Have you / Will you diversify to stay in business?

Make sure you get your Pennsylvania intrastate authority if you're just hauling in state. They love to ef with anyone, anyway they can.

 

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.

 

Lol
It’s funny reading this thread .
Seems a lot of small O/Os are terrified that if another small O/O buys a different trailer to have the ability to haul more cargo , it’s going to wipe out the profit for someone 1200 miles away .

Got a good chuckle out of this thread.

wonder if other businesses do this ?
If I own a small 20 unit apartment complex and I learn that some one is building another 20 unit complex a couple blocks away , should I get angry that they are going to cut into my profit ?

Only if my business is being run terribly and poorly managed and poorly maintained .

Same with a restaurant or welding shop or gas station or whatever .

If youve found your niche and your business is being run efficiently and profitably and sustainably , you got nothing to worry about .

the biggest thing is not using brokers and load boards .
You must find the loads yourself direct from the shipper and eliminate the brokers .

i know someone who owns a small trucking company with about 8-10 trucks , and they never ever use brokers . They run more empty miles than loaded miles . I’ve seen em come back empty from a thousand miles away , because they won’t use brokers .
And they are a profitable business and the drivers get paid well.
You’ve got to find your niche and become good at it without using brokers and load boards .

 

I hope you don't think I'am terrified of what some O/O Is doing ... 1 last time ... Frankly I don't give a #### !!
I can count on 1 hand the other members that pull the same trailers I pull and I sure don't worry about any of Ya'll wanting to cut into my lanes .. let alone last long enough to do any financial damage too..
So leave me outa your terrified conspiracy theory
I enjoy watching the followers play musical trailers.. It cheap entertainment for me .. watched happen for years it nothing new

 

Really? I can’t remember the last time i put over 1,500 miles on my in a single week. Normally i’m well under a 1,000.

I work smart, not hard

 

I saw a T-shirt the other day the said... “The more you know, The more you suffer” How true is that…

i can’t call what I am looking to do as diversifying or switching platforms as a way to make more (I am afraid I’ll make less) but a way to keep trucking on my own authority vs leasing on or driving for someone else or doing something else completely (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve looked at those options also) I explained it over in the dump trucking section. My wife has been having a ton of medical issues lately I won’t go into details but I just can’t go over the road like I want or need to. Hauling flatbed locally to be home ain’t easy here either, I’ve tried it. So I am about 3 heel clicks away from switching platforms to end dump so I can be home daily. I plan on keeping my 53’ flatbed for a few and may jump back to it occasionally. I may not pull it again and maybe I’ll sell it soon. All that depends on how things go. Hell, I may buy a bobcat and do some dirt work, I don’t know. First steps first.

The more we know, The more we suffer… lolol

 

You contradict yourself in the same post. One one hand you think it’s great, then in the very same breath you say find a niche.

and yes if you own a muffler shop you aren’t happy if someone else builds a muffler shop across the street.

 

Glad it's working for you

 

Changing business models is not really what we are talking about. What we are talking about is jumping around trying to chase the markets. Never building relationships and a reputation of being good at xyz type of hauling. Never learning the particular nuances of any particular type of freight. You will never be able to bring knowledge to the table so all you can compete on is price. - that is harmful to everyone and it tends to upset people.

 

I hope thing go well for your business and your wife's health Stacey