I thought that once you didn't have a truck payment you graduated to "hobby trucker"... :?

 

Nope - not in the really real world you don't.

 

I don't have any truck payments........ but I'm not an O/O either :mrgreen:

 

Get a GPS unit or Qualcom device. I don't care even it is for one truck, well worth the money to know where and what your truck is doing at all times.

You need to be able to watch everything. Just today I asked the driver about his recent spike in idling. He said he was leaving it on at night so as not to drain the batteries as he has been parking on the side of ramps and leaving the lights on.

I told him the APU has a battery watcher which he didn't know about and I'm quite sure he will now cut the idling as he has been great so far.

Point being watch your stuff closely.

 

The qualcomm people have a smaller unit that you can purchase for about $1,600. It has the gps and will do your fuel taxes for you. One thing I like about qualcomm is that you can check idle, speed, location, etc., and change it remotely if you wish. I am not sure you can make those changes on the smaller unit, but at least you know exactly where your equipment is located. With what is doing on today it is important to be able to get real time feedback on your investment. I have been thinking about investing in the qualcomm for a while. The main reason for me is twofold. First, it would enable me to keep track of my equipment. Second, it would automatically do my IFTA for me using gps. All the driver needs to do is put in the gallons and where fuel was purchased. The system does the rest. I believe the monthly fee is about $45/month.

 

I never thought about putting a driver in my truck. it would never have lasted 10 years & over 1.1 mil miles if I did. governed at 60.. it will be hard to get a driver used to that. all he'll think about is where he could be if the truck went a lil faster. after paying off the truck, wouldnt you want to run balls to the walls & make as much as you can while having no payments? I think you would make more & have less stress doing just that rather than putting a driver in it. just my opinion.

 

Well, you are being modest. I'd say it's impossible, unless second person is your wife.... :wink:

 

I took a 12,000 lb load from Ontario to North Carolina and did 58 mph all the way. When I refuelled I was happy to see that I did ... 7.7 mpg! (US gallons, naturally). I showed the number on a piece of paper to the guy standing next to me at the counter of this truck stop and he said, "I don't care ... it's not my truck... I drive 80 all the time".

So, I agree - it does look almost impossible to find someone who'll be treating the truck the way I do. Maybe paying them a percentage of the revenue (instead of mileage) might help to make them slow down? Say, 35% of the gross for dry van..

 

It looks like this is what I'd have to do. I want to do less miles and work less, while maintaining the same quality of life.