RV Transport or Expediting? Which more profitable?

The RV industry has always be a cyclical business model, it used to turn every 7 years, however STexan is correct, I do see a major correction coming, and RV lots are again full as he stated.

Further more the only real way to make any decent money without killing yourself in the RV business is with either a haul and tow rig or specially designed RV/Boat trailer.

HOWEVER, if this economy takes another dive, you are STUCK with a specialized piece of equipment that CAN'T be used for anything else, and WON'T be able to sell.

If you are dead set on hauling RV's "just" to see what it is like, find the cheapest decent 3/4 ton p/u and trade your existing car for it. That way if it doesn't work out, you still have a mode of transportation, and you DON'T have a big truck payment.

Very few Husband and Wife teams can make it living together for long in the confines of a small crew cab p/u.

Again, JMHO.

Stan

 

Expedite niche leads when the economy slows, not follows. When manufacturers cut back consumers are still buying in most cases. One thing I do know is if you are equipped right, you will never be without work.

As for which companies, there are a lot of them out there, pretty much many of the mom and pop ones advertise through classifieds but overall the ones I would focus on are Load-1, Panther, FedEx Custom Critical (you will be treated like any contractor there so beware), Express-1 and a few others I will have to remember.

L-1 has a good reputation with owners and drivers alike, Panther allows you to pick loads outside of their system BUT you have to learn their system and they tend to micromanage their fleet a little, FedEx while not using their massive amount of work, they act as if FedEx CC is the only thing where loads come from but could tap their other divisions to move every vehicle in their fleet every day of the year and make a lot of money, Express-1 has an OK reputation while some people make good money there.

In picking what company to go to, remember it is all about what company fits you, not what you fit into the company. Set your realistic goals, have a plan and start calling them. I will warn you about recruiters, in my many years of doing the expedite thing, I have only met one recruiter who was honest and telling how the company would work for you. Even though I met a bunch who appear honest, they were for the company and only the company while this guy was for the owner/driver. I just talked to one last week and he wasn't even close to being honest and thought I didn't know the game.

By the way, the was many of us gauge how well we can do by what we drive. MOST of the work is a few pallets of stuff, you do get an occasion where you stuff your truck full but more likely than not, it is a few pallets. The tractor is the most versatile in the fleet, even though it won't make sense to many, it can take everything all the others can take plus more. A straight truck that is about 18 feet long is the next step, add a reefer to that and it can take most of the freight we see while adding reefer freight that can be specialized like hazmat loads. Add a lift gate to the truck and you get a little more work, not a lot but enough to make a difference. Then you have the straight truck that is about 14 feet, small but gets the same work as the 18 foot but many dispatchers and sales people sell the bigger straight truck because they like to impress the customer. Then there is the sprinter which has changed expediting, a lot of companies will put on oversize heavy loads on the van because they can run them under the radar and straight through. and then there is the cargo van, two pallets maybe three and these are where people can make some money but only if they are the owner of the van.

 

np

OK Here is some more.

 

Advising to buy new for RV hauling is bad advice . Over $40,000 for a suitable truck before adding a hitch , mudflaps , etc.. There are plenty of greatly depreciated used trucks on the market that are fully equipped and still have plenty of miles left on them .

 

Rick's right, buy used or as I said trade what you have now for a good used truck so you have little or no payments.

 

I understand, I am just looking at it from the point of view that you don't know how they were treated when they were hauling stuff.

 

Best bet would be to try to something owner by a private owner for personal use . In 2004 I bought a Dodge 3500 that had 18,000 miles on it for $32,000 . The Dodge dealership's owner's daughter had show horses and every year she got a new dually to pull her trailer . I got it all set up with a gooseneck hitch . I bought a B&W companion 5th wheel .

 

Expediting by a long shot.

RV hauling best days are long long gone..........

 

Are they?

Expediting's best days are long gone, with the amount of carriers in the game, the internet access to load boards, the acceptance for anyone with a van and the rates being less than they were say 10 years ago while costs are way up, the golden age of expediting is gone.

Not saying one can't make money but they have to get the idea of how it really is now, not listening to those who lived in 1997 and made $2.50 a mile in a van.