tanker or flatbed for o/o

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by krazzyboi_44, Sep 14, 2014.

  1. krazzyboi_44

    krazzyboi_44 Light Load Member

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    Which route is more profitable? I want eventually buy my own rig in a few years and just want to know which has the ability make more money
     
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  3. cabwrecker

    cabwrecker The clutch wrecker

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    Tanker if you wanna run under someone else authority for the duration, not a huge amount of physical labour involved. Biggest ordeal is hooking up hoses and running pumps. Food grade is a pain; but a great way to jump into tanks headlong. A lot of north east in my time on a tanker division.
    loads typically pay good if you're working percentage.

    Flatbed you can run your own authority more easily, a lot of physical work. Freight is running pretty well lately, it's subject to the same drop off reefer is. Couldn't tell you how bad that gets, only been pulling skates for a little while now. Pretty much run everywhere. Loads pay like reefer freight, sometimes good sometimes not so much.


    having done both now? I'd call flatbed just because of the bigger rewards from the work and the challenging nature of it. But hey, tankers not terrible.
     
  4. ramblingman

    ramblingman Road Train Member

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    Doesn't seem like there's much of any tanker independent owner ops. Any idea why it's like that?
     
  5. cabwrecker

    cabwrecker The clutch wrecker

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    I really don't have a reason I can point at and say that's exactly why. There are options to do owner operator tanks, several companies specialize in it, most tanker fleets accommodate o/o's. But it's difficult to broker your own freight as a tank driver from the perspective that Hershey will freight that out with Oakley or Prime or Foodliner before they will some guy running his own 1 tank fleet.


    Food grade tank is a pain in the butt, with a lot of deadheading typically, though the loads pay well it's not uncommon to see a 500 mile deadhead. Not to mention $250-400 tank washes, exorbitant pump in and off times sometimes without detention.

    overall flatbed is easier because a guy can get his own authority and call his own shots with a lot more versatility versus the guy pulling adm or Fuji oil.
     
    ramblingman Thanks this.
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