mercer transportation

When I sold my step and bought a flat my revenue per mile went up, and my fuel mileage. At Mercer a step can be more of a hindrance than an asset.

 

I can only comment on what knowledge that I have in the past, like I said I pull both and i'm more fuel efficient with my flatbed and never have a issue with reloads.

 

This is the last post I submit under this thread, this is a mercer thread and I won't hold it against forum staff if they clean it up.

Yes I had a meltdown, yes I almost went out of business but I didn't, because of that I am here and have a different approach and I'm backed by mercer.

Family? Please, I thought you read my previous post entirely "I have not been given a thing by nobody" I work my own.
I don't doubt you make that much, but here we are trying to tell guys how to make more than $2 a mile, heck they could probably do more, maybe you could start your own thread with your company name on it and bring people in and tell them how to make $3+ a mile.

My truck will devaluate, it is supposed to be written off on my taxes it's depreciation value per year. I'm not trying to keep it like I married it, it is my medium of work and my pride.
If you read where I mentioned "in some areas" then "stepdeck" then "I tarp over 70% of time" maybe you would had understood my "practice" with the Mercer board is a bit more than yours.
I can work on my truck too, there's only so much I can do. I am ase and MECP certified. However I like to have the liability on the dealer, yes the dealer. HOLD ON PEOPLE BEFORE YOU GO SCREAMING
I travel 48, not 5 around, so if my truck breaks down you bet your sweet haney closest dealer has to fix what the prior did wrong. Besides I'm not a master mechanic to know how to do it all. And neither I carry tools to change tires. Did I mention my truck has bumper to bumper warranty?
that load you got is great. But you have to consider that us, the others, are already on this side of the ocean, you're just a bit higher up the mountain than us in your own eyes.
some people like pulling vans, others tanks, and some of us are just happy pulling for mercer.

 

I don't say anything bad about mercer it just wasn't for me......next I think it was your best decision that you ever made im glad to see you doing well it truly has it been that long ago where you were trying to give your truck back to the bank and just a short time later you're now in a brand new truck, and I admire you for that.

I never said anyone gave you a golden egg or mercer gave you any kind of help besides guiding you in the right direction, I remember strongly suggesting you just got away from that company you were at least to prior to Mercer and from reading your post over Time I still think you have a lot of learning to do but I think you're going in the right direction I just hope you don't get too big for your britches as I've seen others do before you.

 

Bayou's advice was pretty spot on...you couldn't give me a new truck and especially for some one new.. a flat is easier to get loaded these days and cheaper to purchase. My 16 yrs old truck is easy to keep up with and when I
want to sit on my butt for 3 weeks there is no payment staring at me, but to each his own. Lucar you got a little snarky for no reason there and as far as California carb that is only happening because truckers these days have no backbone...it's all about what they think they can make $$$$... sad

 

My observation :

Lucar graciously offered to give advice to a new Mercer operator.

I have a friend at Mercer with a flat /conestoga that does quite well. He pulls some loads that are conestoga only loads.

As a person that has purchased 2 new trucks: you can pay for a new truck or you pay for repairs. Either way you pay...just ddepends on which way you wanna do it. I still have my second truck . Over a million miles. I can soon spend money for overhauls or i can get that new truck smell with warranties. I'm thinkin' shiny and new. Probably a glider with a hood . Pete of course.

Bayou: still talkin' that same 'ol s. Weren't you gonna get a reefer a while back cause the rates were so bad?

 

Repairs on a 99 Pete are way cheaper than the new ones. If you get lucky and get one that doesn't stay in the shop. Warranties don't pay for down time. But going the glider should be the best of both worlds but at $165K I don't spend no where near 2900 a month plus 300 more in insurance. And Lucar was talking about a carb compliant truck. Mercer seems like decent folks but I can't do the 1.80 average they said and 60 to 80 percent tarping. I know people make more but that's a big step backwards to start with.

 

Can't we all just get along? Ok sorry, but I had to say it and I'm sure someone else thought it.

I took a week+ off in Vegas. It was nice, gave everyone a chance to take a break and do a "Road Trip". It is funny how when you look at the board before you decide to go someplace you see several loads that make you say "hum, yes a load like that coming out of there would be nice". Of corse once you are there you can't find a "load like that". Oh well, another lesson learned

Anyway, grabbed a load to Wichita that has turned out to be a load better then the ones I had looked at "like that". But that was luck of the draw and not really by my great foresight. But I like it when a 20k load turns into a 5k load and the 6' tarp becomes a 2' tarp. I'm sure the old hands here have several loads that the see on the board and know instantly they are looking at a hidden gold mine. But I'm still new and learning.

My first month is in the bag. I didn't really notice how much time I had taken off since starting here at Mercer (almost two full weeks in January plus a day here and there). I am still trying to grasp were all the $ is coming from. I suppose it's the amount we get for fuel that I need to adjust first. I only have the FSC put on my fuel card, never any other advances on the load or anything like that. It would seem that I only need a percentage of that (like 30%) to keep my trucks belly full and her well greased. But I'll give it another month so I have a little more data before I trim that down. Besides that will more then pay for that new APU I've been eyeing )

Well I've tasted the KOOLAID and I'm going back for more. Stay safe everyone.

 

Just had my new apu installed and I'd be more than happy to recommend if you are in need sir

 

No sir never said that, the only thing I know about reefer is some people smoke it😉