Offsetting the cost of #VanLife

[KageOni]

About a month ago I bought a '13 sprinter to convert into a camper to live on the road full time. It needed a new intake manifold and I was talking to the guy doing the work. He told me he used to own a small fleet of sprinters for expediting and I could probably offset some of the costs of traveling by expediting loads as I travel.

I wanted to find out how feasible that would be.

I don't think I want to spare any space in the van but I think a trailer that could hold two pallets wouldn't be too bad. Is only being able to hold a couple of pallets reasonable or are most people looking for those who can transport more than that?

How does one find work and can you work at more/less your own pace? I would primarily want to find loads that would be going where I happen to be going but wouldn't mind going where ever when I don't have anywhere in particular to be.

What's the money like? While I could buy a trailer, if the margins are good enough I would like to rent uhaul trailers so I could leave the trailer behind when not expediting.

Basically, any good resources you can recommend about getting into small time expediting.

Thanks,

 

[RoadTime]

Hello and welcome to EO.

Unless your planning on expediting full time, I really don't see it as a viable option and would be difficult to pull off based on what your looking for.

In your case, for off setting some of the cost of travel, you may be a good candidate for Uship which can be found on this site.

The pay is not great compared to expediting, but it would give you the flexibility of booking 1 or more loads in the direction you want to go with pretty flexible delivery dates, and able to work when you want. Should be able to at least cover your fuel with some left over. However, renting a trailer may eat up most of what you make. But something to consider.

 

[Grizzly]

A carrier won't sign you up with that setup. Pulling up to a commercial location and asking them to load a trailer isn't going to work.
Two additional points to think about: 1. Insurance 2. Fuel efficiency
Folks are barley making it doing this full time, the margins are very narrow. Part time, I don't think it's feasible. Just my opinion ...

 

[Grizzly]

There's a reason that guy used to own vans and now he's repairing them ...
Did you happen to ask him why he doesn't own vans anymore?

 

[KageOni]

In your case, for off setting some of the cost of travel, you may be a good candidate for Uship which can be found on this site.

Thanks, I'll check that out.

A carrier won't sign you up with that setup. Pulling up to a commercial location and asking them to load a trailer isn't going to work.
Two additional points to think about: 1. Insurance 2. Fuel efficiency

Yeah, I was wondering that, I haven't seen anyone else use a small trailer for this stuff.

From what I have heard the diesel sprinters get pretty good gas mileage even when pulling a load and as for insurance, no, I haven't really thought much about that. I have only researched this about 4 hours before I discovered this forum and posted.

There's a reason that guy used to own vans and now he's repairing them ...
Did you happen to ask him why he doesn't own vans anymore?

He told me that he was making 35k a year just managing 3 vans on the side but sold the vans to raise capital for a business venture he got into with some friends (which went tits up I guess).

 

[LDB]

Proper insurance would cost in the hundreds of dollars per month. Anything you made would be eaten up by insurance costs. And as already mentioned, it is around 99.99% certain no reputable carrier would sign on someone to pull a trailer with a van for expediting. You might look into a system called Frayt. I don't know if it would work for you but they are a different system than expediting with some stuff small enough to transport even in a car so it could work with your van also maybe. And I know one of the principals who is a totally stand up guy.

 

[Ragman]

.....And I know one of the principals who is a totally stand up guy.

 

[Grizzly]

You might look into a system called Frayt.

Isn't insurance compliance/verification needed to sign onto that platform?
I think it is ...

 

[Grizzly]

Here's the skinny ...
We're talking about commercial cargo insurance with an unlimited radius throughout the US. It's not your garden variety "yeah my van is insured" type of insurance. As one would imagine, it's not cheap.

KageOni, what's your driving record like? Any moving violations/tickets of any kind over the last few years? Yep, when applying for a job where the principal job function is driving .... that matters. Your credit rating may affect insurance costs. Where you live. The list goes on & on. Lots of information on this forum about this stuff but honestly you don't currently appear to be setup expediting.

Expediting is a business and not a lifestyle.

 

[Turtle]

Something else that should be mentioned... If the Gross Combined Weight Rating of the van and the trailer is more than 10,000 pounds, you're a Commercial Motor Vehicle. That means logging, scaling, medical card, the whole bit.

 

[T270_Dreamin]

Expediting is pretty much a all or nothing gig unless you happen to live in the Chicago/Detroit/Michigan/Ohio corridor then you could return home on the regular. Also carrier fees will eat you up if you're not moving a load every 7-10 days on the minimum. Maybe try this app and report back if you have any success. The On-The-Way Delivery Service | Roadie

 

[T270_Dreamin]

Expediting becomes VAN LIFE only "Working VAN LIFE" If you're sitting around some park camping out with the VAN LIFERS you better be ready to roll if you get a phone call, who knows where you are going I remember I did a Denver to Philly a day after X mas one year when rates were much better. I won't return to expedite until I hear the rate is at a solid $1+ per mile and even then I'm combining other shipments.

 

[Treadmill]

Expediting becomes VAN LIFE only "Working VAN LIFE" If you're sitting around some park camping out with the VAN LIFERS you better be ready to roll if you get a phone call, who knows where you are going I remember I did a Denver to Philly a day after X mas one year when rates were much better. I won't return to expedite until I hear the rate is at a solid $1+ per mile and even then I'm combining other shipments.

I think those days are pretty much over.