Post Gordon ~ Thoughts, Commentary & Reflections

I actually have corresponded with a former GTI driver who did that and offered a way in. I'm unsure about it, though, since driving isn't a career for me, unlike most others; it's a 'bucket list' item. Being a broker isn't. My experience with brokers, most notably C. H. Robinson, has not been all that positive...

 

My contacts in Oklahoma paint a very bleak picture. When oil is below $50 a barrel, all sorts of nasty things happen; it's a well-known, oft-repeated cyclical occurrence. My view is those folks are just like the rest of us...they raise their standard of living as their income increases, without planning for future down times. When the hard times come, as they always will, and because we've become accustomed to that standard of living, we suffer.

It's why highly-paid pro athletes have to file bankruptcy when they stop playing; they never saved or had any thought for retirement planning, just bought bigger houses and more expensive toys and baubles. Unless they've planned for the unavoidable conclusion of their million-dollar contracts - and the smart ones have - they end up stuck with high expenses and no income. As they age, they're left with high debt, insufficient income or savings, and broken bodies resulting in expensive medical care.

Oilfield workers are like that, too. They're all too common in Oklahoma and Alaska...very little, if any, foresight and understanding of the cyclical nature of the oil business.

 

I this being my last adventure into the working world - remember, I am already retired and receiving a pension, Social Security, and Medicare - and want the challenge of something more than just getting a load from Shipper to Receiver on time. Operating a small business is another 'bucket list' item I've had for a long time - though I was thinking more along the lines of an independent small restaurant - and I have little desire to own a Class 8 truck, so leasing for 3-4 years makes a lot of sense to me.

Now to find the right fit...

 

Well Vic you hit another key point of "why I pay a broker"

I have zero desire to do cold call sales. Heck I get sketchy turning in job applications......

One rule of thumb we used at the computer company was no supplier can supply more than 1/3 of any commodity. And no customers can be more than 1/3 of revenue. That way if any piece failed you could recover.

I do not see myself going after and getting 5 or 6 consistent clients if it were required I would hang up the keys and flip burritos.....

 

The money truck.....

DY started his adventures with a solid low $ truck that gets the job done. Also got it in use despite CARB. Also he paid cash for it. No payments.

I on the other hand am giving a finance company $2k a month. If I need to take a week off I got to cover $500 some how. DY just recalculates his fixed cost per mile for tags, insurance, and other stuff.

 

Umm....???....

 

I like brokers, they add value to my business. I deliver to a new town & with a few calls/clicks have access to hundreds of nearby shippers and can pretty quickly get my next load.

Sure, I could pull up chamber of commerce websites and make 1,000 cold calls and maybe eventually book a load direct, but that would take all day and that time spent wouldn't do a thing for me in the next town. I'm grossing about $1,000 per working day. At 14 hours/day, that puts the value of my time at ~$70/hour. If a broker saves me 2 hours, they've more than earned their 10% commission.

Now if I wanted to run the same roads everyday, going direct would be the only way to go. But then I'd also be obligated to meet the shipper's schedule day in & day out. Couldn't just take a week off to go fishing -- I'd need to make sure the loads were covered (but not so well as to have the shipper replace me). Not my cup of tea -- don't want the rigidity of a job afterall