mercer transportation

Heard a rumor that Mercer has a deal with a truck leasing company. Any insight into this?

I also heard that we can book freight, through the agent, off of approved load boards. Which boards are these?

 

So I may have made my first (of many I'm sure) blunder. 1st load to WA was due Monday. Had lots of time. Looked around the boards yesterday and grabbed a $3.47(including DH) 400 mile load that picks up Wednesday and delivers Thursday morning. It has a poor paying load that gets me back into a good freight area that picks up Thursday too (hoping something better comes along Monday or Tuesday). Anyway, the receiver of my first load said he will have a forklift at the site Saturday and I can deliver then if I like. Great, I love getting unloaded early. My only problem is now I'm sitting 4 days before I can load. . Of course in reality I was going to be doing basically that in the first place, but now it seems like a huge waste of time. So my lesson learned here was to talk the receiver POC before I start making plans so far out. Well no real harm done. I get to spend more time with friends. But 4 days is a LONG time.

 

there is a leasing company that will lease you a truck, and they want mercer to take payments of your settlement. its not actually tied in to mercer so to speak, some guy had a brochure last time I was there. several outfits do this with a down payment, lone mountain for one, just have to be approved to lease somewhere.

and you can book freight that way, but I have not needed to. I think there is a restriction that you have to have a load unavailable thru mercer for 24 hours. in 4 years I have never come close to having to do that. running your own will be much different than driving a contractor truck. you aren't so much in the run run run mode to make bank.

 

The beauty of it all is that you pre planned it knowingly, so if you needed that extra time to get there at 55 mph making that 8 mpg lol or spending time at home.
I've planned like that before and it is one of the blessings and perks of being your own boss and working for mercer.

 

Sure I'll give a cut of every load you haul for me. lol

 

so we send ya to school and you still want me to work for you??? I got 5 kids, I am used to it.

 

but look at it this way, if ya had planned on that it wouldn't have fell into place. you were happy when ya planned what ya got, you still got it, so you should still be happy.

that's like looking at the load board, when you book a load, move on to that location, don't keep looking to see what you may have missed, if ya do you will stop pulling the trigger on loads and get hesitant and shoot yourself in the foot.

some guys wont book ahead because they are afraid something better will come up, I operate on the old"" bird in hand is better than two in the bush"" method

 

Very true Lucar.

you make great points. But please understand that I never intended to imply that I was upset. I was only trying to acknowledge that I was new and learning lots (most from people like you and others on this board for whom I can not thank enough). And I've had a few ideas as to how to make this a big win for me if they work. Think I'll call the agent and see if I can't get the pickup and drop moved up (doubt it but don't hurt to ask right?) if not I'll call the local agent and see if a can't find a short load for Monday Tuesday. If nieth of these work I will still be happy that I grossed as much as I will in my first 8 days at mercer. And I know not to think that the rest of the year will go this well.

 

good, it happens like this sometimes. but the way u are booking loads ahead, I am sure things will work out

 

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