Sprinter Van Freight

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I am new to the industry. I am going to buy a Sprinter van. What type of freight is best suited for this type of expediting. Thanks for any help.
A better question would be what type of van is best suited for expediting.
Agreed.

Even, what type of vehicle is best suited for expediting. Before buying a Sprinter or any other kind of vehicle, you need to know the industry better than you do.
 
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Living the dream

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
Your better off driving for someone who owns a sprinter for 6 months, an see how much freight you get, how high the freight is, an also weight. Before you go out an spend 40,000 an find out expediting is not what you thought it is.
 

geo

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Navy
before you buy any unit you need to have a contract in hand, there are many companies listed on here looking for o/o
you need some time behind the wheel
what city do you live in and that would help to get a better answer
bank doesn't care about you haven't a job, need to know how are you going to pay for it
send pm with phone call you and talk to you
 

Living the dream

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
You don't need a contract before you buy a sprinter. If you have the money buy it. If expediting is not for you. You can sell the van or keep it for personal use. Or find a local messenger service that you can use the van for. Ford transit is cheaper then a sprinter an has less expensive break downs.
 

fastman_1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
You don't need a contract before you buy a sprinter. If you have the money buy it. If expediting is not for you. You can sell the van or keep it for personal use. Or find a local messenger service that you can use the van for. Ford transit is cheaper then a sprinter an has less expensive break downs.

No but it would be wise to have everything set up and ready to go, good luck on selling a new now used Van. The courier/ messenger service might work, but a long shot on making enough to cover the payments and maintenance. Why make it that much harder on yourself?


Sent from the deep end.
 
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Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I wouldn't buy new going into this blind. I would guess one would take a 20% hit just driving off the dealers lot. Put 40,000 miles on it in six months and find out expediting isn't for you, take another 20% hit.
 

JCH

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
Where is the sweet spot for vans there are a lot of them out there and some are doing well it sounds like
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Where is the sweet spot for vans there are a lot of them out there and some are doing well it sounds like
Well doing ok perhaps. I would venture to guess 80% of vans doing ok are with a different carrier than they started with, don't take loads they did in the beginning, have learned to live cheaper than when they started, etc.

There's a clue in the above atatement.
 
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Living the dream

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
You don't need a contract before you buy a sprinter. If you have the money buy it. If expediting is not for you. You can sell the van or keep it for personal use. Or find a local messenger service that you can use the van for. Ford transit is cheaper then a sprinter an has less expensive break downs.

No but it would be wise to have everything set up and ready to go, good luck on selling a new now used Van. The courier/ messenger service might work, but a long shot on making enough to cover the payments and maintenance. Why make it that much harder on yourself?


Sent from the deep end.
Depends where u live. I live near chicago which there is a ton of freight. Bolingbrook is a hot spot for me, as well as Milwaukee too. From past experience I will never buy a used Van an get in to this business. If you did your home work. Stay away from sprinters. They are over price. Transit is the way to go. An buy new. 1. It's a huge write off. 2. It can be paid off in less the time. 3. Maintenance is a lot cheaper an if any maintenance is to be done on it its cheap affordable less down time an a tax write off. You buy used, you have no idea how it was ran, do they have all records on repairs, was the van ever over loaded, did they baby it or drive it to the floor board. How adout accidents too. Lot to think about before you get in to this business. Would say drive for someone first an see how well it is working for you. An then ask the owner if he would sell you the van you are driving.
 

FlyingVan

Moderator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
A new van might be a huge write-off, but you pay 3*huge for it or more, especially in expediting. I'd rather have the money in the bank than pay them for a new vehicle and get a third or less back at tax time. Think about it.
 
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JCH

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
I'm not sure what the mileage deduction is this year but I'm pretty sure that most people can offset a large portion of income with that rather than take the losses for the purchase of a new van


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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
You never really start making any money in trucking until the truck is paid off. The sooner you pay it off the better. Sure, you can amortize the truck and write off the interest payments, but the amount of taxes saved will come nowhere near the amount saved if you weren't making that bank payment in the first place.
 

Living the dream

Active Expediter
Owner/Operator
I always buy new. Never had any trouble with it. I don't deduct milage. I take stander deduction. Food, fuel, maintenance, entertainment, parking, supply, etc. A van will always make you money if you are with the right carrier. I pay my vans off in 2 yrs. The next 3 yrs are profit. Never had any money issue. Remember your not going to become a millionaire in expediting. An I met a lot of people that get into it thinking they will make 70,000 a yr in a van. It will never happen.
 
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Treadmill

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I always buy new. Never had any trouble with it. I don't deduct milage. I take stander deduction. Food, fuel, maintenance, entertainment, parking, supply, etc. A van will always make you money if you are with the right carrier. I pay my vans off in 2 yrs. The next 3 yrs are profit. Never had any money issue. Remember your not going to become a millionaire in expediting. An I met a lot of people that get into it thinking they will make 70,000 a yr in a van. It will never happen.
I do.
 
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