Heavy haul as part time business?

Some background... I have a corporation, which is a PRIVATE CARRIER and has no MC number. It owns two semi trucks. I use my trucks to carry my own machinery or loads such as equipment.

I occasionally haul oversize or overweight and I have a 30 ton mechanical RGN.

I am thinking to upgrade to a tri-axle truck or tri-axle trailer to get me more allowed capacity (120,000 lbs gross for blanket permit on a six axle combination, vs 100,000 gross on a five-axle combination). However, at this point, I would not be heavy hauling all the time and it seems like just having good equipment sit around and rust away is wasteful.

So, my thinking goes, maybe I should get a carrier authority and somehow try to get some local heavy haul business? Just haul things up to 80,000 lbs or some such, just whenever I have a day free of my regular business of machinery moving/rigging? Like twice a week? Or hire an extra driver and get one more truck and HH five days a week?

How realistic is this? Will insurance kill me? What are the hourly rates offered by brokers, for local work? Any ideas?

I am in Illinois

 

I own the scrap, so no need for authority.

 

Thank you! Is there a load board or generally brokers who could give me a suitable job when I need to take a job? Like, a day job hauling a load up to 75,000 load weight?

 

No I do not ever transport anyone else's scrap. I got phone calls to that effect asking me to bid, but I do not want to haul others' scrap metal.

 

I drive for 2.5 years myself already and own semi trucks since 2012 (have a driver also). I never was asked to produce any POs or whatever. Since I do haul stuff that is mine, I would suspect that in any kind of court setting I would prevail anyway. But then I avoid weight stations whenever possible and if I might go through one I am on my best behavior. I am not a saint in general but try to mostly stay on the good side of everything.

I thought that soil, rocks and such are not federally regulated commodities.