Re: Trucking question

Posted by Billy NY on April 18, 2013 at 10:22:04 from (72.226.79.200):

In Reply to: Trucking question posted by JohnDeereJimOhio on April 18, 2013 at 08:00:42:

I don't think its feasible for a few months. You need to get in with a good contractor, who has overflow of work or does not have enough trucks and needs to hire out.

The acquisition cost of a decent late model or new truck will be significant. You do not want to play this game with old troublesome equipment.

If you could establish the following it may be possible.

Late model truck, finance or bought outright.

Backlog of work before doing the above.

Insurance, tags, inspection, spare tires and a place to service the truck or hire it out, all overhead costs.

Realize accidents, breakdowns, getting stuck, and all other things considered are high risk, it happens often, and it comes out of any profit you have. Fuel, taxes, road use/overweight permits and whatever else, IFTA and all the rest.

Theres more than the above, to consider seriously.

Now, if you were able to obtain late model equipment, there is enough work every season and it changes with the economy, you may be able to stay with it, but you had best be prepared because it can be marginal profit with high risk. You would be best to find a contractor that you can build a reputation with, offer delivery from local quarries, asphalt plants, sand and gravel pits etc. as alternate work say for the public for when you don't have work. You should have a back up driver, and likely would need one for the off months to keep the truck working, trucks that sit do not make any money, but may still have a high payment to make.

Drivers-- good luck with that, you need to find a seasoned driver that does not abuse equipment, knows the limitations, knows where not to drive or raise that body, one that is not in the bars til 4 hours before the work starts and all the rest. I worked in the site work field a long time and I did drive tri-axle dump, tandem dump, single axle dump and lowboy moving large equipment as well as loading out trucks from quarries, sand and gravel pits, I have seen my fair share of bad drivers and some of the dumbest things done with trucks that cost an owner, as well as my own mistakes early on, I still have a CDL A and current D.O.T. medical card, as I was doing some part time driving, and will tell you again, finding a good driver and being able to pay that person enough is not going to be easy. You can't put a novice in a truck and send them to busy jobsites, learning how to back up to a hopper of a paver or loading from an asphalt plant, asphalt silo or to a site job, that person has to be experienced or it will cost you.

I have friends who have made it in trucking, own a dozen of each, tractor trailers and tri-axles, in the beginning it was just them and they had to work very hard to keep up and get with the larger contractors to stay busy, which is dependent on the work going on, that can dry right up and put you right under. This is one of those things that until you try it, you won't know what you are up against, until you get some miles under your belt as an owner operator, there is a certain threshold of equipment you need to meet, don't forget law enforcement, over weight tickets, truck inspection violations are very costly and can shut you down instantly. I ended up hating driving truck because every darned time I turned around I had a cop on my @ss, and it was always something, and it can put you at odds with who you drive for and all other kinds of crap a person just does not need. I've had my license suspended from one outfit that did not pay the fine for not having a current inspection, then got nailed on it when working for the next, as I never received any notice, because they do not forward mail from DMV if you move. It was great, 6 darned tickets, one was aggravated unlicensement, they threatened to arrest me right there, I talked them into stopping at an ATM, got out of that, went to the court paid a fine that was not mine to pay, then visited the jerk who did not pay it, got told tough luck about being compensated, I wanted to pick him up by the throat, over $100, and that may not seem much but in those days, given the pay, it was the difference of being able to put food on the table and there were times I had none, thats no lie, those days sucked big time.

The other thing, its a rat race, back and forth you had best get to that plant damn early, and your truck had best be able to get up hill and not get passed, on longer hauls I would get bumped back and by the end of the day, I would get knocked off, so that last load which was profit, I did not get, the difference was my Freightliner, had a 315 Cummins, and the other guys had 425HP CAT's, pass me loaded on a hill, now I am one truck further back, so getting up at 1am, to get to the silo 80 miles away at 4 am to be in the first round out, still was not worth it, I needed 4 loads per day on that job and sometimes got 3 just because of that. I had to haul 29-30 ton on this truck to make money, thankfully the troopers were cooperative, road was badly needed to be completed and they stopped many of us as a courtesy to inform us, that you keep those mudflaps on, obey the speed, keep it tarped properly, stay on route and off any weight restricted bridges, we won't be breaking out the portable scales, well unless someone was being stupid I am sure, we did everything they asked, but that was one job, others I worked for 3 different outfits and got pulled over by the same trooper in 3 different areas around here, just could never shake law enforecment, + the monotonous back and forth how many times a day, stuck in a "doghouse" eat on the run, no time to stop, even to relieve ones self, then having issues with soap to keep the asphalt from sticking, because dumb@sses would pour and let diesel puddle in the large dents in the dump body, it was outlawed, ruins the material, vs we used to mist the bed with a sprayer every other load or every load. Aggravating as heck at times I can tell you, then get that flat or a nice round rock between the tires, blow an air can in a bad spot or blow a steering axle tire, and have it go off like a grenade, fender gone, battery box gone, split ring so far into the woods you'll never find it and you got 29 ton on the back, or have a steering axle brake cam over and jam on, flat spot a brand new virgin tire, the list goes on and on, you'll need cash on hand and be prepared or that risk might become reality, its not any easy business to get started in, not impossible but there is never a dull moment, or in my experience with it.

Replies:

• Re: Trucking question jm. 16:33:44 04/18/13 (0)

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