NEW O/O!!! Please give ANY advice!

[PorkChop81]

I've been driving trucks for about 8 years now. I'm 26 and want to finally branch out and do my "own" thing. I have a couple concerns and questions if anyone is willing to keep reading and give their opinions on things! Thanks in advance.

Ok.....I last pulled a trailer "for a job" with C.R. England about 5 years ago. Other then that I have been working locally hauling rock/sand/asphalt in dump trucks. I miss the road, and now I am available to start my own company and work for myself. Here are my ideas.

I've been watching a couple different load boards now and mainly looking at Auto Transport. I would like to start with used and work my way up the latter. I don't want a fancy truck, just something that isn't going to break down every 1,000 miles and will let me have a little comfort on the road.

I've been considering a FL Century or Coronado series. I drove a Century for C.R. and I have to say being a bigger guy....it was mighty comfortable. I'm also considering a 6 or 7 car EZ loader type trailer. One that doesnt have a million miles of hydros that could break at any point. My biggest questions about the trucks I'm finding are.....On these Detroit and Cummins motors.....what is the "high mileage" point? I know that one truck can go 30K and fail and the next will go 1.2 million and never smoke. I've been finding 99's-02's in the price ranges of $15,000 - $30,000. What is my better choice?

I understand that ALOT of people have their picks over each choice, but for myself I'm looking for a work truck. Something I can run for at least 1-3 years, then upgrade to a kw or pete. What are you (the owner/operators) finding out on the road?

Are you one that already has a setup like this and would like to give your views? Have you done it before, or also have the same thoughts?

So if your still reading.........I know I may get the bashers out there for asking "dumb" questions, but I expect it from the forums by now. I try not to ask things that others wouldnt ask, or I do try to ask the things that no-one else has thought to ask. My questions are all the basics of a first time o/o and I understand that.

I've been looking at a couple sites IE Carrier Dispatch, Ship Vehicles, and Uship. My goal is to load on the east coast and run to the west coast. Make my drops there, reload and come back to the east coast. I'm finding that ALOT of cars are coming in and out of FL right now and in and out of CA . All my averages are HIGH and LOW. I've been going with $3.25 per gallon (gives me a little room to play), and averging in only 5.5 mpg. Does this sound like a reasonable way to start getting ideas? Also.....I know it varies from place to place, and business to business...but what % (ROUGH IDEA) should I expect to give uncle same as a O/O?? 10%?? 20%??? and also...with IFTA .......how much can I look at spending every 1/4 if I'm getting fuel on the east and west, and then only 1 stop inbetween??? (I KNOW< I KNOW>>>Just looking for a rough guess).

Ok....I think I have spilled enough for today and IF your still reading then thank you very much! I'll prepare now to take all the Good along with the Bad that I'm sure this post will recieve, but I just want to hear from actual O/O's instead of the **** talking dump drivers around here.

ALSO, if you by chance need a driver and are in this line of work, feel free to let me know. I would love the chance to team with an O/O who is into this type of work and get the ins/outs before jumping in for myself. Hell.....if I find the right O/O , I wouldn't have to invest in my own equip! *But thats only a dream*. THANKS again for reading and hope to hear from everyone!

John aka Pork Chop

[Mackman]

talk to the all mighty GMAN he pulls cars now or he used to. But am sure he will come by to give his advice.

[person]

what is the "high mileage" point? I know that one truck can go 30K and fail and the next will go 1.2 million and never smoke. I've been finding 99's-02's in the price ranges of $15,000 - $30,000. What is my better choice?

One way of deciding is have any truck you're thinking about buying, major checked out by a professional who knows his/her stuff really well. Get as much info as you possibly can, including dyno, on the trucks you're thinking about and go from there. You may have to go to 2 places to accomplish this inspection that includes a dyno. It is possible that a truck with more miles could be better than another with less miles.

[PorkChop81]

Thanks for the advice. I got a guy that is a VERY good mechanic and I want him to go w/ when I look at something. Id have to search for a place to have it dyno'd n all, but he is very good at inspecting! What about a pete with a C-15 with 500,000 miles. Is that decent or alot for a c-15? My 6 axle dump truck had one "new" and the only issue we had in the first year was a computer update (which took awake boost when it threw the light). It was a sensor or some update on it. I'm finding petes for about 60K with 1/4-1/2 million miles.....I know...same thing though..have it checked out! Thanks again. ANYONE NEED A DRIVER??? lol.....latah

[GMAN]

talk to the all mighty GMAN he pulls cars now or he used to. But am sure he will come by to give his advice.

All mighty???? :?

[Ridge Runner]

talk to the all mighty GMAN he pulls cars now or he used to. But am sure he will come by to give his advice.

All mighty???? :?

Well you do seem to be the icon for O/O's.

[Mackman]

Well you do seem to be the icon for O/O's.

Thats what i was tryin to say :P

[GMAN]

I appreciate it, guys.

[GMAN]

I've been driving trucks for about 8 years now. I'm 26 and want to finally branch out and do my "own" thing. I have a couple concerns and questions if anyone is willing to keep reading and give their opinions on things! Thanks in advance.

Ok.....I last pulled a trailer "for a job" with C.R. England about 5 years ago. Other then that I have been working locally hauling rock/sand/asphalt in dump trucks. I miss the road, and now I am available to start my own company and work for myself. Here are my ideas.

I've been watching a couple different load boards now and mainly looking at Auto Transport. I would like to start with used and work my way up the latter. I don't want a fancy truck, just something that isn't going to break down every 1,000 miles and will let me have a little comfort on the road.

I've been considering a FL Century or Coronado series. I drove a Century for C.R. and I have to say being a bigger guy....it was mighty comfortable. I'm also considering a 6 or 7 car EZ loader type trailer. One that doesnt have a million miles of hydros that could break at any point. My biggest questions about the trucks I'm finding are.....On these Detroit and Cummins motors.....what is the "high mileage" point? I know that one truck can go 30K and fail and the next will go 1.2 million and never smoke. I've been finding 99's-02's in the price ranges of $15,000 - $30,000. What is my better choice?

I understand that ALOT of people have their picks over each choice, but for myself I'm looking for a work truck. Something I can run for at least 1-3 years, then upgrade to a kw or pete. What are you (the owner/operators) finding out on the road?

Are you one that already has a setup like this and would like to give your views? Have you done it before, or also have the same thoughts?

So if your still reading.........I know I may get the bashers out there for asking "dumb" questions, but I expect it from the forums by now. I try not to ask things that others wouldnt ask, or I do try to ask the things that no-one else has thought to ask. My questions are all the basics of a first time o/o and I understand that.

I've been looking at a couple sites IE Carrier Dispatch, Ship Vehicles, and Uship. My goal is to load on the east coast and run to the west coast. Make my drops there, reload and come back to the east coast. I'm finding that ALOT of cars are coming in and out of FL right now and in and out of CA . All my averages are HIGH and LOW. I've been going with $3.25 per gallon (gives me a little room to play), and averging in only 5.5 mpg. Does this sound like a reasonable way to start getting ideas? Also.....I know it varies from place to place, and business to business...but what % (ROUGH IDEA) should I expect to give uncle same as a O/O?? 10%?? 20%??? and also...with IFTA .......how much can I look at spending every 1/4 if I'm getting fuel on the east and west, and then only 1 stop inbetween??? (I KNOW< I KNOW>>>Just looking for a rough guess).

Ok....I think I have spilled enough for today and IF your still reading then thank you very much! I'll prepare now to take all the Good along with the Bad that I'm sure this post will recieve, but I just want to hear from actual O/O's instead of the $&!+ talking dump drivers around here.

ALSO, if you by chance need a driver and are in this line of work, feel free to let me know. I would love the chance to team with an O/O who is into this type of work and get the ins/outs before jumping in for myself. Hell.....if I find the right O/O , I wouldn't have to invest in my own equip! *But thats only a dream*. THANKS again for reading and hope to hear from everyone!

John aka Pork Chop

I assume from your posting that you plan on getting your own authority? If that is the case you will need to get cargo and liability insurance. I used to carry $250,000 in cargo. When I hauled cars my premium ran about $8,200/yr, as I recall, and that was several years ago. You will need a minimum of from $150-250M cargo to pick up at some car auctions. Most insurance companies don't like to write cargo for car haulers due to the high claims. Without car hauling experience and recent otr experience your insurance will likely be high. I would expect from $8-12M/yr for premiums, minimum. Before you go very far, I suggest you start checking around to see whether you can even get insurance. It is easy to get a scratch on a car and have a claim, even with used cars.

There are a coupe of other issues you should be aware. First is your lack of experience loading cars. Some people are uncomfortable driving cars on a moving trailer which sits a story tall. You will usually back or pull on a moving trailer where you cannot see where you are going. You need to stage your cars to get your weights right. It is easy to be over on an axle if you don't have your load correctly staged. That takes some experience. Some of the manufacturers have a certain way in which you need to secure their vehicles. Some require J hooks, S hooks, T hooks, etc., If not done correctly, you could damage the car.

I enjoyed hauling cars, but hauling vehicles is one of the more challenging segments of the trucking industry. If that is the direction you want to go in your career, I would suggest getting some experience working for a carrier before going out and spending a lot of money. It is much easier to learn on someone else's nickel than your own. If you start out and have a lot of damage, you could put yourself out of business very quickly. One thing about car claims is that each vehicle has a separate deductible, in most cases. If you have 2 vehicles that are damaged and have a $1M deductible then you will need to come up with $2M before your insurance kicks in to pay anything.

You should be able to find a good car hauler for somewhere between $30-60M. A new 7 car trailer will cost more than $50M. You should be able to find a used one between $15-25M.

Hauling cars is physically demanding. In fact, it is one of the most physically demanding of any part of this industry. The next time you go to a truck stop, look around. The dirtiest drivers will be those who pull flats and cars. It can be a tight squeeze getting in and out of vehicles. If you have quite a bit of weight on you, it will be difficult to get in and out of cars on the lower deck.

As far as taxes are concerned, that is an individual thing. It depends on how much you make and what you can deduct. I prefer showing a loss on my taxes. The problem with showing taxes is that it hurts you if you apply for a loan. I would put aside about 20% for income taxes. I rarely spend more than $75/quarter for fuel taxes. I watch were I buy fuel where I can get the best price and pay the least amount in taxes. You will likely want to fuel more than once if you are running East to West coasts. The first quarter if this year I paid just over $10 for fuel taxes on one truck. You need to be a little scientific when looking at fuel taxes. There are three things you need to look at when deciding where you buy fuel. Miles driven in each state along your route, base cost of fuel and fuel tax rate.

And if you do pursue your own authority, Central Dispatch is probably the best of the load boards for vehicles. You may want to check them out.

[pepe4158]

Just curious G-man.....if say next year I bought a car hauling trailer, changed my insurance n authority around.......is it harder or easieir to get started mAKING $ having no accounts or business lined up then say dry van?....all things being equal. I mean would I just search the load boards like I do now, and are there loads out there on a board....probably going into something else next year, leaning to flatbed cuz i have been asking flatbed drivers lots of questions....yeah n after reading more of what you posted will probably go flat myself, I am still pretty strong, even tho im getting older (lifts weights n such) but i dont bend or flex well anymore, more like things brake on me when bent :-p
n i heard with cars you gotta be a some type of contorsionist n better have good flexability....which im lacking.

[steelhauler2007]

Do you have flatbed experience? Like car hauling,flatbeds are a unique challenge as well.It isn't just throwing a few chains and hitting the road. As mentioned earlier you might want to work for a company for awhile and get your experience and then go out on your own.

[GMAN]

Just curious G-man.....if say next year I bought a car hauling trailer, changed my insurance n authority around.......is it harder or easieir to get started mAKING $ having no accounts or business lined up then say dry van?....all things being equal. I mean would I just search the load boards like I do now, and are there loads out there on a board....probably going into something else next year, leaning to flatbed cuz i have been asking flatbed drivers lots of questions....yeah n after reading more of what you posted will probably go flat myself, I am still pretty strong, even tho im getting older (lifts weights n such) but i dont bend or flex well anymore, more like things brake on me when bent :-p
n i heard with cars you gotta be a some type of contorsionist n better have good flexability....which im lacking.

Pepe, it isn't difficult to make changes to your authority or insurance. You will probably need to up your coverage to haul cars. The down side to the insurance is that not all insurance companies write car haulers and premiums will be higher than vans or flats. These two factors are not everything which should be considered when switching to hauling cars. Most brokers who deal with cars don't deal with other types of freight. So you will need to establish new relationships. There is considerably more involved in hauling cars. You will need to use 4 chains or straps per vehicle. If you have a 10 car rig, you will need to use 40 chains to secure your load. Most flat bed loads can be secured with about 10 straps or chains. It is easy to damage a vehicle. You need to make sure to keep your height down to avoid hitting bridges, etc., It takes time to learn how and where to position your load to be legal. It can be a challenge to squeeze between the door and car to enter or exit the vehicle, while avoiding any damage to the door. There are several segments to car hauling. Auctions, new cars and POV's are the primary areas. POV's are personal vehicles. These can pay more, but you will always be picking up and delivering. Auctions and new vehicles you normally have a full load. Car haulers tend to do more deadheading since you can only haul vehicles. When I hauled cars, it wasn't uncommon to deadhead several hundred miles to pick up the next load. That wasn't always the case, but it was a part of the business.

Car hauler trailers are usually more expensive than vans. There is also more maintenance involved. Most ramps operate off of hydraulics and hoses can and do burst.

There is more van freight, but rates are usually lower, too. There is good paying van freight, but it takes time to find it. If you want to make the higher dollars, you cannot always take the first load offered. You can make good money in most any aspect of this industry. You need to know your business and where the good and bad areas are for your particular type of freight.

[Orangetxguy]

If Porkchop is really interested in jumping straight into hauling cars, I would suggest leasing into either The Waggoners Trucking, or United Road. Both have a solid cutomer base, both are predominantly O/O compnaies, and both provide training. Do that for a year or two, then decide if going solo is the right thing to do.

Do you have flatbed experience? It isn't just throwing a few chains and hitting the road.

Oh crap!!

[marylandkw]

Do you have flatbed experience? It isn't just throwing a few chains and hitting the road.

Oh crap!!

[rank]

I dont pretend to know anything about car hauling....but, it seems to me they would be like any other trailer in this business, bigger the better. More cars = more money.....no?

[ToxicWaste]

If you haven't hauled cars before and just decided to because one of your friends told you it's "good money" you're in for a reality check. I hauled cars for my buddy a year before I bought my own trucks. Let me tell ya, learning to load that trailer the first 3 months was WAY!!! harder than learning how to drive the truck itself. Like GMAN said learning how to position the cars not to over load the axles, height, fitting the cars on the trailer, driving them on and chaining takes experience. Not counting these ******* customers who look over their piece of sh*t '84 porsche for every little nick and scratch they could find that wasn't noted on the inspection report just so they can get a free paint job. Those 6-7 car "easy/quick" load trailers that you are talking about aren't easy to load when you are new... My advice if you want to haul cars, definately go to work for someone else first to gain experience.

[GhostCaptain]

For long distance car hauling I would recomend you a at least 8 car
trailer your expenses are going to be the same hauling six cars or eight,
I see you live in Virgina, your best bet is haul cars down South to Texas
to the border with Mexico, actually there are a lot of people from Mexico
and South Texas buying used car to export to Mexico, you can see them
all the time towing the cars in the road, they pay $600 per car or $4800
per an 8 car full triler, you can do 1 trip per week and they rarely request cargo insurance hauling 8 cars with a class 8 truck is like running
almost empty,well good luck, just my 2 cents

[GMAN]

For long distance car hauling I would recomend you a at least 8 car
trailer your expenses are going to be the same hauling six cars or eight,
I see you live in Virgina, your best bet is haul cars down South to Texas
to the border with Mexico, actually there are a lot of people from Mexico
and South Texas buying used car to export to Mexico, you can see them
all the time towing the cars in the road, they pay $600 per car or $4800
per an 8 car full triler, you can do 1 trip per week and they rarely request cargo insurance hauling 8 cars with a class 8 truck is like running
almost empty,well good luck, just my 2 cents

You are required to have cargo insurance to have motor carrier authority. Most auctions and shippers require cargo insurance, anyway. If you have 8 cars on a trailer, you will know you have a load on the trailer. An 8 or 9 car trailer should weigh about 25,000 without anything on it. Car haulers are heavy. In addition, there is a lot of wind resistance with a load of vehicles.

When my mother would go down to Florida for the winter you couldn't get a car carrier if your life depended on it unless you booked one at least a year in advance. The cost from Leominster Mass to Daytona Florida was $700 per car. It's 1200 miles. The only problem was that they would try and load them up with all there stuff even though they were told they couldn't so it was a huge pain in the ass getting them to unload there trunks before leaving.

You also got the return business. The driver that I talked to said he names the date when they leave and when they return. I guess with older retired people, they can do without there cars for long periods of time anyways if the car carriers schedule doesn't match theirs.