Day cab or sleeper?

The section on how to inspect a use truck before buying was invaluable to me. This being my fist truck I didn't have the experience to know what to look for when buying used. I made a check list with the information Rawze provided that I would take with me when looking at potential trucks. It's the reason I was confident enough to buy used and not take the easier route in buying new. Any idea why he stopped making videos and putting out information?

As for the OP, buy a truck with a small sleeper. You not having any experience means that you need options to be able to find your niche. Just because the market is great right know doesn't mean it will stay that way. The most important thing when starting a new business is limiting risk. In this industry that means controlling operating cost. Hotel expenses are just one more thing working against you.

 

For what it's worth, here's my two cents......
If possible find an outfit to lease on that is primarily using owner operators running local/regional. Get your feet wet while letting someone else handle getting loads, insurance, etc. While I have no experience running my own authority, from reading posts on this forum I feel you may have trouble with brokers offering you work just having started out!
Doing this will allow you to get used to your new career without some of the complications involved running on your own. If it works out then strike out with your own authority. This will also allow you to find out what's out there in your area.
Whatever happens good luck!

JD

 

There's good money running load boards THIS year. Last year not so much.

How soon we forget? I struggled to get to $1.75 all miles last year.

Ususaly you don't work with 1 single broker. That's usually a recipe for getting the shaft sooner than later.

 

Imagine that..... Lol.

 

A small sleeper would not have enough effect on your weight to worry about it my opinion. The times it may be useful, would sure outweigh not having it. I've slept in the O'l day cab 359's and such, wouldn't want to do it today though.

 

Where do you live and what do you want to haul would help. Sounds like you want to work park time? I'd lease or work for someone else locally if thats the case. Insurance and tags could be 20k on your own, but maybe you don't care with a loaded wife and pension.

 

Ive done just about as much day cab and a bit more than that in sleeper during my time. When fuel is above a certain amount for overnight sleeper (call it 10 hours, a gallon and half per hour maybe a bit more in bad weather that requires a high idle) you might do better with a hotel room. If you had a APU that maintained block heat, coolant and air conditioning etc as well as fed the batteries for a couple gallons or so a night or however little it needs during that time it is a advantage at shippers and recievers. You are there, wake up and pour coffee and go to the office for your dock.

When I did day cab, there was a certain amount of extra time for commuting purposes to the truck, crank it, warm it to operating temp, pre trip, paperwork etc etc etc then go about the day's work which might stretch from 3am departure for a 250 mile distance 8 am delivery in poor winter weather and then roam the area working back towards the yard with whatever dispatch might find for you. You are gone 16 hours or so. Park it and then commute home. Next thing you know it's 9 at night and you have about 5 hours sleep start over again by 3am. As a young man then it was not a problem. However with one company servicing baltimore seaport and norfolk, waiting on the ships you were gone 30 hours in a day cab for a round trip on bad days. Not to mention scales, DOT enforcement and so on. Everyone gets a slice of your day and sometimes money.

I would consider a proper tractor with a small bunk, something big enough to at least sit up in or even stand up in. They have improved greatly in luxury with tractors since say the 60's Worse case scenario that bunk will provide a haven should you have a dead truck problem, with a sufficient pile of cold weather bedding etc rated to say -20 or lower you can assure that you wont freeze like you might in a day cab. Out west it's really something with large distances between people and equiptment to come help you on bad days. In the east you can come out of a day cab and expect something in the next town 5 miles down the road.

There is no more point in discussing ride quality, there is a certain amount of insulation from bad roads in sleeper trucks but day cabs might get into places OTR ones will have a hard time. The final choice if you are bent on Day cab, is to compromise and have a mini sleeper on there. Make sure it is one you can stand up in or at least sit up in. That's pretty important. And have a APU or something under there.

If you go the sleeper truck route, try to stick with the basics where possible. Too much plush, fro fro and computer crap overthinks everything to the point of failure somewhere. Again I have had both types all my life and several of each were good trucks for what we did with them. Some not so much and not worth the effort, tears and lost loads etc. (Although this would be back more towards the older iron days of the 50's to 70's rigs.)

If you run under your own authority etc, you have to remit taxes to Uncle sam every few months under 1099 I would assume. This might change or impact your tax situation at home if you are not incorperated and other measures to protect same.

Do not skimp on fuel tanks and capacity. That little bit of extra fuel some days will be your salvation if not actual life. Fuel = life as far as I am concerned. 340 gallons in two tanks can get you 1600 miles or a little bit more if you are careful. And likewise don't skimp on horses and torque. the more you have on hand the easier it is to maintain schedule per mile upgrade and have less work and fuel burn to do it at the speed limit or somewhat below.

Finally but not least, you will need a large capital reserve. Shippers and recievers might not be paying you next week or anytime in the next 90 days for a variety of reasons. It is better to have something for a rainy day or really big problems that WILL happen at some point in that tractor's life time. You might find insurance to be pretty expensive. And so on. It would seem that everyone would be after a slice of your dollar. For example if you are going into NYC, Tolls for the GWB will be about 110 dollars one way. But if you have to pay more toll roads towards that city you can be into hundreds potentially. There are routes you can run to minimize that expense trading off a little fuel burn with small towns and the lights associated with them.

Good luck.

 

Rawze is still putting out the videos, he just finished posting his in frame saga. More coming. I spoke with him the other day, he is doing fine.

 

Good advice. I have had my own authority and the associated headaches. I found a small carrier, all OO here in my area and leased my tractor on. I rarely leave the state of Michigan and the rates are above what the actual boards are paying after the companies cut. And yes, I have a sleeper. Just easier to manage time. I stay in the truck for 4 to 5 days and go home. And if for some reason I need to head to the house, I am normally just an hour or two away, or less.