Is it possible to make good money hauling containers (intermodal)?

Ruckie · May 10, 2019

Landstar is good because you can actually ride the seasons, containers, dry Van's ect

selftaughttrucker · May 11, 2019

chimbotano said: ↑

Partnering???
Really?
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What would you call it? If not partnering/ leasing on. Its all the same. I just look at it different. They provide services that support my company for 28% of whatever I bring in. I get at cost fuel discounts which saves me around 5k or more in fuel. I get free truck and trailer inspections. I can haul some many different types of freight all under landstar. I see can haul specialty loads that that earns a driver 2k in 1 day. Where else can you get all this. Please let me know. Lol
Check this out sometimes brokers think that I am an approved carrier and they give me the the rate that a carrier would make. When I tell them that I am a BCO the rate goes up. My cut it pretty close to what a carrier would get but I dont have that high insurance.

chimbotano · May 11, 2019

selftaughttrucker said: ↑

What would you call it? If not partnering/ leasing on. Its all the same. I just look at it different. They provide services that support my company for 28% of whatever I bring in. I get at cost fuel discounts which saves me around 5k or more in fuel. I get free truck and trailer inspections. I can haul some many different types of freight all under landstar. I see can haul specialty loads that that earns a driver 2k in 1 day. Where else can you get all this. Please let me know. Lol
Check this out sometimes brokers think that I am an approved carrier and they give me the the rate that a carrier would make. When I tell them that I am a BCO the rate goes up. My cut it pretty close to what a carrier would get but I dont have that high insurance.
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Ok. Good for you .

konfidential · Sep 17, 2019

No.. Containers is trash work

Bfr38 · Sep 17, 2019

konfidential said: ↑

No.. Containers is trash work
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Amen!!!

Ruckie · Sep 17, 2019

Home every night and 1 dollar a mile!!

4noReason · Sep 17, 2019

not my company. well when we had work lol.

nkytrucker · Dec 10, 2019

Andre_K said: ↑

Intermodal rates depend heavily on the company you sign on with. I’ve been hauling containers for almost 4 years, with 3 different companies. As you get into the container side of the business, I think the best way is to get a feel for it, and companies in your area.

I’ve worked for a company that did only 53’...but, unbeknownst to me at the time, they were one of the “bottom-of-the-barrel” companies: simply for the fact that the owner only cared for a quick buck in his pocket, and not taking care of his customers. Dude was dispatching from his couch, while watching tv, for crying out loud. Needless to say, he was taking loads that no one else would, therefore rates were crap.

The company I’m with now (Cincinnati area), cares about their customers and punctuality. This puts them in higher demand, therefore they quote, and receive higher rates. I work hard to be home early; that means I usually set up for the next days run before I go home, so that I don’t have to worry about going into the rail at rush hour, but can get going early. I wake up/get started at around 4:30/5:30 in the morning, and am home by 3/4pm. Home on weekends. Sounds like crazy hours, but I clear $2,000 - 3,600 every week, so it’s worth it to me. If my kids don’t have games on Saturday and I work, I’ve cleared $4,600 before. Detention is different with different steam ship lines: anywhere from $56-80-105/hr, after first 2.

Work ethic has a lot to do with your earnings, too. We’ve got guys in our company that want to stroll in at 9/10am, sit in traffic most of the day, then not be able to do more than 1 run. Then they’re mad because they can’t clear $1,200.

As far as wear-n-tear on a truck: it’s like what was said towards the beginning of this thread. The truck reflects the driver. I see old 80’s cabovers that look like they just rolled off of the assembly line, pulling containers like champs. And I also see late model trucks that look like they belong in the scrap yard. My truck is my bread-winner, so I take pretty good care of it. I make sure everything is good and replaced before it breaks. Never needed a tow. Never was stranded. Never had anything break as a result of going into a rail yard or container depot.

Granted, some of these container loads are unpredictable: people overseas don’t really give a crap how they load them, as long as it all fits. I’ve had some that are super top-heavy, or overloaded in the nose. Not much you could do about it, except take it easy. Or refuse the load.

So, to answer the original question: yes, there is money to be made in this business. But you need to do your homework, and a little trial-n-error, sometimes. And discipline enough to get you going early, so that you can be done early. I like it. I like to think I’m making good $, for a ‘local’ job.
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Old thread, but looking for O/O container work in Cincy area. Which company are you with?

Bfr38 · Dec 16, 2019

nkytrucker said: ↑

Old thread, but looking for O/O container work in Cincy area. Which company are you with?
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Is there anything else you can do with your truck? I have never in my life had luck with containers. I would look at anything else. I dunno how guys make it hauling cans.

bigbyrc · Dec 16, 2019

selftaughttrucker said: ↑

What would you call it? If not partnering/ leasing on. Its all the same. I just look at it different. They provide services that support my company for 28% of whatever I bring in. I get at cost fuel discounts which saves me around 5k or more in fuel. I get free truck and trailer inspections. I can haul some many different types of freight all under landstar. I see can haul specialty loads that that earns a driver 2k in 1 day. Where else can you get all this. Please let me know. Lol
Check this out sometimes brokers think that I am an approved carrier and they give me the the rate that a carrier would make. When I tell them that I am a BCO the rate goes up. My cut it pretty close to what a carrier would get but I dont have that high insurance.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about getting on as a carrier with landstar, what do you think???

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