Snack Food Distributor in Vegas, Considering buying Tractor/Trailer to move my inventory from PA

Your trying to cut shipping cost right now because
it's too much.
Meanwhile a couple hundred trucking companies
Went out of business this year alone, because the
Rates are so low.
In other words,your getting you chips moved on
The cheap right now. But that's not gonna last.

Your in Vegas, best city in world as far as I'm concerned.
Only one problem. They don't make anything to be
Shipped out. Bottom of the barrel place for trucking.

So you have to pay a higher rate ,because that reefer
Truck is going to have to dead head into California
Or the bottom of Arizona to get his next load.

At 10 loads a year you don't have enough volume
For any big company to care.
But there's a few that are in Vegas.

I know swift and knight are out there.
I think Werner too. And they all got reefers.
I do know one thing from being a driver and
Living in Vegas.
The all have the same problem.
Getting there drivers home, because they can
Rarely find a load going to Vegas.

It's usually into Phoenix or los angles,
Then dead home.
You might save some money by walking in there
Front door and talking to them.
Don't call the corporate line, go right into
There terminals up by craig road.
That's a load straight home for one of there drivers.
Saves them money, and it's a light load too.

see how much it cost to rent a truck and trailer
For a week. Price the fuel round trip, and how much
You'd have to pay your driver.
See what the cost is if you dead head straight there.

If you need to take a load east first,then be well
Prepared and leave a couple days early.
Because you'll have no control over the shippers
And receivers on that load.
Especially pulling a reefer with any type of food.
One, (I don't give a dam customer ) and your
Shelves could be empty of potato chips for a couple days.

How are these potato chips getting from the 18
Wheeler to the store shelves.
Do you have a driver in a box truck working the city.
If so, find a driver with a Class A license to do it.
That way you always have driver available that
Can do both as needed.

Hell, I'd do it if I wa still out there.
That's like a weeks vacation with a local job
In between.
Buying that truck and trailer opens up a whole
New world of problems.
If wouldn't let it sit around doing nothing for month
Waiting to go get the potato chips.
Put it to work somewhere.

 

Buy a trailer, rent a tractor when needed from Penske, Ryder, etc., set up under someone else's authority.

Move your chips by rail? (more volume)

Really, don't get into trucking unless it's a last resort.

 

A drop frame reefer like the one you see in Chinatowns pic is a Kentucky trailer and is used for special commodities. We can bring the temp down in to the 40's if needed but it is not food grade. We normally run those around 68-70 degrees. If you still want a drop frame trailer that can do frozen food you might want to check out Great Dane. I'm not sure if they will do it for food grade but they do make a double drop frame trailer that's 126" inside height.

 

Business is all fun and games until you find out much it costs to ship ####. It's also the first place struggling businesses try to cut costs.
Frito doesn't have it's private fleet on those long runs. They pay a mega dry van company 2 bucks a mile to move it just like you do now. Chips are high volume low profit as you can see. Your transportation costs are not the problem.
Not busting your balls, but it sounds like you need more volume. Not a old truck with your brother in it.
Your trying to get in the trucking business to reduce trucking costs. 2 a mile in a reefer going to a dead area is a bargain with all considered. You are getting ready to find this out. I do wish you luck and hope you prove me wrong.