Good company to lease onto?

Things are taking off for us. New accounts, new trailers coming, 24/7 dispatch, national safety award, driver has complete control over what they do, our worst driver beats the best mileage pay and we can now offer complete dispatch if a driver wants it.

Hope to bring on 10 new driver in January. Flat or dry van.

 

Yeah I do across as harsh apologies there. Personal preference for self dispatched percentage pay. Mileage, try as I might, could never make it work. kw'9s cross border has been kicked around as has leasing Canadian based operators. MNdriver was the first F2F truck to cross into Canada, testing the water so to speak. He had experience doing it at previous job(s) while the company, F2F, did not. I'm sure Bill learned from it. There is a lot of good opportunity with cross border auto parts and expedite. But the expedite comes and goes, one would definitely need the ability to fall back on general freight as well. I have to believe around the larger cities in Canada there is a lot of opportunity in short haul, even city work. The megas up there can't cover everything.. Surely Canadian drivers are no different than American in that all they think of is miles and more miles. This mindset hamstrings many megas and is good for the small operator who would actually prefer to drive less, make more, and get home as often as possible. Shorthaul is where it's at let the megas have the miles.

 

Wish you would have announced the complete dispatch thing a few weeks ago as I would have been all over it. I do not carry a computer or scanner or even a smart phone. Actually when I went to get a cell phone I asked if I could get one with a rotary dial on it.I would have bought a dry van and kept my flat also but I made a deal to lease on with Packard so I will have to stick with it. as far as I know most packard guys stay until they die or get fired whichever comes first

 

So a $500 investment kept you from freedom and 30% more income and less miles.

This is a business first and trucking is a task.

 

I am only just starting to get an idea of the freight situation in my area but it seems there is a big difference between central praries/western canada and Eastern canada. There is definatly regional work that pays competetively. I have a couple of friends that haul turnpike doubles between Winnipeg and regina on a daily basis and they are killing it money wise. Thats a limited amount of work though as its nearly all wrapped up by the big guys and not much left for the smaller carriers. Theres all kinds of freight going all over up here, lot of fly-by-nighters driving down the rates. Super B work is allway available but mostly seasonal in my area if its regional. Grain, fertilizer etc. Lots of freight moving down into the northeast usa but alot of thats wrapped up by Arnold Brothers transportation in this area.
There was alot of advertising for O/O's to haul french fries out of Mcains plants to the usa but that seemed to just dissapear all of a sudden and then i noticed that the plants had just trucks from one or two of the big carriers in the docks and no more smaller guys in there. I like reefer work as its allways steady and is a reliable way of getting started out as an O/O. I am really thinking of the future and trying to keep an open mind and open ears to whats happening in my areas of operation.

 

No Bill, I read your posts and think you have a great thing going. I still run a single bunk cabover and do not have room for those things,plus I do not know how to operate those things. I am too old fashioned.truth is I am afraid to learn the techno part of it

 

Did I miss something? I didn't think this was a debate anymore.

So you are looking at a truck and trying to figure things out. I would be interested in seeing how you make it work on a mileage lease. Not asking to be a jerk just from a numbers guy. That model has been broken for years. What are you doing or planning on doing different that you feel you can beat the house? I have been asking for a year now for a viable mileage based business plan and the only that I have seen that work are from people already in it and have set routes, locations, accounts, etc. The decision is made. So i would really like to see the plan.

 

Soooooooo......why not SAVE some money up and purchase a truck that is afforadable that you don't have to live in 3 1/2 weeks a month??????

I did the same thing .... Figured you had to run 3000+ miles a week in order to make money .... That is a company drivers mindset .... Read some of the post on this fourm it will help you to form a nice plan then put it into effect

I have cut my mileage down to about 1800 - 2000 and my profit has gone up .... Good Luck