Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

The trailers are a live bottom with an apron chain. Just like a chopper box. We do alfalfa also. I have one truck with a 15 speed. I love DR, for what we do it is perfect. The problem is teaching guys how to properly drive one. I am swapping out a ten speed in one of the trucks I bought this year. I will be putting in an 18 to try to keep thing simpler.

 

Yep,i figured DR would be the way to go in your operation.

 

im a O/O looking thinking about leasing on as a grain hauler pulling hopper bottom I don't know much about the business so I was hoping you guys could give me some tips on what to look out for when leasing to a company.

I will be starting CDL school next month so I will be paying a driver for the time being I don't have many bills besides my truck note and you know general overhead. I am still young and looking for financial stability in the trucking industry. what should I expect to bring home pulling hoppers & what should driver pay be I do not have my own authority

any information you guys can provide would be helpful thanks

 

Wheathauler makes a good point, as usual.

Why not become a company driver first? Here's an idea:

While running your company truck keep a notebook and tally up all the truck expenses, including the ones you DON'T pay. Then, at the end of each week ask yourself, "Would I have made more this week as an owner operator, or did I make more money this week as a company driver?"

That should give you an idea of which way to go.

 

i have seen the rear sub frame just get so eat up with rust that it just gives way.

 

First off kevinj26,Welcome to WH's hopper/dump thread. I'd have to echo what WH and Lastkidpicked have already told you.

Correct me if i'm misunderstanding you here,but are you saying that you have already purchased a truck before getting your cdl,if that is true,i'm not gona sugar-coat the fact that you are gona be kinda starting behind the 8 ball here,so to speak.To offer a driver (decent,responsible driver) enough pay to keep them in your truck,it's gona be darn near impossible to clear enough to cover your expenses unless you already have some REALLY good contacts lined up,much less trying to put a driver in a ''leased-on'' truck that your only taking in 80-85 % gross. I would HIGHLY recommend that you re-consider this,and try to find yourself a good small,local 5-10 truck outfit that would be willing to give you some seat time so you can learn the ins and outs of grain/comm. hauling in your area. I don't know much about hopper leasing co's.,and even less about co's. west of the Big River so i would'nt be much help to you with the leasing co's.,sorry.

Maybe R.W.,BigJohn or highside will give you some more ideas,but to be brutally honest,you've kinda got the cart before the horse here if you are making a truck payment before you have your cdl's. Sorry for the lack of encouraging news,but i'm kinda like WH said,i'm a little at a loss for words myself. The one thing you do have going for ya that you mentioned in your post is that your still young,so take notes on EVERYTHING you do if you do find a local outfit that will give you a chance. I would be looking into trying to gain some experience driving for a large custom harvesting crew if i was in your neck of the woods,they will probably be your best bet at retaining some ''seat time'' pulling hoppers. Either way,Good luck to you,whatever you decide.

 

Thanks for the info dairyman but yes you are correct I purchased my truck before getting my cdl that was 3 years ago I never planned on getting in the drivers seat until now the grain hauling business is new to me over heard some small talk between a couple of drivers & they were saying the o/o 5they drive for has multiple trucks leased on & so does a lot of the other o/o so I figured business must be pretty good if the could afford to pay drivers & overhead on their trucks I did get the name of the company but they are not leasing on anymore trucks at this time. I wanted to see what kind of money is in grain hauling. currently pulling dryvan but if I can find something better that pays more I'm willing to try my luck at it but from the info you just gave me sounds as if grain hauling isn't paying much better than anything else. But I am planning on driving for a company before I hope in my own truck but for the time being I still will have to hire & pay a driver regardless if it's hauling grain or some other commodity.

 

Thanks for the idea lastkidpicked but I am planning finding a company to drive for after school before driving my own rig but i just thought i would get some insight and see if pulling hoppers was a good direction to go or a waste of time but in the mean time my truck will still need to be pulling loads & making money while I complete my training was planning on driving for a company 6 months till a year before getting behind the wheel of my truck.

 

Whatever you do don't put a driver in that truck it'll be the worst mistake you could ever make. You'll get taken for a ride....