XM Radio for my driver

[Wolfeman68]

For once, Cheri and I agree. OMG!! Did I say that out loud.

Nope, you put it IN WRITING.
I'm thinking of adding it to my sigline, now.

I'm speechless!

Debit cards and cash?? Fuel cards limited to fuel and showers and EZ Pass for my driver. GottaGo, you must have treated your owner well- I have heard a couple of stories of food/sundries passed as fuel on debit cards at truck stops

Wolfeman- thanks for the continued advice! I plan on being on the road (actually my driver being on the road) May 1

I did the same thing with debit cards in the beginning. They were supposed to be for fuel and truck expenses. One driver was like GottaGo, he respected the trust I put in him and never abused it. The other driver I fired after the card was locked when he tried to guess the pin number at an ATM. I never handed out another one.

ecs, feel free to contact me anytime you need to.

 

[wombat52]

on the subject of xm / sirius radio are you guys finding lately how you tune in the radio/cd player to a blank station but more & more it is getting harder to stay locked in on the station so especially in bigger citys .
anyone tell me i try to stay around the 87.7 to 97.7 area but getting inference from the radio stations instead of a clear reception on my sirius
wombat

 

[gotta go]

on the subject of xm / sirius radio are you guys finding lately how you tune in the radio/cd player to a blank station but more & more it is getting harder to stay locked in on the station so especially in bigger citys .
anyone tell me i try to stay around the 87.7 to 97.7 area but getting inference from the radio stations instead of a clear reception on my sirius
wombat

After having the hockey puck style magnetic antenna for about 5 years I switched to a Wilson antenna and no longer have the problem you describe, Wombat.

 

[jansiemoo]

on the subject of xm / sirius radio are you guys finding lately how you tune in the radio/cd player to a blank station but more & more it is getting harder to stay locked in on the station so especially in bigger citys .
anyone tell me i try to stay around the 87.7 to 97.7 area but getting inference from the radio stations instead of a clear reception on my sirius
wombat

You may also want to look into a radio with an 'audio in'. We got ours from Custom Audio in Ft Wayne, IN, and we can plug in our iPods/iPhones/etc and it has no moving parts- ie: nothing to break.
Our particular model has USB port and sd card slots, too, so you can store music on those.

 

[Dynamite 1]

jeanie, are you using the square magnetic wilson antenna or a different one.

 

[wombat52]

no i know i might be confusing at times already got the mushroom ant i just mean the normal radio stations are bleeding into my sirius so yet again i find a clear station without no music or talking

 

[greg334]

I am a soon to be fleet owner getting my documentation in order. Is XM radio appealing to sprinter drivers? I am looking at ways beyond the 40% linehaul to attract a reliable, motivated driver.

Well not to be an a** but if you want to attract people who will stick with you, then learn what it is like to be an owner first and then how to choose the right people and handle them with respect. Attracting them with little add ons may not give you the results you desire, especially in this work environment.

Are you on the road now or just looking at this like many others as a way to turn a buck?

 

[nightcreacher]

on the subject of xm / sirius radio are you guys finding lately how you tune in the radio/cd player to a blank station but more & more it is getting harder to stay locked in on the station so especially in bigger citys .
anyone tell me i try to stay around the 87.7 to 97.7 area but getting inference from the radio stations instead of a clear reception on my sirius
wombat

I keep my radio on 88.5,a better trick is put ear buds from your Ipod in the center slot of your xm serious radio,works great

 

[scottm4211]

If you're using fm signal for your satellite receiver get one of these adapters

http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/ser...=2640&siId=1998401&catParentID=7872&scId=7872

 

[nightcreacher]

Its easy to attract drivers,to get good ones is the difficult part.When you think you finally found the right team,low and behold you feel like you screwed up again.I gues I had bad luck,or just a bad situation.Over the yeasr I put drivers in the best equipment.I really doesnt matter,no matter how great a truck you put them in,you either have a worker or a slacker.Sometimes you feel you pay them ro much and they dont have to work as hard,or your not paying enough,and they dont hang around.I once had a friend in he trucking business,he said never own more trucks than you can drive yourself at one time.It took me a while but I learned what he meant.When things are moving smoothly ,all is great,but when not,will turn your hair grey in a hurry.Good luck in your ventue,but if you hqave enough money to buy a fleet of trucks,think I would it invest it somewhere else,save yourself a lot of head aches.Just remember,htis is very important,MURPHY'S LAW.If it can go bad it will,thats trucking in a nut shell.

 

[gotta go]

jeanie, are you using the square magnetic wilson antenna or a different one.

Mine is the Wilson XM 5000, mirror mount.

 

[ecs_ocean]

Well not to be an a** but if you want to attract people who will stick with you, then learn what it is like to be an owner first and then how to choose the right people and handle them with respect. Attracting them with little add ons may not give you the results you desire, especially in this work environment.

Are you on the road now or just looking at this like many others as a way to turn a buck?

I am asking so many questions in order to avoid getting the wrong person in place. The advice I have received from several fleet owners and drivers has helped to shape my business plan

I am not driving now- I am starting a small business to supplement my income. I am starting with 1 sprinter and depending on the success of it and my driver will add more. I don't expect to get rich or stop working with just 1 van. I seek to provide a reliable person with a good-paying job and bring in an extra 1k per month after expenses.

XM radio, a comfortable sleeper, cruise control, and paid showers wont by themselves attract/keep a good driver- I know this. I also know that when a business owner gives the minimum, they tend to get the minimum in return. I will expect a lot from my driver, and will outline this in our contract. In turn I will treat the person in a way that will make them want to stay on with me.

 

[greg334]

I am asking so many questions in order to avoid getting the wrong person in place. The advice I have received from several fleet owners and drivers has helped to shape my business plan

I am not driving now- ...

OK I understand that but still not to be an a** about it, get out and drive before you put any other commitment into the idea. A business plan is great for preparing the business aspect of things, it helps when to know what to do or ect. ... but the people part is the biggest issue in this business because everyone from people who actually care to those who want a fast buck and don't give a crap are trying to get into this without putting in any capital - one BIG reason why I think van fleets should not exist. There is a lot to be said about how to select people you can trust but first you need to know the business and be part of it.

There are TONS of other ways to make 1 to 3 grand a month without such a capital investment. The one thing that I caution people about when I am asked is what are you going to do when the bottom drops out again? Seriously we are not through with this recession mess and many who are experienced will tell you that you need 6 to 8 months of payments for a van, insurance and other things while it gets slow.