Truck Load Rates Halt 8 Week Slide 2.0

There is one thing that I feel I should take advantage of if the rates tank this year. That is pulling a trigger on a new truck and ... reefer. My trailer is almost paid off and I was hoping to use it as a trade in (down payment) for a new reefer, then I'd go and find a good deal on a new truck. Preferably, Cascadia...due to the fact that the local Chicago Volvo dealers customer service is deplorable...Currently, some people with warrantied trucks have to wait for parts and service for over a week. That's unacceptable. And the demeanor with which they speak to you over the phone.... I'd go as far as Madison, WI or even Minnesota...to find a deal.

 

People are paying crazy money for dry vans right, maybe you can sell it outright for more.
Also I hear wait time for new reefers is over 6 months.

 

Well, I guess this wait time might change as soon as everybody sees reefer rates go down to 2 dol per mile or lower. At that point, one can hope for ordered but not used reefers on the dealers lots, the same thing with trucks. Other than that I won't get rid of the trailer before I have the replacement secured at the same time.
I even think to keep the current truck unregistered but insured for a few months as a spare. Just in case the new would be a lemon of some sorts. That's why I am thinking about Wisconsin, I heard that they honor lemon laws.

 

I am thinking reefer operations based on my Chicago area observations. Getting stable, possibly customer based outbound freight (I have certain shy leads and ideas) and a load board freight for coming back. Runs would not go much beyond 500 mile radius for the most of the time and a few sporadic excursions to hot West Coast markets would bring icing on the cake. Kind of like @SteveScott model, which I don't want to exactly copy and violate any copy rights because I had always had it in mind but wanted to get there gradually starting with a generic dry freight building more capital and maturity. First and foremost, I want to eliminate the chaotic randomness and rat chase type of freight chasing that is so characteristic for a solo owner operator with a dry van.

 

You’ll get that with any trailer if you all do is run off load boards. I have a flatbed as well as a van, I will say the flat has been easier to get outbound freight direct over the van.

 

Half of the freight I haul is dry van Joe. That's one of the great things about having a reefer, I can haul both. There are some places that won't load a reefer because they think that weight will be a problem, but I can easily handle 45,000 with full fuel tanks.

 

Retirement is looking really good this week. I've got the bug. That boredom of working from home that drove me into trucking in the first place is starting to look a lot better than driving this truck. I think the appeal has finally worn off.

 

How heavy is your setup? My 770 with Duraplate HD van is 35k
The smaller 660 with a Stoughton Tough plate is almost 1500lbs less

 

About 35k on the nose for my T680 and a Utility reefer. That's actually with a half tank of fuel so I lied a little before.