[merrick4]

Originally Posted by no_worries

Lobster tail and prime rib? :shock: I never heard of such Chinese cuisine :lol:

I know I thought it was wierd too. I think they stopped the lobster tail but here's a link to the place http://www.emeraldcoastbuffet.com/

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by mike3fan

Well merrick4,I am probably not the best one to give advice,

All advice is always welcome and appreciated. I really appreciate your words. It seems like most of the people here were brought up in this. Actually the guy I worked with before mentioned to me that most people don't get into this for the money they get into this because they are born into it.

You know the idea to not only look at shippers but receivers was definitely not overlooked. That stuck in my head when I read it.

I know South Florida is going to be a challenge and to be honest I don't need to stay there. My wife just changed jobs and I was pleading with her to apply in California. But I'm hoping if I stay there things will work out. I enjoy the strong relationship that South Florida has with Latin America and hopefully can somehow capitalize on that.

Actually I just got a call from someone that knows me and told me that there is a shipper down there who is tired of dealing with brokers and is looking for a reliable carrier (HELLO! OVER HERE ) so he called and gave me the number. The guy is from South America.

Life is funny, I never met a Spanish person til I was about 20. I started learning the language and as Boston was a very ethnically divided area everyone use to ask me why the hell I wanted to learn Spanish. Who knew that I would be able to use it all corners of this country?

Well thanks again for you advice and comments. I will certainly continue posting the numbers as well as the mistakes though it's embarrasing sometimes but what the hell I try and give a complete picuture.

Thanks again.

[LOAD IT]

Originally Posted by merrick4

I just calculated the numbers since I've been on my own. I've put on 8798 miles on the truck which includes every single mile driven. I have grossed $12395 for a grand total of $1.40 a mile. So I am not doing too much better than when I was with that guy except I've cut my reefer use done quite a bit.

As has been seen I have sat and waited on loads and thought the numbers would come out a little bit better. I know I have to get my own contacts but I wonder if it's as simple as that (not that it's that easy to get contacts.)

I will say one thing, I haven't touched my personal money but then again I prepaid most of everything so really don't have payments.

I don't know, but I'm doing something wrong here.

You're numbers are low because you are running the reefer less. That $1.40 is barely beating dry van numbers. You have to get those contacts we've talked about. Your numbers can be and will be +/-- $2.00 per mile. I will look in my Florida book and pm you some more. Have you hauled any turkeys yet?

[merrick4]

Honestly LoadIt can I be frank? I have no idea what the hell I am doing out here. There I said it. I mean I just went and got this truck and you know the rest.

I got this load now and on loaded miles it comes to about $2.50 a mile and with deadhead a bit over $2.00. I was happy at first and then I caught myself and really I probably could have got more it's just that I have been running so cheap that this seems great to me.

I am picking things up fast and above all I am highly reliable and responsible and that will come into play hopefully. I mean the guy who called me today knows a 1,000 truckers but he knows how I am and he called me.

And obviously I am here asking questions. I haven't hauled turkeys cause I have no idea where to find them. But all of this will come; I love information so to find out all of this stuff shouldn't be too hard.

I am heading home now and plan on getting business cards set up. You mentioned flyers? Did I get that right? I mean I figure a business card with a short cover letter or something.

I will add that the $1.40 is with every single mile on the truck. That means the 10 or 15 miles up the road after a load to find a Walmart or truck stop. Not to gloss things over; I know it's bad but I am trying to give a complete picture.

Well as always thanks for your help; I certainly need it.

[pepe4158]

yeah those tolls will eat you up huh?....I love the ride getting out east from So Cal, but always dread those toll roads that eat into what little profit im making
I would love just driving the I-10- or I-40 corridors where I dont see any toll roads ....but not realistic unfortuanatly.
Ummm yeah....a catchy flier is what I was advised to do Merrick....got my niece working on the project right now.

[LOAD IT]

Originally Posted by merrick4

Honestly LoadIt can I be frank? I have no idea what the hell I am doing out here. There I said it. I mean I just went and got this truck and you know the rest.

I got this load now and on loaded miles it comes to about $2.50 a mile and with deadhead a bit over $2.00. I was happy at first and then I caught myself and really I probably could have got more it's just that I have been running so cheap that this seems great to me.

I am picking things up fast and above all I am highly reliable and responsible and that will come into play hopefully. I mean the guy who called me today knows a 1,000 truckers but he knows how I am and he called me.

And obviously I am here asking questions. I haven't hauled turkeys cause I have no idea where to find them. But all of this will come; I love information so to find out all of this stuff shouldn't be too hard.

I am heading home now and plan on getting business cards set up. You mentioned flyers? Did I get that right? I mean I figure a business card with a short cover letter or something.

I will add that the $1.40 is with every single mile on the truck. That means the 10 or 15 miles up the road after a load to find a Walmart or truck stop. Not to gloss things over; I know it's bad but I am trying to give a complete picture.

Well as always thanks for your help; I certainly need it.

I'm going to be frank..grow a pair....I'm not saying get a bighead, but be confident in what you are doing. See my post about being an O/O from this morning and that drivers attitude. You will succeed in this, youre averaging $1.40 now let's (you) increase that to $1.65, then to $1.85, and on and on. I dont know you and you dont know me, but making the leap says a lot about who you are. Also dont second guess your rate, could I have gotten more? Probably, could some one else haul it cheaper, HELL YEAH!! Get the rate you need and if its not met, let that load sit. You should consider all miles in your rate calculations. My first truck had 1,080,000 miles on the odometer and I thought this truck has made at least $1,080,000 in its life. How much was I going to make with it before it went to the junk yard? My goal was $1.00 on all miles, you would starve with that goal nowadays, but i'm sure you get the point.

[merrick4]

Thanks LoadIt but really I didn't mean what I wrote like "woe is me", you'd have to know me to understand. Actually I feel good and have no doubt I am going to do well.

You know it's funny, one day me and the wife took a bike ride through the Everglades (just the edge of it they had a bike path set up) and I was looking at all the trees and grasses and I said to her, "there has to a 1000 species of plants and trees there and I can't name one of them, jeez are we ignorant"

So anyway I just meant I have a healthy respect for what I don't know. But like I said I will do fine.

I was talking with a truck dealer the who works for Freightliner in Miami and he's been in this his whole life (his father sells them too) and he told me he has never seen trucks come back in as repos like they are now. He said they are pouring in.

Anyway, I enjoy your posts and appreciate all your help. Oh and by the way I read this this morning. Probably not exactly where the turkeys actually come from but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out:

The article was dated in August but I just saw it this morning.

Turkey producer Butterball LLC will relocate its corporate headquarters from Mount Olive NC to Garner NC in spring 2008. The company’s more than $12 million investment in Garner’s Greenfield North business park will add approximately 70 corporate and executive-level management jobs to the local community over the next three years.

Butterball LLC, a new company formed after Carolina Turkeys’ acquisition of the Butterball brand in 2006, evaluated locations throughout the nation for its corporate headquarters to accommodate needs for more space and easy access to an international airport.

The company will occupy 46,000 square feet of office space on more than 12 acres in Greenfield North, near Interstate 40 and US 70. Construction will take place in two phases. The first phase is expected to be complete in spring 2008, and a groundbreaking ceremony is set for September 2008.

"I grew up in Garner, and I’m thrilled that Butterball recognizes what I’ve known all these years: Garner is a great place to live and work," said Garner Mayor Ronnie Williams. "This is a great day for Garner

[LOAD IT]

That article is the type of info that should make you hmmmmm, how can I get in on that business? Once they breakground, all types of building materials will be coming in on vans and flatbeds, once the place is up and running you know they will need reefers to ship out. Keep reading, keep thinking, hmmmmmm..?

[Bigmon]

. I was talking with a truck dealer the who works for Freightliner in Miami and he's been in this his whole life (his father sells them too) and he told me he has never seen trucks come back in as repos like they are now. He said they are pouring in. {quote}

Part of it's because of how easy credit was to get the last couple of years. Some of these people shouldn't have had a truck in the first place. Kind of like the mortgage situation.

[merrick4]

Originally Posted by LOAD IT

That article is the type of info that should make you hmmmmm, how can I get in on that business? Once they breakground, all types of building materials will be coming in on vans and flatbeds, once the place is up and running you know they will need reefers to ship out. Keep reading, keep thinking, hmmmmmm..?

But of course Mr. LoadIt. 8). It's funny how sometimes common knowledge isn't so common. I had a rental unit in Central Florida a couple of years ago and wanted to build another up the road where they are putting up a new campus of a big university on now vacant land, and I'm calling realtors for stuff in the area and NOT ONE knew that this big massive new project was coming.

I am very very good at finding this stuff out.