LET ME RE-PHRASE THAT

[louixo]

I posted a couple of weeks ago, asking about trucking/expediting and trends, and didn´t get the answer to my question. What I was trying to find out, is, for example in expediting, if you´rea single, do you see any specialty areas that are starting to open?(super D units, super B units or tractor and pup) Are you singles picking up any specialty loads more frequently. Flatbed load for example. Ive seen just a couple of straight flatbed trucks out there on the road. Also, are "D" unit singles sitting alot , or getting mostly short runs? Is anybody expediting flatbed exclusively and keeping the wheels turning?
I would like to hear from some of you tractor trailer singles. Are you moving?What are you hauling? Mostly auto? I called two major expediters, who told me thier contracting emphasis is on tractor trailers. Especailly teams. Reminds me of the days when the TT industry was changing over from 48 to 53 ft. trailers. It got to the point you couldn´t load a 48 unless you were hauling specialty freight.Your thoughts and experiences please.

 

[Preacher]

There seems to be quite a bit of flatbed freight out there. As a hotshotter I use my Ford F350 Powerstroke crew cab dually with a flatbed to pull a 40' flatbed gooseneck trailer. My gross combined weight rating(GCWR)is 25,500lbs. This keeps me under CDL. I am being leased on at $1.40 - 1.66 per mile (depending on the load) and getting as many miles as I want. I pay for my own load and liability insurance, but that works out to only be about $0.08 per mile. My primary loads are air conditioners, fork lifts, plastic septic tanks, plastic pipe, etc. I see hotshot as expediting with a flatbed. The loads are never more than 10,000lbs and usually are in the 5,000 - 8,000lb range. They consist of items that are perhaps too big or bulky for vans or straight trucks that can be hauled while exposed to the elements.

However, I have found that getting into the hotshot biz is much more difficult than expedite. The prime reason is there are alot of small hotshot operations around the country and they do not have the sophisticated recruiting operations that the expediting companies have. Most are 1-4 truck operations with their own DOT authority. There are a couple of larger hotshot companies out there, but nothing like the expedite industry.

 

[louixo]

Thanks Preacher. That´s the kind of info I´m curious about. I´m taking some extended time off right now, but when I come back out I will be running single for awhile. I´m not so sure expediting will be for me as a single. In my tractor trailer days, I used to do alot of specialized liftgate, and dropdeck loads. There must be that kind of freight in expediting. It´s for sure not all palletized. I just wonder if there is enough of it. I hope some of the TT singles give some input as far as freight and loaded miles etc.

 

[davekc]

As a general rule, most larger flatbed hotshot companies are located in TX,LA, and AL. Most of this freight is related to the oil and chemical industry. Very competitive and not for the novice or timid.
Davekc

 

[Preacher]

What area of the country are you in Louixo? I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma and there is alot of hotshot work here and in Arkansas, as well as in the states that davekc mentioned. I could have taken a load from Little Rock to outside of Seattle for $1.61 per mile for a little over 2300 miles. There was also a back haul from Oregon to Wichita that paid 1.50 per mile. I have also found some good hotshot loads coming out of upper New York state that are year round and pay very well. There is a need for hotshot all over the country, although it is heavily focused in the oil producing states right now because crude is so high and they are activating some old and dormant oil wells. This means that they need parts when someting goes wrong, and they need them yesterday! The hotshot industry is not as organized or as visible as the expedite industry, but there are plenty of loads out there to keep me busy. I'm expecting to hit the ground running with around 2000 miles per week right out of the starting gate.

 

[Twmaster]

I see a lot of those HotShot rigs all the time here in the east. Saw at least three this evening on my way north out of Richmond, VA on I95. One was loaded with plastic tanks, the other had a small bucket truck and the third had some sort of large boxy item tarped over. Same setup Preacher mentioned. Big dually pick-up and a goose neck. Also see a lot of rigs like that hauling cars these days.

--
Mike N

Faster than a speeding poulet.

 

[louixo]

I´m familiar with hotshot, and there are any number of rig combinations on the road. I think a flatbed lowboy or drop deck would be the ideal setup for expediting if the freight is out there. As Preacher mentioned, maybe it already is out there but called by a different name(hotshot). I read a few months ago that Tri State was beginning to haul trade shows in straight trucks.I have yet to hear of an expediter company that specializes in flatbed, but one would think there would be alot of JIT out there for flats. We´ve all seen the hotshots on the road running the bulky light freight, custom vans, plastic pipe etc. Also, over the years it seems if you look at the load boards in truckstops, the majority are flatbed loads, with vans running 2nd.

Preacher..I run the norhteast, mid-atlantic, and Canada mostly, and base out of Jacksonville. The expediter lanes.

 

[Crazynuff]

One little know expediting area is auto transport . FedEx bought Passport Auto Transport . If you have tracor trailer experience you might want to check them out .

 

[Preacher]

Auto transport is not for the weak or timid, but auto transport is especially profitable. Each auto transport truck that carries 10 cars can gross well in excess of $250,000 per year. The auto transport companies that are out there usually pay very well. Many company drivers are able to earn $80,000 or more per year, solo. Obviously, the best route to go is to have your own authority and your own hauling contracts. Getting your authority isn't that difficult, but getting the hauling contracts from auto dealers, who are your bread and butter, isn't so simple. The big drawback to auto transport is the work involved. This isn't no-touch freight. You have to load each car on the transporter and chain them down, making sure they are secure on all 4 corners. That means if you have a 10 car load, you have 40 chains to ratchet down. Then you must climb all over the trailer again in order to release the chains and unload the cars at their destination point. The other drawback is the nature of the freight. Cars get damaged and that doesn't make the customer too happy. Again, like I said, the auto transporters pay very well. To those who drive and work it, it is well worth the extra work involved.

 

[Preacher]

One other thing I failed to mention is the cost of equipment. If you are an O/O, whether leased on with a company, or with your own authority, new auto transporters can cost over $200,000 with all the bells and whistles. Used equipment that is reliable can also be fairly expensive.

 

[louixo]

Auto transport is not my cup of tea. I may just go back to big rig and stay in expediting, or go big rig in another area. I always ran team. This will only be my second time out as a single in my trucking career. Just looking for feedback and input, as to what´s out there.