Straights vs. Tractor and Pup

As far as dropping your trailer for some unknown random nut to recover your load on your trailer? That is craziness you're awful trusting. What kind of freight are you planning on hauling in this pup trailer and be much more specific than "expedite"? More importantly what kind of connections have you developed in the expedited segment? Are you even sure you can keep it loaded?

 

With a pup trailer? It's crazy to give this driver false hope. One and 2 pallet loads paying way over the top rates do happen from time to time. But you'll starve trying to crack into that freight off loadboards with a pup trailer. The other choices will be cheap LTL mostly. If op has no connections he needs to start with a regular53' van then find out if there really is anyone out there who with freight to make the pup idea viable. You don't just dream a need. You see a real one and meet it. First most important thing is to network and make the connections.

 

You will be limited in what you can haul with a pup. You could pull different types of freight if you owned more than one type of trailer. Most freight requires a 53' van. Even a lot of expedited loads require a 53' trailer. As far as space is concerned, you would have about the same amount of room with a pup as with a straight truck. I would do more leg work before buying a pup to see if there is enough business and higher rates to justify a pup. You might be better off just buying a 53' van. You could then pull both types of freight. If you have your authority you could subscribe to a few of the loadboards and check to see how much freight is available for the type of hauling you are interested in pursuing.

 

I totally agree with Rolling Coal on this pup trailer idea.

I have hauled a lot of expedite freight. Most of the time a shipper will load a 53 ft. trailer with a straight truck load. That is why you see less straight truck than in years past. Those loads are being hauled in 53 ft. trailers.

I think you are looking at things backwards. Get a 53 ft. trailer and if you can get good paying expedite loads or LTL loads good for you. But, you will be limiting yourself way to much with a pup trailer.

Rolling Coal talked about shippers loading empty racks,or dunnage from automotive suppliers. I have been to receivers and have gotten return loads of empty racks or dunnage in my 53 ft. trailer. I got those return loads because they would not load a straight truck.

I my opinion you will sit way to much and have lots of dead head miles if you try this with a pup trailer.

 

Load boards .... nope it won't really work that well but if you are with Panther, EPO or LS (or others) it may work out well.

This maybe an expedite only thing because people with large capacity straights often do better than smaller ones in this market, and having a company like LS, which a truck can goes across divisions for work, it may be a good fit.

I'm thinking that a better fit would be a 32 foot or a 36 foot trailer, nothing larger.

 

But even at Landstar OP would need to feel things out and do some networking. Same as with loadboards. That's the failure of most independents and people who lease at companies like Landstar is they don't understand the importance of networking. They expect to show up and they will get the good freight. When they don't it's blamed on agents playing favorites or some such nonsense. As far as Panther I have no idea how that would work. But again say don't put the cart before the horse. Get into the biz, make the connections, and find a real need first.

 

I agree but if you get to LS with something unique like a 32 foot trailer, then you already know what it will take to be a success there.

Agents playing favorites?

Isn't that the job of the Agent??

I know it is one of these things that is difficult to explain but if someone is doing this for a bit, they can see all kinds of niches to fill at a company like LS, or even Panther.

 

They have that already. FedEx UPS and there are so tanks and flats out there as well. Only reason I say this is because I have thought about the same thing. Your hay haulers out west do it. And they have some sweet rides lol