User Tag List

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 11-30-2007, 05:29 AM
Double L's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,825
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default Steel hauling

I know a little bit about steel hauling. I rode with a driver where I use to work at going to the pickle house in Granite City, I got the chance to help chain down but we didn't tarp it. Then he bought one in a few days later that needed tarped so I tarped it for him and to be honest I fell in love with steel hauling. I'm curious as to what the pros and cons are to steel hauling. Well I do know having a LIGHT truck and trailer is key so I'm thinking about going with an all aluminium flatbed trailer and as for a tractor I was thinking a Pete 379/389 with a 48" flatop sleeper, I don't need alot of room since I don't plan on living in my truck and I don't need all that space for a tv and what not. a 36" would be too small for me and a 63" flattop or unibuilt/70" sleeper would be way to heavy. I have heard that you get home twice as much with being a steel hauler which is what I like the most, I don't want to be out on the road alot. If I can't get home every night or every other night I would know I could swing through the house during the week when I head back to St. Louis/Granite City to get a load. I got a company name in mind..........Now I got some questions:

1. How is the home time

2. What would I do about back hauls if I only specialize in steel hauling

3. Do they get paid by percentage of the load or weight of the load

4. Which would be better 48" flat top or 63" unibuilt

By the way my criminal and driving record is CLEAN, so that'll really help when it comes to getting insurance. I plan on saving up atleast $100,000. I plan on getting an associates degree in business and a degree in diesel mechanics, so that will take me two years for both. As much as I'd hate to do the diesel mechanics online I just don't want to drive to Chicago or be in Indianapolis just to do it. My mom doesn't want me to go to Chicago or Indianapolis if I can do diesel mechanics from home but I won't get the hands on experience though. As for college goes I already got 7 college credit and I need 60 to get the business, after this year and next year I'll have 16 credits total so I'll only have to go for 44 credit hours. Sorry if that was a little bit off topic!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-30-2007, 07:49 AM
Double L's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,825
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

If and when I do hire drivers I know exactly what they want.........HOME TIME, PAY, RESPECT, and a boss who treats them like equals. Trust me I may be 17 but I can tell ya to keep good employee's you got to go out of your way at times but don't give in to every little demand or they will run the show. In my opinion I think it's cheaper to hire owner operators. Here is what I'd do, some of you may or may not agree:

1. Get the drivers home when they want need to be home or want to be home whether it be every day, other day, and/or during the week, also weekends off, on Friday's I'd just have them deliver the load and come back and get a load for Monday and then they can go home and have Most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off!

2. Only charge for parts and charge half labor (I want to build my own shop and why charge full labor for something I'd enjoy doing) DOT inspections will be free

3. Safety, performance, and longetivity bonus with a new truck whatever make and model they want after so many years of service

4. Ask the drivers their opinions after all they are gonna be making me and my company money

5. Have company BBQ's around Memorial Day, holidays off with pay

6. Tarp pay

7. I plan on dispatching all my trucks so I'm gonna ask them...How many hours you got left, did you take a 34 hour restart and dispatch them accoring to that information, I don't want to send my driver for a load they can't haul legally. I'm a big stickler on safety and I will always emphasis safety, I want drivers to run LEGAL! I won't allow falsified logs, if I find they are doing it I'll first have a meeting with them and then if they do it again they are gonna get terminated just plain and simple because that will come to bite me in the ass down the road if my driver gets into an accident! Also I'd require them to call me when they get to the shipper/receiver and when they leave the shipper/receiver and call me of any delays that they encounter so I can call ahead and keep my customers informed.

Money doesn't buy success, it's all in how you treat your employee's and honestly the sense of pride and accomplishment is all I care about! I can tell my kids and grandkids that I ran my own business with PRIDE, AMBITION, and INTEGRITY...Not for profit or to get rich off of! When I get the chance to look back on all I plan to accomplish it's the sense of pride, ambition, and integrity that has made me successful and NEVER give up on your dreams cause eventually they will come true!

Is there anything I'm leaving out?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-30-2007, 10:21 AM
GMAN's Avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Board Icon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 17,097
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

There is a lot to address in your post, Double L. You still have a few years ahead of you before you can get insurance. Most will not cover you until you are at least 21. Some not until your 25th birthday. I suggest you drive for a couple of years to get a feel of the business before going out and buying a truck. $100,000 would be enough to buy a good truck and trailer for cash and still have enough to make a major repair, if needed.

I am not sure the 379 would be your best choice in a truck. I have owned a Peterbilt and can tell you first hand that your fuel mileage will not usually be very high. If you have read some of my other posts I have stated that I nearly always got around 5 mpg. With high fuel prices I would go with something more aerodynamic. You will likely improve your mpg by about 1 mpg or more. Still it is your money and you are the one that must drive it. Pete does make a great looking truck. There are some drivers who run to Michigan or Ohio and back to Illinois daily. Unless you run your own authority it may not be so easy to get back home as often as you want. Most steel haulers I know are gone at least a week at a time. However, if you live near Gary or Chicago, then you may be able to get home more frequently. You could earn a good living running from Illinois to Pennsylvania and back. Running that area, you could probably get home weekly or perhaps more often.

The advantage of hauling steel is that you can usually stay busy year around. The down sided is that you will get dirty and it will be cold in winter and hot in summer as you chain and tarp. If you lease to a carrier I would look for one that pays percentage rather than mileage. However, from your post it seems that you plan on getting your authority. In that case you will be running for a flat rate. Most of those runs will be based upon hundred weight. In other words, it will be based on the amount of weight you haul. Most steel pays on a minimum of 45,000 pounds. Whether you run your authority or lease to a carrier, most seem to want you to have your own trailer. Carriers will lease you a trailer for around $165/week. You can buy a new trailer for about that amount of money. I would buy my own trailer. I prefer a steel trailer, but if I hauled steel all the time I would consider aluminium. I have a friend who has an East and he loves it. This is his 3rd East. There are several good brands designed for steel hauling.

If you want to buy an aluminum trailer you can run a Pete with the larger sleeper and still haul enough to make a good living. You will pay more for the small sleeper but be more comfortable in the larger one. The disadvantage to the 48" sleeper is that you only have a very small closet. The 63" or 70" should have 2 larger closets. Peterbilt has small closets. Perhaps by the time you get ready to buy they will change the design.

You have some ambitious plans. I believe that if you treat drivers well you will usually get a better driver. I like to treat drivers as I want to be treated. One thing I would caution you about is contacting their girl friend or wife to let them know when they will be home. I would let the driver take care of their personal life. They should do their own calling.

I am glad to hear that you plan on getting your education before jumping out as a driver or owner. I don't see how you can learn how to be a diesel mechanic on line. You need to get your hands dirty. There are a number of vocational schools across the country who offer diesel mechanics. I would check to see if there is one near you. Don't just jump into business. You have much to learn. It is much less costly to learn at someone else expense. Besides, you will learn more from someone with experience than you will EVER learn out of a textbook. There is much you can learn from a formal education. You will NOT learn how to run a business. I suggest you consider getting your BS degree after the AS. It will take you farther if you decide on another career path. I don't think you can get too much education. Learning is a lifelong event. Good luck.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-30-2007, 10:22 AM
GMAN's Avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Board Icon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 17,097
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Sorry, double post. ops:
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-30-2007, 11:28 AM
Double L's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,825
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Yeah your right about the girlfriend wife part. :lol: I couldn't agree with you more, I forgot to add that my driving record is SPOTLESS! So that will benefit me. I plan on being a company driver for awhile, I planned on getting a contract with the shippers/receivers but I don't want to end up with more work than I can handle, I don't want to hire anyone until I get close to retirement or I save up enough money for a cushion. I got a few more questions.

1. As far as authorithy is concerned should I register with states east of the Mississippi River

2. How do you go about getting a contract setup with the shipper/receiver

3. What do you do about back hauls, do you run steel both ways

4. As far as tarping is concerned should I get a coil bag or would I be better with a set of under tarps and 20x24 steel tarps?


I'm about 6 hours from Chicago, I'm about 20 miles from St. Louis if that. As far as trailers are concerned I want an all aluminium I plan on hauling steel year round and as far as a manufacutre goes I was thinking about a Manac or East. But ya know I considered a 386 for the fuel milage reason.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-30-2007, 11:42 AM
GMAN's Avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Board Icon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 17,097
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Authority has nothing to do with where you register your truck or how many states. It has to do with authority to participate in interstate commerce. In other words, to be able to haul freight across state lines. The best way to sign up a shipper direct is to start knocking on doors. There is steel all over the country. You should have no problem finding steel to haul back to where you want to go. On the other hand, there are a lot of other things we haul on flats than steel. Most people who don't have their own shippers use brokers, especially for their return trip. Most likely you will start with brokers, but there is no reason you can't find your own shippers.

I would start with a 3 tarp set. Once you get started you can buy a coil bag if you need it. They can save some time if you mostly haul coils.

I would register for all 48 states. It will likely reduce your base plate price, at least initially. Besides, you never know where the freight will take you. The new UCR automatically registers you for most states anyway. There may be something else when you get ready. I was informed by someone with the UCR that there was already something else in the works to replace the UCR. UCR is the Unified Carrier Registration program. You are required to pay a fee if you are a carrier, broker or forwarding agent. The minimum fee is $39.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-30-2007, 11:48 AM
Double L's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,825
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Thank ya Gman, I already got a company name with logo in mind. I still got alot of planning to do anyway, as much I want to start out as an owner operator, it's not a wise decision in my book. I rather get experience and learn on another person's money. Now as far as experience is concerned if I get a job at 18-19 and run local will it count as experience when I get my own insurance or does that vary from comapny to company?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-30-2007, 12:02 PM
GMAN's Avatar
Administrator
Site Admin
Board Icon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 17,097
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

You are welcome, Double L. Most insurance companies will look at how long you have had your CDL. They can tell when they pull your MVR. The insurance company may ask for a list of employers for whom you have driven. My insurance company will not allow me to hire a driver who is younger than 25 unless they have 2 years experience. With experience I can hire them at 23. Some of the larger carriers can hire otr drivers at 21. Getting experience before attaining your 21st birthday would certainly give you a leg up with a company.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-30-2007, 12:19 PM
Double L's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,825
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Exactly, thanks alot Gman for the help! That little experience with the company I worked for repairing tarps and detailing trucks made me realize I wanted to be a steel hauler. I didn't really ask about the business end of hauling steel, I wish I would have.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-30-2007, 11:52 PM
rank's Avatar
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,079
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Default

Quote:
1. Call the drivers wife/girlfriend and let them know when they are gonna be home
WHAT? I think the driver will want to call his own wife.
If you're going to do steel right, get a cabover.

BTW, you'll make more money repairing tarps.
Reply With Quote
Reply





Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT. The time now is 03:16 PM.


User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.