Straights vs. Tractor and Pup

Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by Criminey Jade, Oct 10, 2014.

  1. Criminey Jade

    Criminey Jade Road Train Member

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    I got to wondering about this. How come straight trucks are as popular as they are for OTR expediting over tractors and short trailers? Once you have your straight truck, you are limited to what your truck is configured for. No reefer? Can't run temp-controlled. Box has a low lip? Can't take anything tall that has to stay upright. No lift gate? Outta luck unless you install one. Need to run liquid bulk? Oops. You're a box, not a tanker. Run needs a flatbed? Sorry.

    It feels to me like tractor/pup combo is a better way to go since you can swap trailers. Your job is whatever you back the tractor up to. If your tractor breaks down under load, recovery is a lot easier. Just drop trailer for the recovery driver. That's a lot easier than trying to hand swap a load between box trucks.
     
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  3. Broccelli

    Broccelli Medium Load Member

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    I have often wondered the same thing. There must be some benefit to run a straight truck with a sleeper vs. A tractor. I see panther do it all the time. Fuel economy can't be any better and you'd think it would be very limiting. I could see the possibility of lower equipment cost and I'm sure registration and plates on one piece vs. two is cheaper. Perhaps it has something to do with having less axles? Perhaps licensing requirements are different if you don't haul as much you might not need a class A.

    I am curious to hear some insight on this subject.
     
  4. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    A straight truck is limited on the weight it can carry. Base plates would be less due to the weight. Fuel mileage might be a little better with a straight truck since you will always be pulling less weight. A straight truck is limited on space and that could cost some revenue. On the other hand, you can park a straight truck about anywhere. Most property owners seem to look at straight trucks differently than class 8 trucks. With a class 8 truck you can haul a greater variety of freight since you can change trailers. Straight trucks have fewer route restrictions due to weight and that could potentially be an advantage. Due to space and weight restrictions, a straight truck is limited to what it can haul and that would make it more likely you will do more sitting for a load. There are advantages and drawbacks to both.
     
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  5. Knucklehead

    Knucklehead Road Train Member

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    I'm taking a hiatus from expediting right now, but I am really trying to find the market for a pup expediter. Most companies will see the pup as a small trailer, rather than a large straight, in terms of capacity. I believe that if a company used this idea, and put a number of them on, they would attract a lot of drivers who see 53'ers as too long, and would welcome something significantly shorter.

    A pup... 28-36', IMO, is the best of both worlds. You still have nearly the capacity of a 53'er, yet have the maneuverability of a 24' straight. If you run it like a straight, and have a dispatch that is trained to know the difference, you could have many an E load on your truck. Unfortunately, I haven't met a dispatcher, other than myself and a few at C and M, who would look outside the box. And that's exactly what this idea is... outside the box.
     
  6. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Its been done, I don't know about C&M but LS had a couple in the LEAM fleet at one time.

    I think one member here ran this way, I don't remember his forum name is.
     
  7. Interplanet Janet

    Interplanet Janet Light Load Member

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    The one point your missing is that no expedite companies will have trailers for you to swap. At Panther your assigned a trailer and that's what ya got to work with. If their freight merited having trailers onsite for drop and hooks it would not be expedite - i.e. no big bucks for right now trucking. But, if I had to choose I would drive a Tractor and have a 28' trailer. You'll get the same fuel mileage as most of those straight trucks and have more to offer!
     
  8. Criminey Jade

    Criminey Jade Road Train Member

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    You wouldn't need to swap trailers. You could keep the same pup and just live load and unload. The ones who swap are the ones running the 53s. They do swap at some sites and in some situations.

    The other nice thing is, if something happened which damages the trailer, or your load needs a different configuration, you can swap to a rental and keep running. You can't do that with a box truck.
     
  9. Interplanet Janet

    Interplanet Janet Light Load Member

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    What class CDL do you have? Seems your wishing for what ya can't have...Get your Class A with all endorsements and the world will be yours!
     
  10. rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    I have seen it in very limited circumstance. Local carrier in Hopkinsville, KY had one of their tractors hooked to a pup. These loads could have went on a straight. Was one, two, three racks sometimes half a truck load every hour. All of it was going on 53' vans lined up ready to run it up to Louisville Ford plant. The trouble was ever so often Ford had a full truckload of racks going back south. They would only load a full 53' dry van with the returns. So that was like bonus money back for every 4th to 5th truck in there. We all went back empty to haul more of these but sometimes luckily snagged that bonus money south. The guy with the pup never did but really it didn't matter with what they were paying at the time. Still, that was money he left on the table.

    I think for the most part you'd be limiting yourself so badly it'd be costly. In that limited circumstance I saw it would work but then no bonus money back to the supplier with empty racks. With a tractor trailer you need to be able to take full advantage of tight capacity with general freight. You're not gonna do that pulling a pup trailer everywhere. For the ones doing it at Landstar they were probably some sort of white glove hauling medical or military freight and not doing typical auto expedite. In an extremely well paying segment outside of autoparts, with the right company, with a good reputation and solid contacts it could work. Going out here and getting your authority and buying a pup for your tractor, have fun with that disaster. The reason most companies don't do it is not because it's an untapped idea. It's because the market is practically non existent. Do you want truckload rates 53' or straight truck rates 28' for your tractor trailer?
     
  11. MrEd

    MrEd Road Train Member

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    As far as weight goes, when you compute bridge law, and that a tractor/pup would be a little heavier empty weigh, you may not be as versatile as one might think. I'd do a little number crunching with a mathmetician and bridge law guidelines before making a financial commitment on the idea. Other than that, it sounds like a great idea.
     
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