Wheeler Trucking

I worked for Wheeler for a month, in the dead of winter out of the Avon Park OH Ford plant hauling cut vans... #### near killed me, and then standing out there near Lake Erie with wind, snow, rain and sleet... I worked the oil fields in ND and MT for nearly four years, that was easy compared to this. But, the work was steady and the pay was there every Friday at Wheeler, they are good people, no complaints. Was it worth it, not in my book. Not with all of the labor involved and the continual go go go... If you are a young man, and like a fast pace, Wheeler is worth checking out.

 

My brother was leased on with Unimark for a while. I helped him load and unload a few times...compared to a car carrier that is WORK! Lol.

 

Work it was, you need to be in shape for sure. And it was non stop, 14 on 10 off. And you had to race to play beat the ELD clock, we were on paper but had trackers on the truck to ensure we were running "legal". It really took it's toll on my truck, I don't like to drive like that, unsafe and very hard on the equipment. But, we were "legal". I lasted a month, to dangerous in more than a few respects.

 

I have been here 9 months today. Doubled down at about month 6 and bought an old company truck. Having reread this whole post I didn't know what a Sun Country was when I hired in here. 9 months later I am thinking about buying a Sun Country my self.

Wheeler just increased subhauler rates to keep up with volume. Having loaded next to Sun Country trailers enough time now I can say that would make this work so much easier. That trailer can do everything Wheeler hauls but the Medium Duty trucks. He'll makes us look like fools with the cut vans even and can load Issuz #### quick too.

Sun Country is a hell of a trailer.

 

Are you glad to be an owner op? There is a sub hauler in our yard with one of those trailers and he does very good with it. How many units would it cost you on your front haul? I imagine it could help you on your backhauls.

 

Banker, Wheeler went with what I have come to refer to as a PINO. Peterbilt In Name Only. Ultra light weight Pete's with coffin bunks and a 31" matress. I made an offer on the truck I started out with when they were bringing me in to "give" me my new Pete and they said I would have yo wait for the price list. After the first couple of weeks I couldn't wait for the price list to come out.

As far as the Sun Country because the products Wheeler moves are so larger with either wheels base or height a 6 car Sun Country at best would move 3-4 units. Wheeler moves a huge number of cuts and hightop Transits and Promasters which a man could make a good living staying with. The 102" deck on the Sun Country would even allow for a couple of Medium Duties if a back haul was needed to get back to the cuts or vans.

Intimadtion is the only thing from stopping me from buying one. Sancrest has two on their lot right now for 63k. I tried to get on with one of the Subs that Wheeler uses that only run Sun Countries learn the trailer and after some consideration they decided they didn't want to upset the apple cart by grabbing me from where they get their freight from. Dam my luck I guess.

 

If you do your due diligence and run your numbers, don't be afraid to do anything. You only live once and now that you know that business I am sure you will make great money doing it. For a while I was seeing sleeper carhaulers with quick loaders coming south on 71 every day with cut vans on. I figured Avon Lake must be cranking them out. Before they retooled it was a great backhaul for me. 3 Vans right back home.

 

That getting my own authority thing makes me nervous. That is why I was trying to get a foot in the door at one of the companies that are already running the setup I was considering. Problems is that none of them are looking to take a chance of getting black balled by grabbing me away from Wheeler. Wheeler feeds a lot of families.

Truth is Banker I am making a #### good living but as others have mentioned the effort it takes to get a load loaded is well beyond what most people would welcome. The Sun Country struck my eye one day when I pulled up at the same time to load Mercedes cuts with one of them. I stacked them and he hit a couple of levers. By the time I had the bars bolted on it takes to stack them the Sun Country was loaded and gone. I had about another hour and a half of work yet to do. That day it started to pour the rain and I almost bought a trailer that week just out of spite. Thought I should take the time to learn a little more about it before jumping in with both feet.

 

Agree with that statement. I like the simplicity I have being leased to a carrier. I don't have any desire to get my own authority and freight, but that is just me. I tend to over analyze things, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to do something that makes your life easier even if it doesn't make you more money. It isn't always just about the bottom line. That is the beauty of being an owner op. Within reason you get to do what suits you best. Stay safe!