Freight Rates and Loads

That 35k was probably the residual on the end of the lease term.

 

No they’ve been paid for for a couple years now. We did ( think) we got a decent deal on the price of the new trucks. We are still driving 2 of the old ones while the new are being built.

He ordered Paccar motors this time instead of Cummins though. The last 2 years of them old trucks was utter madness! 1 complete engine and 2 bad head’s. Countless trips to the shop for emissions problems and a handful of transmission problems. I meen just the tow bills alone!!!

Never mind I’ll shut up now.............


Was just trying to point out that I don’t think the actual cash value of that truck can be anywhere close to that $72k number! I would guess they would require gap insurance on that thing?

 

Put some weight on that truck and it will be a dog, underpowered, a 10sp and has 336.....

 

Seems like a lot of people. I see them for sale constantly. A company sends me emails with businesses for sale and at least half are always restaurants.

There is money out there and when people hear of huge money to be made they jump in head first without checking the depth of the water. lol

Barrier of entry is fairly low compared to alot of other companies. I cant talk crap though my first truck I paid 11,500 and first trailer 5500 10.5 years ago. Just the way it is.

 

Interesting, I like hearing what other small fleets are doing. Hard to find that insight anywhere.

My new truck I bought in December has 90k on the X15. Have been very pleased with it so far. The thing that worries me about the Paccar is I can only take it to KW. Instead of Cummins themselves. My local KW is always 5 days out from time of drop off. Killer.

Yeah I agree that truck is probably worth 55 to 58k.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Trucks are always produced at rapid rates, has been for a while. The big companies are the ones buying them. Rates are down right now but it's just a token if how the economy goes. It's ups and downs. CHR offered a Georgia to Michigan for 1100. Some weeks back when the turn downward started, all the high paying loads were going to the west coast

 

There are people buying trucks so they can control their schedule. They always think that they can make $4000 every single week and not even have to pack a bag. They listen to what veterans are saying, "You can make $1000 a day without having to drive more than 300 miles a day." They don't all do that consistently. These people who buy trucks fail because of a lack of cash or work ethic

 

There is rarely a good time to get into this business. If you have a decent business aptitude and do your homework well in advance, you can survive in just about any business through the high and low times. Too many don't know what they're doing when it comes to starting their own business and they fail which is especially true in trucking. I got into trucking almost 4 years ago knowing full well that I was going to start my own company within 5 years and that's what I'm doing now. Yes it would have been nice to have done it a year ago and enjoyed the high rates over the last year, but that's not what I planned for. I based everything on surviving and thriving with low spot rates, and anything more than that is just gravy. I ran my own corporation for 30 years before trucking and have direct shippers lined up. How well I do is yet to be seen, but you won't see my truck on the auction block within the next 5 years. My truck and trailer are new and paid for. Insurance will suck for the first couple years, but I can deal with it. Five to 8 years from now I'll hopefully have a few more trucks and a small crew to drive for me. That's my ultimate goal.

 

I laughed out loud when I received this email today from a broker that covers a lot of loads out Oregon/Washington to California for the Lumber Barons & Spot Buyers. The same one's that have been sticking it to carriers for decades, all in the name of "back-hauls".

Talk about passive aggressive from this chick...

Funny thing is, she's promoting a "NEW RATE"! Which amounts to $1.25 a mile, instead of the $1.00 a mile stuff she usually floods the board with.

My loads are year round so keep that in the back of your mind. When all the loads on the boards are gone and ### has loads I will give those to the carriers who stay with me during this time and Q4. You all know there will come a time when all the loads on the boards will be gone.
Let me know if you’re interested in any of these loads.

I don't need or want her stinking loads, especially in Q4 as she puts it.

Why, you ask?...

Because I will of made enough money during the year (NOT HAULING cheap freight like that) to kick back with my feet up around the fireplace, sipping on hot chocolate & marshmallows!

 

What's Q4? 4th quarter?