Owner Operators whom take extended Winter Vacations

I used to take from Dec. until the middle of Feb. off. Last year I didn't get to go. Switched companies and things went south right off the bat. My wife made though.
This year I will be leaving in 12 days...
I had work the first part of Jan. , but the that canceled last week, thanks to the falling oil and gas prices.
I will come back towards the end of Feb.

 

Been chatting with the wife recently that we need to get to where I shut the truck off from between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and don't fire it up again until March 1. She agrees. Now just work towards that and make it a yearly thing. I only operate primarily between NE and OH and pretty much stay I-70 and north. Just seems like a better thing, running in that ares, to let everyone else play in the majority of the snow for most to the winter. Wouldn't avoid all the snow, but a large portion of it.

 

As a lease operator, I'm running my arse off at any time I am available. All four seasons.

I take time off a couple times a year for a couple weeks at a time to fly to Ukraine so I can see my fiancée.

Its funny that that I've seen her more often than I've seen my own parents here.

 

I'm leased to a carrier as well. I ran hard last year.

This year I wanted to try and see how taking time off would effect me.

Been home since the Dec 20th. Truck should be out of the shop next week.

So far I'm still not in any hurry to return to the road. Thinking I may take the entire month off and head out after my birthday.

I havent been this relaxed in a long while.

Hurst

 

I'm a flatbed hauler and primarily run a Texas regional area and have been on hiatus since 2nd week of November. The primary reason is the available reloads and the downward spiral of load pay that occurs during winter months.I don't like sitting at truck stops and watching loads drop in price as it gets closer to the weekend ,plus expenses start adding up on the 2nd day. I usually schedule truck and trailer maintenance for my off time. GOD bless .

 

Still on vacation since 16 Jan...i was intending on returning 3 mar...reading about that darn weather in the northeast...musing over extending my return date. sweated off 20lbs...so far.

 

I tend to take off from the middle of December to the middle of January. My wife, as dispatcher, runs me hard during the spring, summer and early fall so that we can save enough to cover all our expenses for this time off. We take this time off because it is a slow time for flat bedding and the freight is scarce until the middle of January. My wife takes care of all the administration and has our books all closed up by December 31. I, on the other hand, will spend that time building on our farm. This past December I put in 1200 feet of fence, built new hog pens and ran some new irrigation lines.

Hope you enjoy your time off in Colorado.

 

I worked only one week in January and so far have sat all February. I might go back Friday if I finish my taxes & get a decent load offer, but rates still aren't all that enticing...

On the plus side, I've had lots of time to investigate real estate possibilities. Next winter I'll probably buy & update another rental.

 

Rates are all over the place. Nothing too exciting.

I parked Dec 20th and came back out Jan 18th. Fuel prices dropped like crazy while I was home. Still a little high in North East, but over all not low enough to justify the lower rates.

Hind sight is always 20/20. I've been spoiled with great rates all last year. This is the most I have been sitting waiting on decent paying loads. I now know how other guys feel.

Between the weather and cut throat rates, had I known it was going to be like this I think I would have just sat out Feb too. More hassle and effort to be out here right now then I want to deal with.

Hurst

 

With a flat, you will often not miss a thing from Jan to March.