Expediting in Luxury

[vanman10x2]

So I parked next to a new decked out Sprinter today, with huge roof top AC unit, Satellite Dish, Etc, and I wondered, how in the world do you make any serious money expediting with all that overhead cost?

I am NOT bashing anyone who has such a cool setup, maybe even jealous, but with 350K mikes approaching on my van I recently ran some numbers on seriously upgrading my ride when I get my next van and just did not see the numbers making sense for all that high end equipment. Am I missing something? I mean, my carrier takes pretty good care of me, and I run about 70-80k miles a year and make a decent living, but not if I had all that luxury. Maybe i'm just cheap. Lol

I have an 06 Express van with a portable AC unit inside, a Honda gen, and a little TV, all paid for with cash, and I guess i'm just going to get maybe a 2011 Express van to replace it.

I would sure like move up to a luxury ride like others have, but can anybody make business sense of it for me? How do you pay for it and take money home, or have a home. Lol

Take care of those luxury rides, I love to admire them.

Take care,

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[paullud]

It might be one of the guys thst does it for a hobby instead of the money. He might have a pension coming in but just isn't ready to retire.

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[blizzard2014]

I never saw any reason to invest that kind of money in a truck that is one deer hit, one icy bridge, one nutcase driver, or one breakdown away from being hauled to the scrap yard. I say get the generator, the portable air conditoner, a small bunk, and a few other necessities and be done with it. You can dress the van up all you want, but at the end of they day you are still living in a nasty, dirty, loud, and nutcase filled four-wheeler parking lot.

I used to focus less on living in the van than I did on the van merely being a tool to make money. I'd rather spend Saturday morning to Monday afternoon in a warm/cool hotel room as opposed to sitting in a parking lot listening to drivers BS all day and night. That got real old after being on the road for six months. Others might want their truck to look like a mini-motel six, but why would you want to spend so much money on something that is temporary? Now that being said, if someone were to give me a truck like that for free, I'd probably keep it.

 

[RLENT]

So I parked next to a new decked out Sprinter today, with huge roof top AC unit, Satellite Dish, Etc, and I wondered, how in the world do you make any serious money expediting with all that overhead cost?

Simple: run for a reduced rate ... and make it up on volume ...

Seriously though, I don't see a normal roof top (RV) AC unit, a gen set, and a satellite dish dish as necessarily being all that high end ... or adding all that much overhead ... depending on one's use ...

A brand new Sprinter is likely another matter entirely. That might conceivably change if MB comes out with a 4 cylinder engine option that can achieve in the high 20's in terms of fuel mileage. At 80K miles per year, and 28 mpg versus 22 mpg would yield a fuel savings of almost 800 gallons per year.

You're probably talking as little as a few grand ($3000) in terms of fixed capital cost (assuming one does the installation work themselves) for the accessories ... spread that over a likely vehicle lifetime of say 5 years and you're talking about a monthly capital cost of $50 per month.

The ongoing expense of the satellite might be $50 to $100 per month - depending on one's tastes in terms of entertainment - with the possibility of some of it being deductible as a business expense (weather info)

The cost of running the generator would be highly variable - depending on weather and one's comfort requirements - so I don't have a good handle on what that cost might be ... but that expense is only going to be applicable during the warmer months and if it allows one to stay out in service and be available more - even if only an extra week every two months - then I would think that it would potentially have the ability to more than pay for itself.

I am NOT bashing anyone who has such a cool setup, maybe even jealous, but with 350K mikes approaching on my van I recently ran some numbers on seriously upgrading my ride when I get my next van and just did not see the numbers making sense for all that high end equipment.

The problem isn't the "high-end (accessory) equipment" as much as it is the "high end vehicle" ... with a high initial capital cost ... along with potentially high maintenance costs ...

Am I missing something? I mean, my carrier takes pretty good care of me, and I run about 70-80k miles a year and make a decent living, but not if I had all that luxury. Maybe i'm just cheap.

Well, you might be (cheap) ... but in my estimation the focus on the accessories is misplaced - when compared to vehicle maintenance aspect ...

To paraphrase an expediter friend of mine who does most all of his own maintenance and repairs (including a transmission replacement) on his Sprinter:

"I don't see how anyone could make any decent money in this business without doing (most of) their own repairs and maintenance ..."

The overall economics of the business are what is going to dictate what is required to survive and/or prosper ...

AmI would sure like move up to a luxury ride like others have, but can anybody make business sense of it for me? How do you pay for it and take money home, or have a home.

As others have pointed out, the economics of the expedite business for most - in terms of operating a cargo van/Sprinter - is currently such that making what I would consider a decent living is near impossible ... unless one also has another source of income (retired, pension, etc.)

Personally, I'm not expecting that to change much any time in the foreseeable future.

 

[xiggi]

As in most things one never knows another persons wants or needs.

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[DollarSign]

I think if your most of us, stay out for three weeks or longer, why not have it? Most of our time is eaither driving or sitting at truckstops. In time thats what im going to have on my sprinter.

 

[T270_Dreamin]

For drivers like me who currently don't pay rent or mortgage on a house... all the money saved can be justified for upgrades, such as nicer seats, stereo etc. What upsets me is the generator enclosure box cost as much as the generator. Anyone know where I can get a good deal on one for a yamaha 2400is? This week has been really slow, I shouldn't have turned down a Monday run to Orlando FL. If it doesn't pick up soon, I might not be doing any upgrades. AC/Generator/insulation.. who needs satellite when you got all the free wifi spots ?! I'm skipping the rooftop and the espar and going with a portable ac/heater. Things that arn't permanently attacted are a good idea.

 

[Hightech_Hobo]

6th day in CA sitting in one of those "Luxury" vans and **** glad I have it...Also don't keep a home anymore as I am on the road 95% of the time...

Should I have saved my $$ for retirement...Hmmm...not sure retirement $$ will be worth anything by the time I get there....

Im not sure I'm even gonna get there....