Apply Now!

Have you cargo vanners tried hauling air freight?

B

BiggMaNN59

Active Expediter
Just commenting on cpmS and low cost of high mileage van. I used to expedite for Panther and Express one in 05 to 07. The last 13 months I have been running pharmacuticals as an owner operator for Henry Ind. for Wal Mart.

I bought a new 2012 Dodge Caravan C/V, no seats in back with v 6 penstar. I drive 545 miles/day 5 days a week for .43cpm. I average 22mpg. Three stops and leave 11 am back home at 9 pm. Something to do and thought I was making money. I write down everything I buy. Oil change every 3/wks, four sets of tires in 145,000 miles and new rear bracks, calipers, rotors,.Pay is 5070.00/mo and after lost days for weather problems, closed roads, motels if stranded, ins. etc I make about .17 cpm. Gave my notice and am running away cause can make more flipping burgers. Now van has high miles and still owe 17,000.00. Worst mess I got my self into but lesson learned. Also they don't pass on fuel surcharge. Sounds good but when keeping track of expenses it really opens your eyes. Then when major repairs happen I would really go into hole..
 
LDB

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Four sets of tires in 145k? Yikes! That's a LOT of tires in not a lot of miles. Sounds like a problem(s) somewhere.
 
noneya

noneya

Active Expediter
BiggMaNN59 said:
Just commenting on cpmS and low cost of high mileage van. I used to expedite for Panther and Express one in 05 to 07. The last 13 months I have been running pharmacuticals as an owner operator for Henry Ind. for Wal Mart.

I bought a new 2012 Dodge Caravan C/V, no seats in back with v 6 penstar. I drive 545 miles/day 5 days a week for .43cpm. I average 22mpg. Three stops and leave 11 am back home at 9 pm. Something to do and thought I was making money. I write down everything I buy. Oil change every 3/wks, four sets of tires in 145,000 miles and new rear bracks, calipers, rotors,.Pay is 5070.00/mo and after lost days for weather problems, closed roads, motels if stranded, ins. etc I make about .17 cpm. Gave my notice and am running away cause can make more flipping burgers. Now van has high miles and still owe 17,000.00. Worst mess I got my self into but lesson learned. Also they don't pass on fuel surcharge. Sounds good but when keeping track of expenses it really opens your eyes. Then when major repairs happen I would really go into hole..
Click to expand...

Ewww! What terrible summary of your experience. Reading this makes me want to consider a career change.

SENT FROM YO MAMA'S HOUSE!
 
Deville

Deville

Not a Member
BiggMaNN59 said:
Just commenting on cpmS and low cost of high mileage van. I used to expedite for Panther and Express one in 05 to 07. The last 13 months I have been running pharmacuticals as an owner operator for Henry Ind. for Wal Mart.

I bought a new 2012 Dodge Caravan C/V, no seats in back with v 6 penstar. I drive 545 miles/day 5 days a week for .43cpm. I average 22mpg. Three stops and leave 11 am back home at 9 pm. Something to do and thought I was making money. I write down everything I buy. Oil change every 3/wks, four sets of tires in 145,000 miles and new rear bracks, calipers, rotors,.Pay is 5070.00/mo and after lost days for weather problems, closed roads, motels if stranded, ins. etc I make about .17 cpm. Gave my notice and am running away cause can make more flipping burgers. Now van has high miles and still owe 17,000.00. Worst mess I got my self into but lesson learned. Also they don't pass on fuel surcharge. Sounds good but when keeping track of expenses it really opens your eyes. Then when major repairs happen I would really go into hole..
Click to expand...

I'm not surprised by this outcome at all.

There is a company out in NJ always looking for O/O called Medifleet & Partsfleet. They are pretty bad.

Medifleet would run ads looking for cargo vans so I Answered the ad for an open house. Went by the recruiter had no information for me other than the broad strokes of the job description & take information, a lot of personal information.

No information about pay rate other than it's route based. She could offer no information about the routes because it varies. I decided it wasn't worth my time. But since they were located in Edison, NJ & were looking for drivers of all shifts I would give it a shot.

I arrived 30 minutes prior to my scheduled meet time to scope the place out. No one contracting there had a cargo van. Everyone was using a car. I spoke to the station manager he explained the procedures, they used scanners, signing the drugs out etc...They delivered pharmaceuticals to nursing homes & Doctor offices. but he too couldn't give me any idea on an average route count, pay per stop or gross income. He basically gave the standard "the more you are available, the more you will make speech". Which really doesn't fly by me. The routes were a combo of set route work & on demand. A lot of miles running back & forth.

I went out with one guy using my van for the night, it cost me $40 for fuel $5.50 to cross the bridge & the gross pay was something like $85.

When I got back to the base there were a couple of people sitting around in their cars. One of them was a member of an E.L.Ks lodge, I'm an ELK & we knew some of the same people & we got to talking. I asked him flat out if he was making money. He said you could, but this was his retirement job & he was drawing a pension. He also used his car. An older Mercedes Diesel that got pretty good MPG. He was netting $250-$400 weekly but spent a lot of time on call. The route work didn't really pay much.

I decided it really wasn't worth my time. The next day I called the station manager & told him I wouldn't be coming back. I also explained to him how misleading the company ad was looking for cargo vans & but no one working there was running a cargo van & that with what they pay per stop I couldn't afford to run a cargo van & make any money.

After this happened the company pulled the ads down for cargo vans & switched the ad to looking for drivers with cars. So at least some good came out of it. But I suspect I wasn't the first person who rolled in with a cargo van that had the same complaints, I do think I may have been the first driver to call them out on their crap before I even started.

I suspect most people go in with the wait & see attitude & give it a few months. By than they either accept that this is the money they are going to make & adjust accordingly, or walk away. Either way the company doesn't care their deliveries were made & they will find another guy to fill the void.
 
Mailer

Mailer

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
BiggMaNN59 said:
Just commenting on cpmS and low cost of high mileage van. I used to expedite for Panther and Express one in 05 to 07. The last 13 months I have been running pharmacuticals as an owner operator for Henry Ind. for Wal Mart.

I bought a new 2012 Dodge Caravan C/V, no seats in back with v 6 penstar. I drive 545 miles/day 5 days a week for .43cpm. I average 22mpg. Three stops and leave 11 am back home at 9 pm. Something to do and thought I was making money. I write down everything I buy. Oil change every 3/wks, four sets of tires in 145,000 miles and new rear bracks, calipers, rotors,.Pay is 5070.00/mo and after lost days for weather problems, closed roads, motels if stranded, ins. etc I make about .17 cpm. Gave my notice and am running away cause can make more flipping burgers. Now van has high miles and still
owe 17,000.00. Worst mess I got my self into but lesson learned. Also they don't pass on fuel surcharge. Sounds good but when keeping track of
expenses it really opens your eyes. Then when major repairs happen I would really go into hole..
Click to expand...

I would stay put. Reevaluate the expenses, especially maintenance, repairs, and type of vehicle need for the job. There is potential for doing well and be home nightly.

I'm not sure flipping burgers will do any better than what you have right now :)
 
B

BiggMaNN59

Active Expediter
I won't be flipping burgers, just that was an example. I don't like to run tires with low tread so bought more often then needed and kept old tires and sold to others. I might get baack into expediting but will wait 6 months or so. I have pension and wife working so not starving. ,Thanks for all feedback.
 
xiggi

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A lot of sprinter drivers run those tires with the same results. I don't really think you can pick a better tire. It is an all season tire hence the ms designation.

sent from my Fisher Price - ABC123
 
KickStarter6

KickStarter6

Veteran Expediter
Our sprinter came with some Kumho tires and the ford has some off brand on it. Neither as y'all probably already know don't go for squat in the snow
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top