starting to drive for fleet owner with cargo vans!

mikehollon

Active Expediter
My girlfriend and I are thinking about joining a fleet owner to drive one of their cargo vans for Panther. Could anyone give me some pointers on what to expect? Like $ wise? Miles loaded? ect.
 

Mike99

Veteran Expediter
Team?How long you will stay out?What is the deal with the owner?Ho many % you ,how many he?Rate per mile 70 or 77 cents?
 

AMonger

Veteran Expediter
First, there's a saying in regards to cargo vans: it's hard to feed three households with a cargo van. Gross revenue is limited, and the carrier, owner, and driver are all taking a piece of that pie. That's what I'm doing--driving for an owner, and and I sure ain't getting rich. In your case, you're bringing another hand--your gf's. And that's just the economic side; it's difficult for 2 people to coexist in a space that small, but especially with all the downtime involved in a van operation. And the upcoming 1st quarter of the year is notoriously slow.

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

--

You know the problem with bad cops? They make the other 5% look bad.
 

Mike99

Veteran Expediter
First, there's a saying in regards to cargo vans: it's hard to feed three households with a cargo van. Gross revenue is limited, and the carrier, owner, and driver are all taking a piece of that pie. That's what I'm doing--driving for an owner, and and I sure ain't getting rich. In your case, you're bringing another hand--your gf's. And that's just the economic side; it's difficult for 2 people to coexist in a space that small, but especially with all the downtime involved in a van operation. And the upcoming 1st quarter of the year is notoriously slow.

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

--
Three households? I think it is two. In your opinion teams are not profitable?
 

AMonger

Veteran Expediter
Not all 'boyfriend - Girlfriend' teams live in the same household.

Yes, and even if they did, another individual is another individual with wants and needs. She needs some cash in her pocket just like he does. So call it splitting the pie 4 ways or only 3.5, but it's more than 3.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I feel if you want to drive a van in this economy and with most of the carriers out there, you should own it outright, not drive for any owner. I think that carriers should not allow owners to own vans in the fleet.
 

Monty

Expert Expediter
I feel if you want to drive a van in this economy and with most of the carriers out there, you should own it outright, not drive for any owner. I think that carriers should not allow owners to own vans in the fleet.[/QUOTE]

Amen brother ... there is plenty of money in van's .. if you own and drive it.

A team? if at all, it should be a single household pair, hubby and wife, etc ...

Trying to spread it around makes it hard.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I feel if you want to drive a van in this economy and with most of the carriers out there, you should own it outright, not drive for any owner. I think that carriers should not allow owners to own vans in the fleet.

I'll second that..CV/Sprinter fleet owners should disappear...
 

Bruno

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
US Marines
I would have to agree 100% with Greg and Jim on this. If you want to team drive a straight truck would be better. You will have more room, make more money over all and by happy. As a fleet owner we have never even thought of owning any vans. It's just not worth it to us unless I drove the van myself.
 
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blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
I feel if you want to drive a van in this economy and with most of the carriers out there, you should own it outright, not drive for any owner. I think that carriers should not allow owners to own vans in the fleet.

With the way credit is right now if companies did not allow fleet owners to put on cargo vans, they would not get their loads covered. Fleet owners with (money) makeis possible for those who are less fortunate to be able to get into the business and make themselves some money. Don't bash fleet owners for providing opportunities.
 

blizzard2014

Veteran Expediter
Driver
I completely disagree. Right in our backyard are some good owners who have afforded drivers the opportunity to build towards ownership themselves.

I ran the numbers between a bad month as an owner of a van and a bad month as an owner with a straight truck with 1300 dollar a month payment. On a bad month with a straight truck I would barely break even. On a bad month with a cargo van i'd still walk away with 500 bucks in my pocket...considering the van was paid for with cash and at a very low price. The straight trucks are good if you can get at least 10k miles a month out of them, but is that even possible on a consistant basis?

Plus as Scott stated "working for a good fleet owner in a cargo van or a sprinter" can allow a driver to work his way into ownership...Case in point I give you Xiggi. He has worked his way up to the top through bouts with good and bad companies. This has all been made possible by a really good fleet owner.
 

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Want constitutes a "Van" Fleet owner?? 2 units?? 5?? So I ran a CV for 4 yrs, its paid for. I bought a new Cargo Max..the Old CV is just going to sit in the yard...So, if I put a driver in it am I now a Fleet owner?? ea I think so, and I am pretty sure the guy driving it (and will own it within 6-9 months) is kinda happy that I was able to lease it at Load 1 as a "Fleet owner"....:rolleyes:
 

tenntrucker

Expert Expediter
Want constitutes a "Van" Fleet owner?? 2 units?? 5?? So I ran a CV for 4 yrs, its paid for. I bought a new Cargo Max..the Old CV is just going to sit in the yard...So, if I put a driver in it am I now a Fleet owner?? ea I think so, and I am pretty sure the guy driving it (and will own it within 6-9 months) is kinda happy that I was able to lease it at Load 1 as a "Fleet owner"....:rolleyes:

Yes your now "one of them"!

Sent from my DROID X2
 

Mike99

Veteran Expediter
I would have to agree 100% with Greg and Jim on this. If you want to team drive a straight truck as you will have more room, make more money over all and by happy. As a fleet owner we have never even thought of owning any vans. It's just not worth it to us unless I drove the van myself.

Yes , if you want to deal with DOT and scales. And yes ,if you have a CDL. A lot of drivers do not want to deal with this ,and some of them do not have CDL. The only chance for them is to drive a van.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
xiggi drove for an owner...period....Not a fleet owner...it would be like if I put someone in my van...
I stand ..CV FLEET owners should disappear...
 
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