Cloud Trucks

I know you were. I have heard their ads on SXM. Someone needs to break into the 100% online booking/payment end of the Biz. If they can make Freight Brokers/ Rates more transparent..... as they should be..... I'm all for it. I hope they get it right. There are too many sleazy dirtbags in this industry already. I hope they are legit and not run by Vlad and Yakov from some foreign server in an undisclosed bathroom in Hillary Clinton Land!! Lol

 

Yeah I'm signed up.
Got my welcome package today. 3 weeks left on current contract then switching over.

 

Got my eye on LaneAxis too. Cutting out brokers completely, they say you can go directly to the source. Need own authority though. But it looks interesting if it catches on and doesn't get shut down for pissing off the wall st brokerages.

 

Been looking at the load board.
14 sources total all pulled onto a single page.
Mix of instant book and standard book. Instant not open for negotiation, standard is.
Cloud gives an expected range on a standard. They'll negotiate price and your bound to take it if its within the range.
Since they get there cut off a percentage I would hope they try to get the best price possible.
You can also text ops with a price you're looking for on the load.
Was told we are not restricted to just the offerings on the app.
We can source freight from just about any where just include ops in cc on all emails between you and broker/freight source.
Looked at two loads near me
Load 1:
DH 63mi, loaded 329. $1,445

Load 2:
DH 57mi, loaded 1734. Price negotiable range 2,965-4,768

So looking at this load 2 on the surface looks like the better option. However load 1 is going to NJ. Deadhead distances are short for reload.
Load 2 is going to SD. Deadhead distances are 245mi +

Looking at these loads I know load 1 is water based on pick up location going to wakefern. Last time I was at the shipper it was a 3 hour load. Receiver was 5 hours. Load would have me in NYC during peak times, 1500 delivery and would be low on hours. Limited parking in NJ.

Load 2 I'm not familiar with.
Decision would come down to efficiency for me. 7 hours wait time plus traffic and parking nightmare vs 245 mi deadhead.

245mi deadhead would take 3.5 hours. 30.265 gallons at 3.859 = 118.181
load from me to sd would take 25.5 hours.

I think I'd take the SD load if I could get the price up to the higher end of the bracket.

Load 2
At 4,200 - 630 (clouds cut) = 3,570 gross or 2.34 mi
With my current contract I'd gross 1,862.64 or 1.04 mile plus fsc for a total of 2,399.94
255 gallons at 3.598 = 917.49

with cloud 2,652.51 after fuel
with cfi 1,482.45 after fuel
+ 1,170.06 with cloud
Barley survived this year at 1.04, think cloud is a great next step. That additional 1170 on this run would go along way towards maintenance funds etc.

Found load near SD delivery
Load #3 DH 145mi from load #2 loaded miles 1104 for 3,642.96 or 3.30 mi open for negotiation upper bracket 3.89mi
3,642.96 - 546.44 (clouds cut) = 3,096.52 or 2.47 mi DH + loaded
166.53 (included dh in calculation) gallons at national avg 599.17
2,497.35 (1.99mi) after fuel

Success or failure completely in our hands.

CFI to date:
Gross 91,048.93

Fuel/Def cost 30,300.70

Insurance 3,244.45

Base plate 576

Repairs 66,869.88

Hotels 3,114.37

Currently -18,069.52

Only thing that saved me is owning the tractor outright. If I had a note on it I more than likely would of lost it.
Truck was purchased Oct 2020 for 45,000 with over 530k miles on it. The same trucks just a year newer are now going for 70-80k.
Buying at that price is insanity. Anyone looking to switch to O/O please don't fall into the trap of the inflated prices.

 

When searching for info the companies address leads to an apartment in San Fran.
Not a huge red flag as searching my company info will lead you to a single family home in NH.
The days of huge unnecessary office buildings are over. If covid did anything it proved office personnel are just as effective working from home as from an office. Eliminating a large overhead.
Company founders an immigrant from Nigeria. This did raise a concern as every ones familiar with the number of scams that originate there.
From interviews sounds like a guy that just had the right idea at the right time, an innovator.

Sign up:
Signing up has been easy and straight forward. You're contact is available by phone and text. All questions/concerns have been answered in a timely fashion.
Only issue there was was verifying employment.
They use hire right to process everything yet hire right only provides them with the last year of info. Need 18 months current the rest can be from anytime in you're career.

Welcome package:
Welcome package contained the Dot sticker and eld.
I only received one sticker. Called and was sent the pdf file of the logo to have a copy made locally. Said they would pay for it.

ELD:
Eld I got had no tablet, no instructions on how it functions or what I'm suppose to do.
This so far is my only complaint. Called and my contact was a little unsure himself of how everything was suppose to work.
Discovered myself via google that it is a phone based app. I don't like that. I'll probably get an Ipad and dedicate that to the eld.
ELD is 30 a month

Prepass/Ezpass not provided must get yourself. Not a big deal.

Fuel card/ CT cash:
The fuel card/ CT cash card is a Visa based card. Fuel purchases are deducted from this account.
Ensure you leave fuel money in the account.
When I first talked to them their discounted fuel location was Road Ranger. They told me Loves was just added to the network.
Seeing positive growth as they brought Loves onboard in just a few months since I've spoken to them.

Plates:
If plates are needed they will help you get plates. Plates are charged back at a rate of 10% until paid for then the charge goes away.

Escrow 2,500
You can pay this upfront or at a 5% deduction

Trailer rental:
Trailer rental is 250 week. Considering current equipment prices this doesn't seem too bad.

 

Thanks for the informative update.

 

What is “CFI”?

 

Contract Freighters out of Joplin. Who I'm currently pulling for.

 

Contract Freighters out of Joplin. Who I'm currently pulling for.

Posted twice for some reason

 

CFI is the name of a Trucking Company. He was showing the break down of his pay while working for them.

 

Oh ok sorry I thought it was a new accounting term I haven’t heard of yet like YTD or gross or gross post expenses pre tax or AGI or MAGI.
So your YTD gross pre all expenses even fuel and CFIs cut was only 90k? did you work only 2 months this year?