Ok I ran for panther for 2 years, first year i made decent money next not so great! But I enjoyed the work and freedom on the road being my own boss etc. Now times have changed life happened! And the babies came, so what I'm trying to do is piece together a plan before I get back out here! I'm looking at getting my own dot number etc to run legit. So I can do loads i find. I'm wondering if they are any good small companies that would work with a owner like this. One of the main things is I'll need to be home very often due to the kids and wife. I guess what i need from yall is do you think this would be fiesable and if you know any good company's that would be great. I know panther had a whole lot of small loads, but they always wanted to get you 500 to 600 miles from home before they would start sending you the 100 to 300 miles. These days 100 to 300 mile loads would be great if it was 300 from my home base that ways I could always have that option to head straight back home.Anyways let me quit rambling and see if there is any small companies that y'all know of that might work with something like this.
Veterans chime in!
- Thread starter Localrunz
- Start date
Type of vehicle you plan on driving?
In order to stay close to your neck of the woods, it'll probably need to be a carrier like DMW out of Nashville.
In order to stay close to your neck of the woods, it'll probably need to be a carrier like DMW out of Nashville.
If you do enough research anything is literally possible...all depends on a combination of what your needs are and if they are realistic for what is out there....Good luck...
Uhm, I know they are located in Nashville.
While they do run loads to all states and Canada, the bulk of their cargo van stuff is within 300 miles of Nashville, running a lot of stuff to the auto plants in TN, AL and MS or from suppliers in those states to the airport for air cargo shipments to Michigan and other places. I know that several drivers with them do not even have bunks in their vans, because they're home nearly every night. One I know lives in Murfreesboro, TN and probably averages an 8 hour day, out and then back home.
Frankly, if you've got kids at home, you probably should be in expediting or any job that takes you away from home for several days at a time, because what you have at home is essentially a single mom, who will in short order get used to making daily decisions on her own and will resent the crap out of you when you come home on the weekends and want to play the role of Man of the House. But I digress.
Unless you already know at this point, right now today, where your loads are going to come from, forget about getting your own authority and doing the multi-carrier thing and trying to find your own loads. It's a model who's days are more or less numbered anyway. Running with your own authority and the multi-carrier thing, or leasing on with most any carrier will mean you will be doing OTR trucking, same as it was with Panther, where one load could go to Michigan, the next to Chicago, the next to Michigan, the next to North Carolina, the next to Buffalo, and you're nowhere near the house. Because of where you live and the need to get home often, there may be others out there, but I think DMW is going to be your best, if not only option in expediting.
I'm looking for a carrier that runs from Tx to Michigan/Chicago and back, Tx to Cali and back. Low weekly fees and 100% non forced dispatch. .80-$1.00 per mile. Any ideas?
Swift, Werner, Schneider, Crete, Knight, Ryder Dedicated. There are lots of them. I never heard of an expedite carrier that's quite that specific, though.
concur with Turtle.....you can be on with any carrier and run like that if you were willing to wait for them to come up and be the next in line....
Besides you KNOW .....expedite is not scheduled loads...and expedite should not exist in a perfect world....if all shippers and customers would be perfect...you are lucky to get whatever load you are offered and know you just got lucky.....expedite for the most part is built on stupidity and oversight/mistakes....I always say...if a shipper/customer has a good day.... we have a bad day...
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Maybe a better way to put it is what is a carrier that will allow you just to run those loads I will also run to Denver or Minneapolis from Tx on occasion. The carrier I'm with now allows me to go wherever whenever but I'm needing a better rate.
Think outside the box and do whats best for YOU....we are not a collective here...best of luck....
Who stole that Niles Mi to Laredo Tx today? I put 1200 on it and couldn't get it. Is that too high or what, should I pack my bags and head home...
To OVM point about shippers/ consignee and if it was a perfect world, I've hauled plenty of loads that simply they just didn't won't there freight on a t/t with other people freight mix in. They want it there on time and damage free.
People also do price check before shipping to see if it's worth expedite or LTL.
People also do price check before shipping to see if it's worth expedite or LTL.
Tomorrow awaits ready to leave this Michigan cold behind and get back to Tx, this is good weather for married couples with warm houses and nice kitchens working on some private shipments as well encase the expedite doesn't work out.
working on some private shipments as well encase the expedite doesn't work out.