Your Honest Opinion ...

[Rocketman]

Exactly....for me I have "guidelines"...IF the load is no good for me..it is a no go...its a dispatchers job to get it covered, not mine.....Not every load is the same...you might get the Holy Grail of loads, but if you blindly refuse and don't ask the right questions, you'll never know.

I was sitting in Kansas City once with my last carrier (not such a bad place with them), the phone rings. "Hey, we've got a nice run to Colorado for ya". (No extra money, no return load, nothing) Um, yeah...thanks, but no thanks! That particular dispatcher was well known for that kind of stuff. I would have been very happy had he gotten mad and refused to call me again.

Same company, different dispatcher. I was in IA and he called about a load picking up in Minneapolis going to ND....BUT, he paid fuel to the pickup and full rate round trip to ND and back to Minneapolis. I was all over that one. Got a nice load to Fargo on the way back even. Fargo to the Boston area.

 

[paullud]

You lasted less than a year in an expedite van...said you were going broke, so you went back to t/t. My guess is that while you were playing nice with dispatch, they were giving you the bfe runs that the drivers who knew better wouldnt take and in turn, you sat a lot.

If you take every load they offer, with no regard for pay or delivery point, how will dispatchers ever know the difference between a good a load and a bad one? For all they know, you LOVE taking a load to Portland, OR and sitting for a month before you get a load back.

I've taken loads to bfe. But, I ask for extra money to get me out of there too. Last week, I was called about a load going 500 miles west of Minneapolis,MN. I told them I would do it and what I needed to do it. I never heard back. Did the dispatcher like it? I have no idea. Its not my place to worry about that. Its my job to be sure I dont work for free.

If you are just counting CV experience as expedite then I have less than a year. I never played the dispatcher game at Bolt because I never thought it would have the impact it did, my mistake. I started to see ethical issues popping up and the things I was told by the recruiter never happened so I decided to take a job that pays me 3 times as much instead of changing companies, even if I was making decent money I would have been a fool not to follow the money.

 

[tbcabs]

Gotta agree with Paul...driving has never been a "fair" gig with dispatchers....I have a saying in regards to dispatch....Look, listen and learn...who the "money people" are and act accordingly...there are dispatchers where it is just a job...then there are those who are really into it and actually have a memory and good sense....
This is a business, building a good relationship with the "money people" will be one factor to success...there are some that are IGNORANT to that fact and call the responsible ones azz kissers....to them, I flip the bird.....

I couln't have said it better myself.... It not azz kissing it is responsable running.... I know what I need to make in this business and if takes me actually working and not complaining that I am getting screw*d over.... I have deadheaded 400 miles for a 500 mile run because it was a very important customer.... And I dont go home every weekend cause I wanna go to the bar,watch the game, have a picnic, Ect. Ect. I am a member of the weekend warrior club..

 

[Bruno]

tmashebrook

Welcome to EO. I don't know much about Van Freight. But if I was to start doing it, I would talk to Xiggi, ChefDennis, Dreamer, and OVM. These gentlemen are all Van drivers that know all the good spots to sit. I'm sure there are others, but these gentlemen come to mind.

 

[davekc]

Don't know about vans, but California can be your friend.

 

[Moot]

Don't know about vans, but California can be your friend.

Run that one by Romney.

 

[Turtle]

I think a newbie would be well advised to be very careful about going to slow areas unless they are being paid well enough to dh out.

A lot of veterans would be wise to take the same advice.

Ive been in the business for a few years now and Ive yet to cross the NV or CA borders and unless the load pays very well, its likely to stay that way. If Im leased to a company that tries to force me to take unprofitable loads, gamble on loads to bfe....I need to be looking for a different company.

I actually did very well with Panther whenever I was west of the Rockies. I went out there about twice a year, and was out there 4-6 weeks each time (once for more than 4 months) before getting a load back this way. Only once did it turn out to be a bust. The other times I made more money than I would have back east. But with my current carrier I'm hesitant to go out there unless it pays enough. Been out there once in CA and had to deadhead back to El Paso. The load paid enough to take me there in the first place, though.

 

[barbara6410]

Hey Paullud,

I see some places are hard to get a load out of. Is Laredo a hard place to get a load out of? And not DH?

Thanks

 

[paullud]

Hey Paullud,

I see some places are hard to get a load out of. Is Laredo a hard place to get a load out of? And not DH?

Thanks

You usually have to sit until Wednesday or Thursday depending on your company, due to customs clearing the freight but the decision to leave depends on what position you are in. If you are 7 or 8 I would check with your company to see if moving north is a better idea. If you are 1-4 I would likely wait it out since you are more likely to get a decent load. A lot of the decisions you make are dependent on who you drive for because a company like Panther, Bolt, or Load 1 can get you out but the smaller carriers may have a harder time because there is less freight as leftovers.

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[barbara6410]

So,
Is it a real possibility to make 1k a week as a van or straight truck driver for one of the aforementioned company's?

 

[paullud]

So,
Is it a real possibility to make 1k a week as a van or straight truck driver for one of the aforementioned company's?

In a van you will not bring home $1k/week, you might gross $1250 a week but after expenses you would be left with $400 or 500. A ST could definitely make a $1/week as long as you aren't trying to get home every weekend.

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[ntimevan]

In a van you will not bring home $1k/week, you might gross $1250 a week but after expenses you would be left with $400 or 500. A ST could definitely make a $1/week as long as you aren't trying to get home every weekend.

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In my 19 months in a tuna can as an O/OP, , I would have to disagree. .. If your a good business planner its very doable. ..And my fleet vision agrees...but do all van drivers. ......NO WAY. .. too many variables. ..

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[paullud]

In my 19 months in a tuna can as an O/OP, , I would have to disagree. .. If your a good business planner its very doable. ..And my fleet vision agrees...but do all van drivers. ......NO WAY. .. too many variables. ..

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So after all your fuel, insurance, QC fees, and repairs are paid you brought home $52k in 2012?

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[sthfl2000]

If you are the owner and are not afraid to said no to unreasonable loads, then I would say maybe. If you are a driver, then most likely not in your cards.

Going back to the owner, get an extended van, sprinter or narrow cube and your chances are even better. Be very good with PM so as to try to mitigate unwanted vehicle expenses. With these types of vehicles I mentioned, you can get a mini fridge and micro setup which will reduce your meal expenses, and you can setup a system for heat and a/c which can further reduce hotel costs (and still be able to "treat" yourself to open quarters periodically).

If you have no restrain and are unable to live with absolute minimums for a 2-3wk period, with a weekend off, you should prob look elsewhere for your 1k...my opinion of course.

Good Luck in your ventures!

 

[ntimevan]

and then some. ....Big thing is i have NO van payment. ..and if 2 nd. half of year would have been as busy as 1rst. half. ..I would of been up close to chef dennis numbers. .

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[paullud]

and then some. ....Big thing is i have NO van payment. ..and if 2 nd. half of year would have been as busy as 1rst. half. ..I would of been up close to chef dennis numbers. .

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How many miles did you run?

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[barbara6410]

/thanks for the info!.

Now question #2. I will be driving a truck or van for a company or contractor. I don't want the
headache of being an owner, at this time.
So, I can be out as long as needed. I have no stipulations on my "on the road" driving time.
So that being said, I should drive a straight truck then? (again)
What in general should be the min. load price I should accept?
If the company, I drive for, pays 100% fsc wont my income be higher than 500 a week?

 

[ntimevan]

How many miles did you run?

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Sorry, paul but I'm not posting specific numbers on this site, I 've felt the backlash from whiners to the company. ..The same would be said by the big boys at load 1 , they used too post all the time about their miles &pay and the whiners called in and complained. ...myself and Ovm have discussed this on the phone many times...

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[paullud]

/thanks for the info!.

Now question #2. I will be driving a truck or van for a company or contractor. I don't want the
headache of being an owner, at this time.
So, I can be out as long as needed. I have no stipulations on my "on the road" driving time.
So that being said, I should drive a straight truck then? (again)
What in general should be the min. load price I should accept?
If the company, I drive for, pays 100% fsc wont my income be higher than 500 a week?

I only have experience with TT and CV but there are plenty of ST drivers that can help.

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[paullud]

Sorry, paul but I'm not posting specific numbers on this site, I 've felt the backlash from whiners to the company. ..The same would be said by the big boys at load 1 , they used too post all the time about their miles &pay and the whiners called in and complained. ...myself and Ovm have discussed this on the phone many times...

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I'm not asking how much you made on a specific load which the company probably wouldn't want you to say. You said I am wrong when I said said not to expect to make $1k/week in a van and that you made over $52k a year so the most important number is already out there. Going over how you profited 150-200% more than the average van driver just serves as a service to the community and will help many others. Going over the numbers may prevent the phone calls from whoever you think may call in about how much you made and educate them to make the same.

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