Calex Express....My New Home!

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by JohnBoy, Aug 9, 2009.

  1. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    Where is Gary been, is he still with the company? I know I really enjoyed reading about John boy and Gary earlier on and thought really highly or you two and all the others that put your time into making this BLOG a good one
     
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  3. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

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    Gary is still here, albeit more than likely not for very long. Let's just say he is torn between the job and what it demands, and wanting to be home more often to spend more quality time with his wife and kids. It's rather complicated so I'll just take the high road and leave it at that.

    Chris (The Rookie) is still here and is enjoying his dedicated run that gets him home every Friday morning and has him leaving Monday morning. Rob (Rhino514) is still here doing his local work. Ray (KWRay) is still running around Pittston doing his local thing. Tom who does the west coast Florida run of the NY Times to my east coast Florida NYT run is still doing his run, in fact I spend just as much time with Tom as I do with my wife, we load the same time, leave and run to Kenly NC together then meet up again on Mondays coming out of the house to reload going back. These are just a few of the drivers that occasionally post here and will I might add tell it like it is.

    Anyway, time to go put up the yearly Christmas light display around the house, my wife and I argue about once a year and this is the day we do it. God Bless, and be safe.
     
  4. combatdoc

    combatdoc Light Load Member

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    I want to thank you John boy for this blog, this is an awesome company, I was in Phoenix AZ when I found out that my Dad was in the hospital, I told Dispatch that needed to go home ASAP, thinking that I would have to go pick up for one of our customers and deliver back in PA then go to GA from there.

    However when I called Jason he told me that they had nothing going back to PA for a few days my hear sank, then he said "but I have you a load going to GA that picks up in the morning", I was flabbergasted.

    This company has had me home every time I've requested to go without fail, and once I get there they didn't pester me to death.

    Every company has it's quirks and people that may rub you the wrong way however when it comes to treating you like a human being Calex is AWESOME!

    If it wasn't for you're blog I would've not found Calex.

    So once again thank you John for this blog, and for those who know about my dad, thank you for all the prayers and please continue to pray he is going to have a very long recovery Marry Christmas everyone.:biggrin_255:.
     
  5. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    John Boy, I don't mean to bother you on your home time and all but whenever you have a chance to respond please do.. I know you got yourself a good gig going on but with that W900 you are in now that I believe was a O/O truck maybe? Beings the company you are driving for now and they have the freight that gets you home every week, have you ever thought about purchasing that truck your in now from them now that it is all fixed up and problem free and leasing onto them and have your regular run?
    I know you are a very smart guy and if it was all that good of a deal you probably would have done so by now I'm sure but just curious as to why you haven't done something like that to further your career and go out with a bang beings you are counting down years until you hang it up.
    I know things are very tough out there and not all what they are made out to be and you have it made now doing what your doing and your a smart business man and you and you wife seem to work smart together and have your lives together and very happy too... Beautiful home, family, grandchild and dogs and at this day and age why not I guess?
    The thing I just thought about would be why buy a truck and screw it all up I guess, anyways please reply when you can as you always have something good to post and I'm sure others would also like to know?
    Have a great time at home and don't argue with Momma to much hanging up the Christmas Lights, remember they always win?!!
     
  6. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

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    I knew when I first started driving OTR back in 1980 that I wanted no part in a business that required someone to buy a depreciating commodity like a class eight truck. I just couldn't rap my head around spending that type of money for something that could breakdown anytime,anywhere and under any conditions, all while paying for it on a monthly basis, then after paying it off you more than likely would have to spend a boat load of money to rebuild the engine. I decided early into this career to be a company driver. It has provided for me and my family very nicely over the years.

    I am on only my 4th job in 31 years and have had the luxury of seeing first hand the good and the bad of trucking. My second job was with a lifelong friend that had decided to go on his own. He had 10 big Pete's with 48 foot spread axle trailers. We were located in Queens NY and ran under his own authority. We hauled LTL bakery goods off Long Island along with LTL seafood. I use to tell people I had 10 drops going west, crossed only 2 bridges, the GW and the Bay bridge in Oakland and never got off I-80. I did this for 10 years. In that time I also was able to run part of his business with dispatching and other operational parts. I would run back to Hunts Point every other week to the same produce house that we hauled direct for. Where most O/O's where going thru brokers, we went through the customer directly. I saw every day the good and the bad of owning a truck. It even enforced my decision that much more to not own a truck.

    In the late 90's I drove his only car carrier he purchased, which led me into my own business that I started and ran for 10 years. My car dealership, a very lucrative business my wife and I built from the ground up. To make a long story short, I eventually bought the land and building I was leasing for my car lot, then sold the whole nine yards right before the real estate market crashed to the biggest Chevy dealer in Palm Beach County. It allowed me to continue driving, turning over a big part of the everyday business to my son. When I was approached to sell, it was a 6 month ordeal that consisted of Lawyers, Forensic Accountants and a litany of others to close the deal. In the end I sold, could have retired at that moment but decided that I wasn't quite ready to go fishing everyday. Plus my wife would have divorced me and kept the dogs if I was home full time.

    My friend had nothing but headaches with his trucks, I had nothing but headaches with the responsibilities that I took on with his trucks. One day he applied for the New York City highway towing contract that is awarded on a lottery basis about every 15 years. He won the contract and now is a multimillionaire. When you or I breakdown on any highway in NYC the first person called is him, for both cars and big trucks. When he got the citywide contract it took him about one month to liquidate all his OTR trucks and customers. That was my cue to start my own business.

    There's a lot of reasons why I don't want to own my own truck, but the main one is I don't have to or need to. I'm very content with the idea of driving someone's truck and letting them have all the headaches. At this stage of my career I rather count the day's to February 2016 then worrying about owning a truck. My wife and I always talk about the work ethic we both have, her with her real estate business, me with my car lot and driving a truck. I have a few relatives and friends that call us lucky, that my friend is the biggest insult anyone can say to us. Luck doesn't mean you have to work 16 hour day's, weekends, through sickness and do whatever you need to to make a business grow. We did, it paid off and now I'm counting the days to the end.

    My job here at Calex has now grown into a dedicated run that has me home more than on the road. I have always said a night sleeping in my own bed, with the woman I love, in the home we own is priceless, and I do it 4 nights a week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. How many drivers can say they are gone 3 nights and are home 4? All while making $1250 per week. Like I've always said, this profession, even this particular job isn't for everyone, but for me, and what I have in my life it works perfectly. I do know there's other opportunities out there that are better, but not for me, I'll keep this gig and run with it.

    The Christmas lights went up with only one minor argument, I guess we are getting the hang of this. I'm quite sure you weren't expecting such a long winded reply, but I was glad to answer your question.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2012
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  7. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

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    Robert, I'm glad things worked out for you and you were able to get home when you needed to. I'll keep your dad in my thoughts and prayers. Say hello to Dagmar and hopefully we'll meet up before the holidays. Be safe my friend.
     
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  8. Voyager1968

    Voyager1968 Road Train Member

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    This is quite possibly your best post in this whole thread. I tip my hat to you, John, for the success in your life and how you went about achieving it!

     
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  9. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

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    Thanks Steve. I always was shown and believe that success comes from two small words, "Hard Work". No matter what one does in life it requires hard work, not entitlement. How's everything going with you? Still hauling water?
     
  10. Voyager1968

    Voyager1968 Road Train Member

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    Water has been very slow for the past 2 months, save for a week and half after Sandy where we ran our tails off. Thanksgiving week I only ran 2 loads the whole week, and normally we were doing 3 per day. As it is, our new normal is to have the whole day cancelled once or twice per week, and on the days we run to have either our first or last scheduled load cancelled.
     
  11. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    Johnboy, after you retire, do you think the "Road" will call you back?
    The Roadwarrior was out here 40 years then " retired ", a few months later he was back on the road again. Maybe your wife will persuade you to go back out, lol.
     
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