Car Hauling

Hotshotting? You have a tank and hazmat on a pickup? If you have to ask where to get loads on a forum you are probably screwed dude. I'm not trying to be a duck, just being honest. I have no idea where to get those loads being as how I'm a company driver because there is no money in getting started with a truck right now and I have never pulled hazmat. Like I said, not trying to be a complete douche but holy crap hotshotters are really earning their reputation.

 

I have tried hauling cars with 1 ton pickup and 3 car wedge trailer. I will never do that again. Here are the 3 main reasons why that is a bad idea.

1. When your 1 ton diesel truck breakdown, it may take weeks to get it in a shop. Most dealers, Ford, Chevy, Dodge dealers are backed up for weeks in their shop. I had this issues in Indianapolis, Raleigh, Louisville and Charlotte when mine brokedown. These are big areas that should not of have issues with getting the truck fix.

2. After working all day, it is not restful to sleep in a cramp truck.

3. Pulling 3 cars does not generate enough income in most places.

If you are going to drive, get a real truck and haul enough cars to generate enough income.

 

In the Carolinas where I used to live, there are many folks hauling cars with the 1 ton pickup and a 3 car wedge trailer. So before I jumped into hauling cars with this setup, I hung around at the truckstops and rest areas asking many owner operators with the 1 ton setup how business was. They all say business were great and doing very well. I got atleast 5 contacts and would call them when I am ready to start my business with the 1 ton pickup setup and will lease my truck to their authority.

1 year later when I was ready to start my 1 ton pickup setup, I called these contacts. All 5 of the contacts I had were out of business. That was unbelievable since many of them said they have been doing it for years.

 

There is a dude that works at AutoZone up the road from my house that drives his bedless Dodge to work there because he can't make enough money to cover the payment on it hauling cars. It's tough out there.

 

Do not buy a pickup and a 3 car. I’m in the situation now. Been doing it for 1 year in the north east (nj, ny, ct, ma, pa. My driver works 6 days a week and between 12-14 hours a day. Sometimes on saturday’s he works a half day. I pay him 1200 a week and we are basically breaking even most weeks. Me and my partner (who isn’t the driver) don’t take any money. We take in like 3500-5500k rev a week. Expenses are around 4000-4500 including the drivers pay. I dispatch and my partner gets everything fixed that breaks (happens ALL the time).

There was a period of 3 months (4q2018) where we brought in up to 12k a week and our driver could stay home every night. But that was a freak thing that went away.

We just bought a semi and a 9 car trailer. As soon as we can get rid of the dually w 3 car w flippers we are. It’ll be replaced by a semi. What the 3 car did was give us experience for less money then a semi. we also made contacts with brokers.

If you planned on driving yourself, dispatching, making contacts yourself, figuring out your own maintenance, and making maintenance contacts, you will most likely bring in less revenue then us. And you would be working a #### ton.

The issue with semis is the money required to start even with amazing credit. It’s SIGNIFICANTLY higher then a dually. They require big down payments, and big interest rates.

 

Mighty nice of ya to throw the info out there but you can't tell wannabe car haulers anything. They are all gonna do it different, work harder, etc and they will be the one that doesn't fail. It's the same story as fleece purchase in the otr world. I see why it's tough. I just paid $1/mile to ship a mustang I sold to NJ in a enclosed car hauler, why would I pay that same $1/mile to some fly by night dude in a pickup truck with a open trailer? I'm sure that's the way a lot of customers look at it too. I don't understand what the draw is. Trying to get around getting a CDL in some cases, being your own boss, you think it looks cool (I bet this is 75% of em), it's gonna be easy? Just nut up get a CDL and drive a semi hauling cars in and out of the rail yards because there is actually a living to be made there. It sounds like things are working out for you with the semi and 9 car since you are planning on getting a second one, that's awesome.

 

I think lots of people in person like to big up their O/O dually business which adds to it.

We actually just bought the semi / trailer within the past month. Trailer first about a month ago. Semi a week ago. Should be on the road within a week or two. And the money definitely didn’t come from the dually! Lol, just the experience. Replacing the dually with another semi is still going to take another 12-18 months.

 

What's the expense breakdown on 4000-4500 a week?

In June when you posted about this your expenses were "2700ish" paying the driver 1200

Curious as to what changed

 

Tolls, tickets, vehicle damage, and #### that breaks.