|
Should I or shouldnt I?
K I need to get over from Ca to Tn or Ok.....to buy a trailer. Was figuring on one of these states so I get the plate license included that never needs to be renewed....hmmmm looked up one way trailers towards or close to these states, taking a trailer that cant be loaded...so I maximize $, but the only two I see are to Washington and Montana (Shelby for gods sakes!)...hmmm so should I wait and possibly get one going my way....or throw in the towel and eat the DH?
|
Eat it and be done with it then get on with your career.
|
Are you going to save that much $$$ by DH'ing to OK or TN ?? If so...I can see doing it...but if you will only save a couple hundred dollars..makes no sense.
|
yeah plenty...want a trailer that has a life time plate, so I dont have to renew it each year like CA.
|
Do you plan on working anytime soon?
|
CA trailer plates are permanent. Costs you about $20 every 5 years.
|
I live in Michigan,I bought my trailer in Ohio and plated it in Mass. don't see your point.
|
Originally Posted by no_worries
CA trailer plates are permanent. Costs you about $20 every 5 years.
.Yeah meant non-renewable, you pay once for the lifetime of the trailer as I understand in those states, unless I am remembering this wrong, this is the first trailer i actually bought. |
Once again wouldn't one phone call to a trailer dealer or dmv get answers faster and more accurate than a message board?
|
Originally Posted by mike3fan
Once again wouldn't one phone call to a trailer dealer or dmv get answers faster and more accurate than a message board?
Actually waiting on a few permits too....NY and the New Mexico card that should be mailed to me. KY was fastest. Quess I could go without them tho. WOW a 53 foot refer, high bid is $700 now, doubt that will stay that low long. |
Originally Posted by pepe4158
WOW a 53 foot refer, high bid is $700 now, doubt that will stay that low long.
Good Luck |
Yeah I'm actually after a stoughton air ride 53 their where I bid $6,500,year is 94.
What peeked my interest was that the guy is just 15-30 miles away from me with the trailer. Versus trying to get a one way trailer out to a low ball trailer dealer somewhere in the south (I just seem to find lower prices in the south) I was suprised too, yesterday to find out I dont have enough insurance for one way trailer to haul for them, they want 35,000 on a non-owned tarailer I am jauling and my policy covers onloy up to 20,000 ....hmmm doubt I would get enough business to make it worth a change. Yeah some dealer in Az (around Phoenix) has some spring trailers for a little over 9k, 1995's, but as I understand most brokers insist on air ride.......does anyone know if thats true? |
I'm looking at my tag right now. $36.00 for the initial registration because you have to pay for the plate. Renewable every 5 years and currently, if I remember right, the renewal is either $18 or $20. It's listed at the DMV's website.
|
Originally Posted by no_worries
I'm looking at my tag right now. $36.00 for the initial registration because you have to pay for the plate. Renewable every 5 years and currently, if I remember right, the renewal is either $18 or $20. It's listed at the DMV's website.
|
Originally Posted by pepe4158
Yeah I'm actually after a stoughton air ride 53 their where I bid $6,500,year is 94.
What peeked my interest was that the guy is just 15-30 miles away from me with the trailer. Versus trying to get a one way trailer out to a low ball trailer dealer somewhere in the south (I just seem to find lower prices in the south) I was suprised too, yesterday to find out I dont have enough insurance for one way trailer to haul for them, they want 35,000 on a non-owned tarailer I am jauling and my policy covers onloy up to 20,000 ....hmmm doubt I would get enough business to make it worth a change. Yeah some dealer in Az (around Phoenix) has some spring trailers for a little over 9k, 1995's, but as I understand most brokers insist on air ride.......does anyone know if thats true? |
Thks....yeah thats what I aam thinking of spending 8,000 -10,000 for a 97-2000 I hope, 53, and airride.
Hmmm the game plan was just to get a one way trailer out ther to make a little $ on the trip, if the dealer had a couple I was interested in, but that plan seems to be falling apart on me ;-p (cuz my insurance only covers 20,000 not 35,000 like they wanted n doubt its worth the change) |
Hey Pepe, there is a nice van on e-bay for $6900 buy it now.
It's a 1993 Kentucky 53'. Little bit old, but it was in really nice shape. It had alum wheels also. :P |
pepe,
Why not buy a trailer at the same type of auction you got the truck at ? Have you checked Ryder? They're not far from you. |
Thks sid, but I coulda swore thats the one with a hole in the floor?
Yeah the guy with the Stoughton is close; thats why I tried e-bay for him, I can go over and see it before I actually pay for it, kinda picky about buying anything I cant see before I pay, and if I decide not cuz of something shady, I only drove about 15 miles to see him Yeah Big....woulda bought it then, but some Chipy got all hard ass with me,(on the phone when asking his advice) and said if I drove into Ca, without my authority being active, he would throw the book at me and impound me, so I snuck in just bob-tailing which I thought might be easier.....turns out I coulda made it I think hauling the trailer, but wasnt sure. |
You can get by just fine pulling a dry van with spring suspension. None of the big companies have air-ride equipment. However, your body will appreciate the air-ride.
|
Nobody cares about my flatbed being air ride or not and nobody has ever checked. Only one place inspected the floor of my trailer for holes and that was he government.
When I was looking for a flatbed I did the Ebay thing. I found 3 trailers close to me that looked great. Tons of pictures. When I drove out to look at them I would not have taken them if they gave them to me. All 3 would have taken over $10,000 to fix them up and they wanted $10,000 for them to boot. |
Thks Steve, yeah this guys only 15 minutes away so worth a look eh?.......yeah he had an air-ride, and a dealer in Dallas had some for 9-10k that didnt look too bad, if I have to get Ca plates, cuz the tags would expire, good to know their not too much......thks no worries
Say Steve...thks, but you an haul flatbed, are you really up on what dry van brokers want, sorry to doubt you, just cautious, maybe I should call some brokers and see? I just got a supscription to two load boards a few days ago...one is get-loaded of course, can also ask them if they want my proof of insurance ahead of time and kill two birds eh? |
Not sure who wants your proof of insurance. The load boards don't care, they just want to make sure you have a valid MC and DOT. As far as proof of insurance for carrying a load, the customer will require a fax directly from your insurance company. They do not accept a copy that you send them. Anyone can make one of those. I'm not sure why customers just can't look up the government web site to verify insurance.
|
yeah called a broker off the load board, not the board itself lol.
He e-mailed me some big damn packet I have to print out and return myself, in addition to wanting the proof of insurance certificate ;-p Yeah he said that although he doesnt always require air-ride he suggested he knew I would get more buiz with an air-ride. Yeah your 100% right that I will need a scanner,printer combo, at the house now, and using my godbrothers now, if I was on-the-road I would be screwed without 1, unable to print my e-mail without 1. Sounds like I need to take this time now, since I am waiting to find a trailer, to possibly set some possibilities up now, since I have access to a printer to print my e-mails. |
Hmmm this is the one I am buying, said I would give him 6,500 if he would close the deal now, said I could test haul it a block in the morning and to come ove....whata you guys think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1994-...spagenameZWDVW |
Pepe...I saved this from a long ago post, can't remember who posted it. Thought it might help you:
Buying a used dry van: What to look for Brake hubs and bearings. I lost a set of duals on a used dry box only 800 miles down the road - because of a dry well. Brakes, tires, air lines. Check to see if the floor is straight, look at the interior and check for damage and repaired damage. Look for any signs of water leaks everywhere. Look under the trailer along the crossmembers and check for cracks. Look at the suspension and check for any abnormal wear and cracks. Check the shocks for any oil leakage. Basically check all of the undercarriage for cracks along any seams. While under the trailer, check out the wiring. Brittle wiring means trouble down the road. Nowadays, most wiring is encased in shrink-tube or a plastic sheath of some sort. Operate the doors, check all lights to see if they are working. Now! Pull the trailer and see how it stops and make sure it pulls straight. Check the welds where the landing gear is mounted to the cross members, and the welds for the slides. Inspect the wood floor from the bottom to see if there has been a plate used to repair a hole in the floor. Inspect all the cable from front to back to make sure if it was spliced for any reason, it was a good job done. Also look closely at the front bulkhead. Many times, when loading rolls of paper, the forklift operator will hit the bulkhead and can cut into the wiring cable at floor level. Watch for cross members, under the trailer, that are bowed down in the center. Also, if you're planning to haul heavy loads, make sure you have metal channels in the walls, not the foam supports that will allow the lower part of the outer walls to curl under at the tandems. (It's a bit embarrassing to be going down the road and suddenly realize your tandems are up inside the trailer because the walls were never made to handle the load you are carrying. Trailers made for the bakery industry are not good for hauling bricks, plywood, or paper.) |
hy not lease/rent one for the time being and then if you want a trailer on the other side of the continen, take a "power only" load down to the purchase place of your new one?
|
Originally Posted by pepe4158
yeah called a broker off the load board, not the board itself lol.
He e-mailed me some big damn packet I have to print out and return myself, in addition to wanting the proof of insurance certificate ;-p Yeah he said that although he doesnt always require air-ride he suggested he knew I would get more buiz with an air-ride. Yeah your 100% right that I will need a scanner,printer combo, at the house now, and using my godbrothers now, if I was on-the-road I would be screwed without 1, unable to print my e-mail without 1. Sounds like I need to take this time now, since I am waiting to find a trailer, to possibly set some possibilities up now, since I have access to a printer to print my e-mails. Pepe, you better get used to the packets. Every time you start working with a new broker they will send you their packet. Most seem to run from about 10-20 pages. Personally, I like a brief, simple contract. I would opt for the air ride van, but would go with the one I could get the best deal starting out. There are a few shippers who will require a spring ride trailer, but most won't even ask. Air ride is much easier on the cargo than spring ride. I would make certain to get a trailer with logistics posts and either I-Track or E-Track. |
Thks G-man for the response,yeah i think its standard post, not logistic, hmmmm the e-track is the row of strap connections in the inside of the trailer....unsure what it was, first trailer i ever bought ;-p
|
The logistics posts give extra security and support for the sides of your trailer. It won't make much difference with light loads, but if you put a heavy load on it could make a difference. For instance, you don't want to load rolls of carpet on a trailer without logistics posts. If you do, your trailer will look like it is pregnant going down the highway. :shock:
|
Make sure you buy plenty of extra black ink for the printer/scanner. I go through at least 1 every trip out. Set the default print characteristics into draft mode and B/W only so it prints faster. You don't need high quality.
The brokers always act surprised when they see I'm not in there system already. It's like, you idiots. There are 100,000,000,000 brokers out there. |
If you don't know trailers really well, it is possible to get screwed. It can be a good business decision to pay a mechanic that knows trailers really well to take a look at it. Could be the best money you ever spent.
|
Thks person, I do know a bit about suspensions in general (maybe more then the average driver) as I worked a couple years, long time ago, setting toe, caster, n camber on cars, but only a few things really translate over. Everything is so much bigger with semis, n all straight, fixed axels , no A-arms n ball joints lol. So pretty much on my own, dont even have a trailer mechanic picked out yet, only a small independent for the truck so far.
Thks G-man about clarrifying things to look for up around the trailer walls Yeah pretty sure this 1's standard posts, but doubt I will haul heavy loads too much, every broker in dry van wants you to haul freight cheap, and they dont want to pay more for the heavier loads. Yeh I got blasted here for saying I would take cheap dry van loads, that were light, but my rate has to go up quite a bit for heavier loads to be successful I believe. What I fiqured on came almost a cent per mile per 1,000 pounds. I can take a 1,000 pound load for as cheap as 1.15 a mile and make $, but 40,000 or more I need about 1.50 a mile and lots of brokers out here wont pay that much for dry van so wont haul it. Go fiqure, they will pay 1.20 a mile for a 6,000 pound load, but want to pay say 1.30 a mile for a 40,000 load.......that really cuts into my profits....no thks.....so doubt any heavy loads. yeah he said a couple small bulges on the trailer, when I asked about the walls(probably from heavy freight?), but doesnt look to bad, we will see what a couple small buldges are eh?....when I go check the trailer out tommorow....maybe pass on it |
The one thing that jumps out at me with that trailer is the fact that two of the hub covers were replaced. Distorting, if not outright melting, of the plastic can be a sign of overheated bearings. Make sure you get someone to look at those.
You'll be glad to know that, in dry van, often the rate is inversely related to the weight. Heavier loads are often the cheapest, light loads can pay a ton. |
Thks NW, yeah heat related probs are a concern, fiqure for our area its a cheap price tho n I will have to repair something.
If I was in the southeast, know I could get a better buy, but since I am back in Cali now am expecting to pay more for inferior quality ;-p yeah thats crazy about rates NW, just gotta pick n choose carefully eh? Especially here in the west I was warned by other drivers rates were really too low; to get back east if I can n pay less for feul and better rates |
Have the seller deliver the trailer,...after it arrives, (and I mean 1 minute after it arrives) check it out for tires,hubs,air leaks. If things seem too hot, then figure on a price haggle for the repairs you think it may need.
I did this a week ago, the seller sent the trailer (loaded to St Pete 20,000lbs), I was there at the destination to unload, and 2 of the hubs (driver side) were too hot to touch, and I could hear a leaking air bag. I called the seller to talk about the price,.......he ended up loading the trailer and sending it back to his home (private seller on E-Bay). This was only possible because I had a notorized contract signed by him, that said there would be negotiations on price if I was not satisfied with the trailer. He didn't want to negotiate,.....back goes the trailer. |
Changing bearings isn't that huge of a deal.
figure ~$100 per wheel for parts. Who knows for labor. While all that stuff is off, you can check for s-cam,s-cam bushing wear etc.. |
Not sure if your into Ebay but the price of that trailer could sky rocket in the last minutes. Don't set your sites on it too much and keep looking. I've sold tons of stuff on Ebay and in some cases people have paid more for my item than they could have new.
There was a stretch of road down Rt 80 that went on for maybe 50 miles. Not sure what state I was in but it was non stop trucks and trailers for sale. It's almost like you could bobtail out there and pick something up. |
I have to agree about eBay. Most I have sold had either sold at the last few seconds or had a Large Bidding war going on at the last minute. My 2 best sales happen that way. Sold a Baseball signed by the original Rocford Peaches. Started at 60.00 and in the last few minutes it went from 75.00 to 299.00. These Trailers may but may not do about the same. I even sold New items that retailed for 9.95 for 43.00 on there.
I look on there basicly seeing what they are doing, but when it time to buy, I'll look locally, unless I see something I just got to have on there. |
I think that Kentucky trailer was nicer Pepe. :D That one had a buy it now. But it is also far away from you, so hard to look at .
|
| All times are GMT -12. The time now is 06:16 PM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved