Just need to vent
 

My husband FINALLY found a great job in Green Bay, Wi. He was an owner operator there for several months and they really seemed to take care of their drivers and paid well. My husband needed a radiator fixed and was short on funds so they offered to pay for it and just take a certain amount out of each check. Today, he went to get the money from Excel Express and they sold the company! They have new owners and they are not going to do that. Not only that, they are not keeping the owner operators unless you get your own authority. So he's out of a job as well. To top it off, he doesn't have the money to get the truck back from the repairs so it's a double whammy. Trucking has not been easy on us and yes he's probably made some bad decisions along the way but we were starting to pull things together. Now we will probably lose our house and everything else. I'm on a repayment plan with them because he did have his own authority at one time with a partner and that is when all the bad started to happen. He gave that up to go to Excel and just when you didn't think things could get any worse......BAM! Just in time for Christmas. Thank you for listening to me vent while I have my nervous breakdown.

Distraught in Wis
Shari

Re: Just need to vent
 

NEVER depend on a carrier to provide funds for repairs. ALL in all I truly wish you all the best though.

I pray everything turns out OK....I am so sad for you. I know how bad things can get because we have been there and done that.

you can feel free to PM if you need someone to talk too....

tootie

Sorry to hear that. :sad:
And thanks for sharing! Might save some "wannabe" a$$.
Tho..most of them, are not interested in that kind of storeys, cause it's too "negative" for their taste!

Sounds like he should have not become an O/O.

An O/O needs to have enough capital and credit available to operate a minimum of 60 days. There should be NO reason to rely on a company that one leased to for repair funds or fuel money. Hence the title Owner-Operator.

This is a good lesson for potential O/O's

I am sorry to hear about your misfortune, sharbear. Having a breakdown can be difficult at any time, but especially during this time of year.

I think alot of owner operators who rush into it look at only the positive and look at the money they can make but they don't take into consideration the negatives such as fuel, breakdowns, insurance, and all the other small things that can really break you! Remember chrome and lights don't make ya money but I feel if you got enough money saved up for unexpected repairs and some extra spending cash then I say go ahead and make your truck look good. But it's a bad idea to buy a truck and just go put lights and chrome on it without have extra money in the bank incase something does happen and your stuck with no money!

Shari,
This is only a suggestion. Have your husband call Dave Van Handel at 800.876.4330. Dave is the owner and is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet besides Gman. And that wasn't meant as a joke. Explain what happened and see if you can lease on with them. They have beautiful company trucks also. I never heard much about Excel Express. I actually thought they were are of business.
I have never heard one person say one bad thing about Dave or his company. This is one of the best, fairest companies in trucking.
He may even help you get the truck out of the shop. They are in Kaukauna,WI. From what I understand they run a lot of Carolinas. They are reefer and van.
Your husband is familiar with the company V&S Midwest Carriers.
Best wishes to you.
Steve

Just need to vent
 

Thank you all for your support. I know that expenses come up and we had an escrow account for that but it didn't build up much. We are trying to have an account for repairs but as soon as something positive starts to happen a huge repair comes up. Trust me, I wish he could get out of trucking but it's all he knows. As for his truck, trust me, no bells and whistles on this baby. I never heard the man cry but yesterday he was very choked, it's hard on a man that is trying his best to support his family and it seems like everything is working against you. I tried to PM minpin but I guess I don't have 50 posts so I couldn't but thanks for the kind words. Also, thanks for the suggestion on the company in Kaukauna, I'm going to give him that info right away. I hope there are still some great owners out there because we have sure dealt with the opposite. This guy at Excel was great but to not tell us this was happening was just unexcuseable. These drivers have families and it's Christmastime and just to let them all go is wrong. Thanks again everyone.

You can email me if ya want [email protected]

tootie

How much was the repair? Sounds like the money never came through from the carrier to fix it. Sounds lke a $1000 pain in the butt. Best of luck.

That is a very nice thing to say, Outta Here.

You told me your email address was [email protected]. No wonder you never reply when I write to you!

I think you just hate me.... :cry: :cry: :wink:

tootie

just need to vent
 

Well my husband called the guy in Kaukauna and he was in a meeting so I emailed him a letter because I know how owners can be....very busy. I probably shouldn't have because I was in such desperation that he probably thinks I'm a freak but I never got a return email so maybe they are not hiring.

The repair on the truck was $3000.00. You know that term "rock bottom", I hate it here :( I know that people lose jobs and they get through it but for some reason there just doesn't seem like a happy ending here. He is out applying today but he has really dealt with alot of the locals already so I guess we need to look further.

I love this message board because we can all relate to eachother and everyone is so supportive. I just need him to sign on to someone because he needs a job like yesterday if we aren't going to lose everything that we have. Just keep us in your thoughts and for those of you that pray send a little one our way.

Thanks again and I'm going to email you when I leave work. I love your min pins, I always wanted one, guess I'm waiting now....lol.

Have a few more White Russians and you'll be fine!

Re: just need to vent
 

3k for a radiator? :shock: I have put a new one in mine for less than half of that. That was 3 years ago. Still I truly wish you all the best. God Bless. :wink:

For Heaven's sake, sell the truck and have him get on somewhere as a company driver! I listen every day to guys looking for lease purchases or looking for companies with huge sign-on bonuses or immediate advances for fuel or repairs or I hear how their miles have dropped for one week and now their in danger of losing the truck.

I don't get it.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand the inclination to become an O/O today WITHOUT a rock solid business plan and 5 digits in the bank for maintenance, repairs, and downtime. It makes absolutely no sense at all. The owner operators on this board that are successful, are that way, not because they're running insane miles and have nothing but good luck; they are successful because they built a plan and stuck to it and have good reserves to fall back on in the event of something happening.

As far as losing the house goes, why would you even consider holding onto the truck at the risk of losing your house? :shock: :shock: It's like having a cinder block around your neck in the middle of a lake. Are you actually going to hold on to that cinder block and drown? Or are you going to cut it lose and swim to shore? Seems like a simple solution, to me.

I would hope that the OP is not asking a potential employer to pay for the repairs on the truck to get it out of the shop !?!? :shock:

Maybe it would be best to sign up as a company driver and sell the truck, since good business fiscal behavior is not a strong point for the OP.

(pay attention to this thread Steve. You may learn something.)

The only thing I've learned is to not listen to you and a few other people. I have PLENTY of money in the bank and most of all, I'm much smarter than you so preach to someone else. It really bugs you people that I'm doing it. Hell, if you can do it, I sure as heck can!

Another typical response from Steve. :lol:

It is so easy to point out your lack of business/trucking skills, I almost feel sorry for you..... :lol:

The reason you are successful, Steve, is because you put together a business plan and have substancial money in reserves. Yes, some drivers might take issue with you being a "hobby trucker", but at least you're not trying to do it on someone else's money. If that starts, though, then everyone else will be validated.

If someone is trying to be an O/O and putting their family, their welfare, and their house in jeopardy because of it, they absolutely have no business in that business.

I truly wish the OP the best of luck, but I honestly have a hard time finding sympathy. The reason for that is that an O/O should never end up in the position of losing everything. When bad times happen, cut the weight lose! That truck should have been sold a long time ago and the driver should have been company for a while. A little bit of planning could have gone a long way to preventing this. I don't know what it is that causes an O/O to want to hold onto something that is going to wipe him out, but I see it far too many times. :?

Twilight I agree with you 100%!

That truck should have been sold a long time ago



Usually that is the problem. It can be hard to let go of something if you invested a lot of money into it from the beginning. If they sell it now it may come out as a loss for them. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances can put anyone in a bind no matter how much planning or reserves they have. Look what happened to Enron. :lol: I'm still not sure what the whole story with the OP is but they do have my sympathy.

AMEN!!

Pot... Kettle... Black... :roll:

I dont like you either.... :evil: :evil:

And.... Your point is ??????

Maybe you need to get your facts straight before you go implying other people are dumb or stupid or whatever it is that you think.

tootie

AH,too bad for you. I like him,he Ok . He smell all my fart with no problem. :D AH,Oregon is very beautiful state. Very beautiful fat woman everywhere. :D

Just fight already at the fuel islands at a Pilot :roll:

8) :lol: 8) :lol: 8)


As harsh as Twilight sounds, its tough love. I agree, if you were in jeopardy of losing the house before the radiator, things weren't working. I do wish you the best of luck in finding a good carrier and hopefully jump back on the o/o that has thrown you off.

Always the gentleman Bob !!! :lol:

That goes right back to my point, though. If you're out in the middle of a lake with that stone around your neck, are you going to cut it lose and survive? Or let it drown you?

Sure, it's a tough decision regarding the truck, but tough decisions still have to be made and in the end, the alternative is a whole lot worse. :?

Sharbear, perhaps your husband could go to work for as a company driver and either get rid of the truck or work something out with the garage to pay them something weekly until the repair bill is paid. Unless they did more than replace the radiator, they seem to have padded the bill quite a bit. I would not expect to pay more than $1,300 for those repairs including labor and all parts. I reworked a radiator on one of my trucks earlier this year for a few hundred dollars, but did the labor myself. I believe the last time I had a radiator repaired on the road it cost about $1,000 for everything. Some of these garages really take advantage of a situation. I hope you can get something worked out. If you are in danger of losing your home, then the company driver may be the best way for you to go. At least you won't need to worry about the truck breaking down again and not being able to have repairs done. Good luck.

Agree with both posts. Been there done that. I had some one pull me to the side and tell me to let it go. I listened.

BigDiesel what Do u mean by (OP) u use this in the 2nd to last sentence?

OP= original poster, or the person whom started the thread

thanks buddy!

Is that your truck now? If so what happen to the moving van?

Happy motoring

Don't give up so soon on the information I gave you. He may be busy or out of town. It's only been a couple of days on the email. Call a few more times. What can it hurt?
Steve

Sorry to hear it's not going well. I've been in that situation a few times and maybe it's time to retreat, regroup and try again at a later date. If it were me I would sell the truck, drive for someone else and regroup when you get back on your feet. I think the stress from this point on will take a much greater toll on both of you then it's worth.

Hope everything works out and keep us posted.