Van or Sprinter

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Beemer, As I said, I appreciate your opinions based on your own experience. Now with that said, I spoke with 2 "P2" van drivers yesterday afternoon and evening. 1 in Monore mi. which I would think would be a detroit/---- board, he said he came down from windsor and had been there from 2 am till i had seen him and he got a QA message for a run to NC as we were talking. The other guy was in a "J" on I-75 on the Lima,Oh/Findlay,Oh board. he said he had been there 2 days and was #2 and figured he would be out yet last night.

Both of these guys said they are getting over 4000 miles a month on avg, but that the last 2 weeks of june and the minth of july was slow and they didn't get that 4000 number, but bith siad they did get over 3000 miles. Were they lying? Hell I don't know, but I can say that in the last 8-9 months that I have stopped and spoken to van drivers from more then a few different companies, none of them with the exception of 3 or 4 told me they weren't making money. The 3-4 that did, 1 said he was getting out,(but his son was taking his place, ok who lets their son get into a losing deal?) the others said it will turn around after the election. so who knows...

As i said, we all need or want different things from a business (not just this business) and how we go about it is also different.

All I can do is relay on my own business experience, do the best and offer the best I can and go from there. I don't normally wish people luck in anything because i believe we make our own luck, and make and take advantage of your own situations, but in this case, I do with you luck in making this work, maybe its time for you to move to another carrier, your feelings for "P2" sooner or later are going to totally stress you to the max and you aren't going to be worth a crap to anyone including your wife and family... Stress can really create bad situations in everything in our lives...

So good luck in your endeavors and do the best and give the best you have to offer.... oh and forget meeting anyone and having a face to face confrontation, it ain't worth whatever kind of effort it takes and it takes up valuable thought that you could be using to make your day better..

Maybe i'll see you on the road sooner or later, I'am a pretty good cook and plan on cooking my own dinner most nights, I "ALWAYS" cook more then I can eat, so stop over and enjoy!!!

PS: I bought a 2007 GMC 1 ton ext van yesterday. I'll probably pick it up mid next week and then take the rest of the week to "upfit" it the way I want , do the orientation with bolt the following week, and then hit the road, or parking lots, LOL !!!!!!
 
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x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
Chef, this may muddy the water a bit on the "how many miles a month" thing, and, i'm many will say mixing apples to oranges. Butt, the last twelve months I was in business (with straight trucks), two of em, we ran 269,001 miles (IFTA). Me tink, that 48K a year, particularly in a fairly non-regulated machine would be wayyy light. I certainly wouldn't use that number for a goal, i'd look at it as a floor. BTW, Bolt IS a good choice.
 

theBeemer

Not a Member
Best of luck to you Dennis..When your at Bolt try to deal with that fellow name Shep or Ship he is one honest stand up fellow.
It might pick up who knows..Getting 3000 miles a month? They are lying or doing something the rest of don't know about or they favorites like I stated earlier. Mae sure you insulate well before taking off. Home depot or ebay sells it by the roll. Use strong glue or tape. Make sure you get floor too before putting wood and etrack down. It gets hot sitting in a toaster.
Hope to meet you someday
The Beemer
 

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Col, Everyone i have spoken to has said the over a years time a cargo van can expect 60,000 to 72,000 miles with some more some less, but if you figure your "nut" on 18,000 mile a yr, everything else is profit. Because of my situation and not needing this business to do anything but pay for itself and what I consider "on the road expenses" I don't need much more then a $1000 a month to cover my nut.

So if I set a goal of 4000 avg and hit 3000 for 9 months and hit the 4000-4100 for the other 3 months, i'll be at my goal and very thing over that is gravy. sure I'll bust my butt to hit 60,000...

Hey only time will tell and i have nothing but time so we will go from there.

Beemer, i am sure they all could be lying, but why? I've been told here and in other forums and at the expo that the best "place" to get info is from drivers in the parking lots, thats what I have been doing for about a year....

But thats neither here nor there, I'll give this a swirl for 18-24 months and see how it goes, I can totally support this business on my own for that long, hell the truck will be paid for day 1, so my needs are not what others are, so I really don't see this not working, but there is always that chance...
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
Hi Chefdennis... I am a lowly cargo van operator of the solo variety. In my 1st year w/P2 I drove over 72,000 paid miles. Consistently hit over 60k miles every year since then, with three or four weeks off each year. But heres the rub, we are in a different economic climate past 12 months. The environment is hypercompetitive with new entrants coming into the scene. I am sure you will do well. Bolt is impressive.
 

theBeemer

Not a Member
Hi Chefdennis... I am a lowly cargo van operator of the solo variety. In my 1st year w/P2 I drove over 72,000 paid miles. Consistently hit over 60k miles every year since then, with three or four weeks off each year. But heres the rub, we are in a different economic climate past 12 months. The environment is hypercompetitive with new entrants coming into the scene. I am sure you will do well. Bolt is impressive.


Amen on the truth
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
yeah after 5 years of a lowly cargo vanner...now I am an uppity Sprinter owner..who final has someone lower on the foodchain..hahaha....:rolleyes:
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
OVM... when I grow up, I aspire to have a Sprinter or a straight truck. I still got twenty years to give to trucking. Maybe Isuzu will import a diesel van.
 

Jack_Berry

Moderator Emeritus
OVM... when I grow up, I aspire to have a Sprinter or a straight truck. I still got twenty years to give to trucking. Maybe Isuzu will import a diesel van.


maybe nissan will imprt a van for chrysler with a cummins....:D...o wait that may happen.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
From what I understand it will be made at their plant in Missispi as a 2010 model

Well Actually that may be nixed completely or at least reduced to a small passenger van market without the commercial van in the line up. They are reconsidering some of their commercial options to focus on other things.

And if people are thinking of leasing a Chrysler product, they dropped that option. As I mentioned several times before, the lease is counter-productive in so much the companies compete with 'used-new' cars that are coming off of lease and Chrysler is the first to admit to this by refusing to lease.

Oh you know that they are also going into a partnership with GM on volt technology?
 

theBeemer

Not a Member
Well Actually that may be nixed completely or at least reduced to a small passenger van market without the commercial van in the line up. They are reconsidering some of their commercial options to focus on other things.

And if people are thinking of leasing a Chrysler product, they dropped that option. As I mentioned several times before, the lease is counter-productive in so much the companies compete with 'used-new' cars that are coming off of lease and Chrysler is the first to admit to this by refusing to lease.

Oh you know that they are also going into a partnership with GM on volt technology?

That would figure..If I show an interest in something tey would cancel it. I saw a real neat Toyota Cargo van from Mexico. Was talking to the owner about it was very impressed.
I like my Ford Trucks don't get me wrong but have they even updated at all in the last 10 years besides sheet metal? Same as Gm in the last five. I think next purchase if I stay in this will be a GM. Longer wheel base better ride on the extended.
The Sprinters are nice but I can't rationalise their prices even for used ones.. A Ford or GM can Nickel and dime you...where as the Sprinter $500 to $1000 you.
 

Jack_Berry

Moderator Emeritus
Well Actually that may be nixed completely or at least reduced to a small passenger van market without the commercial van in the line up. They are reconsidering some of their commercial options to focus on other things.

And if people are thinking of leasing a Chrysler product, they dropped that option. As I mentioned several times before, the lease is counter-productive in so much the companies compete with 'used-new' cars that are coming off of lease and Chrysler is the first to admit to this by refusing to lease.

Oh you know that they are also going into a partnership with GM on volt technology?


chrysler hybrid link:review from chgo tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/autocorner/chi-mxa0810matejaaug10,0,147518.column
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I'm more concerned with revenue rather than miles. Right now I am on a 700 mile load with an f.s.c. of .70/mile plus some extra incentive stuff. A 1200 mile load may sound better, but is it really making you any more money?

I subscribe to the "Run Less, Earn More" philosophy whenever possible.
 

Jefferson3000

Expert Expediter
I'm more concerned with revenue rather than miles. Right now I am on a 700 mile load with an f.s.c. of .70/mile plus some extra incentive stuff. A 1200 mile load may sound better, but is it really making you any more money?

I subscribe to the "Run Less, Earn More" philosophy whenever possible.


I concur on that one.
 
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