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Hello Everyone, new guy onboard

S

ShipWreck

Seasoned Expediter
Hello everyone, my name is John.

I Drove truck for 6 years after I retired from the Navy in 1997.
I figured I finally could settle down after seeing all 48 states, along with Mexico and most of Canada. So I took a job as a construction estimator and was let go this past August due to the severe housing slow down.

I am seriously looking at trucking again. The expiditer business looks interesting to me. I am looking at buying either a new truck or a decent used truck.

My first question is..... is there enough freight these days to make a living at being a O/O, or would I be better off driving for a good owner?

My second question is........ are the Hino's as bad as I have been reading about? I am kind of a Freightliner guy anyways.

I have been talking with Susan over at Panther lately and she say's its no problem for me to pull for them. I just need to get my ducks in a row before I make any decisions.

I would surely appreciate any feedback.
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Welcome John to our shipwreck! :D

The consenus you'll get is read back the archives as much as possible..ask as many questions as you please...there is no such creature as a silly question, only the question that does not get asked...And driving for an owner first just to get your feet wet and dabble...the learning curve always takes a twist thru the wallet.:)
 
moose

moose

Veteran Expediter
Welcome Onbord John .

yes , read back . use the Search Option on top , to enter key words. read a lot , there is ton of expedite info. right here in EO.

and drive for an owner first .
this is not trucking so to speak .
not many solo expediters can support a new (or used) truck .
this nitch caters for teams for the most part.
and more so with the big fleets .
when you shop for an Owner , ask him why he is looking for a solo not a team .
Panther will be able to get you phone #'s of Owners with available trucks.

as to the Hino's ,
If you like Freightliner , then go 4 it .
most peoples make what they like work for them - or we will not have divorce lawyers...
Hino's are good trucks .
in most cases , they will break down if not used as designed .
just like any other class 7 truck.
if you gear it down , drive it slow ,and avoid abusing it - it can work well for you .
good luck.
& try not to Wrack any more boats...
 
Shadowpanda

Shadowpanda

Seasoned Expediter
The fleet I am about to start driving for uses straight trucks with class 8 front ends and not class 7. Specifically KW T660's
This 'de-rating' makes the vehicle much longer lasting and dependable.
Checked out the Hino. Interesting looking vehicles. They seem to have a lot of advantages over the FL.
 
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C

Crazynuff

Veteran Expediter
Shadowpanda said:
The fleet I am about to start driving for uses straight trucks with class 8 front ends and not class 7. Specifically KW T660's
This 'de-rating' makes the vehicle much longer lasting and dependable.
Checked out the Hino. Interesting looking vehicles. They seem to have a lot of advantages over the FL.
Click to expand...

The only possible advantage I could think of a Hino having over the FL would be the warranty . They are good vocational truck for around town . They aren't well suited for long hauling .
 
Moot

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Shadowpanda said:
The fleet I am about to start driving for uses straight trucks with class 8 front ends and not class 7. Specifically KW T660's
This 'de-rating' makes the vehicle much longer lasting and dependable.
Click to expand...

The T660 is a class 8 truck from the front end to the rear end and everything in between.
 
layoutshooter

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Welcome to the forums. Read, read, read. Like everyone else has said. Take you time, while you won't be earning any money you might avoid losing everything. Ask any question you can think of, you might get ribbed a bit, but what the heck, we all did!! Good luck and don't be a stranger.
 
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