I seem to have opened a can of worms

[LastChance2]

My other thread has gotten inundated with differing topics all stemming from my original post, and some of them have gotten a little huffy (and I'm including myself in that, I'm queen of huffiness at times ).

However, it was not my intention to almost seem like a troll and just jump in with both feet when I finally decided to start posting after almost a year of lurking.

I enjoy the topics, the posts, the people I already feel like I somewhat know just from reading, and I don't want to get me and my co- off on a bad start on this board.

We all have our stories, our gripes, our tall tales, what have you, but we also have one thing in common. We decided to get into this business for whatever reason and that's what has brought us here.

However, I will say this. I'm a bit sorry that I shared as much personal type information as I did, and I'll tell you why.

John will be out on the road and always talking to other drivers and I actually get a little put out when he tells our brokers, talks financials, etc.

The reason being, I have been a home-based transcriptionist (if you aren't sure what that is, it's what I'm doing right now, TYPING, just not from dictation but from the thoughts in my own head) for 13 years and I have seen this business go down the tubes because of companies outsourcing my work overseas and then griping about the quality of the work. Of course, I then get paid to clean it up, but hey, gotta make it somewhere. Sharing information is feeding the competition, to an extent anyway. (Speaking of that, I will share a funny... I was speaking to a recruiter for one of our brokers months ago when we were wanting to bring them on board, and we get all the way to the end of the conversation and she says, "Please tell me John speaks English." I said, "Yes..." kind of questioningly. She giggles a bit and says, "Well, we have so many Russian drivers, I can't understand any of them." I just laughed and told her, "No, John is about as American as you can get. Just hope you can understand what people call our hillbilly drawl here in KY.") Reading it, I'm not as good at relaying how funny it was at the time.

Anyway, I'm not normally a sharer when it comes to anything that might affect my bottom dollar. I shared the financials like I did only for the point of my post. I wasn't bragging or griping or even trying to be one up on somebody. I just did it to help the point I was trying to make. Some would say (and pretty much have said) I failed, but as Xiggi said, if I'm happy that's all that counts, and that's true of all of us. I'm not going to share my brokers' names (not on purpose anyway), although I have shared one of them in a post specifically about them. We do run for two large ones (one is our top payer and one is our bottom) and then two smaller ones (I say small, one runs 150 trucks which I guess is small, all ICs, but the other is pretty well known and runs O/O plus a fleet of their own) and they are our two middle payers. I say payers, but I guess I really mean payers in terms of how many miles they get us.

So while I don't think of it as any state secret or anything like that, I will also not encourage anyone to start in this business or will I just share my brokers' names willy-nilly. See, I'm greedy like that, if you aren't already doing this and you're wanting to, I'd be more prone to discourage you, not because I'm a negative person, but because one more person out on the road is my competition.

Hmm, now that I go back and read this, it seems that all this may do is open another entirely different can of worms.

Not my intention at all, folks. Just been a slow day in the proofing world and having a hard time climbing down from my soapbox.

Everyone have a great night. I have an eight year old chomping at the bit to get ready to go to basketball practice.

 

[Ragman]

Were you warned about me?

 

[Rocketman]

You were doing just fine in your other thread until you made a challenge. From that point on...it is game on.

I personally think that you are at least doing one thing right (probably several), you are holding out for better rates. You seem to be happy with what you've got going (and probably should be). I applaud you for that. I guess my only suggestion would be that before you make the my 4 against anybody's 1 comment in the future...well, your numbers just wont win that battle. They may be good and you may be happy with them, but they wont win that battle. Fwiw....the numbers you gave for the cargo van looked pretty impressive for the equipment.

I'll also say this. I have exchanged pms with a multi carrier o/o today who did have some impressive numbers. He asked me not to share much info, so I wont. I'll just say that he had numbers to back it up. If I could see more of those kinds of numbers, I would be a lot less harsh on the multi carriers.

You do seem to have a good personality with a lot of spirit. I like that :thumbup:

 

[Moot]

You were doing just fine in your other thread until you made a challenge. From that point on...it is game on.

The other thread being her post in the Welcome Forum? Yeah, that was fine and dandy. The thread she started in the General Forum: Multiple Carriers... is where she lost any credibility. Every time she was challenged she change her story. Different vans, time off, different rates, etc. If you are satisfied with what you make per mile fine, but you failed to prove your initial premise that running for multiple carriers is more profitable than running for a single carrier.

Your average is .95/mile for the cargo van and 1.00/mile for the cube. I got you beat on both and I'm not bragging. The sad fact is I'm apologizing. In the late 1990's I was averaging .97/mile and I for much of that time I was paying less than a $1.00/gallon for gas. Much less for parts, labor, food, etc.

My point is that this past year I averaged just over 1.01 per loaded mile. I know I'm getting hosed. You are running for .95 and think it is manna from Heaven. You believe what your broker buddies tell you about the .85/mile. Fine, if it works for you great! I consider your .95/mile average low. People at Load 1 consider my measly 1.01 low. Its all relative.

Another very important factor is profit. I averaged 16.91 miles/gallon or .21/mile. Less than my f.s.c. average of .24/mile. What does that wide cuber with the boot over the cab do for mpg?

 

[LastChance2]

You were doing just fine in your other thread until you made a challenge. From that point on...it is game on.

Well, I honestly didn't feel I made the challenge, I was answering a challenge that someone had made in another thread about showing that they didn't think running for multiple carriers was as lucrative as running for one good one. And while that may be so for some people, it has not been so for us, and I proved it for myself, not for anyone else. I have proof from my own numbers for myself. I wasn't trying to up a new challenge, but I can prove that it works better for me. And thanks for the rest of your post, I am spirited and very outspoken, some say a curse, some say it makes me the life of the party.

 

[LastChance2]

The other thread being her post in the Welcome Forum? Yeah, that was fine and dandy. The thread she started in the General Forum: Multiple Carriers... is where she lost any credibility. Every time she was challenged she change her story. Different vans, time off, different rates, etc. If you are satisfied with what you make per mile fine, but you failed to prove your initial premise that running for multiple carriers is more profitable than running for a single carrier.

I never once changed my numbers, the numbers are the fact. I never once changed any story or what I was saying. The numbers never changed and I still stand by the numbers I have put forth.

What changed was when I flat out gave my numbers, then I had to defend that they were for one van, yes, they were (the original numbers and then when the standard CV was brought up, I switched to those, different numbers, but not included in the originals because the CV is our expense payer).

I also was not the one that brought up the time off equation. That was brought to my attention, and since I hadn't thought of it that way, I then made allowances for that, the fact that May through December is eight months doesn't change. The fact that when I sat down and crunched the numbers and found that John was driving for six of those months and home for two of those months... that also didn't change the original numbers, just made them even better.

I seem to have offended you right off the bat, and if I did, then I apologize, but I never changed a number, nor a story, and if we're talking about challenges, as Rocketman points out, then I challenge you to show me where I did. The numbers are all in black in white in notebooks and in my Excel spreadsheets and they don't change... be kind of hard to keep up with them changing and yet have them as detailed as they were. I could have added the decimal points and cents to them, but just took those off and used whole numbers.

Your name is a perfect segue for me to say I'm just dropping the whole thing. It's a MOOT point anyway. As people seem to keep saying, as long as I'm (you, anybody) happy, that's all that matters. After running a totally different type of business for the past 13 years and jumping into this and it turning out to work for us, I'm proud of the accomplishment. Yes, I've had the tremendous support and expertise of a 20-year veteran, and considering how long he's been in this business in one form another, and he feels our game plan is solid and that it's working out for us, then that is truly all that matters.

But just to make it perfectly clear before I sign off of this subject once and for all, while in your eyes I may have lost credibility, that's no skin off my back, and 54k made and, yes, it's almost all profit (as I said, what the CV brings in pays our insurance and gas bills and from May to August when that was all that was running by itself I deducted the gas and maintenance before getting the 54k) I think that's an awesome number for considering myself a newbie. I was lucky that I had the capital to buy the vans outright so no payments and even slowly paying the capital back, so no matter what you or others may feel about my credibility, or even my personality, I'm proud of what I/we have accomplished in a short time and at least have the humility and can be humble enough to say that I can still learn a new piece of information every day from people on this forum and know I will. I have no chips on my shoulder, nor do I come close to knowing everything about any subject, but by golly once I learn it, I will take the tiger by the tail and put that knowledge to full and good use.

So nay sayers or supporters, whichever you may be, keep posting, I'll keep reading, and be glad for the knowledge.

Have a wonderful evening, I'm going back to my movie. And remember to smile!

 

[LastChance2]

Another very important factor is profit. I averaged 16.91 miles/gallon or .21/mile. Less than my f.s.c. average of .24/mile. What does that wide cuber with the boot over the cab do for mpg?

I know the math, but let's let you do it. It's a 31 gallon tank and we're averaging around 360 miles to the tank. The cuber isn't that wide. It's a 2005 Chevy Express cutaway with an actual 10x6 box (with a two foot cab over), but we're only using 8x6x6 of the space, so not much different than a standard cargo, area wise. Its GVWR is 9,600 and our weight ready to go out for three weeks is about 6,600.

The CV is a 2006 Ford, standard cargo length and width, averages anywhere from 14 to 17 mpg depending on load and lay of land. Gas costs us about 24 cents per mile in the CV, give or take the most obvious factors.

As I said earlier, I'm a number cruncher. Math is the only absolute in the world, and I love working with numbers, so I know all the facts and figures for what I'm doing myself. I can't speak for anyone else, nor would I dare or care to, but my numbers are hard and fast and you'll never find them changing.

 

[ntimevan]

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[Rocketman]

As for changing your numbers, I understand that you don't think you did...but you did..at least on the time off equation. You magicly went from 8 months to 6 months by deducting your days off. I also deducted some time off from my numbers, but I did it up front AND those days were not just normal 1 week/month off days. Those were days that I wouldn't expect anyone to count. I took other normal 1 week/month days off too...I didn't take those out of my numbers because they are normal, expected off days. My point being, you were in business for 8 months last year. Yes, you can deduct the 1 week per month and get it down to 6 months and make yourself feel better, but if your doing that to support your statement "I'll put my 4 against anybody's 1", well,,,then we get to go back and adjust all of our off days out of the picture too. My point on that being, you didn't get anywhere, we just all backed out our off days. So anyway, yes your a good number cruncher...but I am too as well as many other people on this forum.

I'm going to say this and I'm truly not trying to beat up on ya so much as to explain something. When you made your first post in that thread, you basicly said that you didn't want to start a debate about multi-carrier operators vs single carrier operators (at least thats the way I took it). BUT, then you immediately went into detail explainining how well you think you did as a multi carrier operator and then posted numbers. Then when challenged a bit, you immediately went into the "I'll put my 4 against anybody's 1" mode. Well, I'm sorry but you don't get to come on a public forum and say your not wanting to debate the issue, but then present your side of the debate. You can't do that and expect everyone to just sit back on their hands and say...."hmmmm...well, she says she doesn't want to debate it, so i guess I better just be quiet...sure would like to debate it though cause I know I can beat her numbers". Yeah, sorry Charlie, that dog don't hunt . If your going to make a debatable statements, your VERY likely to get debated around here.

So anyway. I think you'll make out just fine here once you realize that we are not a bunch of rookies. You may teach us something along the way, especially me..I'm a big dummy But for the rest of the crew, I'm guessing that you'll do more learning than they will. I would suggest that you try to learn from what people say rather than trying to defend against it. Your mind will absorb a whole lot more and you'll learn from people who have been in this business for many years...which is truly why I think your here to begin with...as we all are.

Good luck and have a nice night.

 

[paullud]

Huffy? No way, it is a great way for others reading to see differing points of view so they have the information to decide how they want to operate. Check out the thread by the guy getting out if the Army, he will be able to see the numbers and debate for and against the multi carrier idea. You wouldn't be the first person to have success running for more than one company and the information is here already about those that never got paid. Your answer about getting paid every week is valuable advice and people should heed that warning.

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[Turtle]

Well, I honestly didn't feel I made the challenge, I was answering a challenge that someone had made in another thread about showing that they didn't think running for multiple carriers was as lucrative as running for one good one. And while that may be so for some people, it has not been so for us, and I proved it for myself, not for anyone else. I have proof from my own numbers for myself.

That right there is the big red flag if righteous ignorance. You proved to yourself that running for multiple carriers is more lucrative than running for one good one, but you've never run for one good one, so you have nothing to compare. Others have shown you that running for one good one (and one bad one, that one being Panther <snort>) yields better numbers than you have, yet you still think your numbers are better.

You numbers aren't bad, but they are lower than they can be if you were running with one good carrier. The numbers don't lie.

I wasn't trying to up a new challenge, but I can prove that it works better for me.

All you've proven, to us and yourself, is that it works for you, but it doesn't necessarily work better for you, since you have no way of knowing which is better by virtue of the fact that you've only done it the one way.

And here's the other red flag...two of them actually...

nd 54k made and, yes, it's almost all profit as I said, what the CV brings in pays our insurance and gas bills and from May to August when that was all that was running by itself I deducted the gas and maintenance before getting the 54k) I think that's an awesome number for considering myself a newbie.

The first is that you think it's all profit. The second is now your gross revenue of 54K is after operating expenses like insurance and fuel. You're changing numbers again. But more to the important red flag, the notion that that 54K is almost all profit. Number crunch the Rule of Thirds. Also you should number crunch your CPM (Cost Per Mile) (<--click that. No, really, go ahead, click it), since profit cannot be seen until after you've deducted the CPM for every mile that van or cube moves. You should learn this spreadsheet, know the spreadsheet, become one with the spreadsheet. You will learn that fuel and insurance is only a small portion of your fixed, variable and other operating expenses, and only after you know what those expenses are will you be able to ascertain what your profit is. My tires cost me about a penny per mile for every mile I drive, for example. That's not profit, that's an expense, an operating expense.

As for opening a can of worms, canned worms can be quite tasty.

 

[Moot]

I know the math, but let's let you do it. It's a 31 gallon tank and we're averaging around 360 miles to the tank.

If you know the math, why not just post the exact number? If we assume what's his name is running the tank down to the fumes before refueling then you are getting 11.6 mpg. Let's be generous and call it 13 mpg. Last year I payed an average of $3.47/gal. or .21/mile. At 13 mpg it costs you .27 mile.

The CV is a 2006 Ford, standard cargo length and width, averages anywhere from 14 to 17 mpg depending on load and lay of land. Gas costs us about 24 cents per mile in the CV, give or take the most obvious factors.

As I said earlier, I'm a number cruncher. Math is the only absolute in the world, and I love working with numbers, so I know all the facts and figures for what I'm doing myself.

Why is you don't have any accurate numbers for your second greatest expense?

Could you explain about the Ford cargo van being used to cover expenses. That probably isn't your exact wording but it was something like that.

Also, I'm curious to hear more about the cube van and how what's his name sleeps in the boot over the cab. You have mention Laredo several times, how does what's his name sleep up there without parboiling his cauliflower?

Did this dude run a motel with his mother before she died?

 

[aquitted]

If you know the math, why not just post the exact number? If we assume what's his name is running the tank down to the fumes before refueling then you are getting 11.6 mpg. Let's be generous and call it 13 mpg. Last year I payed an average of $3.47/gal. or .21/mile. At 13 mpg it costs you .27 mile.





Why is you don't have any accurate numbers for your second greatest expense?

Could you explain about the Ford cargo van being used to cover expenses. That probably isn't your exact wording but it was something like that.

Also, I'm curious to hear more about the cube van and how what's his name sleeps in the boot over the cab. You have mention Laredo several times, how does what's his name sleep up there without parboiling his cauliflower?

Did this dude run a motel with his mother before she died?

Moot is that you? or Johnny Cochran

 

[LastChance2]

Let me just say this and I'll let you all get back to your little hen party.

My decision to once again lurk has nothing to do with not having thick skin, it's more that my skin is too thick and with all that's been said, it's better for me to just shut up. You know, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I have a sharp tongue and a sharper wit and if I were to unleash on this forum all the things I'd like to say (instead of playing the nice person I have been playing), I'd be moderated and banned anyway. You all have your clique and that's fine. I figure it's kind of like what I said I do, I don't want competition so I'd rather discourage someone in this business than to encourage them. I knew how it would be once I finally posted, just from reading all the posts for the past year, but I jumped into the fray anyway. It was actually quite entertaining for all of you to tell me I'm naive and making poor business decisions and what have you, when my co-owner has already forgotten more about this business than most of you will ever know. We don't have to have anybody's big ugly logos down the side of our trucks, we can decide to move or take a load when we want, not when they want, and if they want to bounce our phones to track our loads, great, but we're not doing stupid QCs on vehicles that we own.

Our model works, our gross is on par or above what you all are stating yours are, so we couldn't be happier. Maybe that's the problem, you're seeing high numbers from a small independent and maybe it's just the green eyed monster taking hold. Because so far not a single one of you listed numbers that are higher than mine for an eight month period (not even a full year).

And the one last thing I'd say is, yes, I have time to post because I'm sitting in front of this computer (or even using the app), but even though I signed John up this forum also, he's too busy getting loads and making the money to sit and take the time to post or even read the forum. So while you all are having your down time, posting on the forum, waiting on a load, we'll be running them for you.

Have a great day, and great rest of the year. May your loads be long and rpm be high....

PS: Moot, we have a true sleeper set up in the cube, air, heat, generator, fridge, microwave, we're comfortable. No motel expenses here, is that why you're able to post so much, because you're constantly having to sit in a hotel room waiting for a load? And the cargo van brings in just enough that it covers the gas expense for both, the insurance for both, and so far the maintenance on both (which has been average, alternator, catalytic converters, O2 sensors, oil, etc.). I know my vehicles apparently better than you know your own. My numbers are never wrong. Not only does our fuel card show the mpg, but I also figure it myself. Why is it you want so many more numbers from me anyway, I'm being told I'm doing it all wrong, that I'm not making any money, and everything else, so why should I share any more exact numbers with you? I gave you the numbers you needed to figure it yourself.

And you can insult me or try to get to me, but it isn't possible. My favorite quote is that I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person. And you have shown that not only are you unarmed, but seriously undermanned.

 

[Moot]

Is your name Lisa?

 

[Turtle]

You're not only naive, but delusional. Not one person has said you aren't making any money, or that you're doing it wrong. Not one. Many, in fact have said you're doing fine, but that you could be doing better. The assertion that your way is the best way and that you're making more money than anyone else is just flat out absurd. There are as many "best ways" to expedite as there are expediters. Your model works for you and you like it, and that's really all that matters. I'm pretty sure that's been said a time or two here, as well.

On a side note, if you only learn one thing here, you should learn that the one person you're the most snarky with, Moot, has experience in both general trucking and expedite that makes your boyfriend look like a greenhorn newbie. Seriously. Unlike most of us, he's not your average dumb-as-a-brick moron van driver. Not by a long shot.

 

[ntimevan]

time to get more popcorn. ...

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[highway star]

And the one last thing I'd say is, yes, I have time to post because I'm sitting in front of this computer (or even using the app), but even though I signed John up this forum also, he's too busy getting loads and making the money to sit and take the time to post or even read the forum. So while you all are having your down time, posting on the forum, waiting on a load, we'll be running them for you.

Your talking with van O/Os here that are putting up gross numbers that rival yours and they have the down time to be here. Meanwhile, you say your driver is too busy for this. Hmmm...

How many times have we seen this? You try to have a grown-up exchange of ideas and info and somebody wants to go away in a huff. Do we have to really treat the newbs with kid gloves?

 

[highway star]

On a side note, if you only learn one thing here, you should learn that the one person you're the most snarky with, Moot, has experience in both general trucking and expedite that makes your boyfriend look like a greenhorn newbie. Seriously. Unlike most of us, he's not your average dumb-as-a-brick moron van driver. Not by a long shot.

The Mootology Royal Council likes this and is considering Turtle for a promotion to Level 1 Mootologist.

 

[xxiv24]

Awwwww....I like her! She's buff....

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