Closing up shop or thinking about it? The latest…

Been off 10 days. Just looked at fuel prices. Fuel in the NW hasn't moved much since I left, but fuel here in the south? Wow

Up 60 cents + a gallon. We'll see how rates are this week. I had planned for 2 weeks off hunting, but warm temps have me ready to get back north soon.

While I do all of my own work, from oil changes, to tires, to overhaul, i do have a good suspension and alignment guy here at home. So i dropped it off Monday for all rear suspension bushings, steer springs and hangers, and king pins.

Over 3600$ i paid in parts, labor won't be far behind. Seeing fuel prices makes me think i shoulda done it myself and got right back to work.

 

from

The thing that's pissing me off right now is that it's the mid size carriers that are failing, not the fly by night "1099 employers". Small companies that have been built up over time with hard work and sacrifice but are being undercut by new entrants that chased the money right into the pooper.[/QUOTE] from @gentleroger



I agree with you. It hurts to see those 10 truck shops that have spanned two generations go under. All because new guys don’t know their costs and have poor planning take down others and then themselves selves.

 

Nope - no tearing apart from me. Agreed.

Sorry, had to interrupt typing to move 100 feet away from one of those POS O/O with a dirty banged up Cascadia that decided to park right next to me in an almost empty truck stop, then start his noisy generator spewing diesel fumes in my windows. F them.

Add him to the muppet that decided a 25mph passing maneuver east of Vail was a brilliant idea. They bring such a great image to the industry.

 

The thing that's pissing me off right now is that it's the mid size carriers that are failing, not the fly by night "1099 employers". Small companies that have been built up over time with hard work and sacrifice but are being undercut by new entrants that chased the money right into the pooper.[/QUOTE]

The 1099 employers cheat and steal as much as they can, they won't go down so easily.

 

Well that's good. You've got a lot of good info to share. Just please don't turn into @buddyd157 . Waaaay too happy that you don't have to put up with the BS anymore (Sorry 157 - you deserve it).

I'll be honest with you, this is the first year I've considered other jobs. MODOT was screaming for plow drivers with a "Come for the snow - Stay for the mow" campaign, probably decent pay and benefits. I don't think I could go back to ODFL, it's just too boring despite the great pay and benefits.

My battle has been trying to figure out what would give me the same flexibility. I became addicted to the rush of finding great paying work/loads, and reminding myself that I would earn what regular workers make in days vs months of punching a clock.

This last 12-18 months has been pretty dismal, and like others said, it just grinds on you. Working for what you know is 30% less of what it should be, but doing it anyway just to keep the wheel seals from dry rot. That and a kinda poo year on the personal front, and my mind starts to wander.


I'm glad you said what you did - I think there's some weird stigma in trucking (as seen on TTR from the ones that just ghost), about telling the rest of the story/end of the story/change in the story. Personally I have respect for those like @rollin coal , @staceydude and others that swivel or pivot due to their own needs and circumstances.

It's not a failure to me when a person looks at what they're doing, or their operation, and plans an exit strategy. In fact I think there's thousands of folks out there right now staring out a windshield, that would be better served staring into the mirror, and then their P/L statement for about 10 hours, and making a smart decision.

After near 20 years behind the wheel, I'm starting to wonder if I want to be here another 20 years from now.

 

Ya know Blair you just turned on another light for me also ....iowa dot is looking for seasonal plow operators also and I already have experience doing that from when I worked for pottawattamie County years ago .

 

@staceydude took his rig to auction a few months back - equaled out, tried a couple of gigs and then found a farm and feed operation close to him.

The thing that stuck out for him was the laid back nature that most of us aren’t used to.

He can add his own when he gets around to it.

But yeah - there’s a need for experienced hand’s about anywhere you look these days.

 

Moon fuel is back. Am seeing more and more $5 a gallon.
Of course brokers still pushing the sub $2 a mile loads and they flying off the boards

 

Fuel is an expense. Or a percentage of total expenses.

Most of us have been surviving for the last 2 years - but more of our bottom line has been going to oil companies.

There’s the grind.

I can still eat steak if diesel was $8/gallon.

Just depends on your business model and circumstances.