To sell out or not to sell out.

I’m definitely not cool with that.

 

I’ve been considering a hopper bottom. Currently the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers are too low to float barges so that should make high demand for that. Just hate to go buy a trailer if I’m going under.

 

What about oil field work, like in midland Texas?

Maybe being fuel is up those drivers aren't getting screwed like the rest of us.

 

Guess I should check that out. I’ve never done anything like that.

 

Jobs there seem to still be okay.

I think its all short haul too so fuel costs should be low.

 

9,000 gross per week @ 83% is $7470. And have to live in an oil field camp? No thanks.

 

It's not just you guys in the East and South. Last year our mills out here asked for a "voluntary" rate reduction of ten percent across the board. That's for log haulers and the price the mill was paying for logs too. We agreed. We shouldn't have.
This year they gave five percent back and they keep telling us we should be grateful for that. If you add the 5 percent they still have plus the rate of inflation we're hauling for less than we were two years ago and the rates weren't that great then..
A lot of guys parked their trucks and if they could find a buyer, they'd sell.
My brother and sons and I usually log a piece of our family ground every year. If the log prices don't come up we won't even do a Timber Harvest Plan.

 

Please enlighten us for a better alternative right now for better money.

FYI it's short loads, doing multiple per day so fuel costs might be near half as what they are for an OTR driver.

 

It’s also beating your truck to pieces on lease roads all day. And the daily cost of living in these oilfield towns is about double anywhere else.

 

Live in the truck or just take a flight out for there over the weekend.
Midland to Dallas flights are $100.

Still awaiting your answer on better paying jobs right now.