thinking of expediting

papa bear · May 13, 2006

Moma Bear and i have been researching the expediting business as a living. I have read the general forum posts and many people say the market is TOO flooded with cargo vans, we would be driving as a team and wanted to get opinions as to work being available to team van drivers more than solo drivers. We could move up to a straight bed in the future but believe a cargo van would be the best way to start to find out if expediting is right for us. We welcome any advice and input on this new ADVEVTURE we are thinking about.

Thanks / Moma and Papa Bear

LDB · May 13, 2006

Being a team instead of solo would help. All money going into the same pot rather than two separate driver accounts would help. Is that enough to make it in a van? I don't know if it is or not. There are van operators (both team and solo) making a good living. There are a whole lot more barely getting by. If you get a used van at a good price so you can drive it 6 months and then resell it with minimal loss that will also help a lot. Your risk is much less than if you go buy a brand new van. You also need to research companies. There are virtually no companies signing on vans right now because of the glut. Good luck to you.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 4958, 5447
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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letzrockexpress · May 13, 2006

will baby bear be accompanying you ??

dhalltoyo · May 13, 2006

Ditto to Leo's post.

You will have to buy your way into a good company's fleet.

That means you will have to purchase an O/O's van that has worked out an agreement to keep the van in the fleet if he sells it.

And it just so happens that I am making the move to a different truck to help me with my load offers due to my location.

Therefore, I have such a van for sale. If you are a team you will do well. So come on in because the water is fine!

PS. Just drop me an email if you are interested in talking about the van. I hope to see you both on the road real soon!

fastman_1 · May 14, 2006

I have to agree with Leo on this go with a Used Van that you can bail on in 6 months or a Year. But if it was me I would try a "C" Truck On for Size. For I don't believe a Van can Support a Team even if all the Money goes to the Same Pot.

Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones

Marty · May 14, 2006

Papa Bear, there isn't enough porridge to go around. At this time it might be prudent to stay home and protect the portion of porridge you already have. If you come into the woods you will find many starving bears. You may become one of them. After a while you might have to go back home only to discover that Goldilocks took much of your porridge. It may take a long time to build your portion back up to level it was before you entered the woods.
It might be wise to stay out of the woods until you hear from other bears that the food supply has increased to where all bears are finding adequate amounts to thrive on.

Roadpig · May 14, 2006

>Moma Bear and i have been researching the expediting
>business as a living. I have read the general forum posts
>and many people say the market is TOO flooded with cargo
>vans, we would be driving as a team and wanted to get
>opinions as to work being available to team van drivers more
>than solo drivers. We could move up to a straight bed in the
>future but believe a cargo van would be the best way to
>start to find out if expediting is right for us. We welcome
>any advice and input on this new ADVEVTURE we are thinking
>about.
>
>Thanks / Moma and Papa Bear

Just wait until you can start up in a straight truck. Straight truck husband/wife teams do best in the industry these days. And the need for vans has been slowly diminishing since 2000. I wouldn't recommend for anybody to go into a van unless they were somebody that I really, REALLY didn't like. In short, don't do it. Wait until you can buy a straight then head over to Conway, Landstar or TriState (these are the best companies for husband/wife teams). But you will only be digging yourself into a pit of losses and debt if you get into a van (even a "not worth the cost" Sprinter). Besides, most companies won't even touch vans these days.

So, in short: expediting is flooded with cans who are taking home 400.00 a week on average. Unless you're independently wealthy and want to "see the country" without the comforts of life, please stay away from vans.

PP

brentwb2 · May 14, 2006

No offense to anybody here, but I wouldn't waste my time with a 'B' unit. You and your spouse can get a class B CDL easily enough and then go into a C or D unit. Drive for somebody else. That would be the easiest way to 'test the waters' of expediting and still make decent money. It is great that you are going to team with the spouse. You're in for it!!

LDB · May 14, 2006

I'm tossing in a devil's advocate thought. Driving someone else's C/D unit means 60% + fsc - fuel/tolls or it means 40%. Driving your own van means 100%, albeit of a lesser amount. A decent used van is about $10-12k and 6 months later would sell for $8-10k at least provided it's in the same shape but with more miles. It might even sell for the purchase price. In any event the risk would be small, perhaps $2k or less. The net income from a van could conceivably be higher than the net from driving someone else's truck and receiving only a percentage.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 4958, 5447
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Roadpig · May 14, 2006

No, the risk is absolute. There is no way that somebody going into a van, no matter how small the purchase price, is going to make money in this business. They would make MUCH more money driving somebody elses unit. A van is a flat out losing proposition. It's a waste of time and money, two valuable commodities that nobody would want to squander.