1st week almost over on my own numbers as a hotshot

Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by crocky, Oct 25, 2019.

  1. Lite bug

    Lite bug Road Train Member

    1,362
    20,590
    May 3, 2014
    Columbus Ohio
    0
    Not to be wish-washy but she may be looking to load you with multiple loads making more profit, kinda early to tell.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Lite bug

    Lite bug Road Train Member

    1,362
    20,590
    May 3, 2014
    Columbus Ohio
    0
    I just looked, of course it is late in the day nothing paying anything. You can get on brokers email list once you been in business 6 months, that alone make things easier. The best loads never make it to the load board. The load board is a good way to start relationships with brokers. Sometimes just posting your truck is the best way. People who move freight on a regular bases can recognize the load and shipper when it appears on the load board. So if a broker does not have a carrier that he has done work with is not available he will call a posted truck before he puts it on the load board.
     
  4. DouletTheDriver

    DouletTheDriver Light Load Member

    71
    49
    Sep 3, 2019
    Katy, TX (Houston)
    0
    Dispatch says she’s done all that. My truck is posted. Only restrictions right now is I don’t have chains, staying out of the snow areas, and trailer limit is 15k.
    I know you have to wait time before loads get easier.
    I figured to look around myself but I’d be paying for the same load boards that she uses.
     
  5. Lite bug

    Lite bug Road Train Member

    1,362
    20,590
    May 3, 2014
    Columbus Ohio
    0
    Sounds like you got a bead on it.
     
  6. JonJon78

    JonJon78 Road Train Member

    6,731
    35,621
    Jul 1, 2018
    0
    You do realize though that this time of year lots of people want those "stay out of snow area" loads also... That might be a slight hindrance...
     
    FlaSwampRat Thanks this.
  7. DouletTheDriver

    DouletTheDriver Light Load Member

    71
    49
    Sep 3, 2019
    Katy, TX (Houston)
    0
    True. I’m trying to stay positive. Just didn’t think it would be this bad.
     
  8. crocky

    crocky Road Train Member

    1,732
    1,575
    Jun 28, 2017
    0
    Yes, dispatch yourself... You can sign up to dat/trucker edge for free month.. I assume you're flatbed.. if a car hauler you gotta do central dispatch..
     
  9. DouletTheDriver

    DouletTheDriver Light Load Member

    71
    49
    Sep 3, 2019
    Katy, TX (Houston)
    0
    What do you use to fill out carrier packages while on the road?
     
  10. crocky

    crocky Road Train Member

    1,732
    1,575
    Jun 28, 2017
    0
    It's a bit problematic but nothing hard to do really, just annoying.. It's mostly just annoying jumping from one program to the next. Essentially I upload the PDF to a online website that lets you edit PDF's like pdfescape.com. I do the edits save and download. I then upload that document to docusign.com and digitally sign it.

    As far as copies of BOL's ect.. I take pictures of them once they are signed then I upload that picture to a img to PDF converter website like smallpdf.com. Again it's all a PITA to do but I do it..

    What I plan to do, is I'm going to buy a Microsoft Surface Pro and that way I can just do everything include signing right on the windows based tablet..

    You can do it all with adobe acrobat but man they charge way to much for it but maybe once I get my surface pro I may break down and buy it if I can't find a free open source option.

    Oh and for creating a invoice I've just been using a online invoice creator for now.. invoice-generator.com

    There are apps like Adobe fill & sign that work on android but to me it doesn't seem to work well.. Others say they have no problems with it but for me every time I try to use it on my tablet it can't find the PDF I just downloaded... it's really odd TBH..

    Now I also have a generic copy of my insurance, my proof of DOT authority and my banking info all saved as a default PDF I can send over as well. Sort of like my own pre-made broker package.

    The only thing I've really had problems with are cars, because you don't get a BOL handed to you by the shipper in most cases so you have to have some way to print or a way to let the customer digitally sign it. That's one reason I want to get a surface pro..
     
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
    DouletTheDriver Thanks this.
  11. Lite bug

    Lite bug Road Train Member

    1,362
    20,590
    May 3, 2014
    Columbus Ohio
    0
    I used to have my dispatch do it. After he sold his company I would pay the new operator $20 to fill out paperwork. They were happy and so was I. It can be very advantageous to go to the pickup location as someone anyone to fill out carrier/ broker packets.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.