Mercer

oh REED where ya at???? haven't heard from the new kid in that silver freightshaker.......where did everybody go???

 

I'm just north of Louisville.... exit 13 in Indiana I think. On my way to Chicago.

He was in Louisville Tuesday morning. Didn't get a chance to really talk to him. His orientation was getting ready to begin & my ### was tired, so I was going to bed after running that team UPS load!

 

I have seen a lot of Mercer trucks in this one certain location. These trucks were in Alabama heading west. I haven't really talked to any of the drivers. Also CMI hauls the heavy equipment if this what you are wanting to haul.

 

Hi all,

I just sent in my driver qualification paperwork to Mercer. Once (or if...) I get approved, I'm off to truck shopping.

Does any of you Mercer drivers lease-purchase a trailer from them? If so, I'd like to hear your experience.

The recruiter I talked to told me average monthly payment is around $600, for 48 months. Seems I'd be better off borrowing $10k # 14% on signature at a local credit union and buy a good used flatbed.

I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

 

dang sounds kinda high...talk to REDD. about his experiences ..we had our own trailer.......don't get your debt load too high for this time of year...freight is getting a bit slow.....(pony ducks from what REDD has just thrown at her) ...ok it will be real slow till spring....the honest truth here......my crystal ball tells me ther are 3 Mercers setting in a TS near Kilgore TX one Mercer wants to go to KY another wants to go to MI and one wants to go to MO...soon all 3 little Mercer trucks are gonna put it in the wind and head home....

 

That's what I thought too. I can't send PM yet due to my post count. Hopefully Mr. REDD will see my post.

I have no debt, very little overhead (renting a room in exchange for reparing cars, etc), and $20k cash/non-IRA stocks and two cars I can sell if I have to. I also lucked out as my friend is just getting out of managing a fleet, so I can get equipments incl. lumber tarps for cheap. So I'm cautiously optimistic.

But I agree. I don't want to leverage myself too much.

 

oh he will if not I'll call him back from the other side of the rainbow...he might be lost out there somehere???

 

I saw your post... Long even before the lil blue mule responded. I was just busy & didn't have the chance to reply... Even after posting this, I have to hit the road & won't be able to reply until late tomorrow or possibly Wednesday.

You have no debt & 20k in cash? That is a good starting point. Don't spend all that cash on a truck unless you find a real good one that you can pay off up front. I'd say put 10K down & make payments for a couple years. Put the other 10K into a maintenance account... That way when you "have one of those days" you will be prepared. Living in California, try to get yourself a truck that will comply with the emission standards of the Port of Long Beach & LA. If you have a truck that complies with those standards, you will have plenty of good freight coming out of CA since myself & others won't be able to enter the port after 12/31/2009. The last container I pulled out of Long Beach a couple weeks ago paid $1.96 per mile to the truck going to El Paso.

Do not buy tarps from Mercer. They have them for sale & they do work when you have nothing else, but they are a pain in the backside to work with. Get tarps from shurco, tri-county, or some other shop. I know they have tarp shops in Cali... Get a good set of steel tarps, 8' drops with diaper flaps, & a smoke tarp. The tarp shop (if it is any good) will know exactly what you need if you tell him those 3 requirements.

Truck age has to be a 1997 or newer (unless things have changed), you have to have TWIC & Hazmat.

Trailers... When I signed on, they wouldn't let me bring a trailer. It was lease purchased from them or I couldn't sign on. My payments for a 48' flat are $600 a month. that is $500 for the payment itself & $100 for a escrow that is applied to the purchase price of the trailer at the end of the lease. Just watch your settlements.... Make sure they are taking the lease payment out. They stopped charging me for my trailer back in August.... They claim it was a computer glitch. Now I'm getting hit with 4 late payments & they want their money. I'm working on negotiating with them since it was their system that glitched & I'm the one who brought it to their attention....

 

MULE ! REDD I am gonna come lookin fer you

 

You ain't gonna find me!!!


Another thing.... Ditch the room that your renting. No sense paying rent on something you aren't going to be using a lot. If you had family or children that depend on living in that room, it'll be a different story. But I'm guessing that you don't have dependents.... So there is no need to pay for something that you don't need.