earl Henderson / Henderson trucking Salem Illinois (hays)

[kentucky24]

yes idle and speed play a factor no doubt
But

1. Can't idle to idle ( your profits)
2. Speed just blows money out the stack (the delivery time is the delivery time) getting there. Faster does nothing for u ( especially in reefer biz as this thread speaks of )
3. Lots of guys think faster I get there more loads etc ( not always the case)

When it's yours u tend to tighten up a bit that's all

As far a free showers ?

They can fill up a pilot ta or j like everybody else
Takes fuel to run truck I personally stick to one or 2 chains
Pilot or ta for me

And some guys need to get

Frequent ruler card / pilot
Road king / ta

Keeps showers for 7 days

So not sure where your headed there but sure u have seen them begging for showers we all have

Goes back to business savy

Got it or u don't

Simple

[dobry4u]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Mz Kelly must be an accountant??

Yes, I am. I carry a pen a calculator at all times

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Yes, I am. I carry a pen a calculator at all times

Plus pocket protector .

[dobry4u]

Plus pocket protector .

and glasses

[mdgardner963]

99.95% of all leases end up in tragady.. a few companies have a purchase program. lease is a shark. try WEL there is no buy out and they pay decent miles are there. And trucks are nice kentworths and petes some freightlines. when you make your last payment you own it. carried out over 48 to 58 months and you pick the truck. you have to work for them for i think its 3 months might be 6 not sure pay is good with great fuel surcharge. Talk to them and then ask yourself one question why make .07 per mile with a lease when you can make .28 to .38 net in there program. i done one lease program made me really broke. at least on a real purchase program you do not owe anything at the end. no Balloon.

I worked for wel as company all the drivers who purchased thru them stayed after the made last payment.
AS a company driver i found them to pay real decent and be nice had to make sure were and when but all else was good never sat around. Both owners are drivers. There word is as good as gold. There milage is house hold carriers but if you grip a bit can get a few more paid miles. my check was never less then 1k a week and health dent vis was blue cross blue shield decent plan and o/o can particapate.

Thanks for the feed back. Sorry didn't get back in touch with you, had friends show up and had to play host. I plan on calling transam monday and setting up indoc and getting a lease copy.

[thbogle]

Ok first off, I Will say that I do think the numbers in here are a little off. In this economy I would say you would be very lucky to hit 3000 miles a week consistently or even monthly. I also have to say that your getting 7 mpg is asking a bit much. Trucks differ in how they are drove. One truck may get you better fuel milage at 62 than others but like the truck I had I HAD to keep it about 67 mph to hit 7's. In the states where I couldnt run good my mileage suffered. This while pulling 45000 loads consistently. Fuel milage depends on more than what you can control. Wind, Temps, areas your running and location has a lot to do with it. Your also going to be pulling Reefers. Those are heavy loads which is also going to kill your milage. So to be better to yourself figure at 6mpg. (besides if you get a new truck the milage will be crappy the first 25000 miles anyway.)

Also You didnt mention anything about putting money up for taxes or accountants fees. You will be contractors and have to file quarterly those add up as well.

It has nothing to do about business cents. It depends on how much you want to live in that truck. If i only had a 1000 dollar a week fuel bill, heck Id go buy another truck. But the reality is I know my fuel bill was more like 1500 for a 3000 mile week. (no idling I used idleair or got a room) Fuel was a little more at that time though.

In my opinion I'd make sure I had a nice account set up with plenty of money in it to live on for a few months. I would let the economy try and work itself back out a bit, then I would maybe think about a lease deal. If you have to think of fairy tale numbers to make something look good to you then maybe you better rethink what your doing.

[GI Joe]

In this economy, I'd be scared to take on a L/P. What I've been reading here seems to be a person yearning to justify what he's going and wants to do, rather than a constrained, informed decision.

Ever listen to Kevin Rutherford on XM? Ever really read up on the pro's and con's? Ever listen to Dave Ramsey? If you don't have the cash, you can't afford it.

Want a truck? Save for it. Be a company driver , live in it and save for what you want.

Do you know the specs you need for that L/P? Does that company offer it, or are you choosing a truck because it looks good? What is the gear ratio? drive ratio? type of tires? warranty? what HP is it compared to what you need? Do you have a business plan?

Your betting on 3k mi / wk. ha. Because who told you that? How much $$ do you have in the bank? Enough to cover 1.5k miles a wk? Enough to cover an emergency roadside breakdown? A tow? Even with warranty, you pay first and reimbursement comes later.

When ever anyone says "0" down, run for your life. Whether a car or a truck, wake up. This is a life altering event. If you want a truck, plan for it, save for it. You're betting everything on a carrier promising 3k / mi a week. They have nothing to lose, but you do. What'd you say about "turn it back in"? Dude, that'll be on your credit record. They'll take that truck back from L/P and get some other sucker to L/P it. The company will also depreciate it while you can't. Many times over.

[Sabine]

I have been running solo since the beginning of the year since my co-driver got hurt. And let me tell you, I am struggling to get more than 2000 miles a week, and my last week out of 3 out has been awful.

Here is a quick rundown how things went while I was out the last week or so:

Due to the circumstance I have tried to stay east. I volunteered for any load going east. I loaded Tuesday 2 weeks ago in Ohio, to deliver in Oklahoma on Thursday evening. They made me drop that load in the Salem Yard, and pick up another, to take to Loveland, CO by Denver, since it would be more miles. True in theory, but, after getting there Thursday evening I sat around till noon on Saturday, to be told in order to move I would have to go west. I had put in for home time to start Monday, and figured, hey, I will just be home a couple of days late.

Rather than sit around two more days, I headed to Chico, CA and delivered a day early, on Monday morning, and was told to head to Santa Nella. Sat the rest of Monday, and most of Tuesday. Got a load that picked up late at night in Castroville, got loaded at close to midnight, stayed the rest of the night and headed out in the am.

Had to swap with a team, since I couldn't make delivery on time, early Friday afternoon by Chicago.

Sat around till Thursday and finally got dispatched to pick up in Bakersfield, and head to St. Louis. I finally got home late last night, almost a week late for home time.

From Thursday evening last week, until Wednesday evening I sat more than I drove, didn't touch 1500 paid miles, and missed on being home for my own birthday, because no matter what, I wasn't going to get home what I put in for.

You go west, you will sit. There is never enough freight to get you out of Denver or Northern California.

You would think they would get on the horn, and start making fresh contacts to keep the trucks rolling, but no, they rather you sit.

If there is one thing I can't handle is sitting around idle. I will work hard for my company, but these people make it hard for me to do so.

Good luck to anyone coming here. Recruiters LIE, its in their nature. Don't count on them 3000 miles a week.

Oh, and the sitting around thing is not new, this is how they have been doing business for a long time.

One thing though, the lease does not go on your credit, they will charge you early termination out of your escrow account, like 1500 bucks.

[kentucky24]

Guys

I had thought about Henderson a few months ago . I can attest to what Sabine says I have talked to several drivers 22 exactly and they pretty well confer with what she says

Glad I took your advise

Landed a good job at Superior carriers
Very happy with my decision

[P A Frederick]

Just a quick note: My dad works for Henderson on a dedicated account, right? Well this week the factory he hauls for is shut down, so he went out kinda OTR to make a little money this week. He left Sunday evening, going to get home in just a few more hours and he has close to 2700 for the week. Also, he wasn't in Cali or New England, he was in the midwest the whole time.

I do know one thing about their lease: Henderson's lease trucks are terrible. They are the same stripped-down model as their company trucks. Mercedes or Detroit power, crappy Super 10 tranny, plain-jane interior (including vinyl seats). They have decent power and APU's on every truck, but they are about the cheapest models they could order from Freightliner.

Henderson was a pretty good company for me to work for, and Dad really likes them now. They are giving most of their guys miles, but I wouldn't sign up for their lease program for the world.

[Sabine]

I am glad your dad is doing well with them. I am just giving my perspective of what is happening to me. I want to just stay in the midwest, or east, but with forced dispatch had no choice but to go west.