Questions you wished you ask before joining Mercer

Well I don't like going into situations blin

It's hear a lot about drivers not being paid for 90 days and need factoring co. So that's why I asked

 

You gotta do more research bro. Read @blairandgretchen thread and @double yellow thread so you don't have to ask these questions

 

That's folks with their own authority, not leased to a company

 

You would think someone who has 40 trucks leased on, can invest 70k in a stock would have ability to not have to factor for cash flow;.

 

I think F2F is decent, heard from a few people payments didn't come through tho. Not sure what to think of it. If I didn't own my own authority and had guys leased to me, I would take Mercer. Only because of hazmat. However we do Reefer Hazmat, not sure how mercer works on that, but I'm sure there is an agent that would take care of it. Mercer is probably the best company for a owner operator that just wants to driver and book his own loads.

 

I'm not one to say who is best. I think all of the companies like this have something to offer different types of drivers. But I will say that I know Mercer is the best fit for ME.

 

I don't want anymore drivers, especially not from the internet. Guys that are leased onto me are my real life friends. The guys when we ran as outlaws for European Chicago companies as drivers and saved our money to become owner operators. Through all these years, these are the only guys. We all dispatch ourselves from the truck. We do hazmat, that's why it has to be 13% because I also have two people in charge to help with background paper work. What ever is left from the company profits, gets put in reserve. I take 13% out of my own paychecks too. We do have a nice fuel discount with NATSC. Also, as far as tires, etc. I have a mechanic that I knew for years. I gave him business of where he takes are of fleets. He was a mechanic for a company I worked for. He openned up his own shop. I gave him business, and he has one truck in our company that I take care off. In return we get quality tires in wholesale prices, oil changes, etc..he does charge us for labor tho of course. This all took years to develop. There is also the "black market". Companies in Chicago like to steal rails, you know, trailers full of tires..sold at a $100 each. Do I steal them? NO...Do i buy them? $800 for all brand new trailer tires..yes.

Each owner operator here has his own cash reserves,because he makes as much as he likes(sounds cheesy, i know). I helped a few guys start, but now it's a smooth sail. My main thing, is always direct customers. Only 2 guys are from Florida, and 1 guy from NY. All these guys understand how the market works, and they all know what profits them. For other guys, when I find a customer, we all get on a conference call and say lets do it or not, and then find backhaul rates for the load board. Our safety is good. We don't look for drivers. We don't advertise. None of that nature. I have a company in Vegas, a guy I dispatched and his partner two years ago, who started their own company, raised to about 40 drivers. Now they're asking to let my office take care of another fleet they're hiring, but I declined. Simply because what we have going on is something that's rare to find. At 13% to be honest(including permits,etc), after everything the company cash resreves are left with about 18k a week on a low side. that's more than the 25% that idiot keeps asking me about.. I can't break down the whole math for him, because it simply isn't worth my time. I don't plan on expanding my company, because there is guys who just dont understand. These are the guys that can't make it anywhere.

What are we doing? Well we all know, everyone almost wants to live in a cheaper, warmer place. Target is Florida.

We will have a lower cost of living there. However we have been developing relationships and loads to Florida mostly paying good. Great, but what about coming out of Florida? I'm sure you have paid attention and heard about ports opening in south east. We have been developing relationships, to get contract deals, that can run us up and down for good rates. Target is to move to Jacksonville, FL. The thing about us, is we are like a family. We help each other out, lend money, spare tires, drink together, and so on.

Now, as far as Mercer.

Let's put it in two perspectives. First if 25% wasn't enough, how could a company like Mercer survive? It's actually 1% more for insurance, but that's beyond the point. It's making Mercer a lot of money. So from a business standpoint it works, and it's great.

As an owner operator, who understands his costs, and likes to find his own loads, and knows what is profitable. Mercer is great. F2F is good too, just don't like the whole non hazmat crap. Landstar has fallen off a lot IMO.

I can't say say any bad things about Mercer. I can say few bad things about Landstar. F2F..I'm not sure, especially since I heard about them running through Conv. and I don't like them, but I don't have any information about F2F, so I can't say bad things, and the guy Bill or whatever that in charge I assume seem like a good poistive person, and he def knows how this business works. I've met a few guys that were happy with them.

All in all. I had a pleasure of learning this business since 16. I've dealt with almost every type of driver, company, owner operator, etc. There is one guy that makes money, and one guy that doesn't. It doesn't matter rather you have you own company, or are leased to whatever company. It's how you work with money. I'm not sure why this skateboard got so defensive, and nor do I care, but I mean no disrespect when I say in 5 years I don't plan on dealing with this industry one bit, and for a guy with his "years", it's a clown to me stuck in a cycle.

As far as Mercer. I think they are a great company, but so is F2F, Landstar too I guess. But also a lot of small companies too that charge less. At these type of companies it DEPENDS on YOU what you make. Some understand that, and some fail and blame the company. This is how the world works.

My personal plan? Is to retire with Amazon stocks my mom bought back in 2004-2005 while she worked for them... Nothing to do with trucking. But clearly I don't need to worry about tomorrow as far as money. Well it's part of a plan.

Now as far as this guy finding my story thread funny, yeah it's funny. It shows how small minded someone is, not realizing we all comes from different aspects of life. Before I was 10, I lived my life through wars through middle eastern Europe, and have overcome from learning English, to whatever life has thrown at me. I probbly wiped an AK 47 clean before he learned how to wipe his own butt. Let's keep it at that.

 

Lol, junior I guarded the east west German border in the seventies, your a funny guy, but you are the one who worried about the 25 per cent. But why do you keep hijacking this guys thread, your eastern European trucking coop has nothing to do about question for mercer

 

So, I have a few questions.

Does Mercer have terminals outside the Louisville location, or is that the only one?

This question is stupid probably, but I'm guessing you bring your truck with you to orientation?

How much have you guys averaged per mile this year? All I've seen is that its been pretty bad in the spot market so I was wondering how Mercer guys were doing.