New SPRINTER in Business - I need help

OK first I don't say this much about TR but this thread should be moved to the hotshot/expedite forum.

That said, what you are talking about is pretty much expediting, which a sprinter would be a good fit for. But the problem is that you need to seek out a company that you can lease to in order to get to that goal. It isn't like the ETS or freight forwarding, it is more or less a scale down version of trucking via load boards.

As for companies, I would look at Load-1, Panther and FedEx Custom Critical for the big ones and look around for the smaller ones. Some of the smaller ones do well but if you want to go see the country, the bigger ones have the better resources.

I would also not buy a new sprinter, look for something used.

 

There isn't much info on this forum for you so go here:

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/

 

I know of a company that is hiring owner operators of cargo vans for local Chicago work.

 

You don't want to lease without experience in doing the work in the first place.

Buying used isn't all that bad, I've done it and had less breakdowns than some people who bought new.

 

Sprinters sure are nice but are they expensive! I configured one a few days ago on the Mercedes-Benz website and speced how I want it came out to early $50k! And that wasn't even the dually version. They just face lifted them for 2014 too.

 

Well Ford and Dodge are also up there in price.

I keep seeing the new Fiats (dodge) driving around and the Ford Transit is out on the road.

 

I have not seen the new full size Transit on the road yet. The E series is still being produced for 2014. You can get a brand new E250 extended for just shy of $30k. One thing I noticed about Sprinters is they seem to rust prematurely. I have seen 2005/2006 models rusted more than my 95 E150. If I was buying a new van it would probably be a two year old E250. It's a proven design, anyone can work on them, and parts are cheap and plentiful. Only downside is they guzzle gas but the newer ones you can run E85 in them.

 

Hello everyone! For starters I know my post may be all over the place but I just type things as they come to me, sorry about that. I have a some questions I hope some of you could answer or at least some feedback.
I too want to get into expediting but I'm torn between a sprinter van or a city van.
Sprinter vans are able to park anywhere you can find a parking space and a city van not so much.
Just like someone pointed out you only need space for one or two skids. For example the sprinter van can hold one to three skids depending on the van. The city van could hold four to six skids. You can put a sleeper in either one if you choose to do so. Another thing is if I go with a sprinter van do I look for one with dual wheels or single? The city van is a given. Should I go with a gas or a diesel? Some of the other questions I'm a little unclear on like do I need to run a log book If I run either one of them? Do I need to cross scales? Can I run as many hours I want on any given day? I don't plan on running Hazmat so I know that would help me when it comes to insurance and getting my own Authority. When it comes to insurance what do any of you recommend getting to start out with or what's the minimum I need? I know their are so many factors that go into all of this but I want to make sure I have all my ducks in row before I jump in it with both feet. I'm single with no kids at home. I live in Westerville Ohio and I know theirs not a shortage of freight here. I'm not looking to grow into some great big business, I just want to make a nice living without killing myself. I know the hours can be very long at times but you manage your time well then it can be very profitable. I hope to be profitable enough that I may be able to network with a few other drivers who are doing the same thing as me, and we can send business each others way.

Sorry for such a post, but I wanted to put my thoughts out there and see what I can find out.
Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.