to them and move forward with your decision.
Good Luck
Davekc

 

[KeepRollin]

Thanks to all for the info it was very helpful to read all the different opinions.
Have a good one!