[Checker]

I have been thinking about running containers in the Philadelphia area for some time using a rental truck from Ryder or Penske on a part time basis and was wondering if this is feasable. I am usualy busy with my regular job most of the year but work dries up during the winter between mid December and early March. If I bought a truck, it would sit most of the year, which is why I am considering renting one. The port in Philadelphia seems really dead, but there is a CSX rail head in South Philadelphia, a Norfolk Southern rail head in Fairless hills. The port of Wilmington, DE is near enough for me to consider along with the action going on in North Jersey. Problem in the northeast is nobody from the northeast really hangs out in truck stops. Most of us don't even have CBs because of all the BS on the radio up here. I have no idea of how to network because I do not know where anybody hangs out. Anybody know anything about containers around here?

[GMAN]

I have pulled containers out of those areas. Most rates that I have offered have been cheap, but I have gotten some decent rates. Renting a truck can be expensive. I don't know if it would be profitable paying the high rent with the cheap rates. If you want to stay in the northeast, the rates might be better than if you want to run south or over into the midwest. If you have access to some of the loadboards, you could find some brokers or shippers who have containers coming out and check the rates. Would you run your own authority or want to lease on to a carrier for a few months a year? Running your authority is expensive for only a few months.

[Checker]

I ran a few one-off runs this year using a rental under someone else's authority and was paid quite well for those. It was for local work heading into NYC/ Long Island. Running a rental is so convenient, but you are right that it is also expensive. But to answer your question, I would run under someone else's authority.

Years ago I hauled groceries locally. I ran under someone else's authority but was able to talk directly with the customer. I became friends with the guys who dispatched the loads and as a consequence I got all the premium runs. This sort of thing has been the norm for me as I have moved about like we all do to follow the work. In my experience trucking it has always been much better to stay away from load boards and brokers and go to places where there are very few, if any, over the road trucks. No offense, but lets face it: these places treat drivers like crap. Since I see local city/state info on the trucks running containers around here, it looks like this may be the kind of work I am after.