Moving up...

Tennesseahawk · Mar 7, 2015

Usually, I hear of people moving from bigger vehicles to smaller ones, out of necessity or convenience. However, I know of three people who have moved from vans to straights, and none who have moved from straights to semi.

While I have moved to straights, a number of years ago, after dabbling in semis; I have decided to go back to semis, in order to maximize my earning potential. The concept is the same, whether truckload, LTL, or expedite... make the customer want to use your truck; and by moving up to a bigger vehicle, you add flexibility into your things to offer them.

I'd like to hear from people who have bucked the trend, and moved to bigger vehicles, in order to increase their potential.

cheri1122 · Mar 7, 2015

If you want to hear from people who moved up to a t/t, I think you need to find a different site - not many t/t people on this one.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 7, 2015

cheri1122 said:
If you want to hear from people who moved up to a t/t, I think you need to find a different site - not many t/t people on this one.

There are a number of them. I'm also looking for those who moved up from a van. I'll even expand it. I'd like to hear from those who considered moving up, why they considered it, and why they didn't do it.

And I stand corrected... Broompilot moved from a straight to a t/t.

ATeam · Mar 8, 2015

Is it the truck or business savvy that makes the difference?

There are van operators who do better than some straight-truck drivers. There are straight-truck drivers who do better than big-rig drivers. And there are a good number of big-rig drivers who do not do well at all. Also, among drivers of similar trucks (van, straight, semi), some do better than others.

letsdrive · Mar 8, 2015

Well i moved from van to straight. Think will definitely move to a t/t in the future. Just ain't ready for that move yet

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

ATeam said:
Is it the truck or business savvy that makes the difference?

There are van operators who do better than some straight-truck drivers. There are straight-truck drivers who do better than big-rig drivers. And there are a good number of big-rig drivers who do not do well at all. Also, among drivers of similar trucks (van, straight, semi), some do better than others.

I'm not discounting business savvy; just that this thread is about moving up to a more versatile vehicle, as it relates to one's ultimate goals/success. Just as liftgates and reefers expand on the possibilities of freight, does not more cargo space also open the doors to more lucrative opportunities?

skyraider · Mar 8, 2015

If one could get at least 500 responses to the OP's question, it would have some significance here. Usually, we only get maybe a dozen responses, but then again, there could be 100's of PM's sent, well maybe or maybe not.
Words are usually useless without an itemized ledger of daily expenses,aka Cost Accounting. Meticulous record keeping from the purchase of a pack of chewing gum to a $750.00 drive or steer tire and so on would be a start. IMHO, it is a rare entity that many do this in this business as a solo owner operator or team driver owner operators. Not many ever talk about record keeping, just the important stuff: weather, shower cost, is Florida a good run, getting run off from a Walmart,getting run off from some TA,and so on, but it ( expediting ) is a fun job---I still recommend you have a pension coming in to really enjoy it, it makes for better longevity. IMHO.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

letsdrive said:
Well i moved from van to straight. Think will definitely move to a t/t in the future. Just ain't ready for that move yet

I hear ya. It took me 20 years, and a lot of reading, to be ready for that move again. Most of my hesitation was due to the ignorance of the common driver. Very few know how to react to a semi... and most just ignore them altogether.

Ragman · Mar 8, 2015

Tennesseahawk said:
. . . Just as liftgates and reefers expand on the possibilities of freight, does not more cargo space also open the doors to more lucrative opportunities?

Not necessarily. The kind of freight you haul needs to be an important part of the equation.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

skyraider said:
If one could get at least 500 responses to the OP's question, it would have some significance here. Usually, we only get maybe a dozen responses, but then again, there could be 100's of PM's sent, well maybe or maybe not.
Words are usually useless without an itemized ledger of daily expenses,aka Cost Accounting. Meticulous record keeping from the purchase of a pack of chewing gum to a $750.00 drive or steer tire and so on would be a start. IMHO, it is a rare entity that many do this in this business as a solo owner operator or team driver owner operators. Not many ever talk about record keeping, just the important stuff: weather, shower cost, is Florida a good run, getting run off from a Walmart,getting run off from some TA,and so on, but it ( expediting ) is a fun job---I still recommend you have a pension coming in to really enjoy it, it makes for better longevity. IMHO.

As I've said before, this used to be a site where improvement was talked about daily, whether it be self-improvement, or improving the industry as a whole. I'm hoping those juices start to flow again within the industry, as it can only help.

I've learned a wealth of information on this site, to help me with expediting. I've met people from EO, who have shown me how to expand my horizons. However, that information is stale, as it relates to expediting today. Telling someone to read back a few years, likely won't amount to much, as there hasn't been a lot discussed as to how to succeed. And going back to a 2007 thread won't give you the right information necessarily. It's time EO's experienced members start to rewrite the information here... regardless of how many times it's been written before.

Mailer · Mar 8, 2015

I came off from the T/T i nto the Cvan because of the simplicity and low stress business operations.

I will move back to T/T only if my family needs frequent and regular home times.

And ultimately, I'll move back when the Cvan business is no longer profitable.

There is also another tell-tale sign that I'm watching closely. When I see Turtle started driving a T/T, that's when I jump too, lol.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

Ragman said:
Not necessarily. The kind of freight you haul needs to be an important part of the equation.

Absolutely it does for some. If you're hauling flowers for local delivery, you won't need a semi. But talking about normal freight that goes on expedite trucks, your ability to hold 32 skids vs 12 vs 2 skids comes into play. I've wondered that every time a customer had to turn away my truck, due to it not being big enough for their freight.

Size of the truck is just one part of the equation... but in expediting, it's the one that usually determines your base rate. I just figured that would be a good place to start.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 8, 2015

Everyone has a different set of values and work ethic...no 2 people are the same..what works for Hawk and HIS way of thinking won't work for another....about the only thing people should do is keep an open mind and consider and weigh each choice to their own preferred lifestyle...

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

Mailer said:
I came off from the T/T i nto the Cvan because of the simplicity and low stress business operations.

I will move back to T/T only if my family needs frequent and regular home times.

And ultimately, I'll move back when the Cvan business is no longer profitable.

There is also another tell-tale sign that I'm watching closely. When I see Turtle started driving a T/T, that's when I jump too, lol.

Does a straight truck fit into your model anywhere, or is it either van or t/t?

Ragman · Mar 8, 2015

Tennesseahawk said:
Absolutely it does for some. If you're hauling flowers for local delivery, you won't need a semi. But talking about normal freight that goes on expedite trucks, your ability to hold 32 skids vs 12 vs 2 skids comes into play. I've wondered that every time a customer had to turn away my truck, due to it not being big enough for their freight.

Size of the truck is just one part of the equation... but in expediting, it's the one that usually determines your base rate. I just figured that would be a good place to start.

I guess my point is, a TT would be absolutely useless for me, as it could never get into some of the places I go to.

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

OntarioVanMan said:
Everyone has a different set of values and work ethic...no 2 people are the same..what works for Hawk and HIS way of thinking won't work for another....about the only thing people should do is keep an open mind and consider and weigh each choice to their own preferred lifestyle...

I'm asking about peoples' opinions, and how they've arrived at them, not about making a right/wrong choice. Of course everyone has a different opinion about things. This is a thread about information, to get people to think, whether or not it changes their mind. The only reasonable response I could give to your post is, "Well DUH."

Tennesseahawk · Mar 8, 2015

Ragman said:
I guess my point is, a TT would be absolutely useless for me, as it could never get into some of the places I go to.

Understood.

Mailer · Mar 8, 2015

Tennesseahawk said:
Does a straight truck fit into your model anywhere, or is it either van or t/t?

Due to the location of my residence(California), if I am required to make the change, T/T would most likely be bringing me back home on a weekly basis.

letsdrive · Mar 8, 2015

I started in a str8 truck quickly realized how clueless i was about expediting so went back home revaluated the situation and after much reading threads from showers to keeping warm in the winter i decided to try a cargo van for 6 months and teach myself through the help of many others making bad choices and so on. So i figured id drive for a owner for six months and if im still floating ive got a good shot. For what i learned was this industry is flooded with cargo vans. So i figured its a tougher sale. So my plan worked and when i thought I had a grasp on the fundamental of expediting i switched to str8 truck for simple reason of profits. I can make more in a str8 truck then in a cargo van. Once ive reached my goals in a str8 truck i will move into a tt for simple reason of capacity. Imho capacity=less down time. So thats a rough idea how decided to start "moving up". Thanks to anyo e thats helped on the way.

Jenny · Mar 8, 2015

We've been one of the ones to move up. Nick went from a Chevy van the a sprinter. Then came a drybox straight truck. Then came a sterling tval truck, and now a freightliner Columbia tval truck. I could never go back down. Not only the income potential, but the creature comforts. I enjoy being able to cool easier, sleep in a larger bed, not worrying if I will lose it to a 3rd skid. I don't mind the scales and hos regulations. Its in place for safety purposes. I look at some of the things we did while in our sprinter and question our sanity at that time. I am very happy now.

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