Looking for loads!

Trucker1776 · May 7, 2007

Hey all!
I guess I am as new as they get. I am currently a desk jockey who is being downsized in June. I have had white collar jobs for most of my adult life, but have always had a passion for driving. I have been wanting to get out on the road for several years now, and it seems like I have the prime opportunity to finally do so!

I have gained a lot of knowledge from all of your posts! ...so thank you.

* I read that several people have asked about which is better, O/O or driving for someone else.
* I have read how much can I make doing this?
* I have read which company the best to drive for?
And to all of those decent questions the answer was like asking someone what kind of ice cream is the best! You'd get a different answer from different people

Question#1
SO, with all that said. is it feasable to get into the business with a GMC Express cargo van, be an O/O and only run 5-7 days a week??

Question #2
Where do I find load boards, so that I can find freight to haul?

Again,
thanks to you all for the fine posts. I look forward to talking with you and learing the ropes!!

LDB · May 7, 2007

Well, the first thing to do is read some more and find some of the many times it's been said this isn't a job it's a lifestyle. Expediting is a 2-3 week "job" followed by a few days at home and then repeated indefinitely. If you live somewhere like Dayton you may get by home more often than many but there are no guarantees. As far as jobs, the company you lease to will be looking for them for you. You can use online load boards as supplements as well. Keep researching and good luck.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

RLENT · May 8, 2007

Well ...... there's expediting - and then there's expediting.

Leo described one scenario - probably the more common one - especially at the larger companies. However I expedite as well but for a small regional company. I run a van (Sprinter, and I know that there is at least one Savanna leased on with the company I am with) and I usually run 3 to 5 days per week. I generally always return (deadhead) home after the longer runs - unless it is a local, and then I may have several in a day (as many as five or more.)

As Leo points out - you are probably far better leasing on with a company and letting them do the load finding (and sales calls, and billing, and ...... all the rest of it, etc.)

kwexpress · May 10, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

Cargo van load boards

good luck

nightcreacher · May 13, 2007

you better find a company that gets the loads for you,most of the loads on the load boards in truck stops are already dispatched before they go up on the boards,and if your in a van,going be hard to haul 40000 lbs,thats what you will find on load boards

fastrod · May 13, 2007

Now this is scenario no. three. Get your own authority, build your own customer base and deadhead home after every run. This is how I do it and it works very well. I do think you should lease to a carrier for maybe a year to learn expediting, then strike out on your own if you want.

Tennesseahawk · May 17, 2007

Granted, fastrod, it's worked for you. But how long did you drive for a traditional company before taking the leap? To run in this business, ya got to know the business. But I know exactly what you're saying... I know enough about dispatchers to know I'd be the best dispatcher for me.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

fastrod · May 17, 2007

I was leased for about a year. One thing to remember is that you do not have a company to fall back on if something goes wrong. It is a big risk but it is outweighted by the fact that I do not have any company b.s. to put up with.

nightcreacher · May 20, 2007

fast, you better tell these people that you give advise to,that on your own you will need a heavy cash flow,sometimes those customers dont pay for 21 days,and useing a broker,you may never get paid.I ve had my own authority,I make much more money doing what I do,and i dont have to worry about when my money is comming,or trying to find a customer to haul for.

fastrod · May 20, 2007

I use a freight factoring service. It is worth the 5 percent I am charged for the service. I also enjoy finding and dealing with customers. I do not deal with brokers.

kwexpress · May 20, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

I agree with fastrod the only way to go is your own authority.
Vans are a little tuff depending on what part of the country you are in.you may get runs out but just make sure you charge enough to cover the factoring fee I to pay 5.9% but im paid on a visa card just 4 hours after I deliver.they work on a sliding scale 4.9% for 4 hour pay I think it goes down to 4.9%for 24hr and so on till you reach a 21 day period and it goes down to 0.5% or something like that well just take a look for yourself

http://www.freightrevolution.com/index.htm

Now the filing fee for authority is $300 if you agree to pay them $99 dollars extra they will get it for you and help you every step of the way they have a free load board also can give you a code to check it out but the load board shows approved brokers they will fund without you even having to do a credit check.that can save you 20 minutes right there of search time waisted on boards like getloded find good people to haul for isnt a problem and finding funding instanty is at your fingertips if you got the connections
the 5.9% I give up is my back office payroll they do all credit and collection its a expence on my taxes latter and and cash flow right now from day 1.

Now you must rethink the type of vehicle you use change to a tractor
and you got a quarter million a year operation.keep in mind thats gross running legal.and you can do even better thats just the way I run and I am picky no NYC for me I prefer Montana even more than NYC even in the winter.if you got a few bucks say 10k you can do it with a big truck.If I want I can run IL to FL once a week and make 5k on the way down and sit in fl for the next week and put together 2,500 for the trip back.but if I do that it cuts me down to 14k per month so I usally throw in an expedite here and there to bring my gross up to 20k per month.

And I will say this about my factoring company and using visa cards

Life takes visa

just like your com-data cards once they load my money on to my visa card I can transfer right into my checking account.

so its kinda like direct deposit I just log onto a website and I dont have to give my wife my whole paycheck she just tells me what bills need paid and my life takes visa.

Being on your own is easy if you got the right people working for you
and nobody and I do mean nobody will work for you like yourself.so if you drive yourself you can make it your trucks get better fuel mileage and there is less wear and tear less accidents.

right now Im just getting kicks off starting as many trucking companies as I can for people who drive themself Im offering 2000 model and newer trucks complete with authority baseplates and ifta for 5k plus 1,500 per month for 12 months and your factoring is all set up.this is how you do total turnkey operations just turn the key and drive and collect your earnings.at the end of 12 months the truck the company every thing is yours.if they dont gross 20k the first month from the day hey pick up the truck I give them the option to return my truck with the exact amount of fuel as it had in it and I will give you the 5k back.

there is a thousand ways to do trucking.this way is how it works for me I have talked to fed-ex drivers that have told me they have had 10k weeks but how often who knows.all I am offering is if your serious about trucking I can show you the legal way to 5k a week every week of the year.

if you dont have 5k dont even think about taking a truck out of the driveway.

x06col · May 21, 2007

Waitaminute kw, I read something about you doing $1.10 a mile dedicated. Are you doing it all? Or, just typing?

nightcreacher · May 21, 2007

$5000 per week for 4500 miles,hes going to get a truck thats already worn out,and hes going to be very tired, unless runnning team,and at 1.10/mile, he cant afford a co driver,but you are right about one thing,if you dont do $5k per week you need not be out here.I'm not going into my pay.I'm away from home about 18 days a month,and we do better than $20k,but I average a lot more than 1.10/mile

kwexpress · May 21, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

Well that is true I have a tractor leased to a 1.10 lane but its my goal to start off as many trucking companies before the mexican invasion as possible so I am willing to do this for anyone. that truck on that is what that truck is assigned to.
not my authority that truck is run that way and im doing a side by side comparison on trucks that run under independant authority.its my own personal thing that I am working on. a side by side test if you will I want to see if if at the end of one year the truck that runs 460 miles a day 5 days a week is more of a profit than the over the road guy.
I personaly have ran open board for the last 4 months non-stop legal logging and can consistantly gross over 5k per wk have done it.
now the transfreight route is becoming a long drawn out ordeal going on 3 weeks now waiting on background checks.
transfreight already has the lanes but to me this CDS that they are having hiring owner ops did not at the time of the meeting with todd have properly notified the company that did the background on what they wanted returned to them.We are still waiting after all this time for a start date.10k lost gross revenue waiting on them.In the time it takes them to do 1 driver I can buy 2 other trucks.but I want a different authority for every driver I think its important not to slow down progress in the event 1 driver screws up.
when I made the switch with the tractor from independant that freed up the authority I can take a driver now buy a truck and put it under the authority sit at home and dispatch the one and let one of my group drive the other tractor.I also have 1 d-unit I will be looking to run under a different authority also.have not yet decided if I want him dedicated or dispatch that one also I would try an expediter with that one but I know I can do better running ltl
but Im still deciding if I want to go back out in it or invest heavy in tractors.tractors are cheaper than new class 8 units maybe a little better fuel in the straights but never without a load in the tractor.

kwexpress · May 21, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

but do you pay fuel taxes base plates and 8k insurance?

kwexpress · May 21, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

the guy doing 1.15 isnt

kwexpress · May 21, 2007

KW Express
o/o till i die

The one truck for transfreight will only run a littler over 2 thousand miles a week for 1.10-1.15 or more depending on what fuel goes up to your getting home every night and only working 5 days a week and maken what 1,500 a week but your protected somewhat by a fsc on every load and its supposed to be leightweight yet to be seen.

this route was picked for my brother to do the driving on as he is the one who wants to be home every night and thats what he wants that truck to make.

I am checking it out to see but it seems to me if I run him for 21 days straight otr he misses home to much he wants to snuggle with the wife at night and he looks at it as if he has what he wants he dont want to make alot of money and needs a truck that meets the need not a truck that cost 2,500 a month just to park at truckstops and prey someone screwed up today and you get a good run tonight.he will be a safe and well rested alert driver knowing this is my job I work 2-2 and get 1500 a week he can spend that.

the guy on the expedite may have been awake the last 12 hours sitting in a truckstop drinking coffee waiting for a page when he heads out on his 600 mile trip that delivers at 4 am.

one of the answers I am looking for Is when your expedite driver realizes the emotional strain on your brain and your bodys ability to sleep in the day in one 24 hour period and sit for a day or two or ten waiting on that 3.00 freight hes spending his money to feed himself so he could blow $200 of a paycheck before his next load
and hes got to worry about makeing that 2500 dollar payment and insurance and keeping mileage reports for ifta filings just to know if your carrier scams you on what they make you pay.this is a simple way to build control groups to do my own studies.

what group will have the higher turnover?
what group has a better quality of life?

Now understand its about freedom of choice the otr freight is not paying the same as the dedicated the otr trucks on non-expedites on average pay a gross of $1.50-$2.30 and them trucks should be prepaired to run 70 hours but only do 4 bumps a week 2 picks 2 drops
but what direction it will be in who knows when you get home who knows are you gonna be able to sleep at the same time every night or day yes.
average length of haul for driver 2 thousand miles because I dont want you to spend your time sitting.the trucks are not junk but some have a million miles and have had recent inframes in the last 4 months or so.the one sitting in my drive now has a detroit 60 500 hp
straight 10 and if you got 5k as a securment I will be happy to put a truck out there for you to.like I said im starting as many companies as possible to battle it out.