mercer transportation

Exactly, it can go both ways... And for some and myself, I find real value in being leased on to a carrier, for the moment at least.

 

Being leased gives you flexibility, you can work hard or you can take a few months off. I like that

 

Why can't you do that with your own authority? I pay the same expenses to run my truck as someone with their own authority and I can take the same amount of time off I did being leased to Mercer.

 

Exactly why I'm leased on....prior to coming to Mercer, I talked with about a dozen companies, surprisingly about half of them were gonna have problems with me taking more than 30 days off at a time.

 

When your leased and not working, you pay nothing for cargo and liability ins. Running your own numbers, you pay cargo and liability ins. if your working or not, Also if you have customers your trying to service,they may frown on extended time off.

I'm sure many guys running their own numbers take extended time off, just seems to me it's much easier being leased. I've never had my own numbers so I could be blowing smoke.

 

For me, I don't have to pay cargo insurance and I don't pay trailer rental (on my extended times off).

 

Good point on servicing your customers...

 

Yes, if you have customer contracts that could be an issue which is why I don't want direct customers. I have a direct customer through a broker and I get 1st choice on the loads and all of them I want but I can turn loads down/take time off without penalty cause the broker will get them covered. Like today, they offered me a load but I turned it down cause it was going to an area of Kansas that has a good chance of severe weather. I look at the broker as an extension of my business.

As far as insurance goes, yes when I'm off it still has to be paid but since I'm not giving up 25% of every load it ends up not really costing more over the course of the year.

For me and the way I like to run I couldn't do it at Mercer because they don't have enough freight in my area. I like having access to much more freight, some really good and a lot really bad. Lol.

@mtoo you never blow smoke, you're wise beyond any of us.

 

And right there is the reason Mercer has to over hire, everybody taking a lot of time off.

 

LOL