Prime wouldn't take me because of the wheelbase on my truck was 270"


I got new Freightliner Columbia, is that a problem?

I didn't get very far with the phone call she asked me what my wheelbase was,I told her she said they couldn't hire me.

In regards to Dana, do you guys have any Columbias running for you?

My buddy runs a Classic condo, only 1 or 2 places he has to back under the rack, because of the height.

There is a wide assortment of trucks leased on, there really are NO truck requirements, besides being roadworthy enough to pass a DOT inspection.

At Suttles we have lots of Columbia's as company trucks,they are slowly getting phased out in favor of real trucks 8)

Thanks Mike!

Yeah, thanx :x

Time for a quick update

week ending 3/11

Owosso,MI---->Reading.PA(drop load,hook dirty)
....Reading,PA---->Avenel,NJ(drop dirty,hook clean)
....Avenel,NJ---->Cartert,NJ(live load)
Cartert,NJ---->Detroit,MI(driver assist,plant air,drum off)
.....Detroit,MI----->Grayling,MI(drop dirty,hook clean,live load)
Grayling,MI----->Jasper,IN(driver unload,truck pump)

Total miles: 2298
Deadhead miles: 402, 17%
Gross pay: $4236.62 ($1.84@ mile)
YTD miles: 25,472
YTD Gross: $38,142.03 ($1.50@ mile)
Total loads: 34
hazmat: 24

Here is a dumb question. If your load takes you further than you can drive in one day...what do you do with your truck to help prevent somebody from messing with it (while your asleep) and potentially causing a haz spill?

They would have to be pretty knowlegeble about how the tank operates,but it would not be hard to dump the entire contents on the ground without me knowing about it.

We are trained to inspect our tanks after stopping to look for any suspicious activity.

Yeah not much we can do to stop it. There are 'seals' and there are possibly locks depending on the trailer make, but both can be broken rather easily. Check it when you get up for the PTI, do your tire checks, and check it before you start moving again.

Mike, how is your fuel surcharge calculated and whats the rate currently and how much of it is included in your numbers?

I don't know the percentages,I would guess in the 20% range,it is included in all of my "gross" numbers

Mike, have the things pickep up for you. Been reading the journal and see that you slowed down some, how is it really looking because your income proves otherwise :wink: ..!

For how long do they require you to stay out and do they pay anything on you deadhead?

Things are about the same,I am not sitting or anything so put it in perspective,still avg. $1.50 for all miles and between2200-2800 miles a week.

They want 10 days out,but they have never tried to hold me to it.nothing for deadhead.

I have been waiting for a load to get paid it was delayed and now I can update what has been going on,as you will see things are progressing nicely and I am very happy with my switch to chemical tanker.Things also seemed to have picked up in the tanker industry.

week ending 3/18

Jasper,IN---->Granite City,IL(drop dirty,hook clean)
Granite City,IL----->Newell,WV(company unload)
.....Newell,WV------>Nitro,WV(drop dirty,hook load)
Nitro,WV----->Danbury,CT(driver assist)
.....Danbury,CT----->Avenel,NJ(drop dirty,hook clean)
Avenel,NJ------>Bayonne,NJ(live load)
Bayonne,NJ----->Flint,MI(driver unload.truck pump)
......Flint,MI----->Owosso,MI(home time)

Total miles: 2537
Deadhead miles: 566, 22%
Gross Pay: $4,192.56 ($1.65@mile)
YTD miles: 28,009
YTD gross: $42,334.59 ($1.51@mile)
Total loads:37
Hazmat: 25

week ending 3/25

Owosso,MI---->Detroit,MI(drop dirty,hook clean)
Detroit,MI----->Warren,MI(drop clean,hook load)
.....Warren,MI----->Johnstown,PA(driver unload,truck air)
.....Johnstown,PA---->Niro,WV(drop dirty,hook load)
Nitro,WV---->Maryland Heights,MO(driver assist)
.....Maryland Heights,MO----->Liberty,MO(drop dirty,hook clean)
Liberty,MO----->Kansas City,KS(live load)
Kansas City,KS---->Portage,IN(drop load)
.....Poertage,IN---->Grayling,MI(bobtail,hook clean,live load)
Grayling,MI---->Georgetown,IL(drop load,hook dirty empty)
......Gerogetown,IL-----> Grayling,MI(drop dirty hook clean,live load)

Total miles: 2514
Deadhead miles: 1026, 41%
Gross pay: $3215.31 ($1.28@ mile)
YTD miles: 30,523
YTD gross: $45,549.90 ($1.49@mile)
Total loads:41
Hazmat: 27

week ending 4/1

Grayling,MI---->Waterville,OH(driver unload)
.....Waterville,OH------>Midland,MI(drop dirty,hook clean,live load)
Midland,MI------>Reading,PA(drop load,hook dirt tank)
.....Reading,PA----->Avenel,NJ(drop dirty,hook clean)
Avenel,NJ----->Carteret,NJ(live load)
Carteret,NJ------>Cleveland,OH(driver assist)
......Cleveland,OH----->Grove City,OH(drop dirty,hook clean)


Total miles: 1889
Deadhead miles: 472, 25%
Gross Pay: $3283.53 ($1.74@ mile)
YTD miles: 32,412
YTD gross: $48,833.43 ($1.51@ mile)
Total loads: 44
Hazmat: 30

week ending 4/8

Grove City,OH---->Mt. Sterling,OH(live load)
Mt.Sterling,OH----->Haynesville,VA(driver assist,truck air)
.....Haynesville,VA---->Baltimore,MD(wash tank,live load)
Baltimore,MD----->Dodge Center,MN(driver assist)
.....Dodge Center,MN----->Crestwood,IL(drop dirty,hook load)
Crestwood,IL----->Kalamazoo,MI(company unload,drop dirty,hook load)


Total miles: 2418
Deadhead miles: 589, 24%
Gross pay: $4,141.76 ($1.71@ mile)
YTD miles: 34830
YTD gross: $54,147.89 ($1.55@ mile)
Total loads: 47
Hazmat: 33

Hey, mike
Just wanted to say I appreciate your post, I am just starting driving chemical tankers and hope to one day be an OO pulling chemical tanker.
I check this thread often. thanks

Mike

I'm glad someone is reading it 8)

Good numbers so far Mike, better than mine a bunch, congrats !

What happened to your journal site, what was it again and is it still active?

link fixed

week ending 4/15

Kalamazoo,MI----->Owosso,MI(home time)
......Owosso,MI---->Vienna,GA(customer unload)
......Vienna,GA----->Savanna,GA(drop dirty,hook clean,live load)
Savanna,GA----->Chicago,IL(customer unload)


Total miles: 2276
Deadhead miles: 213, 9%
Gross pay: $3151.19($1.38@ mile)
YTD miles: 37106
YTD Gross: $57,299.08 ($1.54@ mile)
Total loads: 49
hazmat: 34

Gotta say,just love standing outside in the middle of a chemical plant unloading hazmat in the middle of a horrific lightning storm......just fun fun fun :?

OK I feel a little silly for asking this but I just want to make sure I understand...the gross figures you're giving on here, is that what is actually paid to your bank account? In other words is your fuel and other expenses already taken out?

No that is before expenses,cost me around .80cpm to operate my truck

how much experience do you need to work at your company?

Go here http://www.danacompanies.com/recruiting.html and find out.

week ending 4/22

Chicago,IL---->Crestwood,IL(drop dirty,hook clean)
.....Crestwood,IL------>Blue Island,IL(live load)
Blue Island,IL------>Lynchburg,VA(driver unload,truck pump)
.....Lynchburg,VA------>Greensboro,NC(drop dirty,hook clean)
.....Greensboro,NC----->High Point,NC(drop clean,hook load)
High Point,NC----->Wentzville,MO(driver assist)
.....Wentzville,MO----->Cestwood,IL(drop dirty,hook load)
Crestwood,IL----->Ft. Wayne,IN(live unload)
Ft. Wayne,In----->Crestwood,IL(drop dirty,hook clean)
.....Crestwood,IL----->Lemont,IL(live load)
Lemont,IL------>Grand Rapids,MI(live unload)
......Grand Rapids,MI----->Owosso,MI(home time)

Total miles: 2665
Deadheadmiles: 668, 25%
Gross Pay: $4,298.94 ($1.61@ mile)
YTD miles: 39,771
YTD Gross: $61,598.02 ($1.55@ mile)
Total loads: 53
Hazmat: 36

Great post Mike!

An O/O version of what I do at Superior!!! Glad you're enjoying the tanker. I'll be posting a complete update on my thread probably tomorrow or Friday. Have a great night :wink:...

Mike3fan,

You indicated on the other thread you were making far more at Landstar than I am (was that $1.40 per hub mile or loaded mile?; $175k/125k miles)

Anyway, I feel tired and lazy and I don't like to swing at every pitch so I just want to try to get the jist of everything.

You pull chemical tankers
chemical tankers pay a lot (something like $1.50 average on the hub?)
chemical tankers is easy
there are jobs available for O/Os

Have I got all this right? What are the drawbacks? If I switched to pull chemical tankers would a bunch of Mexicans come and take my job or just something go wrong so that I never realized the promise and switched for nothing and landed right back where I am right now and,...and... :lol: I'm just looking for the Reader's Digest version?

What I can do:

Pass credit and security checks and whatever else along those lines
Stay out a whole lot longer than 10 days
climb, do physical work, whatever...

So, what's the deal? Or, what's the catch? You know, how about just making it simple for me cause...it's late and I'm tired. :wink:

Been 5 miles from one when it blew up. Phillips Plant, Houston, Tx 1989-90 time frame, Rained Metal peices 4 miles out.

Can you average 1.40pm for all miles at Landstar? LS takes 67% of every load. In other words any load paying less than 2.00 a mile would come out to less than 1.30 to the truck and doesn't include deadhead. Is 2.00pm freight easy to find at LS? Im thinking of leasing on there but am wary of what the majority of the rates are right now. :?

Good work Mike and congratulations. Things seem to be going consistently well for you at Dana!

Landstar takes about 33% of the linehaul if you pull their trailer. You will make about 8% more by pulling your own. Landstar used to pass 100% of the fuel surcharge on to their owner operators. It is my understanding that they now take their usual cut out of the fsc. Most carriers pass the entire fsc collected on to the owner operator. Whether you can make $1.40 to the truck will depend on where you run and what you haul. If you run the West coast, you are not as likely to make that as if you ran the eastern side of the country. Rates always seem to be better in the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. If you stay away from the West coast and New England, you should be able to do well with them. Rates will also vary according to the type of freight. Flats and more specialized freight will usually pay more than van freight. If you do LTL with Landstar you can do much better than simply doing drop and hook. A good portion of their van freight is drop and hook.

Can you think outside the box? :lol: :lol: :lol: inside joke Couple things, 100% of fsc still goes to O/O. Most van freight is live load though there is d/h as well. Do a search for Landstar, you'll be reading for days, or just start a new Landstar thread. Let's help Mike keep this thread clean and on track.

So, that's a drawback, huh Mike? You might die in an explosion pulling chemical tankers? :D Anything else I might need to know? I'm serious about this.

I'll respond when I stop tonight Cam,where do you live?

Split my time between SW MI (Chicago-ish) and North Central FL (Ocala/Orlando-ish). No lie, if I could hit the house once a month that would do it for me.

Hey cool glad you made it over here to read it,I regularly check your thread.