how to enter the shipping container world

How does one get into shipping container hauling? What special insurance is needed as a carrier of shipping containers. Where would be the best place to find loads as an o/o and what specific equipment is needed, such as a special type of skateboard to secure one or two of them?

I live near the Port of Tampa, fwiw.

 

A freightliner and roll of baling wire throw in a few rolls of duct tape.. least that’s what it appears to be in many ports

 

Duct tape is amazing stuff when added to chicken wire. a 48' flat bed or some other type of dealio?

 

U can run them on a flat , but if ur looking to run out of the ports then ur better off with a container chassis i would imagine. But i dont think alot of owner ops is running around with their own chassis. I never pulled a can so i wouldnt know, just my observations on the road but ur gonna need a green volvo with a white hood and yellow fenders being held on by baling wire and an exhaust stack thats 1 pothole away from falling off, dont forget to drive 1.2 inches off the front bumper of whoever is in front of u also

 

You see me jumping around a bit. I just saw a video on this and started googling it. I just found the chasis. Apparently they have twist locks for the containers. My lovable dad, who's 80 now and in a nursing home, doesn't want me to leave for weeks at a time. I need to see if intermodal trucknig may allow me to not have ot truck so far to find good lanes. That's what I'm up against.

Are you saying that intermodal guys are really the bottom of the barrel? I'm seeing some pretty nice trucks hauling those things, but maybe not.

 

Cant say ive never seen a nice can driver with a nice truck ,there is some but lets just say they are alot fewer and further between than say reefer or flatbed drivers..

 

Leased or independant?

 

I'm going straight into independent, as an authority through my 20 year old non-trucking company.

 

There's a thread on here that someone mentioned they have guys pulling out of the ports in Florida for .88cpm

Typically containers are always "cheap freight"

 

holy crap, that's cheap. On the other hand, is that the driver's take or what the carrier gets? I can't imagine paying fuel and repair expenses with 88cpm. That's scraping the bottom of making a living at that point.