Who’s in and who’s out?

Big shift recently. Outside the big mega carriers, almost every otr rig is a foreign rig. American guys are gone. Really only American trucks out there are vocational or mega. Still see American guys in the prairie states, last hold out as if you take out vocational or mega about every truck you count at the fuel isle is no longer an American company. Otr segment is now non domicile foreigners. It’s now up to them when they decide it’s not worth it to leave or not to change the otr spot market. We American carriers have lost. ATA must be happy as the little guys are out. I am still here as I haul mostly agricultural. -But do use spot market on return hauls, and that’s were I feel the burn.

 

28 years under my own numbers since 1997. An old friend called on the phone yesterday explaining that his cousin surrendered his authority, got a good company job and never looked back…………until he lost that job. Now he bought another truck, reinstated his authority and is frustrated to hell that the world is treating him like he just fell off the turnip truck (brokers, insurance etc.). I told my old friend “that’s the biggest reason I haven’t quit yet”!

 

Nearly lost it all at the start of the year when my last truck exploded after i dumped a bunch of cash into it, then buying a replacment. But im still here and slowly recovering. Freights been kinda hot and cold though. I have had weeks i gross 15k and weeks i barely gross 1k. Just depends who has freight.

Honestly though..... as much as i love driving i cant wait till i have my commercial pilots license and can leave this dumpster fire of an industry.

 

once I’m out of a truck I own I’m out, Ill go work at Napa or Costco before I deal with this bull #### for someone else,

 

He could just find another ok company job.

 

I’ve been employed as a truck driver for 7 months of my life. I’m with you put me on a road grader in a open pit mine but if I’m driving truck……gotta have my name on the door!

 

He lives in a very rural area. I wonder if he just doesn’t want to commute.

 

A few independents I know have managed to run this spot market for 2 dol a mile for the last 3 years or so because their equipment was paid off and their liability insurance premiums weren't high. That's good for as long as the equipment does not give out. One major repair exceeding 10 Gs and they're out. That's what happened to one of them. He surrendered his truck to the towing company, rented Enterprise car and went home. The broker had to repower the load.

 

Still hauling our own stuff to market. No real choice. The big pain points have been poor dealer support and replacing a long term driver. Took nearly a year to find a capable hands on driver who isn’t always looking for a greener pasture.

 

I started with all that. Dump/ low bed, load your own stuff, etc

I’m actually trying to yank my hydro tank today because I finally realized how much I hate doing that just as much