Considering Cargo Van Purchase

[mrotten]

Greetings,

I am considering the purchase of a cargo van for the purpose of hauling expedite freight. I am very familiar with expedite (inside and out), as I have driven expedite straight truck before for the cat and have been in dispatch and logistics management. I am aware that freight is slow right now ~ hopefully it will pick up soon.

Now for my question - If a man owns his van free and clear - is it possible to make money in the cargo van in todays economic climate? Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Also, I spoke with a recruiter from a company call All Types. Does anybody know anything about them? Are they reputable? Should I steer clear?

Thanks for any input.

 

[Zoli]

Buying a van ????? Do you read this forum?The answer is NO.You can't make money with a cargo van this days....

 

[mrotten]

Buying a van ????? Do you read this forum?The answer is NO.You can't make money with a cargo van this days....

How long has it been this way? Do you expect the trend to improve as the economy begins to turn around?

 

[chefdennis]

I am normally one of those that would tell you that if you set youself up right from a financial stand point from the start, go for it. Well To give you a bit of insight, there are 4 CV's from the same carrier sitting here in Laredo, 3 of us been here since Sat, but couldn't deliver till mon morning. The 1st 2 of us just turned down a 800 mile run that paid....."wait for it.....here it comes....are you ready......" $.48 a mile.............


The 3rd guy took it.....that is the reason that we will continue to see subpar shipping rates on Expedited freight.......

So you asked,

"is it possible to make money in the cargo van in todays economic climate?"

I don't know....can you!?!? ....I can't.....not at rates like that, that someone will always take.....once they find someone that will go that low, it becomes the "new" rate to quote" to drivers........get ready...

 

[Turtle]

Quote:

"is it possible to make money in the cargo van in todays economic climate?"

Anything is possible. Mostly it depends on what you mean by "make money". If you own the van free and clear and do not need to make any money beyond what is needed to live and work out on the road, meaning no additional monies for things like rent or mortgage, utilities or any other bills whatsoever, yeah, you can make money in a cargo van in today's economic climate. You should also have about five grand in the bank before you start to cover emergencies and other unexpected expenses that will crop up.

They days of getting a cargo van and making easy expedite money are over.

 

[Jack_Berry]

hey dennis,

lotta companies trying to determine the bottom line to run a truck to get a vehicle out of a dead area. i think i would qualify as 48 cent loads. out of laredo, with gm closing there might be far fewer runs to and from in the next 11 weeks.

to the op, mr rotten, please used the advanced search type in "all types" and read for yourself.

 

[layoutshooter]

Not if you buy a cheap van, fill it up with tax free cigarettes, and sell them in high tax states and Canada!! layoutshooter

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I am normally one of those that would tell you that if you set youself up right from a financial stand point from the start, go for it. Well To give you a bit of insight, there are 4 CV's from the same carrier sitting here in Laredo, 3 of us been here since Sat, but couldn't deliver till mon morning. The 1st 2 of us just turned down a 800 mile run that paid....."wait for it.....here it comes....are you ready......" $.48 a mile.............


The 3rd guy took it.....that is the reason that we will continue to see subpar shipping rates on Expedited freight.......

So you asked,

I don't know....can you!?!? ....I can't.....not at rates like that, that someone will always take.....once they find someone that will go that low, it becomes the "new" rate to quote" to drivers........get ready...

So LAST year I was with a guy from this carrier and he was offered a .48 cent run HE turned it down...what was the excuse back then?

I said to him he was in a sprinter...that .48 cents would have paid his feul out...he said to me.."if I take that .48 they will always offer me .48. That will be the "NEW" rate"....

How profiund....seems it is now....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

hey dennis,

just got off the phern with disp. talking about loads and pay she told me that mark is doing ss to determine bottom line to run a truck to get a vehicle out of a dead area. not that this is what a person would rceive regulary but what is the least we can bid to get a truck back to expeditefrtland. outbound from laredo i think would qualify as 48 cent loads. with gm closing there might be far fewer runs to and from in the next 11 weeks.

to the op, mr rotten, please used the advanced search type in "all types" and read for yourself.

Jack...Laredo IS in the freight lanes...don't be so gullible!

GM is no excuse....Ford has more then any of them coming across....

 

[highway star]

They days of getting a cargo van and making easy expedite money are over.
[/COLOR]

And have been for quite some time, IMHO.

As to $.48 out of Laredo, well, it beats leaving on your own dime. How long do you sit to hope for more? I really DO hate cheap freight, but, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the game is being played the way the game is being played.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

And have been for quite some time, IMHO.

As to $.48 out of Laredo, well, it beats leaving on your own dime. How long do you sit to hope for more? I really DO hate cheap freight, but, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the game is being played the way the game is being played.

Star...there's way more freight out of Laredo and Hildago and Brownsville areas then one could imagine....there is NO excuse to take .48 per....IMHO

 

[highway star]

Jack...Laredo IS in the freight lanes...don't be so gullible!

It is going into, but going out? I haven't been there in a while, but from what I've read here and heard from others, getting out is tough lately.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

It is going into, but going out? I haven't been there in a while, but from what I've read here and heard from others, getting out is tough lately.

If your carrier is doing mostly NLM and Ryder Logistics then yes they wait longer....but if the carrier has first call preference and customers of thier own then 48 hours is the most I've ever waited....at normal rate..not this .48 crap....

Carriers perpetuate the rumor and hence they try this crap and some accept....Bull I say..........

 

[OntarioVanMan]

To answer the question...No, not new...maybe a good used one and pay cash for it....and have some reserve..it might be doable....

 

[Jack_Berry]

Star...there's way more freight out of Laredo and Hildago and Brownsville areas then one could imagine....there is NO excuse to take .48 per....IMHO

three trips to laredo. no frt out strt trk and van. what are the odds?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

three trips to laredo. no frt out strt trk and van. what are the odds?

wrong carrier for Laredo loads Jack...not trying to be a meany...just a fact....

 

[RLENT]

lotta companies trying to determine the bottom line to run a truck to get a vehicle out of a dead area.

I would think that if someone were going to do this, and wanted to actually have anyone that it affects consider it as valid, they would distribute it via email (or mail) to those contractors - so they could review it and determine whether or not the figures he is using are realistic .....

Anyone who would just accept it, merely on someone else's word alone, without inspecting the actual details (like what your cost per mile is to run), is ..... well, this is supposed to be a family-oriented forum .... so I'll refrain from saying what I'm really thinking ....

not that this is what a person would rceive regulary but what is the least we can bid to get a truck back to expeditefrtland. outbound from laredo i think would qualify as 48 cent loads.

Why should an expedite load coming out of Laredo pay anything less than one going into Laredo ? ..... besides the obvious glut of trucks in Laredo that happens from time to time - or the obvious I'll take an "LTL-to-get-me-out-of-Dodge" .... if ya really gotta go for some reason .....

The flip side to this coin is what about the "normal" rates in "expeditefrtland" ....... since you are essentially talking averaging of freight rates, the rates outside of "expeditefrtland" will have to be high enough to produce an average rate that yields an acceptable level of profitability ....

BTW, if one is looking to maintain some sort of decent relations with one's contractors, offering a load to one contractor at a certain amount and then turning immediately around and offering to another for oh say, 10, 15 or 20 cpm more, after the first one or two turn it down, probably ain't real smart .... sorta revealing as to several factors .....

Someone that would engage in that sort of thing is cutting the throat of the company that they work for, and whose interests they supposedly represent. And management that would knowingly condone such behavior, well ..... again this is a family-oriented forum ....

Word gets around ..... in this day and age of cellphones, email, and the internet, word of such things can travel thousands of miles in mere seconds ....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Now this poor guy that just wanted to know about buying a van has had a lesson in Laredo finances...

 

[RLENT]

OVM, I think the guy already knew - have a look at what he listed as job experience.

 

[RLENT]

wrong carrier for Laredo loads Jack...not trying to be a meany...just a fact....

Not necessarily true - because they do have their own customer base and are not solely dependent on NLM and Ryder/Penske Logistics ......

three trips to laredo. no frt out strt trk and van. what are the odds?

Last trip I had there was back in late January, so it's not exactly "recent" experience ... but .... I was called within an hour after dropping in Laredo, to go down to Hildago the next morning and pick up a load coming back to San Antonio, later that day.

After I dropped that load (Thursday afternoon), I got called on a Friday while I was in San An, to pick up a load in Laredo on Sunday - it paid over 80 cpm (1621 loaded) and it took me back to "expeditefrtland" (Cleveland, OH) ... it was non-NLM.

Admittedly, there were not alot of expedite trucks down there at the time from any carrier, and only one other van/Sprinter from my carrier, and he was already booked on a load.