Getting our feet wet...

[Hazardous]

So my wife and I are looking to get into this field from driving truck load, and we want to drive straight trucks. From the drivers I have talked to on the road, the way we drive could be lucrative for us.

No kids, no family obligations, as long as we are together we are good. We usually stay out 5-6 weeks with the carrier we drive with now, hauling between 5500-6500 miles a week. What I gather is we can make more with less miles as a straight truck expediter. What I would like some feed back on are what companies are good to get our feet wet in? I talked to a few landstar expediter and they like it..same with Panther and FedEx CC.

How does pay work? I know it's generally 60/40, but would we get to see the total price to make sure we aren't getting boned?

 

[TeamCaffee]

Hazardous the biggest problem we have seen with someone going from as many miles as you are used to driving going to about half those miles. It takes some adjusting.

I suggest you call the recruiters for all of the companies and ask them specific questions about average miles, average income, having hazmat, where you want to run, how you will get home, average time out, and also how easy is it to get home to where you live. Then when you see drivers on here posting for the different companies start asking those same questions of drivers.

As far as we are concerned we are leased to the best company for us at this time but that might not be a company that would work for you. What I think is great you might think as awful. Best for you to ask the questions that pertain to you to see if the answer will work for what you like to do.

From what I have learned the through the companies we have leased to you will see the total price the load pays either on the Qualcomm or from a phone call. Then you will get your cut out of that.

 

[Hazardous]

That is the general consensus I have seen...OTR drivers kind lose it a bit because they are used to less money per mile, so if your not moving your not making money. I think my wife and I will adjust fine, I wouldn't mind a night or two of sleep when I am not bouncing around like a paint shaker.

My bigger concern is the money. Right now between the two of us we take home $1,200 - $1,800 per week. That is BOTH of our incomes, not per person. Would we as a team who runs hard and stays out long be able to do better than that as an expediter? We got into driving because we needed to get out from under debt we had acquired from going into business with a friend and that friend screwing us royally. We cant afford to make bad financial decisions at the moment.

What we make now is getting us by, but if we can make more money for the same time out....Why not? Working smart is better than working hard...but working hard and working smart has been our mission to get outta this hole. Plus we truly love each others company. So longer trips out wouldn't be a problem if that is what it takes.

We want to do straight truck because my wife is not fond of the trailers...can we make more?

 

[vandriver2]

As a previous Solo Company Tractor/Trailer Driver, loads were Preplanned...2, 3 loads at a time.
I bought an extended Sprinter AFTER I drove another Owner's Sprinter Solo for a couple of Months.
Your being in a Team in a ST will keep you busier than any Van.

In Expediting (a whole different animal) it's last minute emergency freight....it can appear as quickly as it needs to Go! Or not be anything for a couple days. You never Know, remember that.
You never know when you'll get the next load or where you'll be. Nothing is regular and you may have to move yourself on your own dime to get back into a decent area.
I love that I can go anywhere a Car can go, can find parking anywhere for the night and I can park my Sprinter in my driveway.
I miss my large fuel tanks. I miss the ease of idling in my Big Truck for heat and Air Conditioning and I miss being PrePlanned. I don't miss being paid .25-.27 cents per mile.
Owning your own Truck will put the most money in your pocket and you can call your own shots. But, Maintenance and extra Fuel is on you.
Have a healthy emergency fund always at the ready. Know your Monthly Living expenses...ALL Bills.
Your income can vary quite a bit by the week and month. So it's less steady.
There are slower Months and Busier Months.
You have to not hyperfocus on what you made that week or month, but what you did in 6 Months.
These are my own thoughts and opinions. Driving expedite now for only 4+ years.
My Best week was $2980 and worst $100. Yep, it can vary that much.

 

[Hazardous]

Awesome advice! That is our plan pretty much. Drive for a fleet until we are solvent...then look to move to O/O and ultimately owning a fleet.

I talked to a H/W team in Salina, KS that drive for a fleet on Landstar. They said they bring in about $4,000 per week on average. Is this just blowing smoke or for real? Also is White Glove a good bet for team straight trucks?

 

[vandriver2]

I'm gonna be dead honest here and I mean no offense to you or what anyone tells you or who those people are.
Everyone's circumstances/needs/expenses/situations/driving habits are different.
LISTEN to what information people share with you, definitely. You've got an idea I'm sure.
Here on EO and Out There OTR. A plethora of INFO! Read, read, read.
BUT!!! YOU won't TRULY KNOW what YOU earn weekly, monthly, quarterly
UNTIL YOU ARE DOING IT FOR YOURSELVES.....for quite a while.
There's no Pat Answer in Expediting. Many variables.
Early last year I went thru all of my living/vehicle expenses and adjusted everything I could.
To me, for me, 2015 is not the same as it was in 2011 or 12.

 

[Mailer]

I'm gonna be dead honest here and I mean no offense to you or what anyone tells you or who those people are.
Everyone's circumstances/needs/expenses/situations/driving habits are different.
LISTEN to what information people share with you, definitely. You've got an idea I'm sure.
Here on EO and Out There OTR. A plethora of INFO! Read, read, read.
BUT!!! YOU won't TRULY KNOW what YOU earn weekly, monthly, quarterly
UNTIL YOU ARE DOING IT FOR YOURSELVES.....for quite a while.
There's no Pat Answer in Expediting. Many variables.
Early last year I went thru all of my living/vehicle expenses and adjusted everything I could.
To me, for me, 2015 is not the same as it was in 2011 or 12.

vandriver2, awesome answer! I'll paint to that

Hazardous, as TeamCaffee mentioned, start calling the companies. That will give you the baseline info. And as vandriver2 said, everyone situation is different.

If you browse thru some of the threads here on EO, you'll find some members who is in the ST actually have reported theirs status.

Are some doing well? Yep!
Are some doing poorly and left the biz? Yep!
Can you make those figures? Yep! But it not guaranteed
The question is when can you achieve that figure? And will you have enough emergency funds to sustain your monthly required expenses while getting there.

Do more research, ask more questions and have your financial stuff squared away. Once your gut tell you that you are ready, take the plunge!

Good luck and hope everything will work out in your favor

 

[TeamCaffee]

With experience comes better income. You learn where to wait for freight and when to bite the bullet and move to a better area. Also you learn which loads that sound good are really bad in the long run and others that are worth taking a chance on.

Good money can be made at all of the companies are they would not still be in business. It is up to the contractor to learn how to stay in the good money lanes.

The more you learn the better your income and you will really not know how well you will do until you get out here and start driving.

One thing to ask yourself will you go anywhere and haul anything? When you start saying no to certain areas or to certain types of loads you but your earning potential.

Getting stuck on I have to run for a certain amount of money per mile and I will not run cheap freight so you turn down a load and dead head on your own dime.

Everyday you are out hear it costs money to sit and waiting for that top dollar load can it up costing you in the long run.

Expediting is a business and as a business there is no guarantee of income it is up to you to be in the right place at the right time and be proactive by asking questions of your company, others within the company, and from your own records of where to be available for the best freight.