Have you / Will you diversify to stay in business?

I can say this, i wouldn’t be so comfy taking the chance of learning a new type of equipment while being an O/O. Not knowing the equipment, not knowing how the work needs to be done, not knowing the market. All things that can ruin you.

Yes i own several different types of trailers & may pull multiple ones in a day, but i learned while being company. The best thing i ever did for my career was take a job hauling Hazardous Waste. In that job i learned roll off, vac tank, flats, end dumps, etc. the single best move i ever made was saying i wanted a truck with both a wet line & a vac pump after taking the job. I learned so much.

The last thing you want to do as an O/O is learn in front of a customer. They’ll never call you back.

 

Certainly something that’s worth explaining to people, though the ones that need to hear it wouldn’t listen; and the ones that would listen would wonder why you felt the need to say it to them.


I feel like a lot of things I say fall into that category.

 

It’s a shame, but it’s our society. People don’t want to hear what they need to hear, they want to hear what they want to hear. I am no different, but i appreciate the guy who has the balls to tell me how it is.

 

Front of business card from ‘70’s

Back of business card.

Diversify? What’s that?

For Smokey and the Bandit fans. Will will notice this truck was in the desert chase scene in S&B2. Pulling a cattle pot.

 

Very well said.

 

Load securement is load securement. Marketing is marketing. Making money is making money.

I can see both sides of what you guys are debating but both sides need to understand that their way of doing business isn't the same as everyone else. There are too many variables to sit here and declare that someone is stupid or ignorant for doing their business, their way. I say if you're calling out others for not being exactly like you, then you should log off the internet.

I was at a middle school football game last night and as I stood to clap and cheer on the other team's quarterback for running a 40 yard touchdown while losing by 40 points, some dude told me I was cheering for the wrong team. I turned and told him to ####. I said I was cheering a young man that despite being down by 40 points, didn't give up and tried his best all the way to the closing bell. Effort. I was applauding effort. Instead of that guy clapping along with me, he tried to shame me by declaring I wasn't operating to his standard. As if I am supposed to live my life based on the perspective and perception of another individual.

I didn't know that guy and he didn't know me but took it upon himself to make a statement that I should believe as he does. That's ignorance.

 

I have always thought, and still think, successful trucking is finding your niche and sticking with it. Look at Blair, Wore Out, Dave in Az. Two of these guys I have spoken to personally, and always enjoy talking to them because they always have their #### together. JamesMack is another one, and Jim has two different trailers that he uses regularly, but has a niche carved out in his area. All of these guys, and I'm sure there's more, all pull different trailers, and you don't see them jumping around looking for a new sandbox to piss in. This is not meant to be a dig to you at all. I would do the same if I were in your shoes. Good luck to you and your wife.

 

I agree with you.

 

During regulation. Not really an apple to apple comparison.

 

Hmmm.
I wonder how they found their niche ?

possibly by trying different kinds of cargo
Until they found the one they like and enjoy and make a profit hauling ?

i know a guy that got into and loves doing osow and heavy haul .
The company he works for also has had drivers leave because the drivers do t like the extra hassle and diligence that OSOW loads require. And they don’t like dragging chains and binders and hooking up three chains at each corner and two in the middle of a 60k lb load .

you gotta Find what niche works for
You but the ONLY way to do that is by trying different stuff .