mercer transportation

no flame, it is a cakewalk, you got to have major problems not to make money here.

 

Maybe it's just me, but honestly, all the reasons listed as to why people fail at Mercer just seem common sense to me. It's a business, you have to learn your business and how to make it work for you. That is why I chose to lease for the last 4 years, I knew I would never own the truck I was paying for, but the way I saw it, I was getting an education on the industry and how to run a business. I also have been making way more money than I ever would have as a company driver and for the people who are anti-lease because you are paying someone else's truck note, what do they think the company drivers are doing? If my take home pay is better, why would I not take the risk. That being said, I realize I will have to learn the freight lanes that Mercer runs and where the pay is at, but that is a very short learning curve if you pay attention. As far as trying to run more miles instead of higher paying miles, that's just dumb, the only exception being if I get stuck in an area with little freight moving I would need to do something to get out of that area. Now obviously I don't know the Mercer load board yet, but I would assume it wouldn't be hard to do a search to figure that out since you can get planned up a few loads out. I do have a question about that though, and its more just for clarification purposes, but if it's first empty first to be loaded, how can you get pre-planned on a load two loads out? And why doesn't everyone take advantage of the system to get planned out like that? I do understand you may end up in an area where freight isn't moving like it usually does from time to time, but in general, it shouldn't take you long to know what customers pay the best freight and pretty much set yourself up to essentially be dedicated to them running in like a triangle or something. I know I am over simplifying that, and obviously sometimes the same loads wont be there and you will have to take something else for a few weeks, but if you build your customer base and reputation with the same people and make sure you are dependable, I don't see why that would be too difficult to pull off.

 

Honestly man, unless you are crippled. Get a flat. I'm from south Florida so I can relate to hating the cold.just takes a bit of extra planning to not go into the frigid zones. And a little bit of money spent on winter gear makes the normal cold almost pleasant. If you dress right anything down to 10 is ok. Get much lower than that tho and that rate better be over three bucks to get me to go there. A good carhart, good boots, and good long johns. Insulated socks and a ski mask. And you will be good to go.

 

Would add to that Mercer has more no tarp than tarp freight and if you do tarp the very least I've been paid is $100 and the hardest I've ever worked on a tarp was wind not the cold

 

I already have all that gear, minus the ski mask. I know the pay is better in flat, and honestly, I could use the exercise, but I have to admit I have gotten a little spoiled just bumping docks. The hardest manual labor I've done in the last 4+ years is changing my fuel filters. I'm not sure I know how to anymore. I dunno, its tempting, and I know they teach a load securement class for us rookies if we need it. I still have a month or so though, so don't stop trying to convince me, but I've heard all the #####ing from a buddy of mine who has been doing for the last three or so years so it may take some convincing.

 

yeah, but that wouldn't even matter to me, as someone stated in an earlier post, the tarp pay is irrelevant, its a matter of do i want to deal with tarping this load for 2.30 or is it worth it to me to not tarp it and take the one over here for 2.10.

 

Btw, I'm sorry for hijacking the thread, I've been sitting back reading for the last couple of weeks and I started a 34 in Cheyenne this afternoon so I'm bored.

 

Lol I was there on a 34 last Sunday I completely understand

 

It's never about the pay. It's quality of life. I will never pull another van or reefer in the over the road industry again.
First:It rarely takes me more than an hour to get loaded vs the hours upon hours sitting at a dock.
Second:it's rare to have a true appointment time with a flat, it's almost always first come first empty. That means I can get unloaded early morning, reload and down the road. You fall into more of a normal work day routine vs everyday being different.
Third: better pay. On average I'd say 30cpm better.
Fourth: the customer is always happy to see you.
Fifth: no groceries means no grocery warehouses and the crappy attitude they give you
Sixth: grocery warehouses. I love delivering to them. I get this evil grin inside my heart every time I take something to a construction project at a warehouse. To see dozens of trucks lined up at the dock fifty feet away, and be empty in thirty minutes while all those reefer and van guys are wasting an entire day of their lives just gives me an awesome feeling.
Seventh: courtesy and mutual respect. I can't count the Times I've pulled up to a customer and they met me at my truck with a handshake. Hell, if it's early morning there is a real good chance you got a fresh cup of coffee being offered to you. That never happened to me in all the years I pulled a van or reefer.

 

I totally agree with the feeling you get when you show up to a grocery warehouse with a Machine of some sort and everyone drops what their doing comes outside say right over there is fine and in 30 minutes I'm on my way, I feel their pain I remember reefer hours and hours of loading times sometimes even a day waiting for product. Your post is spot on