Im sure this is an old question but replies apprec

[MattMO]

My employer is moving my job,offered to move me with it but I do not wish to relocate, so I would like to do something on my own. I have some self employed courier experience and class 8 truck but not recent (13 years ago)
I would want a straight truck I think you all call them C units ?
Would a tandem or single be more in demand? and would I be able to lease on with a company with no recent experience ?
I have several months left before the move happens so I have time to prepare and dont want to start up going into winter.
Iam 43 years old have a stable work record ( same CO for 13 years now ) and good credit, excelent driving record ( no tickets or accidents )
If you can lease on with your own truck in my case what companies should I check with and will they even talk to you if you have not yet purchased a truck yet?
Thanks for any information/advise,
Matt

Also I am in the Kansas City area...is this a good area to be based?

 

[mcbride]

RE: Im sure this is an old question but replies ap

Hi Matt-

>have some self employed courier experience and
>class 8 truck but not recent (13 years ago)

Do you still have a CDL? You would need at least a Class B and most companies want a Hazmat Endorsement.

>I would want a straight truck I think you all call them C
>units ?

Certain companies,(most of them),label units by size: A/B Vans-"C" units usually are trucks with shorter boxes than 20', I believe, and carry up to 5,000#. "D" units are generally trucks with 20'boxes or longer and carry up to 13,000#- (33,000 GVW) BUT here comes the buts....You can have a "super B", (a box type van) or a "C" or a "D" Unit with a pusher/tag/tandem axle and in these instances you can carry more weight than your designated class. To complicate things even further, many companies don't now require you to be able to carry 13,000# if you are a "D". So, you could be a "D" and not have to carry 13,000# for some companies AND to really confuse the issue...some companies don't really classify the differances between "C's" and "D's" at all...and some companies don't use "C" units at all.

>Would a tandem or single be more in demand?

This would depend on the weight you would like to carry and for us it depended on the size of our sleeper. Our sleeper is heavy and we ran for Fedex CC when we purchased our truck and they required us to be able to carry 13,000# to be a "D" unit, so we have a pusher. Our friends opted for the tandem because of their sleeper size.

>able to lease on with a company with no recent experience ?

Some companies will take you on with no experience. Pretty much all of the potential companies are listed on this site so you can contact them to find out their requirements.

>excelent driving record ( no tickets or accidents )

Big plus there! This is an area where many have ran into problems.

>and will they even talk to you if you have not yet purchased a >truck yet?

Don't know about this...but I suspect that many of the companies recruiters would be more than happy to speak to you on the merits of their particular company.

>Also I am in the Kansas City area...is this a good area to
>be based?

Well, I have wished a couple of times I lived there as I have sat there a couple of weekends after delivery to the Ford plant there.:7


Hope some of this helps

-mcbride

 

[MattMO]

RE: Im sure this is an old question but replies ap

Thank you McBride, I appreciate your post and infortmation.
It is a tough deal tring to figure out what to do, I just know when I drove for a living I felt like I was on my own and enjoyed it.
Of course there is BS and well it really does not matter what you do or where you work BS always seems to find a way to show up! Its really a matter of what you will and wont put up with. I always try and weigh the good VS the bad and if good tips the scale its worth looking at.
I will try searching this forum some more before I post more questions. Im sure it gets old answering the same things over and over so I sure appreciate your response.


Matt