Job relocating..Dump truck owner op in Florida areas

Does he speak Spanish? Does he like dirt wages? If yes, he’ll be happy. If no, he’s not going to like Orlando. There’s a dump truck friendly parking lot off Boggy Creek. The guy only charges $100 for a tractor trailer spot, so dump trucks should be $50 a month. That’s the cheapest in Orlando that you’ll find. I can give you the number if you need it. Trucking sucks in FL, especially local stuff. If he’s the breadwinner, I’d reconsider the move.

 

Being 100% serious with you, as bad as you think trucking is where you are in Ohio, Florida will make that look like the Ritz. There is good freight in Florida but it is very difficult to find, and it comes in the form of produce. Freight comes out of the dirt it’s not the dirt itself. If your gonna move there anyways, myself and others on here would urge you to be sure your salary can support your family. Anything he can pull in would be a bonus. Don’t bank on the Florida freight market to float you because odds are stacked heavily against you. Only reason I’m even saying anything is because I’ve seen people get destroyed from trying to move their business to that state. Be Careful.

 

Hi, I realize that this thread is 6 months old. I have owned a few dump trucks in Florida and I also worked for a few companies as a mechanic that had fleets of dump trucks in SW Florida, so please allow me to share my knowledge and opinions. I also have a few questions for you that if you can answer would help you too.

First thing about being an owner operator in Florida with a dump truck is that unless you have some other business with the truck such as grading, excavation, land clearing, ect... you are better off leasing onto a large company as they will provide steady work. Trying to find work by yourself is very difficult and will require your own operating authority.

Second thing is that to lease onto some of these companies they have strict requirements about the trucks they will accept. Besides the obvious items like the age of the trucks, the overall condition of the trucks and if they will pass a D.O.T inspection. Some of my questions now come into play.

A) How are your trucks spec'd?
B) What is their tare weight?
C) What transmissions and gear ratios do you have?

To make money with dump trucks in Florida, you have to spec the trucks for the perfect balance. This means that the trucks need to be heavy enough to work on a job site with poor roads without putting stress cracks in the dump bed or the frame of the truck. I say this because most tri axle dumps have a dump body that has a 16 CYD legal capacity, but since you are not going out on the road where you have to comply with the D.O.T regulations, they will load the truck with 22 CYD of material. As you can imagine, this is really hard on the truck.

The truck has to be light enough to legally carry 21 tons with a full tank of fuel and the driver in the drivers seat. If you are not working on site or doing an hourly job like hauling asphalt to the paving crew, they will have you running material to stock up the asphalt or cement plants. This type of work pays by the ton, so you have to be able to haul 21 tons legally to make any money.

The most common transmission in Florida for a tri axle is the fuller 8LL. This is because it is easy to shift, makes decent power with a smaller engine and the LL is good when working on highway paving or milling jobs.I have seen most owner operators spec their tri axles with 18 speed transmissions. I personally like the 18 speed and all the options it gives the owner operator, however you mention that you have 2 trucks. If both have a 18 speed that could be a problem as most drivers I have met over the years do not know how to shift them properly, which in the long run is expensive for the owner of the truck.

Most of the tri axles that I remember owning and repairing had 4:10 gears. Some of the owner operators with high H.P. engines and 18 speed transmissions had 3:73 gears. What are the speed limits where you are in Ohio? I am originally from New York and most of the highways there are 55 MPH, some 65 MPH. In Florida the speed limit on the highways is 70 MPH, so you truck needs to be able to cruise down the highway at 75 MPH and still have some left if you need to pass a slower truck. If your truck can not go that fast and they have you running material by the ton, you will not make any money.

Why Orlando? You mention that you are a Marine Biologist and need to be near the ocean, Orlando is in the center of the state. That area of the state is growing, so there is plenty of work there for tri axle dumps. I have heard from several friends of mine that have tri axles and work in the Tampa Bay area and in SW Florida say that Orlando is considered to be North Miami. Meaning cut rates, junk trucks and Spanish speaking drivers that speak little to no English.

I would suggest you call Daniel Mullins Trucking, Inc and see what they have to say. They are in Tampa, they seem like they would be able to keep your trucks busy. I wish you the best of luck.

 

Marine biologist married to a truck driver: not a match made in heaven

 

She isnt asking for love advice dr phil.

 

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