Have you / Will you diversify to stay in business?

I don’t think brokers set the rate.

 

Did you know rates are set as much by declined bids/offers as they are with accepted rates?

 

Congratulations on creating a highly controversial topic thread!

I've had conversations with @Old Man in the past, and my chiropractor friend on the 'next step'. My chiropractor is a gung-ho farmer, doctor and entrepreneur, but failed in trucking - miserably. He was always nudging me toward low deck RGN, based essentially on what I had offered him in knowledge.

Other conversations with TTR folks - I had to ADMIT - and it felt like cowardice somewhat - is this . . .

"Is there anything wrong with sticking with what you know and advancing in that field, and accepting the sine wave ups and downs that comes with it?"

VS . . .

"I'm going to buy another trailer and learn another market, but still have my "XXX" to fall back on if it doesn't work out "

The thing I love about America is the ability to succeed or fail , relatively (?) unhindered. I have always been the proverbial fence sitter. Therefore, I can't fault a guy for switching gears to make money. But I also see it from the "Hey - I was here first and now you're here with no idea what you're doing and ruining my gig"

I do know from running 2 trailers, neither will receive the level of care that a single one does. Let alone having 5 trailers in the back pasture.

And what about the (I dunno) grain or lumber customer that calls you 6 months down the track, and you have to tell them "I'm out with the bull wagon right now, can't help you"

This is spoken as a 1 truck 2 trailer guy, leased on to LS. Landstar has the opportunity of power only work, or to pick up a company van and run that if you want. But to me, the essential value to my operation is . . .

Learn what you know - do an outstanding job, grow - (in my case - legal loads, oversize loads, super loads ) and establish, grow and maintain relationships along the way. Has it worked out for me? Should I have bought an RGN extendable or mini-deck like my mentor?

Would they resent me for cutting and pasting my business model into theirs, and potentially ruining what they had built, or temporarily disrupting it?

(Blair bids 25% less on @Old Man customer, screws it up, ruins relationship and integrity - not gonna do it)

My wheel house is wide and long - with 2 specialized trailers. The second, a Tri axle step extendable was purely a gamble, not based on "market at the time" or even a customer. The trailer has paid for itself, but - I CANNOT run 2 trailers at once.

Could I run an RGN? Probably. Do I NEED to? No.

Do I think about picking up a van from LS when rates are hot in that sector? Yes, but I don't.

Am I a fool? I don't know.

Perhaps a lot comes down to what you 'NEED' to do to keep your bills paid and your business afloat. I don't NEED that bad.

I can't really fault others for market chasing, or diversifying. Like I said - I'm a fence sitter, but I've ben intrigued by this conversation.

 

Is the 'general theme' still the same in the conversation - or different?

This is almost an 'ethics' or 'business practice' (applied to transportation) topic as it is a general question . . .?

 

Well - that changes the question, or - does it?

 

In the end what a guy chooses to do is entirely up to him. I’ve even had multiple trailer types in the past. I’ve also had the same mentality although it’s been a few moons now. I’ve been trucking for close to 25 years now and I’ve been a carrier for 15.

Having several different trailers has never significantly added to my bottom line. Fact is, it was always a hassle. When you need one you have the other. When you need to swap in a hurry inevitably brakes are stuck or a valve has gone bad or lights no longer work.

my advice is worth what you’ve paid for it. That said- here it goes. You will always succeed by playing the long game. Put in the hard work become a master of your craft. Take the ups and the downs and you will see long term gains. Not unlike the stock market. Sure some day traders do alright but a heap loose their shirts.

 

Breaking into new genre can really suck. Leaving behind what is comfortable and pays well most of the time sucks. I really agree with what @blairandgretchen said. Be a master of your field If you can. I would rather sit on the fence and watch and see and I am nowhere near his level.

I have not had to look at the load boards to leave DFW in awhile because of a direct customer who has been a blessing. This is why I feel I better hold onto my flatbed to help them out when or if I can and I don’t know if my traveling days are actually over, depends on how things go and what happens with her health. I’ll know within weeks of the switch if I want to sell it or not. It will be hard to do because I feel it is a part of me and how I do things. Might sound dumb but I truly enjoy it. There are still places I want to see.

So, I’m not doing it for the money. I could literally sit here for 12 months without touching the steering wheel and we would be fine money wise. Im not jumping around to jump around. I’m doing it for my family and again, I don’t want to put my adult daughter in a position to rush over and check on her mother, don’t want to have to take a load I committed to while my wife is in the hospital (yes, I know I could have cancelled, but I made a commitment) and don’t want to have to call an ambulance from Albuquerque again. That isn’t a part of trucking, that’s a part of being dumb and out running the highways and byways and leaving the wife of 30 years to fend for herself when she can barely reach for a phone if she gets sick. I’ve fought that for two years and after countless medical appointment there is no end in sight. I literally would not have gotten into trucking had I had any inkling this could happen. If I didn’t put a ton of thought into it and rushed out and just bought a $125k truck and $50k trailer and Blair not helped me out id be screwed. Instead I am in a position to make a change without going broke and hopefully do it right. So we will see what happens.