Opportunity Knocks: Should I Become an Intermodal Owner Operator?

Go for it. Sounds like a Great Chance. Sounds like your cousin kept the truck in good shape. DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If I was you, I would go ahead and spring for a new fifth wheel. More than likely the one there is beat to heck and back.

Also check brake shoes and drums. Them containers sometimes are heavy and you need to be on point.

I say this from experience. The containers that park at aour yard are always getting something done.

 

I am always surprised at the comments by people knocking people hauling containers. I know of one company in particular where a man is averaging close to $2.00 a mile to his truck pulling their trailers. Now granted, he does pull multi-stop loads but gets paid extra for every stop, and only runs around 2,000 miles a week. He can be home every day and off every weekend if he so chooses.

I have never been to the ports and I have never seen some of the mexican junk pulling out of L.A., but I do see a lot of trucks pulling containers where I live, and for every 1 junky truck, I see 10 trucks that are in good shape.

Philjo, best of luck to you and please keep everyone posted on how it goes.

Shogun

 

shogun, the southeast ports are cheap for container work. the guys around savannah do it to be home often, if they clear 600 bucks they are happy.

they are heavy and overall dont pay well.

unusual to have multi-stop container loads

 

Containers can be a pain in the butt for sure. I've been doing for the past 17 months and every day I swear it's my last LOL! You won't get rich thats for #### sure but you are home every day and off weekends. Yes,it's hard on your truck due to heavy loads and non-airride TRLS.. I grossed $125,000 this past year running between 8-14 hrs a day five day's a week.. I keep searching for something better out there but I doubt running the road would be any better money unless you got hooked up with a great honest deal.


GO FOR IT...You'll do alright as long as the truck isn't %100 junk!

 

I do the ISO tanks mixed with some domestic pre loading. My carrier has his own chasis so it's not that bad. It's hard on the equipment. I change oil at 10k and plug an air filter every 6 mos. Hard on tires too.

Home every night, wknds. and 11 holidays thanks to the union guys.....run about 125k a year.

Like WCM I'm looking too but when you do apples to apples it's not there. I could gross more but expenses would follow a steeper graph on the spread sheet so there's no point. In my situation it actually pays more to keep it as short as possible even inside the local radius.

On the plus side your coming in just right. Ex/Im traffic is going to increase through the end of May and then level out.

Good luck....

 

Thats what I'm talking about. The time spent gone,extra fuel,food and the list goes on I don't see where you'll make anymore money. Before the container life I ran for North American Van Line and grossed $225,000 a year but you had to have a nice trk to run coast to coast which was $2,400 a month and then you had food,labor,extra fuel, added states for your IRP and the list goes on.. I doubt that I cleared anymore than I do now.. Plus I had to load and lump the furniture..

 

I ran intermodal for Schneider out of Chicago for a few years. I did all local work, 8pm-5am and took off Fri Sat Sun and still cleared $1,500 a week after all expenses. There is good money in intermodal IF you lease to the right company. Steer clear of Comtrak and Reliable.

 

Good luck and keep us posted, I'm looking towards container myself, I see some drivers settlements pulling containers and they making more than I'm making. One driver run sc, nc, ga, va, part of tn, part of ky. Most nights he's home, if not he will behome the next night and off every weekend. I run all 48 stay out 1-3 months at a time andi run hard this guys settlement he show me he's bringing home more than I am.
Even if he was bringing home the same amount I do, he still doing better than me because he is home more so he is working less for the same amount I'm making.
Looking into it and good luck