THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE - DFO gets a truck and hops on Schneider's IC Choice Program

Just got here. I remember turning into the Bulkmatic parking lot the first time I came here. I'm pretty sure SNI keeps this place just for the tax write-off. This parking lot is worse than even Gary's.

 

Nope,@ Gary right now. Instead of fixing the drop off, there is a daycab with caution tape blocking half the drive. And I think I lost a tooth out on the entrance road

 

congratulations.you threw me a curve ball with such a low truck payment.I thought $1000/week was about average.You certainly are getting a good rate for that dry freight in Texas.Surprised more aren't heading that way.You are profiting about .87/mile which is remarkable,considering your running that truck for about .83/mile. Just trying to figure this L/P deal out.

 

I drove a 60 MPH truck for a few days. Didn't think it would be a problem. WRONG!

Worst experience of my life! Takes forever to pass a 4 wheeler, get stuck in the left lane, and everyone passes on the right, won't let you back over, etc.

Never again!

 

I always recommend to those that ask is NEVER lease a new truck. Too many fail with SFI that they normally have a good list of low mileage newer trucks. The truck I currently have was the fifth truck I looked at from Schneider before I said yes. The people that have the huge payments cannot do it the way I do. Most people look at the load board and instantly go to the loads that pay over $1000. I found I can run 2 loads a day that pay $600-$800 total and I do this in less than 400 miles a day. I look for drop and hooks or customers are know can load or unload quickly. The loads I run most, other drives will never look at because they need more money to pay that huge payment. I never focus on one load I look at the entire work load, most of the time I have 4 to six loads on me at once. Right now I am booked thru next Saturday.

 

You run very very similar to the way I try to run, drop and hooks when possible or quick unloads at familiar customers where I am in and out in a reasonable time period. I do something very similar to what you do in Texas but in Georgia instead. Can't stay in here all the time but I bounce to and from when I can't stay inside. I've been VERY happy with my used truck I got through SFI. It's been a great truck and is very very easy for me to work on myself which is a huge plus because I save a ton of money in doing so.

When it is all said and done I will have done something very similar to what you did at the beginning, but for me instead at the end of my 1 year lease period - pay off a big chunk of what I still owe on the truck (like you did by trading in your previous truck), and manage the maintenance account on my own rather than having to put $220/wk into their managed account. This should drop my truck payment WAY down to a much more reasonable rate. All in all though this has been a great way for me to get started and I am very happy.

 

What are the loads like in the the midwest as far as how well they pay and the amount of freight available?

 

I'll be a little more specific. I live in Freeport, IL which I know has very very little freight. But I live 25 miles west of Rockford, IL that I'm guessing has a decent amount of freight moving in and out and through because of I39/I90 and is just south of Janesville, WI and Beloit, WI which are pretty decent manufacturing towns.

 

Well made my delivery to... wow I seriously can't even remember where I delivered to earlier today... yeah it's been a long day apparently. Anyway, I delivered my load (Frito in Kathleen, that was it) and then had enough hours left to get to my pickup in Anderson, SC. I'm glad I decided to run up here to the pickup tonight. It was the most miserable goatpath experience I have ever had short of some of the places I ran up in the NE as a company driver. It was wet and slick, 4wheelers were out like crazy at 11pm (wtf??) and I think out of the entire trip I spent about 3 miles on actual interstates. Like I said, I'm just glad I did it late at night on a Sunday. Tomorrow during the morning/early afternoon it would probably have taken me twice as long to get here with traffic. This is one of those routes I will NOT take again. Lesson learned.

Anyway, got to my pickup expecting to have to wait till morning to grab the load, but dropped my empty and went to check in with shipping just to let them know I was here like the guard suggested. Load was ready! Hooked up to it and will take my 10, then head for NC tomorrow. Might be in Charlotte tomorrow afternoon, just depends on what I find on the load board next. Got enough hours left + some recap hours as well to stay moving for at least another day or so, so might as well run them while I can before I need to reset.

 

Man, I thought that might be you who passed me.......we both got off of 75 at the same time....me in the lead?