Ok I bought a 06 Freightliner boom truck and went down and did the clean up after the storms last year. Lasted about 3 months and it was over. Soooo I have been paying for a new truck all year and it is sitting in my back yard to long. I am looking at the expedited trucking or buy a tractor and flatbed trailer and do the hot shot runs. For a solo driver which way do you think is the way to go? I am just looking for what do think. I use to drive for a company back in 1980 to 1985. Got into hail repair in 1989 and have been following hail storms and repairing cars ever since. The last 3 years I have been out of work from Sep. to March, so I am loking for something new. Any advice would be really helpful. Brian
Need advice
- Thread starter STORMS
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Are you going use the truck that you have right now or do you plan to trade it in?
I would get a tractor that way you can drive for anyone. Having a straight truck can limit where you lease your truck onto.
Drive Safe
David Mayfield
I would get a tractor that way you can drive for anyone. Having a straight truck can limit where you lease your truck onto.
Drive Safe
David Mayfield
In no particular order, don't buy a new truck to go do something that has at best a few months potential unless you have followup work for the truck.
Sell that truck before it depreciates further unless you can convert it to a revenue generator in a reasonable time at realistic cost.
Don't go out and buy a tractor without having a definite placement for it. Most, if not all, of the quality companies are going to require recent experience to sign you on.
Read back at least one full year in the general, newbies and recruiter forums here on EO before deciding if this is for you or not.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Sell that truck before it depreciates further unless you can convert it to a revenue generator in a reasonable time at realistic cost.
Don't go out and buy a tractor without having a definite placement for it. Most, if not all, of the quality companies are going to require recent experience to sign you on.
Read back at least one full year in the general, newbies and recruiter forums here on EO before deciding if this is for you or not.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
I have the truck I have now sold. I am looking at buying another one, some of my friends have gone with the tractor an flatbed trailer to hot shot with. I started looking on the net for different options and ran across this site. My friends say the flatbed is the way to go but I am not sure. Looking at the difference between expenses for both. I have been driving this truck for the last year and only have the B class cdls. I would have to go get the A class cdls. Which means more time down. Have to buy the truck and trailer go take the test, wait time for testing is almost a month. I am not sure but I think the insurance is going to be more expenseive on the truck and trailer. This looks like more my line of work. I have done the flatbed before, and I had problems with wait times for load and DH to the next load. I was thinking after reading on here that maybe it would not be as much problem expedting. These are some of my thoughts I have going on so advice would be good.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Storms,
I would definitely look into driving for an owner first if you are truly interested in this. You won't have the up front investment. You already have a "B" license, so talk to a recruiter or two or three and let them help you find a quality owner. You will know in a few weeks or months time whether or not you can make this work for you. In the meantime, you will make enough money to pay your bills and put some more away towards the new truck. Most of your veterans here will even recommend you drive for someone else for a full year before investing in your own truck. Time is on your side if you do it that way.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
I would definitely look into driving for an owner first if you are truly interested in this. You won't have the up front investment. You already have a "B" license, so talk to a recruiter or two or three and let them help you find a quality owner. You will know in a few weeks or months time whether or not you can make this work for you. In the meantime, you will make enough money to pay your bills and put some more away towards the new truck. Most of your veterans here will even recommend you drive for someone else for a full year before investing in your own truck. Time is on your side if you do it that way.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
marvinkwagner
Not a Member
Team 2
ok
ok
Broompilot
Veteran Expediter
You stated you have Flat Bed expierence, & you hate sitting. That should be an easy decision for you, but one hint. Your gona hate this industry, sitting right now last load unloaded on Thursday #2 probably will not see anything till Tues/Wed.
Thats the luck of the draw.
Everyone gets in this situation sooner or later, no where to move trucks in every city around me except West.
Who knows maybee two loads will come up tonight but aint bank'n on it.
Thats the luck of the draw.
Everyone gets in this situation sooner or later, no where to move trucks in every city around me except West.
Who knows maybee two loads will come up tonight but aint bank'n on it.
I don't mine sitting, as long as I know it's not going to be for ever, till I get another load. But that's not really the problem. Trying to make up my mind, do I go buy a straight truck or do I go with the tractor & trailer. I have done the tractor & trailer before, but not for myself. I am interested in the straight truck, it looks like a good idea. But I keep seeing on the forum's saying if your solo don,t go staight truck there's a beter option for solo drivers. I guess thats what advice I was looking for. To me the staight truck looks a good idea. But I don't want to go buy a $100,000 truck and not make any money with it. Do the solo drivers do okay with the staight truck? I am looking at the Freightliner M2, 72" sleeper, 24' box, liftgate and maybe a reefer.
How much t/t experience do you have and how recent is it? Most companies are going to require a minimum of 6 months t/t experience in the last 2 years or less, perhaps more experience than that. Many companies will sign you on in a straight truck with less experience than a t/t requires.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5507, 5508, 5509
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Why buy a rig for work you've never done before? You're not talkin' regular t/t freight work here, you're talkin' expedited freight...
expedited freight is essentially "Emergency Freight".
Expedited t/t or straight truck work is simply defined as:
Get it loaded and drive it to it's destination.
It is NOT regular t/t freight where dispatch says drive 1200 miles and get it there in 3 days.
Much of your driving is p/u in the afternoon/evening and get it there sometime the next day.
You're solo, so you'll have to struggle a bit more to make the miles... To Make The Payments. Especially on an M2, with a lift gate and reefer? Did you spec it out with a 3rd axle?
If you're gonna get a quote on somethin' with a liftgate and reefer, you might as well spec it with a 3rd axle.
There's some varying opinions on that type of vehicle. I would say a 3rd axle and liftgate, but a reefer is questionable I'd say for a solo operation.
I would also suggest trying out the industry in a small fleet owners truck, try it out for atleast 3 to 6 months. If you find you're making money, if you feel comfortable and that you like the type of driving that expediting tosses your way... then, consider buying a truck of your own.
You don't have any experience in expediting, you should experience it on somebody elses truck payment 1st, not your own truck payment.
What happens if you don't like it, then you're gonna break a contract, you got decals and lettering to worry about too.
As far as the solo thing goes, I'd consider it very carefully. Some people, like myself... only like to run solo.
Running solo under the new rules is alot different than runnin' solo on the old 10 hour rule that you were used to.
I'd try a straight truck out 1st if I were you, but try it out on somebody elses dollar. Gain experience, then move up into somebody's t/t in expediting if you'd like... if you still like it, you've got 2 choices to make at that point... expediting in t/t, or expediting in a straight truck.
Good Luck to you Driver,
Bob.
expedited freight is essentially "Emergency Freight".
Expedited t/t or straight truck work is simply defined as:
Get it loaded and drive it to it's destination.
It is NOT regular t/t freight where dispatch says drive 1200 miles and get it there in 3 days.
Much of your driving is p/u in the afternoon/evening and get it there sometime the next day.
You're solo, so you'll have to struggle a bit more to make the miles... To Make The Payments. Especially on an M2, with a lift gate and reefer? Did you spec it out with a 3rd axle?
If you're gonna get a quote on somethin' with a liftgate and reefer, you might as well spec it with a 3rd axle.
There's some varying opinions on that type of vehicle. I would say a 3rd axle and liftgate, but a reefer is questionable I'd say for a solo operation.
I would also suggest trying out the industry in a small fleet owners truck, try it out for atleast 3 to 6 months. If you find you're making money, if you feel comfortable and that you like the type of driving that expediting tosses your way... then, consider buying a truck of your own.
You don't have any experience in expediting, you should experience it on somebody elses truck payment 1st, not your own truck payment.
What happens if you don't like it, then you're gonna break a contract, you got decals and lettering to worry about too.
As far as the solo thing goes, I'd consider it very carefully. Some people, like myself... only like to run solo.
Running solo under the new rules is alot different than runnin' solo on the old 10 hour rule that you were used to.
I'd try a straight truck out 1st if I were you, but try it out on somebody elses dollar. Gain experience, then move up into somebody's t/t in expediting if you'd like... if you still like it, you've got 2 choices to make at that point... expediting in t/t, or expediting in a straight truck.
Good Luck to you Driver,
Bob.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Well said, Bob.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
Drive Safe!
Jeff
Thanks for the info. You are right, but I am up side in the the truck I am in right now. I was going to trade it for something that can make some money, not cost me money as the one I have know is. Between the note and insurance on the truck and biz insurance. It is getting expensive.