Buying Securement Equipment..

I was the one who suggested the Hypertech programmer. I put one on my 2011 Silverado and love it!!!

 

shc, thats not necessarily true. with a step to be very versatile, you will need a set of store bought load levelers. some folks wont load some loads requiring levelers unless they are of the proper type, no 4x4 stacked up.

and mercer at this point is what you make it, if ya cant use a laptop and work the loadboard, have the ability to look after yourself, have a good business sense, know where to load or not to load, you arent going to do well. but then again you probably wont do well anywhere.

this day and time you got to use your noodle.

and about the trailers it is a lease purchase, on new the term is 60 months around 700 a month escrow and all , and i around 525 or so for a flat. in that is a 100 dollar escrow, which at end of lease is used to pay off trailer and its yours. no money down. or you can get a used and pay the remaining balance of payments. if a trl is turned in with 30 months left, the next driver that gets it would pay only the remaing months.

it is actually a pretty straightforward deal . actually living where you do you would do pretty well here if yu would run the midwest(chicago) down to LA. over to GA. and up to jersey and back over you cn do well

some want only to run east , west coast and while its ok out, the rates drop coming back and at times the wait back east can be long , unless you want to run the western board while you wait for an eastern load( do this and you dont lose your place on the eastern board)

it like anywhere or anything else, the weak get weeded out , the smart survive.

 

go to this webpage check out the links and the downloadable info packet http://www.mercertown.com/site/business-opportunities/

 

53 trial axle ultra low 30" deck height, and you can get permits for heavier, and justify Canadian freight. Almost do double drop freight with 42 feet of low deck.

 

Heck, why not a 3 axle Landoll then. You can haul machinery, 48' flat loads, and just about ANYTHING else....just gonna pay an arm and a leg!

 

That is very true, but it has been my experience so far that the machines that I can load onto a step pay well more than a regular flat load. The load outbound will compensate for the little lost revenue you may get with not being able to pull a 50' flatbed load. I have not had any trouble finding loads to fit onto a stepdeck as of yet, but I also have a dispatcher right now so I can't say the market really is out there. I just like the lower load heights, the ability to load a 127" tall piece of machinery, and not throwing tarps as often

 

I don't know how long you've been with them. I leased on in Feb 2010 so I'm relatively new.

Back when I started, I could go home (Commiephonya, which I don't deny is the problem) and within a week, I could get back out east with a load with decent rate. Now it takes around 2 weeks before I get close to the top of the load board. I used to be able to grab loads going to Seattle area to play western board, but now people are desperate $2/mile loads going to Seattle disappear very quickly before I can get dibs on.

I think Mercer expanded too quickly over the last 2 years or so. Right around when I started, Mercer dropped minimum experience from 3 years to 1 year. I myself was a beneficiary of it (only had 2 years at the time) so I got no right to complain, but I feel that was the beginning of the rapid expansion.

I'm still doing well, and some agents still get good rates (Chicago, Indy, San Diego, etc). I agree you have to stay in good freight lane. Mercer is still a good place to be, but I think they've lost that small company feel that they still had at the beginning of 2010.

 

My opinion on flat vs. step is....

I think people who are perverted enough to visit or reside in left coast (like me) would be better off with a step deck.

You can probably do just as well with a flat if you stay in the corn belt.

 

its not really any different with mercer or whoever you may be with, it has always been difficult at times to get out of ca. to east coast. at least in last 30 years anyway, it has its ebbs and flows anywhere.

but compared to some of the bird beak-heads i have dealt with over the years, mercer still has a small company feel.

and if you are leased with a primarily machine hauler a step is nice, but depending on the outfit a flat may be better.

 

For an o/op, I would choose an aluminum step (probably 53'). Skip the levelers/ramps. I have one driver that owns his own trailer with these and they rarely get used. The only commodities where they would be helpful are steel beams or plastic pipe...if you will be hauling a lot of either of these it could be worth it. Hauling flatbed freight on a step deck is more often a question of handling the weight than length. I would look at designing a trailer with a low deck height. I would avoid running a smaller size tire (17.5 or 19.5).

For every flatbed load you miss out on pulling a step, you are gaining a step deck load that won't work on a flat. Generally, the step deck load will pay more.

You are best off when you are the most versatile. 90% of our trucks are pulling step decks when they leave Iowa. 75% of them are hauling flatbed freight (usually steel) when they come back to Iowa. Haul whatever pays you the best and keeps you in the lanes you want to run (the profitable ones).