Interested in becoming a home daily O/O Roanoke, VA area. (any type of truck)

Pulling close to 90k, I can still get 6mpg, of course thats coming from Beaufort,NC which is ALL flat land; going across US460 or US58 will hurt it though!!

 

That is my territory right there, though US 258 is the one that I would worry about, so many turns and that means slowing down and speeding up. Ofc I mean the section of 238 that connects VA 10 to Us 58 and US 460, since I spend a huge amount my time running out of Smithfield.

I wonder about speed with the fuel economy, I can only go 65, and I see containers passing me a lot, even on roads like 58 (where I follow the 60 speed limit, Emporia is a speed trap), is it worth it to get those miles quicker, I would imagine the fuel economy would have to suffer.

 

Virginia has a blanket permit for containerized freight.So does WV,and I guess the rest of the states do as well.We recently upped ours from 90,000 at a customers request.This truck has consistently gotten 5.8 until recently.Upped tire size from low pro 22.5 to 11r22.5 and gained 3/10 mpg.Slowed down 5 mph to 65 and gained another 3/10 mpg.My goal is consistent 6.5 with a million plus miles on the truck so I will keep tweeking.Would still prefer local legal weight work to this,but containers beat the hell out of road work,just my opinion.

 

The speed WILL kill that fuel economy. My truck is wide open BUT I rarely run over 62mph!! Most of those guys are just ready to get back to the port and go home or just dont care about the fuel mileage. I find I make $150 more a week by running 62mph verse running 65mph is it worth it?? Thats up to the operator to decide..........

 

Another good gig is hauling for scrap yards. Scrap yards that are further inland pay pretty good money to have their scrap steel hauled to coastal scrap yards. You will need an end dump trailer, but you should be able to find an old beat up one pretty cheap. Dont spend much money on one, because those crane operators are rough on trailers. Scrap haulers here in New Mexico can make up to $300/load and never even leave the city! Some guys make 4 to 5 loads a day. You really just need to be a salesman and hit up the scrapyards and offer to haul their stuff. A buddy of mine makes $1500/day and never leaves the city. He only runs loads on Tuesdays and Fridays for the scrap company. He works 2 days a week and makes more in those two days than I do all week.

 

Hey losttrucker; i'm interested in hauling cans here in the norfolk, va area. which companies here would you say give you a fair deal? I have hazmat and twic and am willing to haul refers and hazmat, anything that makes money. Do you have to pay into an escrow account and why do some companies require escrow? thanks for the feedback..

 

1) GTL out of Suffolk is top notch BUT good luck getting on; takes an act of congress
2) BTT is second BUT they have a hiring freeze and micro manage everything
3) First Coast Logistics, One of the most honest no BS companies around!! They will have you working in 3 days and home every night. The owner is an EX Driver and you can talk to him whenever you want about anything.
4) Greatwide, The office out of Norfolk only!!

Yes you do; Every company I've ever leased to requires it. Some are $500 and I've had a $2500 escrow before. They will all have different reasons but mainly in case if you ever quit and owe fuel tax, fuel purchases, or anything else you may owe

 

Thanx losttrucker! great info....I'll be looking into them

 

Look I drove for 15+ years for someone else I.e. company driver. Never home and cost me a lot of grief, not that all companies are bad. Decided to jump in and do it on my own after taking a 2 year hiatus. I am home almost every night, off every weekend. I work less than 50 hours per week, I am buying my second truck this weekend. I ain't gettin rich but I am payin my bills and live comfortable above 70k net. I plan to double that by end of 2013. It isn't easy sometimes by any means. I am leased to a small company 5 O/Os. I could do the dispatching myself and handle all the operational aspects of the business but this works for me cuz I am lazy. But happiness and success are partners measured from each other.
In other words, IT CAN BE DONE WITH DETERMINATION. If you plan on going it alone, get educated and be prepared. Never quit when the freight slows. Always be willing to learn from others and always keep an open mind. What may work for one may sink another. Know what you want and make a plan of action to get there and follow that plan. Good luck..
Food for thought.....

 

DING DING DING!!

We have a winner!!!

Thats me, way to many people devote their life to "trucking"