It doesn't matter where the blame lies. What matters is, either your making money or your not. Finding ways to survive is just that.... survival. Making money has nothing to do with learning to survive.
Quite true. How to survive for at least 30 days should have been determined before that van or truck ever left the owner's lot (or home if an o/o). In this business, when somebody sits for 10 days in any kind of vehicle, regardless of who owns it, who runs it, who finds the freight for it, what color it is, what the nationality of the owner or driver is, whether or not it has windows or signs, what the GVW is, etc. etc., the owner and the driver are going broke. Period. Sitting in Laredo for 10 days? Seriously? For the rate you are likely to get if and when you finally get a load? I hate to be the one to break it to you but it's Walmart time. It's time to go home and fill out the application for greeter at the employment kiosk at Walmart.
If you are running for van rates, a 10 day wait IS NOT SUSTAINABLE!! It is going to put you far enough behind the eight ball that you are going to go belly up. Maybe not this month, maybe not next month, but by the third month you will be done. There too many factor working against you, even when you really know what you are doing. As far as the ex Penske big yellows go, at 10MPG, your margins are weak even if your deadhead is nil and you get a decent load every day. reduce that to even 3 days are week and you doing little more than trading dollars.
Additionally, it is not the carrier or fleet owner's responsibility to offer a per diem, a draw, an advance, or whatever you want to call it. Basic human compassion is one thing and I get that but from a business standpoint it is the Independent Contractor's responsibility to pay for living expenses. If it were me sitting in somebody else's hot van in Laredo for even one day I would be re-evaluating my decision to enter this business, NOT the layover practices of the fleet owner.
