[Gibby]

pepe it is a smaller truck generally a single axle, pulling a drop deck or flat trailer, infact some hot-shots are nothing more than a 1 ton pick-up pulling a flat bed yes allot are expedited loads

[rank]

I advise everybody against trucking but it seems like you're already in it. As others know from previous posts, OH - PA is probably the best lane in the USA that I know of. Know your costs and don't overpay for the business.

[Paul McGraw]

Originally Posted by jedfxg

Quick question, if you had to do it over again would you buy your own truck? OK more questions. Who is good to lease on with? i currently drive for a contractor at fed ex ground. i am out from ohio to nj twice a week and to somerset, pa on sat. i have great hometime, only sleep 2 ten hour breaks in truck. The contractor and i have a plan for me to buy his business in 5 years or so, 4 trucks and 4 dedicated runs, and keep his current mileage rate on all trucks, he has been with them since they were rps. Is this the best thing for me? to wait till then or try something else?

It is difficult for anyone to give you a serious answer because there are so many variables. Trucking is highly competitive, and will probably become even more so when the Mexican trucking companies are allowed into the US market in the near future per the Bush plan.

Knowing everthing I know now, I would not get into trucking again if I had it all to do over.

[GMAN]

I would do it again, and have several times. It is difficult to recommend someone to lease on with without knowing what type of freight you want to haul and whether you have your own trailers. No matter what type of freight you want to haul, you should make more money with a carrier who pays percentage rather than mileage. I would not want to lease to FedEx because they don't pay that well. It is difficult to advise someone whether to buy an existing company with looking at the numbers.

[Ian Williams]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I would do it again, and have several times. It is difficult to recommend someone to lease on with without knowing what type of freight you want to haul and whether you have your own trailers. No matter what type of freight you want to haul, you should make more money with a carrier who pays percentage rather than mileage. I would not want to lease to FedEx because they don't pay that well. It is difficult to advise someone whether to buy an existing company with looking at the numbers.

As a rule of thumb anyone who has to have billboards and/or other mass media advertising their jobs is not offering a good deal.

FedEx Ground often has them on the I5 corridor. IIRC they have gotten in hot water for classifying their package car drivers as indpendent contractors; every time they have come before a judge they have been found to be employees.

Floored on here ran team for a Ground contractor for a few months

Ian