Universal Am. Can

I am glad to hear that you are doing well leasing on with your carrier. Some people seem to do better leasing on to another carrier than running their own authority. I prefer running my own authority and do fairly well over all. I have a friend who also runs his own authority and seems to be doing well. He has a direct shipper that gives him all the business he wants. It can be challenging running your own authority. There is no big company to back you up. You are completely on your own. There are some advantages leasing to another carrier. Most will usually finance your base plates and permits, handle all compliance and may even lend a hand should you get into a financial crunch and not have the available funds to keep going. You don't have that when you are running your own numbers. I have another friend who has leased to a carrier for over 20 years after owning and running about 16 trucks. He got tired of dealing with drivers and is happy leasing to his carrier and running a single truck.

Capacity is important to some shippers, but service is also important. There are some shippers who prefer dealing direct with independents or smaller fleets. Getting good rates has always been challenging, especially during slow times or when the economy is down. Large carriers certainly have more capacity, but most cannot offer the level of personalized service as independents or smaller carriers. Some agents do a better job of finding good rates than others. Good owner operators can help or hurt an agent to maintain those rates. Larger carriers often have contracts with major shippers that can help owner operators to keep the wheels rolling. Smaller operators tend to rely more on spot rates.

 

Running on your own gman what do you think you average per mile as i been contemplating activating it again with all my new contacts and stuff i can keep a driver busy and i was thinking of hiring owner operators and paying them 85% of the gross. If i can keep them busy i may want to try this had a friend do this after owning 3 trucks and he said it was the best decision he ever made and he makes about same as owning a truck himself but with minimal hassle from owner operators. Just not sure if i want the headache of the buck stops with me or chasing receivables but most brokers wouldnt do business with me when i only had 6mos maybe if i reactivate i can get more business and keep my trucks on over here making me money. Let me know what you think i really think im a good driver but i may have a knack for getting better rates then most people. I really wanna get of the road and try to get a gf and kids and stuff been trucking since 2005 owner op for 3.

 

Rates are only now beginning to come back up. I don't want to be too specific on a public forum, but I can usually manage to stay north of $2/mile for all miles run. Last week I could have booked at least 10 more loads out of my area, had I had the available equipment. If I were you, I would be cautious about comparing my rates to anyone due to where you may want to run. If you want to compare rates, you need to make sure to compare apples to apples. Make sure you compare the same freight lanes and equipment. I have considered leasing on owner operators rather than continuing to run my own trucks. There are pros and cons to both. If you get some bad owner operators, they could lower your csa and safety scores and that could cost you business. Insurance rates can also be impacted by poor drivers or loose cannon owner operators. It is just another consideration when you look at adding owner operators. Since your authority has not been active for a while, some brokers will consider you like a new authority. There are those who like to see your authority active for at least 6-12 months before loading your truck. Something else you want to consider is how many owner operators you can lease on. Insurance companies can be reluctant to cover a carrier who attempts to expand too quickly. If you do want to lease on owner operators, I would encourage you to reinstate your authority and run your own truck for at least a year before attempting to sign on anyone. The time would give you an opportunity to feel out the market while you show some longevity under your own authority. Being a good driver does not always translate into doing well booking loads and keeping others moving. You also need to be a good manager. I can tell you from personal experience that it takes a lot of time keeping multiple trucks moving with good rates. You will be tied to the phone or computer and be on call 24/7. There will also be additional paperwork when you have multiple drivers or owner operators. I do understand your wanting to be closer to home and having a family. It can be challenging when you are always on the road. I usually manage to be no further than 1-1 1/2 days away from home in case I need to get back to the house.

 

If you are thinking about going out on your own again, you may check with some brokers and ask them about rates. If you have contacts from before, you could also talk to them. You could even ask them about freight out of your area. Most load boards want subscribers to have active authority. I have known a couple of owner operators who lease to carriers who have been able to subscribe to loadboards with the approval of their carriers.

 

thats what i have here but the i get those rates and don't pay for insurance,cargo,etc. total cost like i said including a trailer rental is 335. Im guessing my reefer rate will be between 2.75mi and $3mi all miles including deadhead.

 

If you use the fuel discounts you can get some pretty decent discounts.

 

Some people do seem to do better leasing to a carrier than running their own authority. I know some who just don't like dealing with the extra paperwork. Some carriers also have fuel discounts worked out with major fuel stops. That can also help. I have not done much with reefers, so I don't know what the rates are doing these days. Reefers are expensive. I would expect rentals to run over $1,000/month.

 

What about insurance?

 

I have been getting quotes. My insurance renews in a couple of weeks. It looks like I will be changing insurance companies. My current insurance company came back with a 25%+ rate increase, even though I have not had any claims, good mvr and safety record. Others came back even higher. I will probably go with a different company that came back with a rate about $300 more than I paid last year. I would not want to be starting out with a new authority in today's environment. Insurance costs are through the roof, especially with those starting out. Rates can vary widely when it comes to insurance rates.

 

You can't get your insurance thru universal?