Running With Schneider!

UPDATE!

Wow! it has been awhile sense updated this thread, so thought I would start again blogging my newer experiences sense becoming an IC. If I am gone for a while just means running hard and staying busy! Again my goal is to provide info for those looking to gain knowledge and info about trucking for a living.

Ok to bring ya up to speed I was company driver for about 1 year and 3 months. In February 2013 made the decision to leap over to the IC side on choice program (Independent contractor for SNI)

Because of personal issues with family concerns. The wife and I moved to PA to be closer to her loved ones. This provided me the opportunity to go on the choice program and change my position as a truck driver on company side to IC. Something I been looking into for the last year or so. Have to say it... as my wife puts it..."Best thing you have ever done honey"

And have to say she is right! I love it here and glad I made the change. I like SNI company as a whole in general so figured best to go O/O with them as well. Especially because I have there training and knowledge of their qualcom, freight lanes etc..


In another thread I opened my big mouth about what I was $making$ so for this update (because somebody requested to see proof) have decided to post my income for the first full month as an IC. My bottom line is actually more because they took out my expense for phone bill, internet and things I bought for the truck tools etc.. the bottom line is the taxable amount.

View attachment P&L Mar 2013.pdf

My April P&L is not available yet but click the link above and you can view the report for March. I circled the gross amount of revenue and take home $$ is at the bottom. Not making millions out here but this isn't to bad I don't think. This is in line with what I blurted out in previous post on another thread see link ->

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...165643-schneider-owner-ops-5.html#post3272272


Getting tired so calling it a night! will come back and blog some more of my day to day planning and experiences!

Take care!

 

Well the day is done and cooking up some rice and chicken for dinner. Out here in Texas in God knows where! Somewhere between Laredo and Houston off the US59. Delivered that short load from San Antonio to Laredo and picked a nice load 29000 lb going to SC.

Couple of days ago I notice irregular wear on my steer tires and a vibration in the front end. First thought was "what the Hell" new truck only 80,000 mile not time for tires already!!! geezz!. So.. calm myself down and stopped at next TA talked to mechanic and we agreed best form of action was to balance and rotate the tires. Only $100.00 Long story short glad I did! and glad I caught it when I did. In less than 2 days the tires have corrected the wear and she rides smooth and straight. control is much much easier.

FYI if you get a new truck or used one first thing I will do for now on is get those tires balanced. i have had same problem with my personal vehicles and found this keeps the life of the tires and steering at it's best. SFI gives you a free alignment check and mine was straight on when I got it. But for what ever reason those tires have been out of balance. Will also get it done every couple of oil changes as well. I hate driving a vehicle that constantly have to fight with the steering to maintain control. Schneider on company trucks just replaces the tires when it gets bad enough.

Pretty awesome week last week here is snap shot of my take home pay! Don't do this every week but sure love it when I can.




Have a great day guys!

Hammer On!


A

 

Another day on the road. Ran a decent 530 miles today. Now up here in Mississippi. Will deliver this load tomorrow in South Carolina then pick up next load about 50 miles away and head back to Texas! P&G load.

Unfortunately this next load is heavy. Usually you would try not to pick the heavy ones but sometimes you got do it! It pays well and that is always a good thing.

Be safe!


A

 

Hey Ricecake,

YES there is some things I can suggest. First, you are on the right track in my opinion. Working on company side for a year or more will solve your credit problem if you choose to go through SFI. Keep your logs in order and do your best to get quarterly bonuses etc..Personally I would not use an outsource to buy a truck. SFI will work with you if things go bad. If you work hard and doing the things your suppose (pick loads and deliver on time) they can see that, and that my friend gives you an edge. More than likely they will get you the help need or chance that you need to keep your business going successfully.

One of the things that helped me the most is getting to know some successful IC guys. Seeing and knowing someone is doing it that you can trust will be a great benefit. I would of become IC eventually but having first hand knowledge from other drivers gave me the information and confidence to start sooner. Glad I did.

I will come back with more! In Mississippi and headed to Georgia. Got to run so I can make delivery!



Be safe

 

I have met guys who are O/O on dedicated accounts. My experience would tell me it is not likely you can keep the account your on but down the road as you run otr for a while you can talk to your ICA/DBL and have him watch for it.

Also some areas of the country (like southern Cal) have multiple loads coming and going through the same places every week you could essentially run your own dedicated routes.

 

Well after picking a load out of Paris Texas to GA. I found a load that I couldn't refuse! 5000 lb drop and hooks and pay is extremely high going from GA to Cicero NY! Only thing there is 3 days to deliver with only 980 miles to run. But I took it in this case to let some hours build up and needed to make some stops in Charlotte to do laundry and meet my ICA for first time . What can I say.. been busy mann.

Anyway now up here in NY at the customer spending the night so I can just unload in the morning and save time on my clock. Have 3 more loads after this one picked out and on me for the next week 1/2 or so. Don't let any grass grow under this truck!

I don't usually plan out that far. Just so happen these loads seemed to have jumped out at me. They were really good combination of loads and light weight with decent pay. Plus I was looking to get back out to cali to take care of some personal biz. One of the benefits of picking your own loads

From here in NY will pick up and be running over to Joliet IL. Dead head to West Branch IA Pick up and deliver that load in Brookhaven MS. Then Dead head to Mobile AL Pick up and head out to Red Bluff CA. Will post my progress just for heck of it and see how it goes.

BTW..My last week was pretty good pay out too $2085.00 One of my better weeks! I have to set aside taxes out of that but still pretty decent week.

Here is snap shop of settlement.





Keep on keeping on!

Be safe!

 

Ok rolled out of bed and went around back of store to make delivery, 7:00 am. When I presented the receiver with paper work he said I don't know why your here, know nothing about this load can't help you right now! Handed the paper work back to me and walked away! I just said hmmm ok no problem. At this point it isn't my job to argue with customer so I just go back to the truck double check my paper work to make sure I'm in right place and call Schneider.

Looking around I see freight pile high outside and noticed warehouse was completely full while I was at the door for that brief encounter with receiver Thinking to myself I know whats going on here. This guy is overwhelmed and and just not ready for this today or something like that. So now waiting on hold for SNI. About 5 minutes goes by and support shift guy named Buck says how can i help you? I tell him about my brief conversation with the customer and said what ya want to do with this load?
Buck says "just a minute" Wait about 5 more minutes and bang all of a sudden the customer door swings open and the guy steps out and says "drop that trailer right where you are at"! Buck comes back on the line and says "you should be all set I think customer serviced had a talk with them" I'm like yep he told to just drop it here!

Well I drop the trailer and now have to go back in there to see if I can get this pissed off customer to sign my paper.. So I go on in there smiling and say "little over stock today huh"! He looks at me and says that is under statement of the year! he tells me they have be sending him a million dollars of freight per DAY! he has no place to put it and doesn't understand why the company is doing this. Then he kinda grins and realizes I'm just here doing my job. He takes the paperwork signs it and says he is sorry for mix up and that he was very stressed out. I do my best get him see the bright side of things and say "at least were both working and looks like the economy is picking that is a good problem to have"! He smiles and apologizes again and we part company! whew!! all in all, got out of that with very little delay and what seemed like a big deal at first was really no prob.

Ok now waiting a little bit here to start my clock. I do have an "at" appt for this next pick up at 1300 so don't want to start my clock to early. So in about half an hour will get rolling will be heading to get my empty and move on to pick up 1st load of the 3 mentioned earlier going to Joliet IL.

Talk to ya again soon!