So you want to "own " your own company

It really comes down to how many miles your legally willing to drive. the bucks stop there

 

Profit is only about miles if you are in a dead end mileage lease. Quality or Quantity.

 

Mileage? I never want to drive anywhere, but I will get paid dang good to get there.

 

Are there any good freight lanes in and out of mid-Michigan? I'm in the research/saving phase but I'm hoping to have things up and running sometime next year. I'll stay out as long as it takes to pay the bills and learn the system but eventually I want to establish some consistent revenue that will keep my primarily in the midwest and get me home more weekends than not. Is this a good flatbed area or would dry van be more practical in my area? I've never pulled flatbed but I think Id like it. I've spent the past 6 years hand unloading dollar store freight so physical work is not a problem. It's actually a positive thing. I've learned a lot from these forums but I haven't found much specific info about specific lanes and rates. Any info or suggestions on where to find info would be appreciated.

 

You'll have to figure that out the hard way. Giving out info on good lanes is like giving out good contacts for profitable freight. This is an open forum with hundreds or thousands of potential competitors who are always looking for money. Generally speaking the midwest is not a bad place to be either with a van or a flat but that's about as much as I'd be willing to share.

 

I, for years, tried to figure out, "what's a freight lane?"

It's what you make of it.

I sit and will study load boards for days and even weeks. Making notes and looking for "patterns".

They are all over the place.

Look at a Thomas Registry sometime. There's your freight lanes.

Partly why I got back into driving a truck. No matter how bad things get, freight still has to move.

Mind your p's and q's, you will always have work for your truck. This week, 3 brokers I have used in the past and done work for around the house are calling me for loads NEXT WEEK with very nice rates on them. $3-4 dollar a mile stuff. AND I get to be home every night. Revenue, $700-800 per day. Miles driven, 120-200 per day. Load out, load back.

 

I wouldn't ask anyone for sensitive information that will harm their own business. I've never heard of a Thomas Registry but I'll look into it. Would it be useful to subscribe to a load board? Obviously as a company driver I couldn't book any loads but if it gives me access to what loads are going where and for how much it might be worth my time and money. Are any specific load boards better than others? I have no plans on getting my own authority right away but I want to lease on with a company that will let me book my own loads. I can't see myself getting far if I have to depend on a dispatcher to feed my family for me. I've heard that the best loads never make it to the boards but I have to assume that if I prove myself as someone who can provide good reliable service, the agents will start calling me with some good loads eventually.

 

If you are currently a company driver, track every expense you have with your company vehicle. Run it as if it's YOUR TRUCK. Mind your p's & Q's with it.

Track your mileage, your maintenance. EVERYTHING you do on that truck. Including WHEN and how much washer fluid you put into it. When you replace your wipers. Run an IFTA report on your truck yourself. Find out HOW and what needs to be collected. Then start seeing where and how you can save money on buying fuel. Pump price before and after taxes. Start doing the little maintenance jobs on your truck when and how you can.

Use this time to figure out your business tracking methods, spreadsheets, finance software, etc.

Do that for 3-6 months. Or a year if you need to.

Then ask yourself "Am I ready for this".


If there are those wondering why I say "there are no'freight lanes.' " Think about it really.

Freight lanes are what YOU create. what might be YOUR 'freight lane', it is not MY 'freight lane'. We each have our own little world and market we work in.

find your own 'little world' and you create a 'freight lane'

With that said, there are some markets; Chicago, Detroit, Ohio, Nashville, Minneapolis, Dallas, Houston, Chattanooga, LA, San Fran, Seattle, Portland and a lot of other places that have better tendency to be a 'freightlane'. The amount of freight in those areas are just steps above someplace like Menomonie, Mankato, Blue Earth, Joplin ETC.

Thomas Registry is a "who's who" in the manufacturing world. You can get overwhelmed in it incredibly.
http://www.thomasnet.com/


Look at where you want to run, think about what you want to maybe haul, and go find it. I have had some decent luck talking with a couple places I find on the side of the road, look up their information and talk to the shipping/receiving department.

Walla, instant direct customer.

 

I would assume you can subscribe to a load board without having a truck.

 

not always. Most places you have to provide an MC / DOT number.

If nothing else, call and talk to someone about it.