RE Landstar and Thinking Way, Way Ahead
- Thread starter ATeam
- Start date
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Wouldn't it be better to buy one of those enclosed Toters that are on the please buy this, I need to feed my family list and use the space in the back to haul a skid or two? I mean why spend the money on all that stuff with a super truck when you can just get one of them cheap.
Phil, Phishing?
Phil, Phishing?
I'm just curious why it would be built as a 449"
>unit (17' + 10' + 125") when 480" is allowed.
Because this is a casual daydream, not requiring specifics. If and when it gets down to it, we would of course be more rigorous in our thinking. The sleeper space/cargo space tradeoff would have to be considered before all else. That goes to the truck's purpose. Is it RV, working truck, or combination of both? If combination, what portion is dedicated to what purpose?
For the present, we have answered those questions in the truck we have. For the future, where we might be interested more in liesure than work, the RV aspect would carry greater weight. The attractive part of building an RV with a small cargo box is it provides the ability to move an RV around the country while earning perhaps enough money to pay for fuel, RV park camping space and maybe a bit more.
I like what you said above, Leo, " It's always fun to mentally build various configurations and think about the options and opportunities." This conversation is as much about the fun of mentally building a truck as it is anything else.
By the way, with our Volvo VNL day cab, ARI wanted five inches of space between the cab wall and sleeper. The Volvo day cab back wall slopes forward at the top. A special frame must be built to square off the back of the cab and anchor the boot. They specify three inches between the back of the sleeper and the front of the box. If the air bags deflate on the sleeper, the three inches keeps the two components from touching.
>unit (17' + 10' + 125") when 480" is allowed.
Because this is a casual daydream, not requiring specifics. If and when it gets down to it, we would of course be more rigorous in our thinking. The sleeper space/cargo space tradeoff would have to be considered before all else. That goes to the truck's purpose. Is it RV, working truck, or combination of both? If combination, what portion is dedicated to what purpose?
For the present, we have answered those questions in the truck we have. For the future, where we might be interested more in liesure than work, the RV aspect would carry greater weight. The attractive part of building an RV with a small cargo box is it provides the ability to move an RV around the country while earning perhaps enough money to pay for fuel, RV park camping space and maybe a bit more.
I like what you said above, Leo, " It's always fun to mentally build various configurations and think about the options and opportunities." This conversation is as much about the fun of mentally building a truck as it is anything else.
By the way, with our Volvo VNL day cab, ARI wanted five inches of space between the cab wall and sleeper. The Volvo day cab back wall slopes forward at the top. A special frame must be built to square off the back of the cab and anchor the boot. They specify three inches between the back of the sleeper and the front of the box. If the air bags deflate on the sleeper, the three inches keeps the two components from touching.
>Phil we have a 120" sleeper and a 16' foot box and are A&E
>with Panther and very rarely do any physical labor and are
>making great money. Then again it's all in how long you want
>to stay running or parked in the rv parks too. LOL
I did not think about Panther. Would Panther put on a four-skid, class 8 truck?
>with Panther and very rarely do any physical labor and are
>making great money. Then again it's all in how long you want
>to stay running or parked in the rv parks too. LOL
I did not think about Panther. Would Panther put on a four-skid, class 8 truck?
dieseldiva
Veteran Expediter
But the question on everyone's mind at this point Phil is, will this RV/truck have "bull balls" hanging on the back??? LOL
dieseldiva
Veteran Expediter
TOUCHE'
But, if you are going to RV more than truck, how in the world are you going to keep your acceptance percentages in line with expectations? Could be the quick way to permanent RV'ing tho. Seems there are always obsticles to doing what ya wanna do when someone has the other end of the leash in hand.
Accpetance percentage is the reason I am inquiring about LEA. LEA does not have acceptance percentage or in-service requirements. Work when you want to, don't when you don't. If you have to wait a day or two to pluck a four skid load off the board, it's just more liesure time to enjoy.
We're not talking about working hard here. We're talking about barely working at all.
And Leo, the reason I did not talk about using the full 40 feet of the truck before was I forgot about the one-foot lift gate deck extension we have on our truck now. Going with a flush mount lift gate adds another foot to available sleeper space. Using our truck as a starting point, the sleeper would be 18 feet long.
We're not talking about working hard here. We're talking about barely working at all.
And Leo, the reason I did not talk about using the full 40 feet of the truck before was I forgot about the one-foot lift gate deck extension we have on our truck now. Going with a flush mount lift gate adds another foot to available sleeper space. Using our truck as a starting point, the sleeper would be 18 feet long.
ebsprintin
Veteran Expediter
availability
Since "location, location, location" is the key to getting loads in this business, it works in reverse as well. Park outside the primary corridors but remain available for loads. We, drivers, already know which are good and bad locations, so all you do is chose to park in the slower locations. In my particular case I've been stuck in Texas the past month the whole time sitting at freight "hot spots". My thirty day availability is 85%, and I'm 100% for acceptance. And production was seven loads for 1300 miles. This is not how I usually work, but since I was coming off a breakdown and new relocation areas were showing for Texas, I decided to do a little experiment and see what the fringes of Texas had to offer. Not my kind of work pace, so I'm on my way out of here.
All this being said--at Panther orientation, the first thing they asked was--how many of you are here because you want to drive as a hobby?....(no show of hands) Good. We don't want you if you are.
Wouldn't this topic be more appropriate for the layover lounge?
eb
Since "location, location, location" is the key to getting loads in this business, it works in reverse as well. Park outside the primary corridors but remain available for loads. We, drivers, already know which are good and bad locations, so all you do is chose to park in the slower locations. In my particular case I've been stuck in Texas the past month the whole time sitting at freight "hot spots". My thirty day availability is 85%, and I'm 100% for acceptance. And production was seven loads for 1300 miles. This is not how I usually work, but since I was coming off a breakdown and new relocation areas were showing for Texas, I decided to do a little experiment and see what the fringes of Texas had to offer. Not my kind of work pace, so I'm on my way out of here.
All this being said--at Panther orientation, the first thing they asked was--how many of you are here because you want to drive as a hobby?....(no show of hands) Good. We don't want you if you are.
Wouldn't this topic be more appropriate for the layover lounge?
eb
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
RE: availability
phil
this is getting to deep,the truck you are talking of building,would never ever pay for its self.even if you won the lottory,you still want to get your investment back,and as a B unit this would never ever happen.Having a 4 skid B unit is like when w/g was going to introduce the super D trucks,that because of the extra axle,could haul extra weight.It didnt happen,cause it was going to take loads from the E units,and if you want to haul B freight,just keep your CR and become a B unit.You can do everything a B unit can now,and your dock high,customer would love ya.Oh and work,when was the last time you actually did any work.Most work I do is getting out of bed to open trailer doors.
phil
this is getting to deep,the truck you are talking of building,would never ever pay for its self.even if you won the lottory,you still want to get your investment back,and as a B unit this would never ever happen.Having a 4 skid B unit is like when w/g was going to introduce the super D trucks,that because of the extra axle,could haul extra weight.It didnt happen,cause it was going to take loads from the E units,and if you want to haul B freight,just keep your CR and become a B unit.You can do everything a B unit can now,and your dock high,customer would love ya.Oh and work,when was the last time you actually did any work.Most work I do is getting out of bed to open trailer doors.
wallytrucker1
Expert Expediter
RE: availability
Hi Phil, No load boards on the Leam side, however, after 01 01 2008 we become part of the Mothership and all i,ooo,ooo,ooo agts will see you out meaning ltl freight. Now we wait for the phone to ring and take us to our next vacation hotspot. Will talk w/my friends an see if they mind giving out their phone number. pm me sometime for my #
Hi Phil, No load boards on the Leam side, however, after 01 01 2008 we become part of the Mothership and all i,ooo,ooo,ooo agts will see you out meaning ltl freight. Now we wait for the phone to ring and take us to our next vacation hotspot. Will talk w/my friends an see if they mind giving out their phone number. pm me sometime for my #
>Ummm..... OK this is a far flung assumption, so you been
>refusing a lot of loads lately maybe because of the rates?
You are correct, Greg, it is a far flung assumption. I'm surprised you would even make it, rational man that you are.
Our acceptance percentage in the 30 day period ending today is 81.82%. Year to date (1/1/07-11/26/07) is: 75.0%.
>refusing a lot of loads lately maybe because of the rates?
You are correct, Greg, it is a far flung assumption. I'm surprised you would even make it, rational man that you are.
Our acceptance percentage in the 30 day period ending today is 81.82%. Year to date (1/1/07-11/26/07) is: 75.0%.
RE: availability
>phil
>this is getting to deep,the truck you are talking of
>building,would never ever pay for its self.
As I said above, "We expect that our current truck would have to pay for the next one, and not that the four-skid truck will pay for itself." No groundless expectations here. Just floating the idea to see what kind of freight might be out there for a four-skid truck.
Oh and
>work,when was the last time you actually did any work.Most
>work I do is getting out of bed to open trailer doors.
Because we prohibit forklifts in our truck, we load and unload every load ourselves. Liftgate loads are sometimes inside deliveries or non-adjacent pickups that require some (not a lot) of work to get the freight on and off the truck. I practiced chaining up tires the other day. Does that count?
>phil
>this is getting to deep,the truck you are talking of
>building,would never ever pay for its self.
As I said above, "We expect that our current truck would have to pay for the next one, and not that the four-skid truck will pay for itself." No groundless expectations here. Just floating the idea to see what kind of freight might be out there for a four-skid truck.
Oh and
>work,when was the last time you actually did any work.Most
>work I do is getting out of bed to open trailer doors.
Because we prohibit forklifts in our truck, we load and unload every load ourselves. Liftgate loads are sometimes inside deliveries or non-adjacent pickups that require some (not a lot) of work to get the freight on and off the truck. I practiced chaining up tires the other day. Does that count?
RE: availability
My thought is why worry about it. Most likely we will all be replaced by Mexican or imported drivers by then. Live for today and get what you can, while there is anything is left to get. Fuel prices are predicted to jump to 300.00 a barrel in the next couple of years. What will the bottom line to owner operators be? Will the companies raise the pay? We haven't really seen much of a difference in our pay from a year ago to now. and fuel prices keep going up! Save your money while you can. We have been doing this for 11 years now and we have seen our pay drop way down. Fuel cost,less money per load,Companies get a bigger cut,companies charge for qualcom,and all the other things they require you to have, they get their cut off the top of these too. All these come out of our pocket. No cost to the companies to hire 100 veichles and use 75 regular leave the other 25 for spares,shoot them a load once in a while to say they are working. Who knows what will be required in 10-15 more years. Who knows what the cost will run to operate. Who knows if it will be worth it? Just my thoughts.
My thought is why worry about it. Most likely we will all be replaced by Mexican or imported drivers by then. Live for today and get what you can, while there is anything is left to get. Fuel prices are predicted to jump to 300.00 a barrel in the next couple of years. What will the bottom line to owner operators be? Will the companies raise the pay? We haven't really seen much of a difference in our pay from a year ago to now. and fuel prices keep going up! Save your money while you can. We have been doing this for 11 years now and we have seen our pay drop way down. Fuel cost,less money per load,Companies get a bigger cut,companies charge for qualcom,and all the other things they require you to have, they get their cut off the top of these too. All these come out of our pocket. No cost to the companies to hire 100 veichles and use 75 regular leave the other 25 for spares,shoot them a load once in a while to say they are working. Who knows what will be required in 10-15 more years. Who knows what the cost will run to operate. Who knows if it will be worth it? Just my thoughts.
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
RE: availability
Phil,
Why not instead of a 18 foot sleeper get a 16 footer? Then couldn't you put on a 12 foot box and haul 6 skids? I think that would make more sense. That's a 192" sleeper!! That's pretty big if you ask me, but what do I know?
Phil,
Why not instead of a 18 foot sleeper get a 16 footer? Then couldn't you put on a 12 foot box and haul 6 skids? I think that would make more sense. That's a 192" sleeper!! That's pretty big if you ask me, but what do I know?
greg334
Veteran Expediter
RE: availability
Phil,
You know it was a rhetorical question, you know not really intended to be answered. But seeing you answered it, it does raise the question why the concern?
I think that Landstar differs from FedEx in a number of ways and an acceptance rating system or lack of is one obvious thing but that does not mean that they don’t have standards, they do.
I am wondering if your model expediter vehicle, the Super 8 b unit RV/apartment on wheels/mobile motel 6 could be an actual thing that you can oversee building to sell. I mean that if someone can take an argosy and hack it up to build a motor home; why not build a couple “Phil’s special edition Super 8 b unit RV/apartment on wheels/mobile motel 6 expediter trucks�
With all sincerity, your truck building experience can be really helpful in doing this and who knows it may be a good career for you driving the prototype around.
Phil,
You know it was a rhetorical question, you know not really intended to be answered. But seeing you answered it, it does raise the question why the concern?
I think that Landstar differs from FedEx in a number of ways and an acceptance rating system or lack of is one obvious thing but that does not mean that they don’t have standards, they do.
I am wondering if your model expediter vehicle, the Super 8 b unit RV/apartment on wheels/mobile motel 6 could be an actual thing that you can oversee building to sell. I mean that if someone can take an argosy and hack it up to build a motor home; why not build a couple “Phil’s special edition Super 8 b unit RV/apartment on wheels/mobile motel 6 expediter trucks�
With all sincerity, your truck building experience can be really helpful in doing this and who knows it may be a good career for you driving the prototype around.
arkjarhead
Veteran Expediter
RE: availability
Another serious thought Phil you could add decking to your box and then be able to stack the skids so the skids were that tall you may be able to actually haul 8 skids in your 10 foot box. Or do I not understand how decking works? I'm not trying to be a smart arse just throw some ideas out there.
Another serious thought Phil you could add decking to your box and then be able to stack the skids so the skids were that tall you may be able to actually haul 8 skids in your 10 foot box. Or do I not understand how decking works? I'm not trying to be a smart arse just throw some ideas out there.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
RE: availability
now heres self asteem
now heres self asteem