Should i jump ship as an “indie” or buy a 2nd truck?long!

[GMAN]

Some brokers have more freight away from their home base than they do near them. I know some Landstar agents who do that.

[allan5oh]

So that PO'ed customers are less likely to show up at their doorstep???

LOL

[Heavy Duty]

Personally I am jumping because I don't have to answer to the 120 days but rather yearly.There are too many deductions and I hate dealing with compliance.The difference I will make in the rate is about 25cpm with my own authority.
.

Best reason I have ever read, leaving because you can get 2 less truck inspections a year.

Freedom? Heck you don't have to check credit, bill, handle claims or legalization,free drug tests, If you think that LCN fee that is killing you wait till you see what some brokers want to charge you for a advance.

Henry do you not understand that the good loads are not posted or are on the boards a very short time.(all the boards)
Booking 2 loads in advance is good security, but if you would just take a good load out then set a call alert with a high rate and be flexible about where you go, pro baby raise your bottom line by .50 per mile.

But.we all know the only way to make big money in trucking is to have your name on the door so go for it. If your safety rating isn't in the toliet LS will hire you back.

[rank]

Freedom? Heck you don't have to check credit, bill, handle claims or legalization,free drug tests, If you think that LCN fee that is killing you wait till you see what some brokers want to charge you for a advance.

But we all know the only way to make big money in trucking is to have your name on the door so go for it. If your safety rating isn't in the toliet LS will hire you back.

Yep. The rates are just way, way better as a carrier. Heck all we need to do when we call the GL and ITS is say "NO, NO, I want the CARRIER rate", and they cough up another 25%. And all that administration stuff doesn't get in the way of driving time at all. There's plenty of time to do that after a 13 hour day.

[allan5oh]

Apparently there is not a shortage of sarcasm....

[Chiefwhatdahey]

Apparently there is not a shortage of sarcasm....

Actually there's a ring of truth to those comments

[henboy1]

Heavy Duty, your lifestyle is different from mine.BTW, I passed by you on the turn pike about 3 months ago (OK turnpike and you had OK plates on your trailer)along with your heavy haul equipment and nice truck running empty with your wife.I blew by you hauling container chasis that were stacked on top of one another on my step and heading to one of those houston container yards.

The main purpose of this thread was for an update:
Mind you that I have 30 days to come back if things do not work out, and yes I have a prestine record with them as I recieved their "safety award shirt"

My wife is 3 months pregnant with twins and I am soo excited.I am 36, and this will be the first for both of us.I know this will take a toll on both of us.I would like to be around during the child birth etc..I am realising that, I cannot do OTR as I would like after april, as I will have to jump ship sooner or at least start the process.I am about to call Northland to make sure my quote stands at 5600.I plan on doing this for just a month(FEB ending) with my own authority and then get this driver in the truck.In 6 months time, I can then get myself a 2nd truck to drive and be home much often.
I don't care what anyone says but no one can be home a week at a time being leased on to LS and running platform freight.

I currently have access to all these sites and so sitting and DH wouldn't be much, as I am doing that currently with LS' one load board.
getloaded
ITS
membersedge
eflatbed
Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging Welcome to Ace Doran Online
Available Freight: call 1.800.869.0969 for Central Dispatch

Anderson Trucking Logistics Services - ATS Logistics
Available Loads - ATS Logistics

Bear Transport Bear Transportation Services
Bear Transportation Services

Cardinal Transport, Inc Cardinal Snowfall Scene
Cardinal Available Freight

Central Refrigerated Services, Inc Central Refrigerated Service, Inc.
Available Loads

Chuck’s Transport Chuck's Transport Inc
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C.R. England England Logistics - Competitive Supply Chain Command
http://www.crengland.com/el-tools/in...broker/brk_map

CRST Logistics CRST Logistics
Welcome to CRST Cargo Connection: The Transportation Solution

FreightFinder.com Truck Loads freight available at Freight Finder

Hicks-Co Inc Hicks-Co., Inc. - a Transportation Broker
Hicks-Co., Inc. - a Transportation Broker

J.B. Hunt J.B. Hunt - The Transportation Logistics Company
http://www.jbhunt.com/loadposting/lo...thod=editBegin

Jones Motor JONESMOTORLOGISTICS.COM
Available Trucks

Landstar http://www.landstarbroker.com.com
LandstarBroker.com Load Board - Search Available Loads

Liedtka Trucking, Inc Liedtka Trucking, Inc. - Trucking - Flatbed
Liedtka Trucking, Inc. - Flatbed - Freight Available

Lone Star Transportation Lone Star Transportation | Specialized Flatbed & Heavy Haul Trucking Company
Web'nTransit Brokerage Loads

Marten Transport, Ltd. Marten Transport, Ltd.
http://www.marten.com/availableloads...able_loads.asp

Mason and Dixon Lines The Mason and Dixon Lines, Inc.
The Mason and Dixon Lines, Inc. - Approved Carrier

Maverick Logistics Maverick Logistics LLC - The Industry Leading Flatbed Transportation Management, Brokerage, and Customer Support Supplier
Maverick Logistics LLC - The Industry Leading Flatbed Transportation Management, Brokerage, and Customer Support Supplier

Melton Logistics Melton Logistics
Melton Logistics - Avaliable Loads

Mercer Transportation Mercer Transporation Company
Mercer Transporation Company

Pacer Pacer Transport - A Pacer International Company
Pacer Transport Load Board

P.A.M. Transportation (East Coast Logistics) P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. - Our Service Makes the Difference
East Coast Transport & Logistics, Inc.

Prime inc Prime Inc. Home Page (truck driving school - truck driving job - truck driver jobs)
PRIME.LoadMover.com

Sammons Trucking Sammons Trucking - Your Source for All Trucking Needs, Fleets, Missoula Montana, Transportation, Heavy Haul, Loads, Freight, Recruiting, Driver Application,Jobs,Owner,Operator,Drivers,Trucking Jobs,Truckers, Flatbed, Stepdecks,Tractor,Trailer, RGN ca
Sammons Trucking - Available Loads

Schneider Logistics http://www.schneiderlogistics.com
http://www.schneider.com/carriers/Fi...city/index.htm

Ultra Logistics Ultra Logistics
GoUltra.com - Available loads

UTI Transport Solutions UTi Transport Solutions
Find a Load - UTi Transport Solutions

Werner Enterprises Werner Enterprises - Home
Werner Enterprises - Available Loads
Boyd Logistics http://www.myflatbed.com/cgio/bl.pgm

Reed Transport Service Reed Transport Services, Inc.

Trinity Transport [tticarriers.com]

[GMAN]

My wife is 3 months pregnant with twins and I am soo excited.I am 36, and this will be the first for both of us.I know this will take a toll on both of us.I would like to be around during the child birth etc..I am realising that, I cannot do OTR as I would like after april, as I will have to jump ship sooner or at least start the process.I am about to call Northland to make sure my quote stands at 5600.I plan on doing this for just a month(FEB ending) with my own authority and then get this driver in the truck.In 6 months time, I can then get myself a 2nd truck to drive and be home much often.
I don't care what anyone says but no one can be home a week at a time being leased on to LS and running platform freight.

I currently have access to all these sites and so sitting and DH wouldn't be much, as I am doing that currently with LS' one load board.

I understand that you want to be home with your wife. I also understand that you want to find a driver to put in your truck and and then purchase another truck for you to drive. If you plan on running your own authority it is very difficult to find the better rates for more than one truck when you drive yourself. You won't be able to be as proficient at driving or dispatching when you do both. There are additional costs and time involved when you run your own authority. The driver you hire may cause your premiums to go up. Northland has raised my insurance premiums twice in two years due to driver turnover. This year it was 30% higher than last year. I received a letter from them this past week that informed me that they will again raise my premium due to driver turnover. I have been with Northland for 4 years and never had a claim or moving violation ticket with any of my drivers or myself during that time and have an excellent safety record. All drivers have had a good MVR. I don't think my turnover is out of line with the national average. Another thing to keep in mind is that your rate will double for 2 trucks. If you can keep the $5,600 rate for one truck the rate for two trucks will be $11,200. Insurance companies don't give you a break for having multiple trucks unless you have many more than most of us. If you are making payments on your truck you need to ask yourself if you can still make the payments if you lose your driver. It isn't always easy to find qualified drivers. Northland is VERY picky about whom they will accept. Another thing to consider is how you will pay for breakdowns while on the road. Some garages or dealers won't accept a credit card on the telephone. I have my own fuel cards and can use those accounts to pay for any breakdowns using TCH or Fleetone checks. If I am the one driving I may use a credit card. I had to put a fan clutch on one truck yesterday. There always seems to be something that needs to be repaired on a truck. You will find that your truck will need more repairs when you put a driver in it.

I am not trying to discourage you from running your own authority. I simply want you to understand that there is much more to it than leasing to a carrier. Most carriers handling a lot of paperwork and details that drivers or owner operators don't realize until they jump in to running their own authority. You will need to keep more records and file your own fuel taxes. You will need to join a drug consortium. There are other things you need to do when you run your authority. One thing many over look is logs. If you don't check driver logs and get audited you could be fined thousands of dollars if logs don't match up. I know of one woman who had about 5 trucks and was fined over $10,000 due to a couple of log violations she didn't check. As a new carrier you will go through an audit. They are getting everyone during the first 18 months of operation. That also takes time. I think most new independents over look or don't think about having to pay out all these additional costs or the extra time involved in running the trucks. I spend most of my time on the telephone and computer during the day. Freight is down and I won't run my trucks for less than a certain amount. It is time consuming during good times, but with a slow economy it takes much more of my time to find decent paying loads. That is something you should prepare yourself for when you run your authority. You can run multiple trucks through Landstar. There are other carriers who will also welcome multiple truck owners. In fact, it might be an easier transition if you put a driver in your truck while still leased on to your carrier. It will give you a good feel of how it will be having a driver in the truck. You already know their system and they pay all the expense of authority, such as insurance and safety. You can still find loads for the truck as you do currently.

[henboy1]

I understand that you want to be home with your wife. I also understand that you want to find a driver to put in your truck and and then purchase another truck for you to drive. If you plan on running your own authority it is very difficult to find the better rates for more than one truck when you drive yourself. You won't be able to be as proficient at driving or dispatching when you do both. There are additional costs and time involved when you run your own authority. The driver you hire may cause your premiums to go up. Northland has raised my insurance premiums twice in two years due to driver turnover. This year it was 30% higher than last year. I received a letter from them this past week that informed me that they will again raise my premium due to driver turnover. I have been with Northland for 4 years and never had a claim or moving violation ticket with any of my drivers or myself during that time and have an excellent safety record. All drivers have had a good MVR. I don't think my turnover is out of line with the national average. Another thing to keep in mind is that your rate will double for 2 trucks. If you can keep the $5,600 rate for one truck the rate for two trucks will be $11,200. Insurance companies don't give you a break for having multiple trucks unless you have many more than most of us. If you are making payments on your truck you need to ask yourself if you can still make the payments if you lose your driver. It isn't always easy to find qualified drivers. Northland is VERY picky about whom they will accept. Another thing to consider is how you will pay for breakdowns while on the road. Some garages or dealers won't accept a credit card on the telephone. I have my own fuel cards and can use those accounts to pay for any breakdowns using TCH or Fleetone checks. If I am the one driving I may use a credit card. I had to put a fan clutch on one truck yesterday. There always seems to be something that needs to be repaired on a truck. You will find that your truck will need more repairs when you put a driver in it.

I am not trying to discourage you from running your own authority. I simply want you to understand that there is much more to it than leasing to a carrier. Most carriers handling a lot of paperwork and details that drivers or owner operators don't realize until they jump in to running their own authority. You will need to keep more records and file your own fuel taxes. You will need to join a drug consortium. There are other things you need to do when you run your authority. One thing many over look is logs. If you don't check driver logs and get audited you could be fined thousands of dollars if logs don't match up. I know of one woman who had about 5 trucks and was fined over $10,000 due to a couple of log violations she didn't check. As a new carrier you will go through an audit. They are getting everyone during the first 18 months of operation. That also takes time. I think most new independents over look or don't think about having to pay out all these additional costs or the extra time involved in running the trucks. I spend most of my time on the telephone and computer during the day. Freight is down and I won't run my trucks for less than a certain amount. It is time consuming during good times, but with a slow economy it takes much more of my time to find decent paying loads. That is something you should prepare yourself for when you run your authority. You can run multiple trucks through Landstar. There are other carriers who will also welcome multiple truck owners. In fact, it might be an easier transition if you put a driver in your truck while still leased on to your carrier. It will give you a good feel of how it will be having a driver in the truck. You already know their system and they pay all the expense of authority, such as insurance and safety. You can still find loads for the truck as you do currently.

I am pretty much aware of the precuations you have given me.I have tried 4 times to find a driver for my equipment through classifieds and load boards by going through my company.They all failed because of the strict requirements of this company.To really get qualified through LS I need to feed them with at least 25 applicants.I know the insurance premiums on a driver will also be more with Northland but the question is how much more.I am about to find out next week when I call the agent.Gman, I have no truck or trailer note and that is why I have sat the whole of DEC.I can't even get out of the house without knowing I will get stuck somewhere.Getting stuck somewhere and having a huge repair bill is nothing new to me.How about being stuck in Hayden , Az because my fan clutch,solenoid and switch went out.Petro, in Eloy charged 2300 to fix just that.I have been stuck 4 times and that is nothing new.I will defintely jump ship in 6 weeks.
I need help with these answers as I have posted them and I am not sure.
This is from the FMCSA site.
Is this an accurate account of your answers?

Yes? Click the "Continue" button at the bottom.
No? Click on the incorrect Answer to start again from that point in the Assistant.

Question Answer
Where is your company headquarters located? United States
Will your company operate commercial motor vehicles?* *This includes any vehicles that you own or lease. Yes
Will your company EVER transport cargo or passengers across State lines or outside the U.S.?**This does not include property or passengers carried under a lease agreement with another motor carrier. Yes
Does your company plan to transport Hazardous Materials? No
Will your company operate as a Hazardous Materials Shipper? No
Will your company’s services ALWAYS be leased to another motor carrier that has a USDOT number? No
Will any of your vehicles weigh 10,001 lbs. (4,536 kg) or more? Yes
Will any of your company’s vehicles weigh 26,001 lbs. (11,801 kg) or more? Yes
Will you be operating vehicles designed or used to transport more than 16 passengers (including the driver)? No
Will you be operating vehicles designed or used to transport 9-15 passengers (including the driver)? No
Is your company based and operating solely in Hawaii? No
Will your company ever be paid to transport property as part of interstate commerce?**This does not include property carried under a lease agreement with another motor carrier. Yes
Will your company be paid to transport ONLY exempt goods? No
Will your company be paid to transport passengers in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate as a Freight Forwarder with a motor carrier in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate as a Broker for a motor carrier in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate Cargo Tank Facilities? No

[Orangetxguy]

HB1...I understand why you want to do what you are thinking of doing...I just don't understand why now.

The economy stinks, and it will continue to stink for the next 4 to 8 months for various trucking firms. Yes..under your own authority you will have free reign...however...those 120 day inspections Landstar makes you commit to have done something...they have kept you out of trouble. They have kept more money in your pocket than you understand.

That list of brokerages you posted is impressive. I see half a dozen on there that will steal you blind, and do it with a smile. That is the way they operate.

Two Brothers out of California, that Chiefwhatdahey told you about, they are a good brokerage to work with, especially if your willing to do LTL flatbed freight. As Chief said, Frank is a great guy to work with, and if you do enough work that he gets to know you and trust you, he will call you before any of his freight hits the boards, including DAT. He and his brother are big on small operations over big ones.

Landstar, Mercer, Jones, Sammons, Lonestar, CRST and Schneider National are all good brokers with good rates to outside flatbed carriers. Their checks are always on time as well, and do not bounce.

The brokers of flatbed freight on your list which I have reservations about, I would say in a email, but not on an open forum. There is one there though who liked to have crapped a brick when I showed up on his door step with a court claim. He couldn't believe someone would fly from Seattle to his home base to file on him in court. Wasn't thrilled when I insisted on a Cashiers Check for payment either.

I still wouldn't choose to go Independant at this stage of the game..but to each his own. Does your wife work? She better have a decent job to carry you through.

[henboy1]

ORANGE, I am not jumping at this time but I am making preparations to fully be out of the system by mid march/april.Next week will be to the county clerks office for the business name and this week will be another quote for myself and this particular driver to see what i will be paying.No, my wife does not work and she is going to school for an RN degree.She has at least 2 more years to graduate but she can work in a year(after birth) with her cosmotology licence.


The 120 days is a good idea but not always.Have you ever had an inspector threaten to fail you because you're missing a reflective tape at the back of your headache rack or one at the back of the trailer?What about sleeper airbags which i believe is soo petty.Go explain that to LS, and you better not fail because they would want every damn reason for failing.
BTW, I know a BCO who sent 8 drivers through LS and they all got turned down.

[Orangetxguy]

ORANGE, I am not jumping at this time but I am making preparations to fully be out of the system by mid march/april.Next week will be to the county clerks office for the business name and this week will be another quote for myself and this particular driver to see what i will be paying.No, my wife does not work and she is going to school for an RN degree.She has at least 2 more years to graduate but she can work in a year(after birth) with her cosmotology licence.


The 120 days is a good idea but not always.Have you ever had an inspector threaten to fail you because you're missing a reflective tape at the back of your headache rack or one at the back of the trailer?What about sleeper airbags which i believe is soo petty.Go explain that to LS, and you better not fail because they would want every damn reason for failing.
BTW, I know a BCO who sent 8 drivers through LS and they all got turned down.

I can understand the sleeper airbags, if they are leaking. That will get you a noogie in most any DOT inspection, just because of the air loose.

The reflector tape? No..never had anyone say a word about missing reflector tape...but then...I don't believe reflective tape is required on the headache rack of a truck..not sure...and not looking it up.

I get a full DOT every 90 days at the terminal shop, here where I am leased into. If the truck does not pass the inspection, I have to get the repairs made, then once it does pass inspection get to "sit" another 4 days as a "fine" for failing the inspection. In fact...I am headed in to the terminal now to get my 4th inspection of the year done.


It's nice to see that you are confident in your ability to go "Independent" and provide for your family and the family of a hired driver, with just one unit. I'm still puzzled as to why you feel that confidence, given the doubts you had just one year ago...but I will still wish you good luck.

[mike3fan]

I get a full DOT every 90 days at the terminal shop, here where I am leased into. If the truck does not pass the inspection, I have to get the repairs made, then once it does pass inspection get to "sit" another 4 days as a "fine" for failing the inspection.

Wait, what?......that seems a bit much,bet if they had a hot load and you were the only one around you would all of a sudden become available.

We too get a inspection done every 90 days but there are no "penalites" for failing,just need to correct the problem.

[Orangetxguy]

Wait, what?......that seems a bit much,bet if they had a hot load and you were the only one around you would all of a sudden become available.

We too get a inspection done every 90 days but there are no "penalites" for failing,just need to correct the problem.

This manager here likes to do things his way. He has no problem throwing a load on a local truck to haul.

[heavyhaulerss]

I would expect everything to take twice as long & cost twice as much. that is how I plan things. learned lessons the hard way long ago.

[GMAN]

I am pretty much aware of the precuations you have given me.I have tried 4 times to find a driver for my equipment through classifieds and load boards by going through my company.They all failed because of the strict requirements of this company.To really get qualified through LS I need to feed them with at least 25 applicants.

I know the insurance premiums on a driver will also be more with Northland but the question is how much more.I am about to find out next week when I call the agent.

If you think Landstar is difficult to get drivers qualified just wait until you submit one to Northland. I believe Landstar only requires 1 year of otr experience. Northland requires a minimum of 2 years experience. They will also ding you on your rates if you have driver turnover. I am looking for another insurance company as I write this. I am tired of all the huge premium hikes when I have never had a claim or driver who has had a moving violation while with me.

To give you an idea of what my premiums have been since I have been with Northland, they have been approximately as follows for the last 4 years: $5,500, $3,955, $6,060 and if I continue with them next year the premium should be around $7,500. That cost is per truck. It includes $1MM auto liability, $100M cargo and collision.

Gman, I have no truck or trailer note and that is why I have sat the whole of DEC.I can't even get out of the house without knowing I will get stuck somewhere.Getting stuck somewhere and having a huge repair bill is nothing new to me.How about being stuck in Hayden , Az because my fan clutch,solenoid and switch went out.Petro, in Eloy charged 2300 to fix just that.I have been stuck 4 times and that is nothing new.I will defintely jump ship in 6 weeks.
I need help with these answers as I have posted them and I am not sure.
This is from the FMCSA site.
Is this an accurate account of your answers?

Yes? Click the "Continue" button at the bottom.
No? Click on the incorrect Answer to start again from that point in the Assistant.

Question Answer
Where is your company headquarters located? United States
Will your company operate commercial motor vehicles?* *This includes any vehicles that you own or lease. Yes
Will your company EVER transport cargo or passengers across State lines or outside the U.S.?**This does not include property or passengers carried under a lease agreement with another motor carrier. Yes
Does your company plan to transport Hazardous Materials? No
Will your company operate as a Hazardous Materials Shipper? No
Will your company’s services ALWAYS be leased to another motor carrier that has a USDOT number? No
Will any of your vehicles weigh 10,001 lbs. (4,536 kg) or more? Yes
Will any of your company’s vehicles weigh 26,001 lbs. (11,801 kg) or more? Yes
Will you be operating vehicles designed or used to transport more than 16 passengers (including the driver)? No
Will you be operating vehicles designed or used to transport 9-15 passengers (including the driver)? No
Is your company based and operating solely in Hawaii? No
Will your company ever be paid to transport property as part of interstate commerce?**This does not include property carried under a lease agreement with another motor carrier. Yes
Will your company be paid to transport ONLY exempt goods? No
Will your company be paid to transport passengers in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate as a Freight Forwarder with a motor carrier in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate as a Broker for a motor carrier in interstate commerce? No
Will your company operate Cargo Tank Facilities? No

I believe the questions you listed are those asked to see whether you need motor carrier authority. It is not the application you fill out for motor carrier authority. Just answer all questions truthfully to the best of your ability.

[BigDiesel]

If you think Landstar is difficult to get drivers qualified just wait until you submit one to Northland. I believe Landstar only requires 1 year of otr experience. Northland requires a minimum of 2 years experience. They will also ding you on your rates if you have driver turnover. I am looking for another insurance company as I write this. I am tired of all the huge premium hikes when I have never had a claim or driver who has had a moving violation while with me.

To give you an idea of what my premiums have been since I have been with Northland, they have been approximately as follows for the last 4 years: $5,500, $3,955, $6,060 and if I continue with them next year the premium should be around $7,500. That cost is per truck. It includes $1MM auto liability, $100M cargo and collision.

Great West Casualty is not any better.......

[GMAN]

Great West Casualty is not any better.......

That is not good news, BigDiesel. When I received the letter from the underwriter I immediately sat down and filed a formal complaint with my state department of insurance and banking. If enough of us actually took the time to file a formal complaint with our state regulators and elected representatives we could effect some changes. If you think taking some time to write a letter or make a phone call doesn't work just look at all the changes we have gone through in our hos rules in the last several years. A small group of organizations with a couple of members make some noise and we have changes. Imagine what could happen if only a few thousand drivers started to get involved?!

[rank]

I can't watch even one load board and drive a truck. It's almost a full time job for me to dispatch and invoice for two trucks (only 400 - 500 mile length of haul, load one day & empty the next, so this keeps me hopping). When I hit the road in the third truck, it doesn't take long before all three trucks are empty.

I have no idea how you will be able to drive and keep yourself loaded, much less two trucks. It is impossible IMO. You will need to rely on a few brokers to keep loaded and they will ratchet the rates down on you over time.

If you want to be home more (which I agree with) I suggest scraping the idea of a second truck and getting a local driving job instead. Maybe not as sexy, but you will make more money with less stress and it might save your marriage not to mention your life savings.

This can go bad on you in a hurry.

Again, this just my opinion.

[GMAN]

It is very difficult to dispatch more than one truck if you drive one yourself.