Why are some container trailers axels split?

This is where a huge problem is. The standard scenario would be a tractor runs OTR until it's about done for and then it's sold to O/O's to run the ports. The ports are short haul and they do alot of loads per day. Now the problem. Out in CA the ports had to make a move to clean the air so the fastest way was to mandate trucks to have up to date emissions so the ports could show the EPA they had a plan so they could continue construction. The problem is these old tractors do not have the up to date emissions so the poor little guy has to invest tons of money or get out of business.

Sure it started in CA but it has spread to the east coast because it's an easy way for the ports to come into compliance. So if you're going to run ports you have to but newer tractors which doesn't make sense because the new tractors can make more OTR.

 

don't you just love a catch 22 situation?

 

All port and port work is different. I've done quite well at it hauliing direct for shippers. There are some junk trucks hauling multiple loads out of the ports per day. Most of these go from ports to rail yards. There are also newer large cars hauling from 250-800 miles one way into the ports.

Keizer, I had a friend from North Carolina hauling from SouthEast ports for Bridge Transport, claimed he was making money there and they were good to work for. I've lost track of him and that was 3 years ago so things may have changed.

 

depends on the weight of the load and the size of the container. With 20' containers, anything over 43,500 that stays in Colorado we have to use a 3-axle chassis. Anything over 36,000 that goes into Wyo. has to be on a 3-axle chassis. With 20' containers, in order to be bridge legal we usually have to run a 3-axle when they are over 40,000 lbs. Also, the heavier the load, more axles = more stable, especially in the mtns.

Depends on who owns the container. A domestic container belonging to the railroad will have a new chassis in each city. A sea can will have a new chassis 80% of the time when it leaves the container depot/terminal/port. If I am using one of our privatly owned chassis, especially this time of year when we are busy doing millet/sunflower loads, I might run the same 3-axle chassis for an entire week.

No, it has nothing to do with the location of the Port, it has to with bridge laws and what is required to keep the container legal. In order to be bridge legal in MT and ID, it is not uncommon to see a 5 axle, 48ft specialized chassis being used to haul 40' containers. Same is true in Wa. with the guys hauling wine, they are so heavily loaded that they need a 4 axle 40' chassis to be bridge legal.

ORLY? hmmm, as a company driver, working 5 days per week, with full company paid benies and a 401K, I average $52,000 to $55,000 per year for the last 8 yrs. A typical day for me might be as short as 8 hrs or as long as 13 hrs, depends on the amount of work available. Our O/O, who are totally independent contractors, are paid 95% to the truck. That's 95% of what we charge the broker/forwarder for the hualing the load they get. In '05, '06, '07 one of our O/O's was averaging $4,500 per 5.5 day week (based on 12 hr days) to the truck almost every week (for the math challenged, he only worked 50 weeks out of the year so the truck made $225,000). It was by his choice that he worked that hard, last year he avg'd $3,450 per week to the truck, this year he isn't making crap, but since he owns two trucks and one spends all day hualing dirt he's been surviving the year okay. Normally, his container hauling truck makes more per week than his dirt hauling truck.