Disgusted owner in need of help

I have worked for some who were in the same shoes as you. They wouldn't listen to my advise and they went under. Running a truck that you are leasing on to another Company not always a good thing. You got to know your cost and how much you will be making.

One reason I am still out here now my self. I had hope to been able to put another driver in this truck but now I am glad I had not. Not enough money coming in to pay the bills not to mention driver pay.

Here is a Wake UP CALL

I will tell you what came of a problem for me caused I worked for some people who are like your self and had some problems.

First 3 guys never driven a truck them selves. Joined together and bought 7 trucks. With them I ended up getting sick and they would keep me rolling away from home instead of getting me home to see my Doctor. When I did get home I was within 2 days of Dieing. They still owe me 1500.00 They went under.

Lady out of Atlanta Ga first leased onto a flatbed company. 4 weeks running, she got paid 700.00. She had to come out of her pocket to pay me. She then moved her truck to another Company pulling JB HUnt trailers. She was paid 900.00 in 5 weeks. She went under. 1 year later she pays me my finial pay check, 500.00.

4th Job I had lasted a month with working under their own authority, running 2 of 3 trucks they had. The guys Father was a Trucker but the guy I worked for was into Construction and lost his Business cause of the economy down fall. American Express shut them down.

Now cause of the 3 companies, I been turned down to lease on to one of the favorable companies Mentioned on this site. Do your Driver a favor and not put him in that spot..

What you do can and more than likely haunt your driver if you fail.

 

You may want to look into Landstar or may be even consider selling the truck to the driver.

 

I found out in the past that many drivers will rip you off big time. Unless you have the knowledge, time to pour over their records to see where the money goes, and know what you are looking for, the odds of leasing out a truck, hiring a driver and making it are slim. I have seen the dispatchers shove bad freight off on the truck without the owner on it because the hired driver doesn't know, or doesn't care.

I've had drivers get out somewhere, call up the company claiming some major expense, and get a large advance, without the company calling me first, AFTER I had personally set a limit on advances with the company. The company only cares about the freight getting there, not wether you make any money or not.

The drivers will know they have you in a bad spot. You can't afford to fire them, and you can't afford to keep them, so you are stuck. As an owner, you need to be able to sort out the real expenses from the BS, and be willing to chew butt or fire if necessary. Firing will leave your truck sitting until you find another driver, which could put you under, keeping a bad driver will do the same thing, just slower. Therefore, the catch 22 bad drivers can put you in.

I'm not saying all drivers are like this, but many drivers that will work for a small O/O think you are rich because you own trucks, and are getting richer off of them, while you're underpaying and using them.

I've had a rule for a long time now that worked for me. Never have more OTR trucks than I can drive myself.

 

IIRC, CRST will only let you advance 50% of a load for fuel.

The owner I worked for who leased to CRST also had no trucking experience nor knowledge. He was my mom's ex-husband who raised me from the time I was 6 until my senior year in HS when he and mom divorced. He ran another business (a tire shop) and was quite successful at it. He knew I had been driving a truck for a while and was looking to generate enough revenue to make the payment on a new pick up he'd bought for his shop as well as another business. He was only looking to make an extra $600/mo. He bought a 97 FL Classic and had a mechanic friend of mine from HS go over with a fine toothed comb to make sure it was mechanically sound, which it was. It did need tires, but he wanted to run the truck some before he put any more money into. There were three O/O's in the town he had his tire shop in that were leased to CRST Malone making a decent living, and we both live near their Rockport, IN terminal. He asked me if I'd be willing to do flat, which I was. After about two weeks with CRST, I told him this wasn't the company for us. He was the kind of guy who wouldn't give up and I always respected him for that, but I was sitting way too much. I spent weekend after weekend waiting for loads over the entire time we were with them (about 4 months). One time I sat in Charlotte, NC for 3 days trying to get a load outta there without much deadhead. We eventually had to deadhead all the way to Alcoa, TN (near Knoxville) to get a load that paid our minimum to the truck (which was $1.25/mi). After many unsuccessful attempts to convince him to move the truck to another company, I finally went looking for another job and haven't spoken to the man who raised me since the spring of 2008 as a result.

 

Talked to a CRST driver at the pilot in Atlanta who'd been sitting there waiting on a load for 5 days if that gives you an idea of how that company is doing.

They're right, you need your own equipment. I'm a company driver that doesn't make that much and I can afford to fully outfit a truck tarps and all if I had to. As for trailers, I've been hearing about deals on aluminum spreads for months. One O/O had a shiny new one with JB Hunt on the mudflaps, said he got it from them after it sat in their yard for 6 years. Never had a load on it and cost him $13k. Heard rumors of Maverick selling off excess trailers for $10k. Arrow just came up with about 2500 trailers you could probably get a deal on. It's not like the dealers want them or even have room for them all.

I'd see if you can sign on with Landstar, turn your driver loose, and see how he runs. I'd stay in the midwest, out of the mountains, and out of Texas and most of Oklahoma unless you know for sure you have a way out. You'll get stuck down there. Staying in the midwest will lower your fuel and maintenance costs and it's not hard to keep a truck rolling.

The only time I've been sitting has been off time and maintenance time. I usually get a load off and another one on every day. The freight isn't gone, it's just harder for bottom feeders like CRST to survive. There's plenty of us still making decent money out here.

 

lfaulk2000

It is not possible to give 25%, plus 550 per week to CRST,pay a driver and make any money at this...with the current rates. If you cant drive the truck yourself I would sell it now before you dig a huge HOLE. Seriously I wouldn't even attempt to pay a driver and break even on 75% of todays rates with $ 55o per week deductions.

Good Luck trying to sell it, trucks are setting everywhere, and they are CHEAPER than I have ever seen them. I have been offered some real deals in the past year. If I had a HUGE pile of cash and a vacant lot I would buy up some of this sheet and hope like helio it turns around soon.

Just my 2 cents, Good Luck with whatever you decide!!

 

Sell that truck man!

 

Geez, everyone gives up so easily.

 

The'res a difference between giving up and knowing when to get out while you still can.

 

It ain't a monkey trap, he's not going to loose his arm over it. He's just signed on with a crappy company. It's a steep learning curve but he's already a business owner so he's got that working for him. The truck isn't making money for a variety of reasons, but change a few things and hang on till freight picks up in the spring and he could still do fine.