Start up or Wait it out

Thats a scary thought to me,,, unless you line something up ahead of time I just dont have enough balls to hit long hauling at 1.50 to 1.75 per mile

 

wait it out. not long term but untill freight picks up this spring. I'm sitting on a truck right now and probably won't put it to work untill april or so.

 

Nobody really can answer that question for you... Why? well we are not in your shoes and way to many variables to take into consideration... (your bill, lifestyle ext..) Somebody could tell you sure go for it, it will be fine and you fail 4 months down the road becuase you was not ready and did not have your lifestyle expenditures in control... (that's an example)..


Is the economy going to get better? well sure it is but more then likely its going to get worse befor it gets better... What you need to do is sit down and write it out on paper..

This week alone,

Bloomington Indiana,

GE closing down and moving to Mexico (it was one of the last GE factories around here, all the other already went to Mexico)

MARTINSVILLE Indiana,
Harman-Becker Automotive Systems..
The company manufactures Infinity, JBL, Harman Kardon branded speakers and speaker systems.

The company last year said it was moving jobs to Mexico and possibly to China...

Ford is restructuring
Buying out current employees,

This involves a type of early type of retirement but also includes long term employees...
This is being done so they can hire people at a much lower wage to replace current employees....


Thank you NAFTA........

Scary stuff... America is now suffering do to Large corporation greed and the corrupt politicians who let them get away with it....

 

I'd advise you to wait it out unless you can afford to not not that great for a few months. If you have a good cushion and want to get out there and do it and don't mind using up that cushion when times are slow, go for it. Otherwise, wait until spring when everything gets busier would be my advice.

 

Freight is usually slow this time of year but to make it worse right now it is slow and cheap.
I don't have a truck payment so I can afford to wait. I have a bunch of work to do anyways. You may not be in that same situation

 

I've got the inside scoop for Chrysler also (now owned by cerbius) I work at Twinsburg stamping in ohio. Plants in St. louis, Belvedere Ill.,Windsor Canada, Detroit area all have a bunch of up and DOWN weeks, I've been layed off for 3 weeks going back to work for 2 weeks then middle of FEB. its indefenite meaning they don't know when they might call me back! Buyouts are coming for me also and I'm gonna buy a truck( did it for 18 yrs) but will try to put it on with a good tanker company, maybe Quality Carriers. Not sure yet still looking.

 

For the last 2 months it's been really slow here. I haul aggregates and dry bulk cement for a local company.

The weather has been the factor here. Too cold to pour concrete...no need for cement or rock/sand.

The company does have a weekly guarantee for drivers though. It's been the guarantee that's been the saving grace for me and mine these last 2 months. A company that does this for their drivers has to adopt a policy that is simply...you can't go to war without an army in place. Hard to haul freight in busy season if you let your drivers starve in slow season.

Drivers are a funny bunch...if they're not making any money...they'll go find another company that is flush with freight and drive for them.

Work will pick up and I'll be looking for a day off instead of looking for work to pick up around here.

It's the nature of the freight business to be slow this time of year in some areas of trucking.

 

The economy is just awful right now and again its probably going to get worse.. Are things going to pickup soon? when they do it is not going to pick up much.. We are in for a slow year...

Can you make it? Again it is possible but you must have everything in check...

Someone who had absolutely no bills (house, apt, car ext..) probably could do okay if they worked hard... (oh I forgot to add the most expensive item, girlfriend/wife had to throw that in for the ladies on the forum lol)