I am looking into getting into cattle hauling.

Also would drive for someone for a year or more to learn everything you need to know. This not a business to take lightly. Done it for two years as a driver and got burned out very demanding work.

 

I'd be interested to know why he wants to haul cattle. I've never hauled them professionally but I've been around them plenty and I've trucked them. I imagine it's more about the animals than it is about the trucking. It ain't frozen chicken. More of a shepherd than a truck driver.

 

I wouldn't buy a deck trailer unless you are going to be hauling feeder pigs, with fat hogs there really is no reason, you'll be over gross long before you run out of space on a typical 53' pot. And its just more area to wash. The only time anyone uses a deck trailer back home is for wean pigs.

 

I've been looking into getting into cattle because I want more experience than just pulling a dry box, i have been told that cattle can pay more than most other parts of trucking. I have been pulling a dry box for about 3 years and am tired of being governed, and don't want to buy a truck and trailer just to scrape by, I want to make a decent living. But also, I'm not going to jump into anything without doing research, asking around at truck stops, pretty much just knowing what I'm getting into.

 

I thought maybe that was part of it.

Question for you guys that do this work. How many people do you know that got into hauling livestock without being raised around animals..... by either being 2nd gen livestock hauler or a farmer/farm boy?

 

The guy that dispatches me loads 16 trucks all together and the answer to your question is zero out of the 16. Either we have ranching backgrounds or our dads did it. That being said, I'm a firm believer that anyone can learn if they have the desire too. I'm willing to help anyone, just don't expect me to help again if you ask a question and then go do it your own way anyways.

 

That seems like a high priority lol but some people have to learn the hard way. Business is business you don't just show up with a livestock trailer (or any for that matter) and customers fall over themselves showering you with money.

 

I don't know of any personally. I can't think of any one in it that wants to see their son travel the path of a typical livestock hauler. I tried to little to late to keep my boy out of it. He says grain hauling is his thing but I see myself 20 years ago when I look at him hooked to a pott. It's not that I ain't proud of him,I just hate to see him over do it pushing himself. That I could never forgive myself for. Even though it may not be my fault I would always think so. I'm a fine one to talk. Here I am at 1 am on my way to lane OK on a ramp cause my heads a bobbin. Gonna be close to 950 in a 24 hr frame. With 4000 up to this point since Sunday mornin. I take it back rank a guy on the forum. Here tangerine gt broke in from the outside. Y'all keep your brakes cool I gotta step

 

No speed limiters and no E-logs seems OK on the surface but I think it falls under the heading of "be careful what you wish for".

We haven't even talked about horned cattle yet.

 

A governor wouldn't be so bad steady is the key. Same as any other