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  1. ATeam

    Advice for a 22 year old starting with van?

    You make a good point. If making "good money" is less important to you than the lifestyle van expediting provides, go for the lifestyle. On the other hand, if making good money is important to you, other choices may be wiser. Even if money is not important to you, van expediting is a business...
  2. ATeam

    One Step Closer to Self-Driving Trucks (Video)

    News broke yesterday that the first fatality attributable to a self-driving car (semi-autonomous) has occurred. It happened in Florida on May 7. The investigation is not yet complete. Brief account from Tesla, the vehicle manufacturer in question: What we know is that the vehicle was on a...
  3. ATeam

    Good locations to live for home time close to freight?

    Given your past experience in a van and a big-rig, would you not already know where the busy freight centers are?
  4. ATeam

    How Much Do You Really Make per Hour?

    The construction contractor who built our gym had several employees on the job that he paid by the hour. When something needed to be done like run an off-site errand to get a needed tool or materials that were unexpectedly unavailable, this business owner made the trip because, he joked, "I'm...
  5. ATeam

    Help me build the truck please

    What would you be hauling with such a truck if it could be built?
  6. ATeam

    Freightliner Cascadia Expediter

    Have things changed that much that quickly? When we left the business in Dec, 2013, ours was an 11-foot, straight-truck sleeper. Nine-foot sleepers were seemingly common. Are they common no more?
  7. ATeam

    Low prices are killing this month!ppl bending over like crazy!

    That could become a significant issue. Trucks have to log all the time so having an ELD all the time makes sense (assuming you you agree with the requirement to have an ELD in the first place). Vans only have to log when placarded but they would have to pay the cost of having an ELD in the van...
  8. ATeam

    Looking Both Ways Constructive Thoughts for Construction Zones

    It makes a difference how people drive in construction zones, and how states manage the laws. I-95 is undergoing major construction near our home in Florida. Construction zone speed limits are reduced slightly, if at all, and most drivers fly through because you do not see troopers on site like...
  9. ATeam

    Getting a percentage instead of flat rate

    On the other hand, Ragman, while many expedited loads are scheduled days in advance, the nature of the freight makes them time sensitive once it is on the truck. An example would be a custom-made gear needed to get a big crane back in service. The load is scheduled days in advance while the...
  10. ATeam

    Getting a percentage instead of flat rate

    That raises an interesting point that goes to the original question in this thread. Drivers do not have visibility into the true urgency of the load. Shippers and brokers certainly consider the urgency when booking trucks for various services at various prices but how does a driver know before...
  11. ATeam

    Getting a percentage instead of flat rate

    Every load we did in our straight truck was LTL in the sense that it did not fill a semi trailer. With rare exceptions, every load we did was exclusive use in that the entire truck was dedicated to that load. Not every load we did was time-critical. When we moved from FedEx Custom Critical to...
  12. ATeam

    Thinking about Retiring? This could be fun.

    I guess it all depends on your point of view and purpose in expediting. For Diane and me, expediting was very much a quality-of-life endeavor. First and foremost, it had to be a profitable business, which it was. Other reasons for entering the trade included seeing the country, spending time...
  13. ATeam

    Thinking about Retiring? This could be fun.

    You are right about the feeling better part. Gym users routinely report that they feel better after a workout. The statement that "going to the gym does not extend life" is factually incorrect. Go to Google and ask, "do people who exercise live longer?" and you will find numerous studies that...
  14. ATeam

    Thinking about Retiring? This could be fun.

    That's an amusing piece but is is realistic? Using the woman's math, she would spend $54,750 per year to live that life. Additional expenses would be incurred for clothing and incidentals. Medical care on cruise ships is limited and not covered by insurance unless travel insurance is purchased...
  15. ATeam

    Any New Year's Resolution Survivors?

    Way to go! Congratulations.
  16. ATeam

    Split Second. What would you do?

    The truck tailgating the other truck could have avoided the wreck entirely had it not been tailgating. Yes, split-second decisions must be made on the road. It is also true that best-practice driving reduces the need to make them.
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