what is the word on loads for cargo vans?
- Thread starter hammy
- Start date
DannyD
Veteran Expediter
This is a tough one to answer. It's going ok. July09-Feb was brutal. Feb-now has been ok, but not great. I'm better off now than I was in Febuary though. So it's gotten a bit better.
The thing I'm starting to realize is it may be quite awhile before things are as good as they were say 5 years ago. This industry may/may not get back to that point.
Others may be thriving. I'm sure a few on this board are doing quite well. I'm not doing horrible or anything, but I'm glad I didn't buy a newer truck to get into this. I'm making a go of it, but mainly because I have no truck payment.
If someone was single & had their truck paid for, I'd say to give this industry a try. If they had a family to support I'd say definately do something else.
The thing I'm starting to realize is it may be quite awhile before things are as good as they were say 5 years ago. This industry may/may not get back to that point.
Others may be thriving. I'm sure a few on this board are doing quite well. I'm not doing horrible or anything, but I'm glad I didn't buy a newer truck to get into this. I'm making a go of it, but mainly because I have no truck payment.
If someone was single & had their truck paid for, I'd say to give this industry a try. If they had a family to support I'd say definately do something else.
Having no truck payment is the key to success in a van. You can squeak buy with a payment, but you will have a payment due every month on top of breakdowns. At least if you pay cash for your van, all you have to do is put 5k away in a reserve account to cover breakdow or the purchase of a new van in the future. I bought my current van for 5500 dollars and spent another 1500 in tires, transmission flush, oil change, differential change, tune up, 1 lower ball joint, and 4 new tires and an alignment. I've already put 15 thousand miles on it without a hitch.
Freight levels are picking up again; Bolt is actually saying that they are going to raise the rates up a bit in the next couple of weeks if capacity continues to tighten. You can do well in a van if your expectations are reasonable. I'd say you can take home anywhere from 25k to 35k after expenses if you are leased on to a company that will run you good, and if your equipment is paid for. You also have to spend time on the road. You are your own boss on this job, you decide when and where you want to work, but you must be dedicated to the road to be able to make a good income. I usually stay out between 6-12 weeks at a time and then take 2 weeks off. I also take off a lot of time during the winter season.
You just gotta run the numbers. I'd say it costs me 39 cents per mile to run my van right now and my company has been paying me an average of 86 cents per mile loaded. If I do 6k miles in a month, that is 5100. My operating cost for those miles are 2k that means I take home 3k. Out of that 3k I need to take out another 400 a month for food on the road, 100 for cellphone, and 120 for bobtail and personal injury insurance. That leaves me with 1480 after all those expenses. Also keep in mind that the 2k for van operation is money for fuel and money that I save for maintainence. This is because I do not have a van payment. You can technically say that I am probably going to net 2k a on a 6k mile month. So, the true question is; can you live on 1400-1500-2000 a month take home?
There are months where you will run 10k miles, and also months where you will be lucky to get 3500 miles. I just gave you an example of a regular month. 6k miles should be a regular month out here. I have done 3k miles so far this and we are only on the 13th day of this month, I also did 8k miles last month. So, as you can see, my numbers are lower than what might or might not happen when you are working. Just read up on some older threads in here and make a very informed opinion on what you want to do! You are going to drop 100k miles on your van the first year out here...never buy new and pay depreciation. After you get a couple hundred thousand miles on your van, no one will want it; not even the repo man!
I hope this helps.
Freight levels are picking up again; Bolt is actually saying that they are going to raise the rates up a bit in the next couple of weeks if capacity continues to tighten. You can do well in a van if your expectations are reasonable. I'd say you can take home anywhere from 25k to 35k after expenses if you are leased on to a company that will run you good, and if your equipment is paid for. You also have to spend time on the road. You are your own boss on this job, you decide when and where you want to work, but you must be dedicated to the road to be able to make a good income. I usually stay out between 6-12 weeks at a time and then take 2 weeks off. I also take off a lot of time during the winter season.
You just gotta run the numbers. I'd say it costs me 39 cents per mile to run my van right now and my company has been paying me an average of 86 cents per mile loaded. If I do 6k miles in a month, that is 5100. My operating cost for those miles are 2k that means I take home 3k. Out of that 3k I need to take out another 400 a month for food on the road, 100 for cellphone, and 120 for bobtail and personal injury insurance. That leaves me with 1480 after all those expenses. Also keep in mind that the 2k for van operation is money for fuel and money that I save for maintainence. This is because I do not have a van payment. You can technically say that I am probably going to net 2k a on a 6k mile month. So, the true question is; can you live on 1400-1500-2000 a month take home?
There are months where you will run 10k miles, and also months where you will be lucky to get 3500 miles. I just gave you an example of a regular month. 6k miles should be a regular month out here. I have done 3k miles so far this and we are only on the 13th day of this month, I also did 8k miles last month. So, as you can see, my numbers are lower than what might or might not happen when you are working. Just read up on some older threads in here and make a very informed opinion on what you want to do! You are going to drop 100k miles on your van the first year out here...never buy new and pay depreciation. After you get a couple hundred thousand miles on your van, no one will want it; not even the repo man!
I hope this helps.
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AMonger
Veteran Expediter
I got back into expediting recently after having been out for a while. I'm pretty surprised at how up-and-down it is. Dead periods when I'm not making anything and then busy periods when I think I'm going to get rich. Nothing in between. It's feast or famine.
Yep not all it is cracked up to be...with the carriers cutting rates last year depending on the carrier...you have to drive almost 500-700 more miles a month to make the same money then before...pretty sad....and pile on the added cost to run them miles...
Next time a dispatcher gives ya a hard time about not taking a profitable load...
tell them they can now work 40 hours and they'll only get paid for 36 hrs...that is exactly what these carriers have done to us...
Next time a dispatcher gives ya a hard time about not taking a profitable load...
tell them they can now work 40 hours and they'll only get paid for 36 hrs...that is exactly what these carriers have done to us...
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Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Yeah, no ones likes the rate cuts. As the owner of a carrier, I don't like them either. We never really cut our own rates to our customers, but because there may be more carriers needing a load in an area than carriers that have a load that needs to be covered, the competition to cover that freight gets stiff. Rates fall. Customers who used to call and just book the freight, started shopping EVERY SINGLE MOVE. Right now, it's much easier to book a straight than a van, but we all end up working harder for a bit less. That's the nature of being self-employed.
However, the alternative is to be an employee somewhere, where your wage is consistent throughout the year until one day the boss walks in and hands you a pink slip. Suddenly, all of your income goes out the window at once, rather than gradually
We have seen the miles per unit and the revenue climb so far this year on our vans and sprinters. We started cautiously raising some rates over the last 60 days. This is a good thing if you are with a carrier that pays based on percentage. I think things are going to stay pretty strong thru the summer shut down.
CharlesD
Expert Expediter
We've started getting a little more on van freight lately as well. I'm cautiously optimistic at the moment, kind of hoping I can continue to get a little more, if for no other reason than the price of fuel going up. I'm upping the rates to the vans when I can get more on the load, which isn't always the case, but things are looking better than they were a few months ago.
ebsprintin
Veteran Expediter
This week it seemed like every flatbed was loaded with steel. I think that's a good sign for the medium term.
As for the van, I could survive if I could stay out of the shop. The fuel rate has been creeping up, but my rates somehow stayed the same. Fortunately it looks like fuel may be giving us a little break.
My rule of thumb. Any weekend that I come off the road for whatever reason, it is going to cost me a $1000 load, minimum. So I try to be available for Fridays and minimize going out of service.
eb
As for the van, I could survive if I could stay out of the shop. The fuel rate has been creeping up, but my rates somehow stayed the same. Fortunately it looks like fuel may be giving us a little break.
My rule of thumb. Any weekend that I come off the road for whatever reason, it is going to cost me a $1000 load, minimum. So I try to be available for Fridays and minimize going out of service.
eb
Things are looking better this year. With that comes the danger that your carrier will go on a recruiting spree and dilute the wealth or that the some of the dirtbag type of independents will move into your turf still with low-ball rates and spoil the party.
Dirtbag= the independent guy who wants to chat it up at the truckstop only to use that info and go to your carrier and undercut its own contractors. He can do this because he is usually very unaware of his costs and if he has money for the buffet he thinks all is right with the world. Doesn't apply to anyone here....relax folks.
Dirtbag= the independent guy who wants to chat it up at the truckstop only to use that info and go to your carrier and undercut its own contractors. He can do this because he is usually very unaware of his costs and if he has money for the buffet he thinks all is right with the world. Doesn't apply to anyone here....relax folks.
sheesh...you guys telling all? Don't want no more rookies out here....Tell the real story...It is crappy right now...carriers loading van frieght on straights...days between loads and VERY low rates. Maintenaince costs sky rocketing and FSC not keeping pace with inflation....am going broke out here...
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
OVM WROTE:
hmmm...thats the same stuff i was told 2 yrs ago....with the check that was deposited in my account by my carrier last night i am ahead of last yr on income..and if it were to continue ( it won't, it will be up and down) id make over 80 grand gross...
yeap its bad out here and we are all going broke...
keep tellin everyone that, we don't need more people in the industry...
hmmm...thats the same stuff i was told 2 yrs ago....with the check that was deposited in my account by my carrier last night i am ahead of last yr on income..and if it were to continue ( it won't, it will be up and down) id make over 80 grand gross...
yeap its bad out here and we are all going broke...
keep tellin everyone that, we don't need more people in the industry...
........................
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
no loads. don't need vans. panther vans sitting empty in parking lots. drivers emaciated from no food with cobwebs on the tires. don't need more vans. d units. and t/t drivers. need them. people who drive vans are not trustworthy. 'specially the sprinter drivers stealing all the frt from the cargo van guys.
ban the sprinter.
howzat ken?
ban the sprinter.
howzat ken?
Great Jack.....keep up the good work..too many of us now!no loads. don't need vans. panther vans sitting empty in parking lots. drivers emaciated from no food with cobwebs on the tires. don't need more vans. d units. and t/t drivers. need them. people who drive vans are not trustworthy. 'specially the sprinter drivers stealing all the frt from the cargo van guys.
ban the sprinter.
howzat ken?
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
Great Jack.....keep up the good work..too many of us now!
get off the computer in the drivers lounge and get to work!!
I am in Sawyer e12 at the TA...If'n I get skunked I'll go to office later...you know how badly cargo vans have been running and losing money and all?
Dakota
Veteran Expediter
I am in Sawyer e12 at the TA...If'n I get skunked I'll go to office later...you know how badly cargo vans have been running and losing money and all?
I actually heard stories of van drivers sitting in Laredo, Tx for two weeks without getting a load
Don't worry about Chef...ya know he was diagnosed with DD?
Thats Driver Dimensha....Poor fellow had 3 deer collisions in 4 months...Now sits at home with one of them child steering wheels, thinking he's still driving..No chance of recovery..just has to stay on his meds or he ends up in California...
Thats Driver Dimensha....Poor fellow had 3 deer collisions in 4 months...Now sits at home with one of them child steering wheels, thinking he's still driving..No chance of recovery..just has to stay on his meds or he ends up in California...