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Rich, This is not the first time you have warned readers about the risks of selling their house to buy a truck. While the advice is sound, I can't help but wonder why you feel compelled to offer it again and again and again and again. In over three years of expediting, Diane and I have never...

Three people have talked about the importance of net income in this thread. I agree 100%. It goes without saying, one would think, that the amount of money you have left over after everything else is accounted for is the amount that matters most. I prefer to compare trucks and truck...

The pencil and paper method is time-honored and has numerous advantages over computer spreadsheets. Pencil and paper does not need batteries, an expensive machine to use it, and backup and storage is more reliable than anyhing invented since stone tablets. Since you are familiar with Excel, you...

>Any Freightliner dealer etc services Hinny's through out the >USA. The Volvo dealer in New Haven, IN (near Ft. Wayne) also sells Hino trucks.

Well, there we have it folks. jrbears, a/k/a John Robinson, who has identified himself as a UPS recruiter and dispatcher, clearly states that UPS is entering the expedited market in a big but methodical way. The first freight they are targeting is the freight under their immediate control that...

The new FedEx pay schedule went into effect September 18th. Because Diane and I are predispatched through Friday, October 20th (and if we assume no loads cancel), we can evaluate our first month under the new FedEx pay schedule with real numbers. I looked at three 30-day periods; the current...

Is this the guide you mean? http://truckandtravel.com/ We have one in our truck and use it most days. I agree. Don't leave home without it. For the money, it is one of the best values out there.

What Leo said about reading a year's worth of previous posts. If your credit score is bad as you say, I would be very, very reluctant to get into a new obligation where you have a creditor (leasor) in your life. Consider instead driving for a fleet owner and managing your money well long enough...

>Well said Louixo, >Biz is slow for everyone and may be till year end. I would >like to see post's that reflect on the first downfall of >expedite(circa 2000). I too am interested to hear about the big slump of that time period and encourage those who lived through it to post about it in as...

There is an elderly Aunt in our family who I dearly love and respect. At a young age, I heard her say something I never forgot. It was a quote she once read. A man said, "I never complain in public about my wife. After all, I married her. If I complained, people might think I have poor...

I've been thinking more about your post. It seems to me the answers you seek can be found mostly in your own data. You said, "We had several months last year of $20,000-$25,000 as newcomers to expediting (started as a team in mid-July), so we were hoping to have a great year in '06." The...

You'll have to decide for yourself if this idea is worth the effort. CompUSA has a nationwide chain of stores. They offer one-day classes on Microsoft Excel and other computer programs. Their level-one course will benefit you no matter what spreadsheet program you use. A number of self-training...

I agree with Leo on two points: 1. What he said about designated experts. 2. What he said about $250k and $200k. Based on our personal experience, Diane and I do not expect to gross over $250,000 a year in our CR-unit; at least not our first year out in that truck. We've already had too much...

>Good points. The difference is, you are getting 100 percent >of the FSC rather than 58 percent of it. If Panther said >they decided to keep 42 percent of your future FSC's I think >there would be some irritated drivers. Judging from recent posts, it seems Panther already has some irritated...

>I didn't want to point out that a load might be unprofitable >or profitable. You can paint it any color you like, but the >reality is if that load paid $2,000 a month ago and now pays >$1500, you are getting hosed if they are keeping a >percentage of the fuel surcharge as they indicate. It...

A handful of dealers advertise expediting trucks on the EO site. Try calling them and asking about the used units they have on their lots right now. That should give you the ballpark range you seek.

tlang563 asked, "...I was wondering if the dispatchers pretty much leave you alone or start bugging if you get behind schedule. Are you penalized for a late delivery if it's caused by weather or an accident blocking the hwy or something like that, where you're not really at fault." In our...

From what I remember of Beachbum's posts, he researched the industry for about a year before jumping in. Is that correct, beach? His questions seemed like the right ones to ask. From what he reports now, he 1. Entered the business without a lot of cash reserves. 2. His owner/operator (fleet...

What kind of truck (van) do you drive? Does it have bathroom facilities of one sort or another? How long can you hang out in the truck before you must find a toilet outside the truck? If you have no bathroom facilities in the truck, find a 24 hour grocery store in or near Elk Grove Village...

For illustration purposes, lets use inaccurate numbers to illustrate a way (one of many) to think about FedEx load offers. For those who may not know, FedEx pays a percentage of the load with some other items thrown in, not a fixed rate per mile. As I understand it, items that contribute to...