paullud
Veteran Expediter
Make sure you tell your wife that we said she is right.
Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums
NEW Cargo Van O/O, Do not want to be taken advantage of!!
- Thread starter Thanshaw1
- Start date
Make sure you tell your wife that we said she is right.
Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums
Yep..Pretty much....some make an issue about getting a weigh slip during orientation, but once out on the road...dispatch will generally ram anything on your van if you let them.....
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
All the above!!
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Yep...it doesn't cost them anything for you to run a 1/2 ton or to run it heavy, but may cost you in the long run in one way or another.
As has been said, you can do it and can do it safely, but you'll need to set it up the way you want for running expedite loads, add your own gear for however long you plan on being out, full your tank, and get it weighed at a local scale. Sometimes the guys that do metal scrap hauling will have a local scale if you dont want to hassle with the big truck scales.
That amount subtracted from the stated GVWR on your door label will result in your legal load limit. You might be able to safely haul a bit more and be comfortable with it, but realize the authorities will not see it as legal should you be stopped for any reason; accident, search (see the random search thread), etc.
Heavier than rated loads will also place undue stress on your 1500 and will inevitably cause it to fail prematurely in one way or another.
Like xiggi and Ragman have said, figure out the safe weight and then figure out what you will tell the outfits you run for as to your load limit.
You will still get asked if you want to take a load that's a couple hundred pounds or more too heavy and then you can decide if its worth it or not. Weather, road conditions, the shape you're in, distance, type of load, etc. You'll find too that your travel orders say one weight and when you get there it may be drastically different.
All up to you to be the one in control of what you take or not, and in control of being legal, and safe, or not.
I'll bet you'll find that once set up and loaded with personal gear you'll find you can't really haul as much as you might like. You'll still get loads, just not as many as someone who can safely haul a lot more.
Good luck man, let us know what you come up with and how you're doing.
And...Happy Thanksgiving!
As has been said, you can do it and can do it safely, but you'll need to set it up the way you want for running expedite loads, add your own gear for however long you plan on being out, full your tank, and get it weighed at a local scale. Sometimes the guys that do metal scrap hauling will have a local scale if you dont want to hassle with the big truck scales.
That amount subtracted from the stated GVWR on your door label will result in your legal load limit. You might be able to safely haul a bit more and be comfortable with it, but realize the authorities will not see it as legal should you be stopped for any reason; accident, search (see the random search thread), etc.
Heavier than rated loads will also place undue stress on your 1500 and will inevitably cause it to fail prematurely in one way or another.
Like xiggi and Ragman have said, figure out the safe weight and then figure out what you will tell the outfits you run for as to your load limit.
You will still get asked if you want to take a load that's a couple hundred pounds or more too heavy and then you can decide if its worth it or not. Weather, road conditions, the shape you're in, distance, type of load, etc. You'll find too that your travel orders say one weight and when you get there it may be drastically different.
All up to you to be the one in control of what you take or not, and in control of being legal, and safe, or not.
I'll bet you'll find that once set up and loaded with personal gear you'll find you can't really haul as much as you might like. You'll still get loads, just not as many as someone who can safely haul a lot more.
Good luck man, let us know what you come up with and how you're doing.
And...Happy Thanksgiving!
I've only been doing this for about 15 months. But I bet over half the loads I take would not be legal in a 1500. Just ran 2,200# across the Rockies to Utah. Couldn't do that with a 6 cylinder 1500. My Loads range from a small hand carried box to 3,500#. I can guarantee I would be driving less miles, taking fewer loads and making less money if I didn't have a 3500. Like everyone says, bigger is always better for more load offers!
Plus I feel safer with the heavier frame, bigger brakes and heavier front end components.
Plus I feel safer with the heavier frame, bigger brakes and heavier front end components.
I run with Indy companies and it seems to suit me well ... I like the folks I work with.
In regards to deadhead, 3 points: 1) We use a general rule of thumb, get compensated for anything over 75 miles. 2) DH doesn't just factor into the pickup, be careful where your delivery is ... I've been able to negotiate DH on the back end of runs. 3) Negotiate.
Question to other drivers: What's your overall % of DH?
In regards to deadhead, 3 points: 1) We use a general rule of thumb, get compensated for anything over 75 miles. 2) DH doesn't just factor into the pickup, be careful where your delivery is ... I've been able to negotiate DH on the back end of runs. 3) Negotiate.
Question to other drivers: What's your overall % of DH?
Generally speaking that is true. I guess it depends on the carrier and their freight. Xiggy and I met a guy who ran almost exclusively rail locomotive parts with a Ford Transit Connect. My experience with this freight, at least with G.E. was that if was low paying, but using a high mpg vehicle like the Connect, well , maybe you could make a living.
It is said...industry average is around 20%..... so an uncompensated 150 mile DH to pick up a load of 1,000 miles is not out of the question....BUT if you can sucker errrr negotiate a few bucks from dispatch, even better....
BigBadBill
Active Expediter
Yes, the person you are talking to gets paid for you to show up to orientation.
dolphin
Seasoned Expediter
Pay attention to what all these guys say about overloading the van. It might not
catch up to you right away,but sooner or later it sure will. I had a e350 7.3 diesel box truck 10,700 GVW and had it built up with HD springs and carried 12-15k often and it cost me plenty in long run. Being not so experienced back then I thought nothing of it. Van rode stable on highway and weight stations rarely pulled me over.
Now after reading a lot of the forums and thinking back to what I paid to change the following. 3 transmissions, 2-3 torque convertor, rear end, brakes etc. I would not do it again. They rate these trucks/vans for a reason and the bottom line is you should be close to the sticker GVW for your pocket and your safety.
Good luck and hopefully I will be joining you on the road this Summer/Fall.
I guess I'm still considered a newbie for Expediting, going on 7 months .... but I think I caught on pretty quickly 
I know it's not a large sample size, but since I've started my DH is 12%. It been fluctuating between 10 & 14%. I'm not a cherry picker .... I take all kinds of loads ... long, short, whatever ..... That being said, I'll do just about any load for a price. I don't think I'm pulling the wool over dispatch's eyes ...they know I have no problem what-so-ever missing a load if it's not priced correctly. I think 20% DH is too high. I could be wrong, hense why I asked the question ..... But I think too many guys just don't ask for "it". "It" can be $ for DH, $ for heavier loads ... whatever ..... So many things are negotiable, sometimes we're not aware because we never ask ....
Nice part about being an Indy driver ... I have contracts with the companies I work with, terms are set ... but there's always a little wiggle room, if you can justify it.
I know it's not a large sample size, but since I've started my DH is 12%. It been fluctuating between 10 & 14%. I'm not a cherry picker .... I take all kinds of loads ... long, short, whatever ..... That being said, I'll do just about any load for a price. I don't think I'm pulling the wool over dispatch's eyes ...they know I have no problem what-so-ever missing a load if it's not priced correctly. I think 20% DH is too high. I could be wrong, hense why I asked the question ..... But I think too many guys just don't ask for "it". "It" can be $ for DH, $ for heavier loads ... whatever ..... So many things are negotiable, sometimes we're not aware because we never ask ....
Nice part about being an Indy driver ... I have contracts with the companies I work with, terms are set ... but there's always a little wiggle room, if you can justify it.
You almost hit the nail on the head.
To get paid on D/H miles, difficult, heavy loads, labor, lumping, as well as making money on the run its self you have to tell them how much you want.
When you work for a profit in the first place, the number of jobs and miles become irrelevent..
Say no to cheap freight.
Bob Wolf.
To get paid on D/H miles, difficult, heavy loads, labor, lumping, as well as making money on the run its self you have to tell them how much you want.
When you work for a profit in the first place, the number of jobs and miles become irrelevent..
Say no to cheap freight.
Bob Wolf.
Thanks for the advice. I just shutter the thought of parking a monstrous vehicle in downtown metro areas.
yep, I found out the hard way that Sprinters can be overloaded as well. It costs a bunch for a Sprinter rear end, tranny, etc.