Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by wheathauler, May 31, 2009.

  1. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    Hmm, 2.15 a mile if I figured it right. Not terrible but fuel prices are outrageous up there and if you blow a tire forget about finding anywhere that will fix it. They're all "busy" unless you've got $600 to throw down on a new one.
     
    UTI TRANSPORT Thanks this.
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  3. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    Dairyman you are 100% correct and I should of been more professional, it was a very long day and I was frustrated and I was just using it as in I have always had great luck getting guys who would haul these Peas even when the rate was only .27/bu I would call one guy and he would say how many trucks you want on these loads and I would just usually tell him when I need them moved by and he would say I will get it done for you. The first day he would show up and run several loads himself to see what kind of a job it was and how many he could get moved in a day to see how long it was going to take him to get the job done and the next day he may show up with another truck to help him and the third day two more trucks to help him and so on and than the last couple few days he would be back running them alone he had enough help to help him get them moved when they needed to be but I never had to worry about the job getting done, I always seemed to have those guys that would want loads like that and they would handle the rest of the job and get it done and do a great job and always call me back asking me what I have going on and than everything went south with the rates and the drought and not much at haul to move over this winter and now I can't find anyone that likes to work like that anymore. 15 phone calls and I got the same answer basically and I still have no trucks.

    That was why I come to this thread to answer the question I did because I have read every page on this thread hoping to learn something and I knew I was coming to the right place to answer my question and I really do apologize for acting the way I did, it was just one of them frustrating days and a long one too.

    I always thought this was a great rate as I never had trouble getting trucks ever to move my loads and the ones that pay good are the ones I'm having trouble with and beating my head against a wall it seems at times getting the job done. I have trucks hauling loads at $1.25 a mile average some at $1.45 some at $1.85 most days and I get calls everyday where guys are wanting more loads as they say I have bills to pay and can't afford to leave the truck parked anymore. That is not the guys up north of interstate 80 I will say that these are all the guys south of interstate 80 and interstate 70 and further south and guys east too and we all know those guys and who they are and why they do that as I'm not going into that as I'm trying to keep this professional here and just looking for honest answers.

    Again I apologize for coming off the way I did and spouting my mouth like I did I did not mean in that way at all, it was a long day and very frustrated and meaning I used to get guys calling me and saying they will haul those Pea loads whenever I have them.. We all have those kind of days in this business.

    Yes I also know anything can go wrong with a truck, blow a tire, clutch, transmission, freeze ups, turbos, etc.. That is trucking but I didn't think the rate was that bad to scare anyone away as like I said I have many loads that don't pay as good and have guys hauling those. We all are feeling the same effects as others in this business I know that, some worse than others, some have hooked on other wagons to make ends meet and try something else hoping they can come back to pulling a hopper it is what the love to do it is in the blood and they do a great job at it too. I miss those days and the sad thing is it is not looking much better this year as far as what I can tell yet anything can change at any time..

    I guess I may have to call some of the bigger companies and I hate doing that but I have to get the job done one way or the other, I just hate doing it that way cuz it take away from what was a good thing for a truck or two or even 3 in this case and there would still be plenty of loads and money to make. Going the other route and just getting the job done and several trucks on the job to knock it out takes away all the fun but gets the job done. I have just always been one of those guys who I can reach out to someone for help when I need it and always seemed to get the job done and I really like working with the smaller carriers one and two man shows and always have plenty to call and if I need more help than that the guys who are already hauling my loads can round up more trucks from who they know but in the end we all get the job done and everyone is happy.

    Thanks guys for all your help and I have really enjoyed this thread and I will back on out and let you all continue and I will follow along as I have been over the past several months 6 or 8 months I believe it has been now reading thru each and everyone 699 pages.
     
    dairyman Thanks this.
  4. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    Wheathauler, I didn't come on here to insult anyone, I'm sorry you took it in that way and after I read back through It did appear to come off like that and again I apologize it was a long day and I was very frustrated..

    I don't consider anyone in this business lazy yes we all have are slow time and a lot of guys enjoy those times when we have them we just been having some very hard times and along with that comes slow times. You hopper guys work your tails off and do what others can't do at certain times of the year not everyone is cut out for pulling hoppers and making a go of it and I have see many come and go over the years, a lot of guys seems to think it's for them and easy money but it is not.

    Thanks guys and I do apologize again.. It's already 6am this morning and need to get going.. Just a update I did get a couple calls last night after I left the office and have maybe a couple trucks who said maybe in middle of next week they can help me out, so if I can make it work I think I will just leave it for them to get it all hauled so they stay busy for awhile unless I have more rail cars coming in and they start getting on me to get them filled up sooner. Anyone else I'm sure I will have more stuff moving here in the coming months..
     
  5. wheathauler

    wheathauler Trucker

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    No problem here we're good. In the future you might tell us you've had a bad day so we don't misunderstand what you're saying. Feel free to post again we have thick skins really:biggrin_25523:
     
    UTI TRANSPORT and bullhaulerswife Thank this.
  6. bullhaulerswife

    bullhaulerswife Forum Leader/Admin Staff Member Administrator

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    UTI, thank your for apologizing.

    This is one of the best bunch of guys you will ever come across in the industry, and they will all bend over to help anyone that asks. :biggrin_25514: You can take what they say as the truth, and know that it is.

    The amount of experience and integrity in this thread is priceless.
     
  7. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    Bullhaulerwife, I agree with you totally!! That is why I come to this thread to ask the question I did cuz after reading this thread for over 6 months and myself in this business for many years I knew these guys here are the kind of guys who have always helped me out and I have always looked out and helped them out kinda like all family when we have all been in this business a number of years..

    You guys on this thread are truly one of a kind and I knew from the get go you have been there and done that and there was nothing I could tell you that you didn't already know. A great bunch of people here and I appreciate all you guys do. I am having a better day today and happy Friday to everyone and I hope everyone can enjoy their weekend where ever they are and I'm sure a lot are home or somewhere going to watch the Super Bowl!!
     
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  8. wheathauler

    wheathauler Trucker

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    Dang make us blush BHW. Thanks for the kind words.
     
    bullhaulerswife Thanks this.
  9. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    Yeah, that's probably good enough for the boss to send some trucks after it but it's quite a ways away from here. Closer to KC and we'd have it knocked out in a day or two.
     
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  10. dairyman

    dairyman <b> Hopper Thread Greeter</b>

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    UTI,no need to apologize friend,we all have had those kinda days so don't worry one bit about it,ok? Like WH said,give us a heads-up the next time ya have one of those days:biggrin_25525:,heck you ought to hear me whine and fuss about a ''sticky,hot load of DDG'',I know Mrs.Bullhaulerswife has had to listen to me whine about it before:biggrin_25521::biggrin_2559:. Welcome to the hopper/dump thread! Look forward to hearing more from ya in the future,i personally would welcome your input in WH's thread because it would give me a different perspective of some of the hassles you deal with BEFORE i get there to pick it up. Nothing like the 'ol saying ''walk in another fellers shoes for a day'' if you know what i mean. Anyhow,thanks for all the typeing and time you took setting the record straight,'preciate it:biggrin_25514:.

    Now for your original question,i personally have used Bulk Loads,Hoploads and Loadweasel with Loadweasel being free,but i mostly just use them to post my truck when i'm gona be in a lane that i dont have any direct contacts in,and that's not very often because i stay purty close to home myself. Sorry,but that's about all i can think of as far as load boards go,but your rate of $2.15 a running mile on those peas is fair enough, imo,if the turn is what you say it is. I don't know anything about that neck of the woods personally,but the 1 red flag i did notice from your explanation of the loads was when you said that the elevator would wait and load a truck after hours,that never happens around here unless there is a line of trucks at harvest time,but folks around here won't wait for a truck much past 5 minutes otherwise,but like i said,they might do things a tad different up there in ND. Anyway,like WH said,please continue to post,we're thick-skinned:biggrin_25525:
     
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  11. UTI TRANSPORT

    UTI TRANSPORT Light Load Member

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    Dairyman - These areas and elevators I'm talking about are very small and in very small towns where the elevator and the Post Office are about the only two things still open in those areas and some Post offices have even closed their doors too but anyways at this place I'm talking about the hired hand lives two blocks from the elevator right on the main drag where trucks turn the corner to go to the elevator so he knows they are coming there and will usually hear them or see them and if the truck has been there before by the time he gets his tarp rolled back the hired hand is unlocking the door and ready for him to pull on the scale, he weighs his wagon and pulls around to the outside shoot and by that time the hired hand starts to load his wagon and the driver sits in the cab and waits for him to signal him to pull ahead and within 5 minutes he is loaded and the driver pulls back around on the scale and the hired hand meets him back at the scale the driver goes in and gets his ticket and off he goes to roll the tarp and roll on down the road.

    Now lets say the truck sneaks in town unnoticed there is a sign on the front door of the elevator telling the driver to call his cell number for after hours loading and beings cell service is not the best and some drivers don't have cell service his address is on there telling them walk two block east with a arrow witch way to walk cuz some guys get their directions all turned around up in that part of the country. How is that for service?

    NOW NO not every place is like that in fact that is about the only one like that besides a few others that are close to it at certain times of the year or when needed besides during harvest they will do things like that. At least the truck gets loaded and back over to the other elevator for delivery first thing in the AM when they open. I will tell a driver if you want woke up park in front of the scale so they know to wake you when they are ready to dump you and they pull up on the scale, stay in truck while they weigh you and when the buzzer goes off the driver pulls around to the pit and opens both hoppers and is empty in less than 5 minutes. With Peas yes the driver sweeps them into the pit instead of pulling out over them and leaving it for the hand working the elevator and most of the time the hand working there is already sweeping for the driver and he pulls back around and weighs and waits for the buzzer to go off and no reason to pull off the scale and out of the road cuz he is the only one there and he goes inside and gets his empty and heads back for another one. I say that is easy money and wish a lot of places operated like that but only up north and smaller elevators will offer a service like that.

    Dairyman thanks again for the leads on the load boards, I really do appreciate that!!

    Thanks for the warm welcome again guys and I'm heading out of the office for the day and will be back in the morning to do it all over again so you will hear from me soon.

    You all have a great weekend!!
     
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