Solo Freight - Best company in my area?

[TNDriver2]

Hey Everyone,

I live in the Nashville area and I'm looking at leasing on to an expedite company. I have a class A, and did sometime driving as a regional driver, but the company I was working for closed their doors this past year.
I'm thinking about box truck and would like to know which company in my area would be the best to lease on to? What I mean by "best company" , has plenty of frieght lanes near Nashville, has a good strong customer base, has a fair L/O pay program and will keep me busy.

-Jon

 

[JOHNCLARK]

Hey Everyone,

I live in the Nashville area and I'm looking at leasing on to an expedite company. I have a class A, and did sometime driving as a regional driver, but the company I was working for closed their doors this past year.
I'm thinking about box truck and would like to know which company in my area would be the best to lease on to? What I mean by "best company" , has plenty of frieght lanes near Nashville, has a good strong customer base, has a fair L/O pay program and will keep me busy.

-Jon

I have 3 Fleet owners based out of Nashville. Send me a PM and I will put you in contact with them. Thanks!!

 

[BillChaffey]

Why not start contacting different recruiters. Ask about how they run their business. See who your comfortable with. You may want to shoot out to a couple of Truck stops near you. Try and catch some Expediters heading in or out of their rig. Ask how often they get through where you are located.

 

[TNDriver2]

Why not start contacting different recruiters. Ask about how they run their business. See who your comfortable with. You may want to shoot out to a couple of Truck stops near you. Try and catch some Expediters heading in or out of their rig. Ask how often they get through where you are located.

Bill Thank you for your response, I have tried the truck stop route, but everyone I seem to find in a box truck is just a driver for a lease operator, not a business owner. I thought maybe a successful business owner, that does solo freight in my area might share what they think of their current company. I have talked to a few of the business owners with sprinter vans, but based on what they tell me their expenses are and what they are getting paid (gross rev +fuel surcharge) it seems like they would make more money going to work as a company truck driver and have better benefits and home time?
I'm not afraid of hard work and long hours, but the compenstion needs to fit the amout of hours and time invested or with my clean record I would be better off just going to work for one of the better fleet trucking companies......as with new safety programs at the FMCSA, a driver with a clean record, no health issues, and lives in the middle section of the US has tons of options at this point in time......and more so as they fully implement CSA2010 and the PSP program.

 

[bluejaybee]

Hey Everyone,

I live in the Nashville area and I'm looking at leasing on to an expedite company. I have a class A, and did sometime driving as a regional driver, but the company I was working for closed their doors this past year.
I'm thinking about box truck and would like to know which company in my area would be the best to lease on to? What I mean by "best company" , has plenty of frieght lanes near Nashville, has a good strong customer base, has a fair L/O pay program and will keep me busy. -Jon

Do you have a box truck or looking to drive for someone else?

 

[TNDriver2]

Blue Jay,

I should have been more clear, I'm looking to find a company that has good freightlanes in my area (helps you get rolling after hometime) and sign on as a lease operator, I will buy a truck/lease a truck that meets their specifications.

It is somewhat confusing who to choose, I'm leaning toward either Fedex or Landstar..........but see after some research on this board people do very well with even the smaller companies.

I'm currently a business co-owner in another industry, so I evaluate things somewhat differently then some on this board, as I'm looking at growing and adding drivers, after I spend some time on the road and learn the ins and outs of the business.

 

[nightcreacher]

Solo in a straight truck is suicide,unless you don't require a lot of money to pay your bills.Between the HOS laws and team trucks being offered your loads,you may sit for days.Of the 2 companies you mentioned,Lanstar may be the better.

 

[greg334]

Solo in a straight truck is suicide,unless you don't require a lot of money to pay your bills.Between the HOS laws and team trucks being offered your loads,you may sit for days.Of the 2 companies you mentioned,Lanstar may be the better.

Really? I didn't know that. Maybe I should have taken that advice a long time ago.

 

[TNDriver2]

Greg,

I assume your running a straight truck solo based on that response? Could you share your thoughts on solo freight / team freight. I understand the the team system, as I was a team driver on a dedicated account 1200 mile / 24 hour turns, both I and my co-driver would max out our 11 hrs each day, taking responsbility for the truck in 12 hr segments......it just plain wore me out, as it was difficult to sleep in a Freight Shaker going through parts of AR & TX due to rough roads. I'm looking to be able to spend my 10 hour break sitting still.....but this industry may not lend well to making money and driving a truck solo?

 

[greg334]

I assume your running a straight truck solo based on that response? Could you share your thoughts on solo freight / team freight.

You assume right.

I have been solo for a long time.

So here is the issues that I have seen in the past and it has been confirmed by one of the largest carriers we have around;

1 - team freight isn't about distance as many want to make it out as, but the carrier

2 - a carrier likes team freight for a number of reasons, one is the capacity is available 24/6. A lot of carriers 'bid' on loads, which is a 24/7 activity and when they can tap capacity within their own fleet, it makes them money, even when the load is 100 miles loaded.

3 - there is an increase in labor capacity without an increase in cost to the carrier. You don't get a pallet jack fee for two people but to the truck so there is a savings - just one example

4 - For some reason a lot of freight is hauled within the distance of a solo (400 miles or less), pretty much every hour on every day in almost every area of the country

5 - the carrier is what makes or breaks you, not you business skills, not your ability to please customers but the carrier alone so if a carrier likes only teams, then a solo will not do well

but this industry may not lend well to making money and driving a truck solo?

Well see the industry is based on one simple and forgotten fact, there is only one driver's seat and one driver in each truck. Many OTR drivers make good livings out of this as solos, while the teams look like they make a lot more money, it isn't always the case.

 

[nightcreacher]

Being I don't drive a straight truck,my answer to the question isnt as good as Gregs,but I have been in expediting since 1984,and Running team since 1987,In the beginning it was easy to cheat and run team miles as a solo.Not anymore.I've run solo numerous times,both with the carrier i was with and the one I'm with now,and my persoanal experience,If I had to be in expedite running solo,it wouldn't take long before I would have to sell my truck.My last week of running solo grossed 2100 bucks,and I was gone from home 10 days.As a team I average 5000 bucks a week,paying my co-driver 1000 dollars.As you can see,even after paying my partner,I still make more than I did running solo