Cargo Van Owners with Authority subject to DOT driving limits?

Discussion in 'Expediter and Hot Shot Trucking Forum' started by teamgreen1, Dec 13, 2013.

  1. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    Well, I wish you luck in this endeavor. Keep us posted on how it goes. Do you have a van already?
     
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  3. teamgreen1

    teamgreen1 Light Load Member

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    yeah, i have a 2013 chevy express 1500. the insurance is not cheap. need 1 million liability and 100k cargo. looking at 7-10k/year. as soon as i get the insurance , which should be in the next few days, im ready to roll. Ill be on vacation next week so I may not be starting until close to the new year.
     
  4. teamgreen1

    teamgreen1 Light Load Member

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    Courier work is terrible because you bear the burden of owning the vehicle and covering the costs, hustling , and still only managing ten bucks an hour, if that. Those local courier jobs are constantly being turned over. I wouldnt even do the courier job i did very briefly for what I made if the van wasnt mine.
     
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  5. teamgreen1

    teamgreen1 Light Load Member

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    i did it 4 days...was working like 10 hour days in nyc and i averaged about $133/day, which is terrible. I didnt even make 10/hour...not counting my auto payment or insurance. It pushed me to get my own authority a little faster than I wanted. The guy swore to me up and down how the average driver grossed 1500 in 50-60 hour weeks, or $25/hour gross. not great , but i figured i could grind it out a few months and save up some before being a true independent. That didnt happen as I realized I was working a slaves wage.
     
  6. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    Bingo you can say that again. I would rather work at Wal-Mart for $9 or $10 an hour and not beat the crap out of my vehicle.

    Yes, that's basically what they told me too. Then reality reared it's ugly head. I knew after the first week's settlement this was a crap gig but decided to stick around a few more weeks so see if the checks improved. They didn't.

    By the way you're in a good position with a new van for running under your own authority. But you should of got a Ford.:smt065
     
  7. Badcable

    Badcable Medium Load Member

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    This. I was complimented on my van and cargo space by every shipper I picked up at. I soon learned why after the first few checks. I ran a E250 with a 6-cyl (woopsie) around northern Illinois for about 3 months before I called it on my courier gig. I think my best day was around $650 before costs, and it happened once. Normally around $350 before costs. After fuel, maintenance, taxes, not a whole lot left for me.
     
  8. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    $350 a day isn't bad compared to what I was making.
     
  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Reality check.

    The truth is that yeah you may get into a situation which pays good but when you have someone who comes in and says "I can do that for a buck a mile", you lost the account.

    Van work is bottom feeder stuff, there isn't a thing that is exclusive to a van - meaning that a truck can take it for less than a van can if they are going on that direction.


    And what if you have a break down?

    You've got the wrong vehicle for the work, it isn't made for this stuff, it is made for an occasional hauling of personal stuff.

    Why would you need a mil in liability insurance?

    By the way, you ever think that you insurance costs is a little (like a lot) more than it should be, I pay less than half of that for my setup.
     
  10. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    That isn't entirely true. There are some places a semi or even straight truck can't get into. Also semi O/Os won't bother with one skid that goes two towns down for $150.




    I agree he should have got a 3500 or at least a 2500. Even better the Ford version the E350. GM reliability is spotty at best.
     
  11. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Actually I have yet to see any place where a straight won't work and a van will. I've been doing this for a while and have hauled all kinds of loads in both a van and straight truck, most of the time the van is a problem because they are not dock high so the forklift has to come out to a van while this may sound alright, a lot of places don't want that.

    As for a O/O not picking up an extra $150 or so, it is more likely that they will pass it up but for someone who has three or four loads on on the deck or in the box, another $150 is sometimes welcomed.
     
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