Nervous newbie

ucfd608

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A couple questions. If you work for someone like Bolt or any broker for that matter and are sitting waiting on a load can you get a load from a load board or other source to get you down the road if your running under the broker's authority? What if you have your own authority as well? Also where do the brokers find loads? Are they just the loads called in by their customers only or do they work together with other brokers to help each other. Lastly, If a load that goes say 500 miles and pays $1\mile ($500) how much does the broker make on a load like that? Other wise what percent of the total cost to the customer goes to the van? Thanks in advance.

If you are leased to a company that company find your loads you have to go thru them for your loads they will not allow you to use your own authority an a load board to haul loads but if you are signed on to fedex an a Cpl others they have a load board you can look at an book loads but they are usually the bottom feeder loads your best loads will come from the dispatchers
 

Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
We go back into the truck on Tuesday. Spent the weekend in Wisconsin near our friends. I spent most of that time cleaning out the pole barn I rent with a few friends for our cars. There was years worth of clutter that needed to be gone through but we made good progress. Well spend the rest of today and tomorrow with the wife's mom. Overall been good so far.
 
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ucfd608

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
We go back into the truck on Tuesday. Spent the weekend in Wisconsin near our friends. I spent most of that time cleaning out the pole barn I rent with a few friends for our cars. There was years worth of clutter that needed to be gone through but we made good progress. Well spend the rest of today and tomorrow with the wife's mom. Overall been good so far.

Are you ready to get back in the truck an get back on the rd
 

Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
We go back into the truck on Tuesday. Spent the weekend in Wisconsin near our friends. I spent most of that time cleaning out the pole barn I rent with a few friends for our cars. There was years worth of clutter that needed to be gone through but we made good progress. Well spend the rest of today and tomorrow with the wife's mom. Overall been good so far.

Are you ready to get back in the truck an get back on the rd

I suppose. I'm ready to get back somewhere warm. Spring or not it's still cold here.
 

ucfd608

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I suppose. I'm ready to get back somewhere warm. Spring or not it's still cold here.

Dude it is cool down here in north ga usually by this time it is in the 70s but it was below freezing overnight an staying in the 50s today an those scientists say we have global warming I am ready to have the warm weather back a few weeks ago it was nice staying warm during the day an overnight
 

DBenton

Rookie Expediter
Driver
I am doing better ucfd608. I guess the longer we have been out (10 days) the better I feel. Thank you for asking! How is your Saturday going?

Josh I hope things are going good for ya'll as well!
 

Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
Been a long few days here. Back in the North. Michigan to be specific.

When we took home time, I noticed our dog did not want to sit on command like he normally will. I had assumed at the time it was due to his excitement. (he gets super excited when at home, he gets to play with the mother in laws dog)

Back track a few days before home time. There is about a 1 foot gap between the cab of our truck and one of the beds, this gap is just the hardwood floor. Now, our dog is super clumsy, he doesn't jump well, he trips when he runs, just an overall goof. He will sometimes get ballsy and try to jump this gap. A few days before we took our home time was one of these times. He missed and hit his back leg and let out a whine. I didn't think much of it since this wasn't the first time it's happened. He doesn't always wait for me to grab him and will take a leap of faith all on his own.

Now fast forward to a week ago. We get back into the truck and once we stopped for the night, I walk back to the sleeper to take my fedex shirt off before I attempted to grab the dog (can't have dog hair all over my shirt), and looked back just in time to see his death defying jump. He missed pretty bad this time and you could tell he was feeling it.

The next few days after that you could tell his legs/back/hips were bothering him. We thought it would go away after a few days but it just got worse. He didn't have obvious signs of pain but he wasn't as excited as he always is. He wouldn't react to my poking/feeling/prodding at all. But one night he stood up to change laying positions and started yelping bad. I've never felt worse. There was nothing we could do. We were under load and it was almost midnight.

Immediately after delivery we found an emergency vet near by. It was about 6am. I crammed our truck into the parking lot and explained the issues to them. We were there for a few hours and after $500 worth of x-rays they said he had no fractures or broken bones. They said it was probably a slipped disk or muscle pain, both of which they treat with the same medication. They said he needs to move as little as possible for the next two weeks and gave us medication for him.

Since then (only a few days) we've been taking small loads. The jerking of the truck/bumps seem to bother his situation so we're trying to take it easy. He is hilarious on his pain meds though. Just stares off into the distance between episodes of trying to get his tongue into his mouth.

Hopefully everyone else is doing well. I like reading how everyone is doing when time allows, I don't get out of this thread too much. lol
 

Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
Lol, we already have a load out. We deliver our current load tomorrow morning. Then Michigan to Ohio. Enough loads come out of Ohio for us to hopefully get back south
 

BigStickJr

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I’ve never had problems getting out of Michigan.
Seattle, once. Old Carrier.
Last Carrier Seattle to Miami hours after delivery.
Straight through, 300 lbs. Team
 

Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
Josh Sorry to hear about your dog, without question they're our best companions on and off the road.

Here's mine. She's a Black Russian Terrier.

Adorable, I can't seem to post pics of mine at the moment. Picture is too large I think.


Today has been very drawn out for what it should have been. Another small load that ended in Ohio. Should have made it here hours ago but there was a few snags at the shipper.

First being, we got there at our scheduled pickup time of 0700, freight wasn't ready and the guy there was super rude. The building had no signs directing you where to go, so I just found a door and flagged down some guy on a forklift. I said "I'm here to pickup but I am unsure of where to go, Could you point me in the right direction?" He got super pissy and said "well, what are you picking up" I showed him my clipboard and said "fedex gives us a very generic description, just says machinery" He points to the box that has the destination address and says "It's right here if you'd just open your eyes and look" ......Ok, kind sir, I was unaware the destination address was the answer to your "what are you picking up" question. I was tired, grumpy, and nothing but polite to him, as I am to every single person I encounter. I don't need your :censoredsign: ass tone.

Second, the freight wasn't ready until 10:00, once we finally got into the dock door, our 7 piece 4400lb load turned into a 17 piece 14,000lb load. I explained that our weight was different and that we could not take that much and we had to call fedex. They said ok. While the wife was outside on the phone the guy comes up to me and says we're calling fedex to change the weight. I explained to him again, we cannot take that much weight. He explained to me in his "I'm superior to you voice" the truck can handle it. Oh it can? Yes, it'll be just fine. I then very simply said "look, I'm not going to argue with you, but I will tell you the most I'm taking from here is 7,000lbs, I will hit the scale on the way out and if its 7001 ill turn right back around to grace you with my presence." He seemed irritated, I don't care. Ending weight ended up being 6500lbs.

Just so everyone knows where our truck stands weight wise. We have a single rear axle, and our truck has a max of 33,000lbs gross. Our empty weight is right at 25000lbs, leaves us 8,000lbs capacity, I subtract 1,000lbs for leeway. Fedex is aware of this.

Also, I know the internet doesn't show moods very well, and it may sound like I complain a lot. It's not meant to come off that way, just want to convey to any new comers the stuff you'll run into.


On a more positive note. I received an email from expediter services the other day. Apparently they thought the wife and I were enrolled in the path to ownership program. Not sure exactly what that means, but we were invited to attend a gathering they apparently have every year. I guess its geared towards people that have the desire to be owner operators. Now, I know I have said I had no desire to own our own truck. But I guess I'm not %100 against it at the moment either. Either way I have some questions that I haven't been able to get answered through my re search and I know I'll get them answered there. Its a two day gathering and expediters pays for your hotel and food, pretty much everything. So why not? They told us to get as close to Mississippi as possible and they'll pay for the fuel if we need to deadhead the rest of the way.


While we're on the subject.. I did some math, Keep in mind, I'm not awesome with numbers and these are done roughly. Also, if we could keep the "omgzz your not making any monies!!!!!" comments out, that'd be great.

- Year to date, our truck has generated $55,562 in revenue
- $19,097 of that is ours
- $36,465 of that has gone to expediters.
- We have driven a total of 39,880 miles year to date. Assuming our truck gets the 10mpg the dashboard says it does, that's 3,988 gallons of fuel. If diesel is $3 a gallon the truck has consumed $11,964 in fuel.

If I'm adding all this correctly, minus fuel costs, expediters has made $24,501. If we owned the truck we'd essentially be doubling our income. An extra $6,000 a month at our current rate. Is it worth it? With the numbers in front of more experienced people than myself what would you do in my situation?

Truck payment, insurance, maintenance allowance, licensing, taxes.. Is anyone able to narrow down what their truck owning costs are a month? So far, the taxes question is one I don't yet understand. I keep hearing random rumors that the food deduction is gonna get taken away among other things. Any insight from anyone?
 
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Josh

Active Expediter
Driver
I have had to edit the above post a few times due to errors I've made. it would appear I'm due for a nap.

I guess I'm just asking what everyone else's opinion is and if my head is in the right place or if I need to change my outlook on things.

One of the biggest reasons I'd like to own our own truck (if we chose to go down that road) is for the freedom. I'd like to be able to take time off when I want. Not saying that I'd be home all the time or never want to work. I guess just knowing I could if I wanted to. But I also understand that owning your own truck may not provide freedom. Yea your in control of everything, but your tied down to more financial responsibility, which in turn takes away from your "freedom". Are there any owner operators that regret purchasing their own truck? Do you lose your ass on resale? How long is the typical truck loan for? Just blabbing at this point :)
 

jhead64

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
Josh, the per diem tax deduction will still be available if you are paid on a 1099. Only company drivers lose it due to the new tax reforms.

Sent from my Pixel XL using EO Forums mobile app
 

Kip life

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
Josh, you are doing great educating many aspiring future Expeditors by giving a Frontline view .

I highly recommend you buy you own truck, preferably a cheaper unit ,less fancy and you keep most of your money

Better idea, get your own authority and load board

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BigStickJr

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Josh, $6000 per month isn’t a lot in reality.
You’ve probably parked near expediters with $5000 per month payments.
It depends on price/down payment/ interest rate.
Insurance can run $300-$400 per month.
Routine maintenance, on these newer trucks is expensive.
Seen a wrecker price lately?
Then there’s the added stress. Money’s tight, and you’re sitting in a shop at $150 per hour, as some tech school graduate is trying to figure out your problem. Or sitting in the crapper on his smart phone. While dispatch is pulling loads, and the wife, anxious, is cranking on you.
Or they spent seven hours and didn’t figure it out.
Or that curb sliced your almost new $400 tire.
I had a TA tech break my filter bracket on a holiday.
The list is endless, you just don’t notice it as a driver.
It can be done.
It was just easier in the past when profits were higher, carriers were less greedy, and the regs were easier.
 
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