User Tag List

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #21  
Old 10-22-2006, 11:25 PM
gcal's Avatar
Board Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 220
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by LOAD IT
Learn all that you can from your mechanic. Now that you have a big truck, you have to get big wrenches they will save you money. Stay away from the dealer unless you have money to give away as you noticed with their $2500 quote that you had done for $700. They are in business and so are you. Good luck and let me know when you get that trailer. Its christmas tree time really soon. How far do you plan on running this truck from home?
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 10-23-2006, 12:51 AM
bigstix22's Avatar
Rookie
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

When I got my start I just went with brokers. Then every chance I could get I went out and started going door to door and getting what I could. I called every body I know pretty much exhausted my resources. Even if they needed something picked up I would get a load through a broker and then pick their stuff up on the way back. Now I have to much work for one truck and in the process of obtaining two others.
Good luck with it you have to believe and go the extra mile things will work out.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 10-23-2006, 01:13 AM
LOAD IT's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 725
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigstix22
When I got my start I just went with brokers. Then every chance I could get I went out and started going door to door and getting what I could. I called every body I know pretty much exhausted my resources. Even if they needed something picked up I would get a load through a broker and then pick their stuff up on the way back. Now I have to much work for one truck and in the process of obtaining two others.
Good luck with it you have to believe and go the extra mile things will work out.
This is the type of service that I have been preaching about, since I joined this board. Good work and I hope some others are taking notes.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 10-23-2006, 09:13 PM
BanditsCousin's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 3,800
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

It doesn't matter what the % is on the broker's behalf, its whats left (and paid to you and the truck) that matters. Is a broker is making 50% but getting you $4 a mile better, or having a broker that charges 2% and keeps you loaded always for $1.13/mi.
__________________
Mud, sweat, and gears
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 10-28-2007, 05:20 AM
gcal's Avatar
Board Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 220
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Thought I would post up since I ain't been here for awhile.
I became a statistic. My truck was a POS (just like everyone told me here LOL), the broker I was working with was screwing me, or so I thought with the little experience I had, and I was paying out the ass for fuel and maintaince cause it was an old truck and getting horable mpg.

Here is the jist of it for future super truckers:
Bought truck but no trailer, worked with one broker and didn't know any others and by the time I found others it was to late, and most important I didnt HAVE MONEY IN RESERVE (only a 3 k).

Mistakes I made:
Bought an old truck thinking if its paid for I will save money LOL that was not the truth.
Didn't buy a trailer.
Expected to make money running only Oregon.
Took cheap freight once I was desperate.
and once again I didn't have money in reserve to help me out.

So all in all I sold my truck to pay back bills because I wasn't making enough to cover house bills and epically the truck. and walked away losing about 15 k all in all when it was said and done. Some of that went to bills cause I wasn't making enough. I was working from the time I woke up and the time I went to bed and even then couldn't sleep and all I could do is think about how bad it was going and what to do to get out.


Things I would do different: and might in the future if this business gets better.....LOL
Get a truck with less the 300k miles and have it dynoed and inspected before I pay a cent. Then make a decision on if I buy it or not.
Sign up with get loaded for freight.
Find several brokers and not lease on to one only.
Sign up with BIG carriers, like schineders "freight place" for O/O not leased to them (you know you will get paid and in a pinch you might find something to get you out of somewhere instead of dead heading).
Read every thing you can from this board and most of all if he would let you go PAY GMAN to ride in his truck and have a guy like him teach you what needs doing. hire an account to help you do paper work cause it is HARD to do everything and drive and maintain your truck and get freight and expect to sleep and eat and spend time with family.
Find a good mec to work on your truck that you trust and get things done at home before you hit the road. And I am sure I am forgetting something but thats the jist like I said.

I know work for a company driving a propane truck around all day making 16 an hr and happy as hell. After OT I make about 3,300 a month and only give the company 8-`11 hours of my time 5 days a week. Not like my own company 24-7 everyday and was lucky if I was making 2500 a month with no bennies.

So all in all I made all the wrong moves with all the wrong people and am sharing my experience so maybe some one else with not do it.

I will still be around lurking since I enjoy reading this board alot and maybe one day if things change I will post up I got my new rig and trailer LOL
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 10-28-2007, 10:46 AM
LOAD IT's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 725
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Hang in there Gcal. While you dont have the pressure to make money with your own truck, you need to start writing the business plan for your new trucking company. You will be able to think clearer and now you know some of the pitfalls. You will be in your own truck again. Remember: Success is never FINAL and Failure is never FATAL.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 10-28-2007, 11:25 AM
Guest
Guest
Posts: n/a
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: Post(s)
Tagged: Thread(s)
Default

What about when your chute doesn't open cause you packed it wrong :lol:
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 10-28-2007, 12:03 PM
LOAD IT's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 725
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: Post(s)
Tagged: Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveBooth
What about when your chute doesn't open cause you packed it wrong :lol:
He can still BOUNCE back! LOL
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 10-28-2007, 12:17 PM
GMAN's Avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Board Icon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 17,097
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: Post(s)
Tagged: Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

I am sorry to hear things didn't work out for you gcal. You learned some valuable lessons, should you decide to do this again. Were I you, I would not necessarily consider this as a failure, but a set back. On the up side you can share your experiences with others to help them not make the same mistakes.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 10-28-2007, 03:54 PM
Sonny Pruitt's Avatar
Board Regular
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mahwah,NJ
Posts: 450
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: Post(s)
Tagged: Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

This is a problem about being mislead
by some posters on the boards
To anyone wanting to get their own authority
This is not a piece of cake
I wrote about it then and I will tell you now
you can lose your shirt
Reply With Quote
Reply





Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT. The time now is 08:45 PM.


User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.