Have you / Will you diversify to stay in business?

If truckers were in the restaurant business.

“I’ve been selling burgers and fries for a couple years. It’s been going decent and now I’m thinking about expanding an also having a breakfast menu.”

“But you don’t know what people sell breakfast for. If you start doing that you won’t charge the correct amount and you’re going to ruin serving breakfast for the rest of us.”

If people want to maintain multiple trailers then who cares? It’s their money, nobody else’s. If they go try something and lose money then who cares? One person doesn’t “ruin” a market. If people are going to say that someone getting a different trailer is going to mess everything up then why aren’t they also saying that people should stay in their home area because they won’t know what to charge in a new area?

So I guess the takeaway here from everyone who knows best is that you pick your trailer when you start trucking and that’s all you get. Everyone better choose smart because you’re going to be stuck with it.

 

I guess i’m a “re-tard” then! I own a 48’ flat, a hydraulic beavertail, a aluminum body full frame end dump, and have easy access to 53’ vans & reefers with quick text message.

i’ll let people like you sit home & go broke while i keep my business profitable.

 

I don't see how looking for other avenues in trucking is hurting the rates. I plan on getting a step or dry van and whichever one I don't get ill probably lease when needed. I run a wagon right now and rates are good but the work is very spotty and when the loads get thin everyone starts dropping there rate to get loads to stay busy. I refuse to do this, there is no point in running your truck just to pay for fuel. The way I'm looking at it is that I want to run at a GOOD RATE and I'm not going to hang around while rates crash just to "ride it out" I'm going to try other things that are making money and are running at a good rate. It doesn't mater if you jump around with what you do if you charge what should be charged it doesn't matter!

 

If that's what it takes to keep those wheels rolling and the cash flowing why not? You'll now have to become an alrounder I know I used to avoid the tarping kind of loads specially if it meant having to climb up on difficult high loads. It was perfectly flat with all standard pallets no problems.

 

Good advice there. Running to stay busy is why many struggle. It’s a slow death. Maybe not now, but a few years later when equipment is worn out and your bank account is lacking.

 

The key tho is not running for pennies. If you have multiple trailers and are a local guy in a somewhat decent market, you should be able to make some calls & find some work. Forget about running the road & messing with broker boards. Sure you may find some longer trips, but shorter trips paying well enough to be round tripped are where it’s at imo.

I don’t kill my truck, normally i run loaded one way & empty the other. Now if the opportunity presents itself to run loaded both ways i will, more often than not i find myself loaded one way. This is easier on my equipment & saves money on that fuel bill.

 

Adapt or die is what I’ve always embraced.

I don’t really want to post public what all my companies capabilities are but it’s many and can make money in good times and the not so good.

Sometimes that’s just enough time you need to help bridge the gap to when things are back on the good side again.

 

You don't have to worry about me sitting at home and going broke .
Sounds to me .. if you to have to have that many different trailers to turn a profit you must be having to run alot of miles or hauling cheap .. maybe both .
Sounds like you 1 of those followers I mentioned in my 1st post

 

.. Again your taking what I posted out of text.. and I agree with you .. who gives a rat's arse what somebody else does ?
I sure don't
If you read the last 2 lines of my 1st post you'll see that I don't care
I find find it amusing that people got butt hurt over my post
I have 3 extra trailers sitting in my yard .. 2 of them are strictly used as a courtesy for some of my long time customers.. I sure don't depend on 2 of those trailers to make my living .. the other trailer customers request for certain loads they have
I also don't jump around from.end dump to flat bed to reefer. To dry van chasing the all mighty dollar either
I stay strictly in a certain sector of the industry