Making Money in Expediting

[LDB]

I would never suggest anyone take a home equity or second mortgage on their home for any purpose other than lifesaving medical expenses. Debt is your worst enemy. If the truck itself and the business plan aren't adequate I wouldn't make the move. If Murphy does his worst it's going to be far more unpleasant living in the truck when the collateral house is foreclosed than it is going to work the dayshift at McD's and the night shift at Wally World while living in the house after the truck is foreclosed. Do as you please of course but give long and serious thoughts to the worst case scenario.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[sixwheeler]

>
>sixwheeler has been an Open Forum member since November,
>'05. I don't know of a single person who has said using home
>equity to buy a truck is wise. I know of many that have
>repeatedly said it is unwise. Yet after nearly a year of
>reading posts, sixwheeler is intrigued by the idea.
>Sixwheeler, please note. NO ONE believes it is a good idea
>to mortgage your house to buy a truck.


ateam, Why have you answered my question putting me into the third person position? I m right here, all you had to say was you didnt think it was a good idea. I ve been driving trucks of one kind or another for almost 13 years the last thing I wanted or will ever want is advice from you...good buddy.

 

[ATeam]

>ateam, Why have you answered my question putting me into the
>third person position? I m right here, all you had to say
>was you didnt think it was a good idea. I ve been driving
>trucks of one kind or another for almost 13 years the last
>thing I wanted or will ever want is advice from you...good
>buddy.

Sorry to have offended you, sixwheeler. None was intended. Allow me to rephrase. Given the repeated advice from numerous expediters in this forum that using your home equity to finance a truck purchase is a bad idea, why would it even occur to you to do so?

 

[ATeam]

>Well, I guess I'm going to answer my own question about
>making money. If we manage to make $15,000 a month for
>November and December we will make $200,000 with a dry D
>unit. We have an in-service rate of 86%, and I discovered
>we have spent about 60 days at home this year. I haven't
>counted up the days we have sat idle on the road waiting for
>a load, but I'd rather improve that number than give up time
>at home. If we could cut in half the number of layover days
>and maybe spend less time at home, it looks like we could
>make between $200-250,000.
>
>Mike & Cindy

Congratulations. Nicely done. May I ask which carrier you are leased on with?

 

[Paul56]

>One other thing. If we did drop the reefer off our truck,
>the gained under-body space would be perfect for one of
>those pull-out grills that I saw on Trick My Truck.

I go decidedly low tech for the grilling.

We've had many good times with lump charcoal and a small round hibachi, both of which fit nicely in an outside storage compartment.

 

[davekc]

If we manage to make $15,000 a month for
>November and December we will make $200,000 with a dry D
>unit. We have an in-service rate of 86%, and I discovered
>we have spent about 60 days at home this year. I haven't
>counted up the days we have sat idle on the road waiting for
>a load, but I'd rather improve that number than give up time
>at home. If we could cut in half the number of layover days
>and maybe spend less time at home, it looks like we could
>make between $200-250,000
===========================================================
I wonder if this post is to be followed by " if you add a reefer and liftgate, you should be at $300,000 to 450,000 for the year":7

If so, I have some oceanfront property in Vegas for sale.












Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

:7

 

[BigBusBob]

Yes, Why is it that so many seem to think that adding a lift gate and a reefer unit will automatically coat the exterior and interior of a truck with 100 dollar bills?.

 

[davekc]

Yes, Why is it that so many seem to think that adding a lift gate and a reefer unit will automatically coat the exterior and interior of a truck with 100 dollar bills?.
======================================
I really think it is the same source many times over. That small few just feel a need to engage in pomp and puffery.








Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[guest]

>>Well, I guess I'm going to answer my own question about
>>making money. If we manage to make $15,000 a month for
>>November and December we will make $200,000 with a dry D
>>unit. We have an in-service rate of 86%, and I discovered
>>we have spent about 60 days at home this year. I haven't
>>counted up the days we have sat idle on the road waiting for
>>a load, but I'd rather improve that number than give up time
>>at home. If we could cut in half the number of layover days
>>and maybe spend less time at home, it looks like we could
>>make between $200-250,000.
>>
>>Mike & Cindy
>
>Congratulations. Nicely done. May I ask which carrier you
>are leased on with?


We're FedEx D6366, WG

 

[guest]

>If we manage to make $15,000 a month for
>>November and December we will make $200,000 with a dry D
>>unit. We have an in-service rate of 86%, and I discovered
>>we have spent about 60 days at home this year. I haven't
>>counted up the days we have sat idle on the road waiting for
>>a load, but I'd rather improve that number than give up time
>>at home. If we could cut in half the number of layover days
>>and maybe spend less time at home, it looks like we could
>>make between $200-250,000
>===========================================================
>I wonder if this post is to be followed by " if you add a
>reefer and liftgate, you should be at $300,000 to 450,000
>for the year":7
>
>If so, I have some oceanfront property in Vegas for sale.
>
>Funny. We already have the liftgate which I will credit with helping our income a lot. Still sceptical about the reefer, though. Then I would definitely not be happy with gross under $250,000!!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Davekc
>owner
>22 years
>PantherII
>EO moderator
>
>:7

 

[nightcreacher]

i know about the watkins reefers but they will not take the place of the cr units,not as far as expedited freight,at least this is my opinion

 

[x06col]

Obviously, a liftgate and refer would help with some runs and gross revenue. However, the only way to hit a revenue floor is be available, and, do the windshield time. BTW this pikk'in crap on here is getting really, really, old. If you choose to pick crap about "something" not "someone" i'll certainly throw my hat in the ring.

 

[wombat4412]

well all i can say to this is someone is looking after you i am a team and battling to even hit 150000 we accept loads but i guess it is not what you know it is who you know

 

[nightcreacher]

Wombat
I've been with fed ex cc for a long long time,I guarantee you it's not who you know,it's being in the right place at the right time.You can be in an express center that moves short freight,or you can go on your own, and be in one that moves more long freight, you cant just take your layovers at face value. The so called DVA,cost Fed Ex a lot of money,and they will never say it doesn't work,sometimes it does,but those of us that are those so called favorites,are only loaded,because we know where to layover and where not to.
It's funny,no matter how many trucks a company puts on,in expedite,the majority of the trucks are always in the wrong spot.What was busy last week, won't be busy this week,it's Murphy's Law,you know,if it can go bad it will.
I realize the straight trucks are at a disadvantage,as there are so many,but most of expedite, goes in straight trucks,many more smaller loads than are tractor loads,and FECC doesn't put their C and D loads on us,except,when all the straight trucks have turned it down,not even when we are in 75 status.Of course they will if no straight trucks can make pick up on time.
Hope this helps,or puts another light on the situation,I know it can get frustrating sitting around waiting for that good load,or any load,thats Expediteing

 

[ATeam]

>Wombat
>I've been with fed ex cc for a long long time,I guarantee
>you it's not who you know,it's being in the right place at
>the right time.You can be in an express center that moves
>short freight,or you can go on your own, and be in one that
>moves more long freight, you cant just take your layovers at
>face value. The so called DVA,cost Fed Ex a lot of money,and
>they will never say it doesn't work,sometimes it does,but
>those of us that are those so called favorites,are only
>loaded,because we know where to layover and where not to.

A while ago, here in the Open Forum, someone posted outstanding advice about how to ID the good freight centers. I do not recall who it was. Please identify yourself if you recognize your advice so you can receive proper credit for it.

The advice was to keep notes about your pickup locations. Over time, you will learn where YOUR best freight comes from, which might be different than someone else's best freight.

Diane and I keep a spreadsheet of all our runs, including the zip codes for each pickup and delivery. Here's an example of how the system works. Yesterday, we delivered in Los Angeles. Many expediters would go to the TA truck stop in Ontario to wait for their next load. We did not. From our run journal, we know that 18 of the 30 pickups we have done in California came from Orange County. The TA is not in Orange County. We are.

The load we delivered came from Memphis on Friday. While many expediters will go to West Memphis, AK to wait for freight, we did not. In the Memphis area, our run journal tells us there is a particular area of town from which most of our freight comes. That's where we went to wait for freight. That technique, we believe, got us a weekend run out of town while other trucks sat.

This method is available to any expediter. It costs nothing but some of your spare time to journal your runs and review the pickup and delivery locations. You don't need a spreadsheet to do this. Writing your runs on 3x5 cards, pickups on one side, deliveries on the other, zip codes in the upper right hand corner, dates in the upper left, time of day in the lower left, day of week in the lower right, can do the trick. With this info you can sort your pickups and deliveries by a variety of categories and learn more about your flow of freight.

As you increase your awareness about your flow of freight, you increase your ability to be in the right place at the right time.

Without question, expedited freight has a flow and rhythem. The more you know about the flow the better you can do. The best part is you don't have to go any further than your own runs to figure it out.