Intermodel questions

Hey paul, you should probably post this in the intermodal truck forum.. as many people can answer this question.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/forums/intermodal-trucking-forum.405/

but to answer your question...... no. from what im reading and correct me if im wrong, your trying to run your own authority doing containers? not so fast buddy, intermodal has taken a downward spiral..... lease on to a carrier and run for them. that should make all your questions and plans irrelevant at this point.... you will come across many different type of chassis that are owned by trac lease, cocp, maersk, ect ect... and well.. it's tough luck when it comes to those chassis. if you're worried about the chassis then boy, you got another thing coming to you. THEY ALL SUCK. As far as your own chassis... not gonna work either unless your a carrier and you have about 20-30 TRIAXLE's (only for 20 footers) or 40 split chassis ( for 40's) ...then yes its worth it. but as a one man show? not even worth it.

at this point... those little one man show with 5 trucks are slowly going out of buisness.. they ratio of little man shows are getting smaller and smaller in the intermodal biz.... im sure more people will chime in if you post this in the intermodal forum..

 

I'll jump in and basically agree to everything @JJKid said. Sounds like you really don't have Intermodel experience. Intermodel is run differently then everything else. Cans are mostly out and back. (Either loaded out MT back or vise versa).

I run Intermodel tanks and we do have longer runs, but cans don't usually go more then 300-400 miles at best. (Otherwise they'll put it on a train going that way)

Unless you have a way to get costumes, it makes no sense to buy your own chassis. Not every customer will pay the flip/lift cost and you'll have it twice every can most times.
Also if you buy a convertible tri-axle, you may be fine with a 20', but heavy on 40' cans.

Company I'm with only does ISO tanks, so we have our own speed axle chassis that are designed for tanks. We occasionally do put a 20' can on them, but we wouldn't be able to back into a dock because the axles aren't movable. (Customer puts a huge bag in the can and fills it through a nozzle. So it's really a tank inside of a box.)

 

I realized I sound like a negative Neely, let me say something positive. There are numerous companies around Chicago that started within the last 3 years and seem to be doing well. They all started with just a couple trucks and grew. If you want to get into Intermodel, lease on with someone and learn the yards and customers. Once the election is over three things pick up, you'll have a much better handle on whether you even want to run Intermodel.

 

Short answer, I would not be start off being an O/O on drayage. Not sure where you are located but, in Socal every terminal is different. It takes time to learn the terminal do's and dont's. The stress in drayage work gives he headaches. Is there money to be made in it yes. But, you will not see the money unless you get insured and authorized to pull loads from the port directly and cut out brokers. I typically only do one long run early am and spend the rest of the day pull loads and returning empties after that (traffic).

 

Hi Hype6477. I am in Southern CA as well and I have a bunch of questions for you if you could help with some. Anyway I can contact you directly please? I am an 0/0 and want to get into the drayage industry.
Take care,Mike

 

Sorry on the delay been busy with work. Sure send me a PM and we can talk from there.

 

Thanks a lot. I will send you one shortly as soon as I figure out how. I'm terrible with technology.

 

Those shipping lines take care of the chassis.

Owning your own chassis will lead to problems. Where is it now? Bremen? I did not want anyone to touch that chassis... who took it to Bremen? Sure you can run a chassis. Gooseneck is better. That way they can plop a box on you any where. Keep that chassis with you.

Wires under the reefer containers. You MUST. MUST. MUST check em every two hours. Otherwise they drag and ruin itself for loading. All worthless. Back to port you go.

When a box is flying at you mash your brakes to stay put when they plop it down. DONT try to help out by moving this way and that. Stay. Be good. Stay....

And thy 4 corner hooks. Your salvation and your curse.

And pretrip. Before you allow the Union inspector have at it. Local Baltimore police THIRVE on capturing those boxes with problems, usually electrical at the pigtail. Wrap a rag on it and smile nicely at the smokey.

And finally.

Time. You WILL be at the ship 4 am. Or 4PM or whatever time it leaves. THAT. BOX. WILL. BE AT THE SHIP. NO IF BUT MAYBE SORTA YOU SEE.... nope. Miss the boat fire you there.

Some ports CLOSE EARLY before departures or nights. NY is nortorious for this. Miss the boat up there run all night and day to make norfolk before that boat docks there... MAYBE. Hours of service be ###### and 4 scales waiting for you smiling.