Can you make a living with one skid

Humanvise · May 4, 2022

Hi this is my first post let me introduce myself. my name is John I started off just wanting to do the van life thing so I converted a van (promaster 2500 2016, 105k miles)into a off grid living operation but as I found out about cargo van expeditor i got intrested in a career I now want to switch directions or at least thinking about it.

I have enough room to take one pallet at a time my question to you all experienced drivers can you make a decent living only taking one pallet at a time?

I'm not trying to take over the world or anything I just want to make a couple of thousand a month between my boondocking lifestyle all opinions welcome thank you

danthewolf00 · May 4, 2022

Short answer no. Most companies want a minimum 2 skid capacity 3 being best.

Turtle · May 4, 2022

There's a lot of one-skid loads out there, but as Dan said, carriers aren't going to sign on a one-skid vehicle. You might talk to some, as you might be able to get a load or two a week that pays $500 a week, but the back of your van needs to scream "freight" and not "living space." Carriers aside, most shippers will turn away a van that looks like a gypsy lives in it.

LDB · May 4, 2022

I won't say no. I'll go with "extremely unlikely". I do agree with highly unlikely to find a company wanting to sign on a 1 skid vehicle. As to revenue, it might do $2k a month but no guarantees. Good luck.

Moot · May 5, 2022

Reading this, I realized I've been hauling a lot of 1 pallet/ piece loads. My last 13 loads were all 1 piece.

1 casket which was over 6 feet so that would not fit a one pallet space.
2 crates, each would fit a pallet slot. The heaviest weighed 1620 pounds. Could be a problem for a Promaster 2500 depending on how much junk is in the van now.
1 wall panel which was 6 feet long but only 12 pounds so it could fit the OP's criteria.
3 small tubs containing castings. Heaviest weighing 1026 pounds. All 3 were Caterpillar loads.
1 small carton. Not the one pictured below.
The rest were pallets.

A few years ago Xiggi and I met a guy with a Ford Transit Connect. I was definitely a one pallet at the most vehicle. He was leased to a company that only did locomotive freight (GE Transportation stuff). I don't recall the carrier's name.
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Opel2010 · Jun 2, 2022

Moot said:
A few years ago Xiggi and I met a guy with a Ford Transit Connect. I was definitely a one pallet at the most vehicle. He was leased to a company that only did locomotive freight (GE Transportation stuff). I don't recall the carrier's name.
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Speaking about that Connect, few years ago I saw a Nissan NV200 unloading one pallet, I believe that happened in Laredo, but the minivan was registered in Indiana, if I'm not mistaken... but since then, never saw another mini doing expediting...

Opel2010 · Jun 2, 2022

Many years ago, to be more exact, it was in 2001, few days after I signed with Nations, while I was waiting at Flying J in Blacksburg, SC, I met this guy from Chicago (I can't remember his name), he was driving for Panther, actually he was one of the very first drivers that signed for Panther. He had an Econoline full with clothes and other things, I can say that the van was almost full with his things. When I asked him where he's going to put the freight if he gets two pallets, he said he takes one pallet only. But he had history with the carrier, you as a new driver might not succeed unless you remove all your stuff by the time you sign with a carrier...