What are we doing wrong?

Discussion in 'Car Hauler and Auto Carrier Trucking Forum' started by carhauling, Jun 22, 2015.

  1. carhauling

    carhauling Bobtail Member

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    Jun 22, 2015
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    We have been hauling cars for a few years but must be doing something wrong. We book 99.9% of our loads off Central and simply cant stay busy. It seems like it just keeps getting slower and slower. We would run our truck nonstop if we could but cant seem to figure out a way to do that.

    What are we missing here?
     
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  3. Salad

    Salad Medium Load Member

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    I have a friend that does car hauling, has been for years. He's always telling me the only way to stay rolling is to know the right people

    That and to be friends with wrecker services and impound lots
     
  4. jbatmick

    jbatmick Road Train Member

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    From what I read, and hear, and see on the road, the problem is everybody and their brother is doing it. Not enough demand for too much supply. Several years ago the talk was how rich all the parking lot drivers were getting & everybody went to hauling cars. I still see on this forum hands asking how to get into shuffling cars around. More haulers mean cheaper freight rates any way you look at it.
    To make the real money in any type trucking, you have to have contacts, and haul direct. The middle man takes most of the profit out of your piece of the pie. Find a good customer, do them an ourstanding job, fairly priced, and hope for the best.It takes time to build a network of customers.
     
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  5. jstephens

    jstephens Light Load Member

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    i got a buddy leased on to united .. he only works a week or two out of a month usually but not because theres no work but because he makes so much #### money he doesnt have too lol
     
  6. tech10171968

    tech10171968 Medium Load Member

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    I'd have to agree. Right now I work out of a yard hauling autos to the port for drivers who drop their loads here for various reasons (no TWIC card/no time to wait for unloading/etc). Seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry and their uncles are running dualies hauling 3-car wedges. Despite all the competition coming out of the woodwork in the past few years the money's still there but you have to get with the right people and, as jbatmick said, you have to build a reliable network of customers. Seems like the company drivers here (Hansen & Adkins/Centurion/Proficient/et al) aren't doing too badly, though. I wonder if leasing your rig with one of these guys might be the ticket?
     
  7. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    Yep, you have to have your own customers. Otherwise you're at the mercy of the vultures that dominate Central.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2015
  8. Terry270

    Terry270 Road Train Member

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    All this talk means nothing without knowing where you are based out of OP. Or what route(s) you run

    Some areas have more work than carriers can handle. Some areas suck pretty much year round! And everything in between
     
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  9. brian991219

    brian991219 Road Train Member

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    Lords Valley, PA
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    Central Dispatch as your primary source of work is the first mistake. Car haul is very cyclic, just like refer freight around the harvest times, so you need more than just broker work to stay moving. If you can't or won't go find direct customers then you should think about what others have suggested and lease onto a company like United Road, DAS, etc that will manage the customer base for you and keep you moving, but you will not make very good money doing it compared to running your own authority with direct customers.

    The next thing that may be problematic for you could be your location, some areas just don't have much car haul work. For higher volumes you need to near a major city with a railhead, large auto auction, or port facilities that move cars, otherwise you will starve. Lastly, you don't say what type of truck you are using, but if you are trying to go over the road, irregular route, I really suggest a 9/10 car stringer as you will be able to build more profitable loads instead of hoping for the scraps that don't fit on the bigger trucks.

    I hope this helps, I am not trying to put anyone down, my company was started with a two car carrier moving salvage, now we have multiple trucks and even sub-contractors moving mostly off-lease and wholesale inbound cars for two major auctions. This puts us in a nice local lane that has predictable work flow and allows us to hand pick the few dealers we deliver outbound loads from the auctions we are already dropping off at, greatly reducing our dead head miles and giving us a great deal of routine and predicable revenues, plus it gets our drivers home daily.

    Give us a lot more info on your operation and the direction you want to go and we may be able to help, there are a lot of us with many years in car haul as owner/operators and small fleet owners that are willing to help the person that is willing to help themselves and better our entire industry, we shy away from the scabs that want to cut corners and just be the cheapest out there, that is not how a professional company presents itself. Good luck.
     
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