Is it possible to make good money hauling containers (intermodal)?

What are some good resources for intermodal containers for pickup and delivery?

I am currently using loadmatch and have a few regular clients that I obtained over the years but I'm really looking to expand my business.

For example what rails can I contact?

 

you mean steamship lines? ahh good luck man! most steamship lines have only "HOUSE CARRIERS"...............which are about 1-3 trucking co.'s. that they deal with. you have a 0% chance of ever getting direct freight from any steamship line co. unless your a pretty big fleet (60+ trucks).

 

I hauled containers out of Baltimore for Ports Chester, Norfolk, Front Royal Inland Rail Port (Which I recall may have been a first rail) Seagirt and so on. So I was a part of that.

Get a box to Norfolk in 5 hours it's 65 dollars. Get a box back from Norfolk to Baltimore is 65 dollars. Loaded.

Problem is this.

You load a box at previous afternoon in Baltimore or are given by night dispatch to collect a box at 2 am. Provided your truck is READY now. Once I saw the back window on the U model mack busted out. I thought *&^% it let's go it's a wonderful day. And I did. Now it's 4 am and you are PRAYING you get past the 395/95 gridlock in DC Then the Dumfries Scales.

I did a awful lot of business with Dumfries with this company both ways.

Norfolk in the morning, dump box. 10 am. No box. Dispatch? Shipping clerk? nope, nothing nada. Wait.

Wait becomes 4 pm then a box is found. SOmetimes it'\s empty, sometimes it's a chassis. But something.

You are facing a trip back to Baltimore going on your 20 hours of up time and looking at about 6 more close to 30 hours awake up time touching the daycab tractor or walking circles around it or sleeping on the chassis you hooked up to while waiting.

This is where coffee, caffinee pills (My favorite) and certain other go time stuff such as those heart rate boosters or something.

I stopped doing containers when it became necessary to get safe again, there were a number of episodes the last month running those boxes that scared me really bad and figured Im getting out of this before someone or I get killed or worse. 30 plus hours for 120 minus tax, probably 75 then deductions for tolls if any... not much left there. This was in the late 1980's money.

 

Dang, i thought the 1600 was drivers wages,

 

guys give me your honest opinion... my mechanic has his own company and wants me to join him what do you think about this rates...
1. 550 all included from Newark,nj to Carlisle pa about 360 miles roundtrip just 20 dollars on tolls and less than 20k pounds.
2. 1400 to buffalo,ny about 720 round trip
3. 600 to enfield,ct light load too 300 miles round trip
4. 400 to vineland,nj heavy. 240 round trip
debating on that or going back to transnoble

 

this are transnoble rates in case someone was interested

 

I ran Carlisle a few years ago and liked that lane. Buffalo would be too far, and I wouldn't want to go over the GWB. The Vineland run could get expensive running the NJTP. So i would choose the Carlisle run. Like anything else, you would always hope for a little better rate. What kind of work rails, pier, dry van? Drop/hook? Is there a fuel surcharge added to the Transnoble rates? Tough decision.

 

Those are yard to yard live unloads 40's containers those are all included hauling crackers, TransNoble does give you fuel surcharge and pay some tolls. Not hauling beer on this truck... Spent 13k in a full overhaul just getting it out of the shop tomorrow

 

WTF.

 

My co. just fired 6 owner operators and let go 3 company drivers.. dont know why. My guess is, in this slow period, anyone who fills out an app some where else and if the co. gets a verificaiton, he gets tossed. lol unloyal ########.