Is it worth it to quit a 23 YEARS steady job for Intermodal job ?

Discussion in 'Intermodal Trucking Forum' started by Cornel, Dec 30, 2018.

  1. VIDEODROME

    VIDEODROME Road Train Member

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    When I was a yard jockey, I hated all Intermodal equipment that came into the yard. Always in rough shape and needing a metal pipe to open the latches.
     
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  3. Cornel

    Cornel Bobtail Member

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    So it's not about the money,is about the quality of life?!

    Thank you for your advice.
     
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  4. Humblepie

    Humblepie Pontificator

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    I would stay where you’re at. I doubt very strongly you’ll net more than 60 or 70k pulling cans around.
     
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  5. SoCalRed

    SoCalRed Medium Load Member

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  6. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    It's also about the money, you don't have to sacrifice pay, and there are jobs where you can make more money and still have good home time if that's what you don't want to give up. One driver on here made $86K this year driving for Estes Express doing terminal to terminal drop & hook. He's only been driving 2 years. Probably can do that in Milwaukee. Here's a job & information in Milwaukee with Estes Express; click here > Apply On Company Site
    [​IMG][​IMG]
     
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  7. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    This I agree with very strongly. You only have one life. (Insert a second thought from me, you only get one spine. Once that's gone that's it.)

    I knew I was going trucking at about 6 when riding in the back of a B model dump to the quarry then introduced to the Cat dozer tracked there. That sealed it. HOWEVER two problems. First family was not willing to accept a deaf trucker in those days and second school counslers said I'll starve.

    Ive starved. I know know to handle that along with prosperity. Been there and happy to do it. I suppose if anything I might think I got away with it in spite of what most of people have to do in a cubicle for a living or fight rush hour two times a day. (DC is really bad, one of the most aggressive in nation.) and the grind etc. Trucking was a form of freedom. Offering the entire Nation's worth of good things.

    However. Regulation, computers, enforcement using the vehicle's own data systems and so on is turning it into a gilded cage. Payroll has failed to keep up. Now empty trailers are being rented and stored at just about every warehouse across the USA as storage for inventory purchased ahead of Q1 tarriff increases. The retailers are maxing out everything hoping we as a USA will flock to buy it all. If not? And return it? Ugh.

    Whatever you do, try to be happy doing it. Otherwise it's not worth it.
     
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  8. Cheezy_smile

    Cheezy_smile Medium Load Member

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    Being O/O is hard , but being O/O pulling cans is mission impossible to say at least. I have tried it last year with one of my trucks and it sucked for the most part. Only way to make some money was either ISO tanks or pulling hazmat. I still pull cans for some of my customers, but I leave them in the drop lot, no way I go in and loose my valuable time to drop an empy box. I had similar experience like @blairandgretchen friend had, had to overhaul engine on my 2nd truck. Thank God I didn’t rely on cans revenue only, I would be in big trouble.
     
  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    So your willing to put in 14 to 18 hours a day and risk problems like breakdowns and other issues on the road?

    If i had your time in doing one job with one company, I would stick to it, O/O isn't a paradise when you can't deal with all the issues that could come up.
     
  10. Cornel

    Cornel Bobtail Member

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    That's a good question. I don't mind working 70 hours a week. Truck-break down, that’s what worries me and then inconsistent miles .Pulling containers for Hub is not the same as pulling containers for other outfit. The container stays on the chassis, is a drop and hook trailer just like any other drop and hook trailer. The difference is the condition of the container and the risk associated with pulling unsafe equipment, that’s what worries me the most. I don't have any violation on my record; this job is going to screw up my record. As far as Truck break-down? I have a solution for that. If you run local rail yard (Chicago) you can buy a second Day cab truck for about 25-30k and share the cost with another O/O ( in my case, a friend who works for the same outfit ). If the trucks breaks down you just go and get the other parked truck. My fixed cost includes $1000/month for repairs. The problem with Hub is the Annual Revenue. To make $37.000 profit is a joke. That's why everybody has told me to stay away from Hub Intermodal. Anyhow, these are my numbers:

    This is what I made working as a company driver:
    65 Hours /50 Weeks / $22.30 per hour.

    $72,475 Gross Pay/Total Revenue

    $6.906 Pre Tax Deduction Medical Insurance

    $14.951 Taxes (17%)

    $49.778 Net Pay/Profit



    This is how much I will be making if I work Intermodal (I already decided I won’t do it):
    ??? Hours/48 Weeks /$1.35 per miles


    $142,560 Gross Pay/Total Revenue

    $93,824 Fixed Costs (CPM $0.87)

    $9,720 Variable Costs (CPM $0.09)

    $6,632 Taxes (17%)

    $37.440 Net Pay/Profit




    This is how much I will be making if I work HotShot:
    ??? Hours/48 Weeks /$1.85 per miles


    $195,360 Gross Pay/Total Revenue

    $119,684 Fixed Costs (CPM $1.09)

    $10,050 Variable Costs (CPM $0.08)

    $11,156 Taxes (17%)

    $54,470 Net Pay/Profit

    Running below $1.85 ( $888 per day/ 480 miles) will be a nightmare/business failure.480 miles per day is a lot of miles to drive.I can do that easy with a semi-truck but not with a small 5500 Dodge Ram truck.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2018
  11. daf105paccar

    daf105paccar Road Train Member

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    Have you talked to your boss about a raise?
     
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