Stepping ahead
 

I'm going to post stuff here about switching from dry van to stepdeck, if someone is interested.

Did my last dry van run Friday, Aug-14th and was waiting to hear from the Wilson dealer, so that I could start heading to Moberly, MO to pick up the 48' RoadBrute. Called the dealer and they said the Moberly plant was closed on that Friday - no production - and people in the Wilson's main office in Iowa had no info what was going on and if my trailer was finished.

I already had the roof deflector taken off (the truck became lighter by ... 260 lbs) so going back to dry van didn't make sense. I told Flatbed dispatch I can do a couple of short flatbed trips with their trailer while waiting for mine to be ready and within 5 minutes they gave me a load of foam from the yard that was going to Connectitut. Someone else had picked it up and strapped it down so my job was just to deliver and unstrap :) No tarping, except there was a small shabby 'smoke tarp' (actually, a small 2 centuries old part of a 18 oz lumber tarp) and it took me 1/2 hr and 3 stops before I reached the border to make it stop flapping and scare the 4-wheelers :)

I unloaded near New London, CT on Monday and the new load offer they sent me said 'you are loading tomorrow from the same location where you delivered.' The funny thing is the load is the same foam/insulation (probably different size) and it goes to exactly the same location in Canada where the first load originated.

So, I'm sitting here waiting for them to tell me when to pull in the yard for loading.

Transition freight
 

Either by accident or on purpose, the first flatbed loads Dispatch gave me after dry van were relatively easy. This is the picture of the return load I picked up in CT today. The temperature was around 95F and I got soaked throwing straps, tightening them and positioning corner protectors under the straps with a long pole. I have no idea how much money I'm making on this, but it's 70% of whatever MacKinnon gets from the shipper.

i am gonna guess that is a service plaze on the MASS pike?

and you really should ask what a load pays before taking it.

Yes, it was on i-90 somewhere in Mass... As for the rate, it's a big secret at MacKinnon - believe it or not. We argued and argued but the first time I see the actual rate is on the Pay Statement 2 times a month. I know it sucks. I'm going to post the rate when I get the statement.

I left CT Monday with a load of insulation and drove towards Buffalo, NY. I have to tell you - after dry van even a load as easy as this takes some getting used to. Throwing straps for 2 hours made me feel tired by 9 pm and instead of using all available hours to reach the Canadian border, I shut down near Rochester, NY. My delivery in Toronto, ON was on the next time, "anytime before 2:30 pm".

Dispatch started bugging me around 10 am asking for ETA to the consignee. I told them "noon" and that was when I pulled in the receiving yard near Hwy 404 and Sheppard Ave. Well, I got unloaded, rolled up all the straps, hid away the smoke tarp, and sent the "load delivered" message to Dispatch.

So, I'm sitting in the truck waiting what to do next and Dispatch writes back, "Hang tight. We're going to get you reloaded at the same place. Talk to the shipper." I can't believe it - this is my 3rd load of insulation in a row! The good thing is I have 0 deadhead but the bad thing is the load is going to southern Ohio and it delivers "by 2:30 pm" on the next day. The distance is 570 miles.

The load planner wrote he already had a return load for me after Ohio and it is in Kentucky, just 15 miles from the Ohio place. I get a feeling I"m doing more miles here than with a dry van!

Today is Wednesday, Aug 19th and as I pulled in to Customs in Detroit, MI my e-log showed 25 minutes available in the 14 hr day. All this happened because I hadn't used up my hours on Tuesday. I was tired and common sense and rules of the road say "Take a break", but the hours of service evidently have nothing to do with common sense. In this case because I didn't drive till midnight on the previous day, my 14th hour ended way too soon.

It was dark and I sneaked over to the TA truck stop at exit 15 off 75 south (Monroe, MI) :) without getting caught. I needed a shower and Monroe was the only decent truck stop in the area. It was 10 pm but I got lucky and found a parking spot. It seemed it was the last one. Trucks were parked all over the place...

Heard good news today from the trailer dealer's rep. He called to say Wilson expects my stepdeck to be finished this Friday, Aug-21. I want to head out to MO plant after I get back from Kentucky on Friday with the return load (hope it's not insulation again). Dispatch said they'll "do our best" to find me something going west from Ontario, CA on the weekend.

You'll get much faster at throwing straps, Tracer. I personally like to ball mine up and throw them like a ball over the load. Slinging them over the load can lead to shoulder problems for some later in life.

I pulled an insulation load once, hated it, other than it's light. I pulled mine out of Ohio, couldn't get on the turnpike because I was over 13'6. Clamped down on my straps and dumped the air out of my bags to get legal. Then when I stopped to check the load it was walking out the back of the trailer, thank God it was light enough to push back in and then cross strap it.

I was still pretty green at the time though.

Have fun :) Keep posting your experience.

You probably picked up insulation in the same place where I delivered - Dow Chemical, Hanging Rock, OH. ...

I agree with the ball method of throwing straps - that's why I want to get straps for my trailer that have buckles not 1/2 tons of chain plus a hook at the end. They're much easier to work with.

First tarping
 

Aug-20-09

I followed i-75 south to Dayton, OH and then took Hwy 35 south (east) to 23 south to Portsmough, OH (right next to the Kentucky border). I switched to 52 east and found the consignee with no problems in the town of Hanging Rock, OH just 25 miles east of 23/52 junction. They were closing at 2:30 pm and I barely made it.

When I sent the 'load delivered' message to Dispatch, they - as promised - quickly sent over the new load offer with the pickup in Kentucky. The shipper was only 14 miles away (in Wurtland, KY) but I had to do a detour along Hwy 23 to get to a bridge.

My GPS led me to the town of Ironton, and I see a sign that says, "Commercial trucks over 7'8" wide are prohibited on the bridge". What the heck? I come closer to the bridge and there's another sign with the same message. I'm probably 8'6" wide but can the bridge be this narrow? I have no idea where another bridge is and my appointment at the shipper is for 4 pm, just 30 minutes away. I look at the bridge from a block away and it looks fine: 2 lanes, cars are speeding back and forth ... I decide to follow the GPS directions and cross the bridge. The approach is very narrow but the bridge itself is okay, tight but not too bad. I breath out as I come to the stop sign after the bridge and here's where the adventure begins.

I do a couple of very tight turns at lights and see a sign "low bridge, 12'8" At first I panick but then remember that I'm pulling a flatbed and that I don't have a deflector on the roof. So, I pull forward, go round the bend towards this railway underpass and ... stop. Something wrong here.. The height is okay, but the road under the bridge is like a tunnel made out of concrete, and this tunnel is probably 8 feet wide! What's more, it's not straight and it curves to the left and there's no space before this tunnel to swing the truck in an arc. I'm stuck.

I put on my flashers and go out and look. No, I can't make it. As I turn back to the truck I see 2 cops walking towards me. And I'm thinking, "A ticket." and "These guys are fast." But the cops don't look hostile or anything. "It's not your fault. There's no signs", says Cop #1. Cop #2 meanwhile is blocking the traffic behind me and Cop #1 is now blocking the oncoming traffic from out of the tunnel/bridge. Cop #1 asks me to back up and make a u-turn in a small driveway off the road behind me. It looks doable and I do just that as passers-by gawk on ... "What the heck is this guy doing?" they're probably thinking.

I turn around and follow cops' directions to get to Hwy 23 on the Kentucky side. I reach the shipper without further complications...

I'm picking up steel products and the paperwork says, "tarp is required'. Mmm ... my first tarping. I back up into the warehouse and they load the stuff on the trailer with a crane. After I weigh at the yard scale (44,400 lbs) I pull into a special area for chaining/strapping/tarping...

2 hours later ... the load is strapped, two tarps are on top of it, and I'm soaked. It's 90 F outside and the so-called "steel tarps" MacKinnon uses on their trailers are 19.6' by 30'! The tarps are all 18 oz vinyl, with no flaps. To me they feel like they are 200 lbs each :) At least the load is quite dense and sits low, maybe 4 ft from the floor.

I change into shorts and another T-shirt in the truck, grab an empty bottle and head into the warehouse to finde some tap water. I see 2 guys chatting in the lunch room and I ask them where I can get drinking water. One of the guys says he wouldn't trust the local tap water and adds, "I have a bottle of water in the cooler in my car. I'll just give it to you." I say I have no change but he says he doesn't need any money. We go out to his car and in the trunk there's a huge cooler with a bunch of bottles. The guy gives me 2 (two) 500 ml bottles of water, ice-cold, and I can't thank him enough.

As I'm driving on the road 10 minutes later, with my A/C on full blast and a bottle of cold water in my hand, I begin to feel like a human being again :) Delivery is tomorrow in Milton, ON Canada anytime.

Sure sounds like the company you have is pretty stable for miles right now and you have a pretty quick acting load planner as well from what you are posting up. I'm impressed with the quickness they are getting you scheduled and reloaded. It's hard to find luck that good. i hope it keeps working for ya.

Why didn't you cross strap it from the beginning? I've done a few of those loads. I use 2" straps to cross strap, and start with those. Make a big X at the back. If you start with those, the 4" straps hold the 2" straps on, because they can wiggle off and fall. Ask me how I know.

Nice easy load! Do you have your trailer yet?

We do a lot of grader blades, I use a 35 foot long tarp that weighs maybe 5 lbs. It's just to protect the stickers from flying off. I get paid $75 to tarp. Takes me 10 minutes to tarp and secure.

Wilson says they finished building it Friday, Aug-22. Now I'm just waiting for MacKinnon to give me a westbound flatbed load so that I can drop it somewhere in US and then pick up my step and put it on top of the flatbed. Would hate to scratch those brand new shiny 17.5" tires :)

35 ft long tarp weighing 5 lbs? Did you mean to write 3.5 ft long?

MacKinnon is a family-run company. They have about 250 company trucks and 20-30 owner-operator trucks. They've been in business since 1928 ... Nowadays they're letting the "kids" run the business. The planner is probably under 30, of the Mackinnon clan. Lots of energy and enthusiasm. Before he came onboard they only had work for flatbed trailers in the Platform division. Now it's okay to own a step too :) I know you're supposed to know what the freight pays BEFORE you say 'yes' or 'no' but I'm ready to disregard this minor drawback when I know they have the freight. I think the only way I'm leaving is when I have my own authority. And now - with my own truck and trailer - I'll be just one step away from that.

now owning your own step deck is gonna be fine and dandy, but will it effect your loads at all? afterall, you can't just drop it anywhere and get a different trailer... or were you married to a trailer beforehand all the time anyways?

Throwing straps
 

Just a suggestion, Mr. Tracer when you get your own trailer.
I take my straps completly off the trailer and roll them up "flat hook out" that way when you throw, you're not throwing the weight of the hook plus the strap. If that makes sense. Plus, if they're rolled tight enough I can get 10, 30 footers in a plastic milk crate.

I didn't realize that stuff could walk like that, and it's funny because the other drivers I was watching didn't cross strap either. Like I said I was still pretty green at that time. I had two 4" straps across the rear and it was the bottom hack that walked out. Thanks for the tip with putting the 4" straps over the 2" straps, if I ever haul that stuff again I'll definitely remember that.

If for some reason I forget though, just look the driver trying to shove insulation back on the trailer, and then stop and buy me a coffee. :D

I had one load of this plastic stuff, that goes around windows. It was a real bear, I used something like 24 straps. And it still wasn't legal because it was stacked four high, and I did absolutely no belly strapping. Couldn't be done anyways, all of the freight was different heights.

After a few hours the back started to blow out. I had to cross strap, even though it was going to damage the freight. IMO it's always better to damage the freight then have it all over the highway! Safety department agreed with what I did. Haven't heard if they made a claim. You have to do what you have to do.

Yeah, that can be a problem. When we pull their trailers, they change them all the time. With my own step, I will have less flexibility in this regard but I also won't have to fight their 2,000,000 lb tarps :) since I'm going to use lightweight material on mine.

Great tip, thanks! I"m going to buy straps with flat hooks. It's much easier throwing them over tall loads. Keeping them rolled up in a cargo compartment makes sense too: 1) they'll stay clean; 2) less chance of them "walking away" :)

August 24th, 2009
Monday

I delivered that Kentucky load to a place in Milton, ON; 20 mi away from our yard. They were closed Sat and Sun and Dispatch said I'd have to go there Monday myself. Did that and they ask me - do I want to keep working? They explain they have a load for Chicago that will take me towards the Wilson plant in Moberly, MO but that load leaves only on Wednesday. The load offer they sent me is for 285 miles from Brampton, ON to North Jackson, OH (near Youngstown) and it requires tarping. So, I reply "No. I don't want to keep working. If you have anything westbound earlier than Wednesday, I'll take it. If not, I'll leave on Wednesday." And I also send them a "load declined" macro (message). And ... all hell breaks loose :) I show up at our yard and the load planner is upset because he doesn't want me to sit in the yard "whole week" (monday till wednesday) when they have so much work, and that they're helping me out by giving me a trailer and that if I choose to sit they can't guarantee that Wednesday load for Chicago will be given to me. So, basically, they blackmail/bulldoze me into taking the Ohio run.

I've bobtailed to Brampton, picked up our preloaded trailer with aluminum logs, threw one steel tarp over it, and was on my way to Ohio. I'm told I already have another load coming back to Ontario and then I can take off for Chicago and Wilson plant on Wednesday, Aug-26th.

I checked my old pay slips from the flatbed time last year and a similar run (Brampton, ON to Youngstown, OH) in August 2007 paid $675 to MacKinnon and $472.50 (70%) to the truck. The distance is roughly 320 miles incl. deadhead. Fuel surcharge is extra.

Trailers Canada finally confirmed today my step is ready for pickup in MO. The salesman also said he might have another stepdeck (at Iowa plant) that he might ask me to bring to Canada. If I bring 2 trailers instead of one, they said they'd pay me something on top of the US$1,500 fee promised for one trailer. Since each trailer weighs at least 10,000 lbs, I definitely won't do it for free (distance from the MO plant to Canada is 800 miles and they I'd have to drive over to the Iowa plant).

I also talked to a local tarp shop today about load levellers and they cost around 800 bucks for a pair. Need to call them with my credit card number, so that they can order them. They should be ready to be picked up by the time I bring the step to Canada.

Rate question
 

August 25th, 2009
Tuesday

The Wilson salesman called me today with an interesting offer. He said he's finalizing another trailer sale and asked if I'd be interested to pick up two trailers instead of one. I said, "Why not, as long you pay extra for the second trailer ..." The sales guy said, "We'll figure something out."

Then he called me again to say Trailer #2 is not in Moberly, MO where my trailer is sitting; but rather it is in Sioux City, Iowa. He asked me if I'd mind if they move my trailer to Sioux City as well, because the Moberly plant will be closed this Friday. This way I can just go to Sioux City from Chicago (where I'm dropping my Canadian flatbed load), pick up both stepdecks and head back to Canada.

Nothing is set in terms of money... I finally looked at the map at the end of the day and ... I didn't realize Sioux City, IA was so far! It's a day's drive from Chicago, IL. Also, I"m thinking it should be me telling how much I'll charge instead of them telling me about "figuring something out". I'm the guy with a truck, right?

So, what do you guys think? What would be fair to ask?

Scenario 1
Starting point: Chicago, IL
Deadhead: 387 mi to Moberly, MO
Loaded miles: 827 mi to Breslau, ON Canada
Load: 1 stepdeck trailer loaded on top of the flatbed; 10,100 lbs 'load' weight
Total miles: 1,214
Freight bill: US$1,500 for 1,214 miles or $1.24/mi (jeeze!)

Scenario 2
Starting point: Chicago, IL
Deadhead: 531 mi to Sioux City, Iowa
Loaded miles: 985 mi to Breslau, ON Canada
Load: 2 stepdeck trailers loaded on top of the flatbed; 20, 000 lbs 'load' weight
Total miles: 1,516
Freight bill: 1,516 x $1.24 = $1879 PLUS SURCHARGE FOR TRAILER #2 (20 cents?)

1,516 mi X $1.45 = $2,198

I"m thinking to ask $2,200 for 2 trailers out of Sioux City, Iowa. Any comments?

News from MacKinnon
 

I dropped a load of insulation in Hamilton, ON this morning and then deadheaded 60 miles to Toronto to pick up a load of ... insulation. This one is going to Chicago, IL (actually closer to Joplin) and after I drop it I'll be heading to Sioux City, Iowa to get my stepdeck.

I haven't had any feedback here about the rate to ask for Trailer #2, so I've sent the salesman an invoice for USD$900 (surcharge for the second trailer). He countered by US$750 and we had a deal.

500 mi deadhead from Chicago, IL
1,000 mi loaded to Breslau, ON, Canada
20,000 lb load (2 stepdeck trailers).
Total rate I'm getting is US$1,500 + $750 = $2,250

Nothing special if you're an independent trucker with authority, but if you're hauling your trailer I guess it's all right.

In the news from MacKinnon today: a fleet satellite message sent out to the entire staff announced the purchase by MacKinnon of ... L.E. Walker Transport, together with their flatbed company - Mid-America Freight! All employees of LE Walker will be moved from St. Thomas, ON to our terminal in Guelph, ON and our freight volume is forecast to increase by ... 60%. Most of it will be in Dry Van, but I hope Flatbed will feel the effects of the purchase too.

Seems like I'm going to be in the right place at the right time with my Wilson RoadBrute step. Way to go MacKinnon!

I'm guessing you meant Joliet? Joplin is a little farther away.

Doesn't really matter if your freight volume picks up by 60% if capacity also increases. I'm pretty sure they are bringing their trucks with them right?

I guess you're right about the volume - Walker does have their own trucks. And yes, I meant Joliet, IL, not Joplin MO :)

Here's what L.E. Walker Transport Ltd. says about L.E. Walker Transport

"LE Walker Transport is a privately held transportation solutions provider that meets the needs of a wide range of companies throughout North America.

Our company has provided transportation services since 1947, and today operates a fleet of over 200 power units and 700 dry van trailers throughout Eastern Canada and the United States. We have the people, equipment and technologies necessary to ensure we meet and exceed your expectations.

With terminals located in St. Thomas, Ontario (minutes from Highway 401) and Ancaster, Ontario (very close to Highway 403) LE Walker is ideally positioned to meet your diverse North American distribution needs."

Aug 27th, 2009

I started shopping for trailer accessories today at Tarpstop ® Solutions for Transportation in Gary, IN (same exit #16 as for the Flying J). It took me 30 min to spend US$1,500 :(

$1,200 for 4 tarps (16' x 20', 16' x 24', 24' x 20', 24' x 24'; all with one flap; all 18 oz vinyl; my name stenciled on all sides). the big ones will be black, and the smaller ones - blue.
$300 for stuff like 18 4" winch straps with flat hooks, 2 ratchet straps, a 8'x8' smoke tarp (fitted!), and plastic edge protectors

Right now I'm heading empty to the Sioux City, Iowa and the tarps should be ready by Saturday when I'll be passing Gary, IN on my way back to Canada with the two Wilson steps.

Still have to buy chains, chain binders, steel coil racks, steel edge protectors, bungee cords for the tarps. Load levelers ($800) should be ready sometime next week (ordered them a couple of days ago).

if you plan to haul alot of steel, ratchet chain binders are the best.
snap binders are quicker, but with ratchets you can get the chain tighter easier with steel.

maybe get some of each. and you will likely need lots of portable strap ratchets, since with a step deck you can;t slide the winches past the tires.

What are load levelers?

Probably those ramp looking things that they sit up on edge so they can haul pipe or something else that needs to be the length of the whole trailer, not just the drop.

Yeah, it's for long loads that have to be put on the upper deck. Load levelers allow to use the lower deck space without the load sitting at an angle. See the pic. One company that makes these is Load Levelers - Aluminum Load Leveler Bridges I found another in Canada that sells them a bit cheaper.

I don't think they'll be giving me lots of steel, since the company has a lot of flatbed trailers, but you never know... I'll probably get a few of each: snap binders and ratchet binders. I already have 3 portable strap ratchets. Will buy more if the need arises. I find them very handy.

Why not just stack a bunch of pallets. Save the money for the fines you might get. :)

You pull a tanker and you don't know what load levelers are?........... hmm. Well I'll be...

Wilson Roadbrute
 

August 28th, 2009

I arrived at the Wilson plant in Sioux City around 11 am today and everything was pretty quick. They put Trailer #1 (mine, with red frame) on top of the Trailer #2 and then told me to back to a ramp. A shunt truck driver hooked up to the trailer #2 and backed onto the ramp from the other side and then just let the trailer go on my flatbed. Took him a couple of tries but he did a great job: the edge of tires on each side was perfectly matched to the edge of the flatbed. I asked them how many straps they'd say I should throw on but the guys had no clue. So, I just used common sense and put 3 straps over Trailer #1 and 3 straps over Trailer #2, alternating them between the trailers.

I was able to take a look at my trailer while waiting for the plant lunch break to be over. The color of the frame looks great and the trailer seems well constructed. One thing that pleasantly surprised me was that the 17.5" tires were not as small as I was afraid they'd be. They look pretty solid.

The entire day was one big rush. First I was in a hurry to get to Sioux City before 2:30 pm (their closing time), and then I drove towards Chicago, IL till my e-log ran out of hours. I am 3.5 hours away from Chicago now - at a Kum & Go gas station off I-80. Tomorrow I'm picking up my new tarps at the Tarp Stop in Gary, IN and they close at noon.

While I was driving back from Wilson a Tarp Stop guy called me saying he had bad news. Turns out their sewing machine got broke as they were preparing to sew my tarps together. The earlest they could fix the machine was on Monday. So, no tarps. We agreed I'd stop by their store on Saturday anyway and they'll refund me the $1,200 I had paid because Monday didn't work for me. I called 411 to get a listing for TBK Tarps - they're inside the Flying J, just next door to the Tarp Stop - and when I called them the guy on the phone was happy to get me the tarps for Saturday. As we were discussing the price and how much discount they can give me on the 4 tarps, I heard the Call Waiting beep in my ear and took the call on the other line. Guess who it was? Andrew from Tarp Stop who informed me they figured out a way to use the sewing machine without the defective clutch (he had told me earlier the machine's "clutch housing" got broke). So, we were back on schedule and the tarps were supposed to be ready on Saturday. I hung up with him and went back to the call with TBK ... I said I was sorry but Tarp Stop had come through and they already had my Visa payment, so I'd have to get the tarps from them. The TBK guy was a bit upset but things happen, right?

Below are some of the pictures I took at Wilson... I also posted a short video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehf8sDmRBOM

Tracer, why didn't you buy the load levelers from Wilson? Thats where I bought mine cost was $600 each and they are nice.
As to using pallets and jacks for load levelers most place will not load you that way plus it is not very safe.
I have seen pallets crush in transit supporting pipe loads and other types of loads.

There's a local tarp company in Burlington, ON and they have a guy who makes these for them (you can only buy these load levelers thru the company). A pair is only Cnd$800, which is 50% cheaper than what Trailers Canada wanted. Also, these are rated for 25,000 lbs each. The company's name is AERO-KIT and you can find them here - The Look® Sliding Tarp Systems. They also sell storage boxes for trailers. I think of getting one as I didn't spec them from Wilson (again, they were too expensive).

Aug-29-2009

I picked up my tarps in Gary, IN today. The Tarp Stop guys did a great job. Tarps look "quality". I asked them to make the lumber tarps black, and the steel ones - blue. When I came in at 11 am this morning, they were still stenciling my name on the sides of the tarps. I"m sitting at a truck stop and worry someone might steal them - they do look brand spanking new. I don't have any room in the sleeper to hide them, so I just put them on the lower deck and threw 2 straps over. Any tips on how to protect the $1,200 tarps from getting stolen? I thought of putting a chain with a padlock on them but it didn't seem practical ...

August 31th, 2009

I crossed into Canada via Sarnia, ON without any problems and spent the night in a shopping mall parking lot in Kitchener, ON. There were cars coming and going till late in the night from the nearby movie theater (where I watched the new installment of "Final Destination" in 3D) and I was worried someone might steal my tarps :)

Nothing happened and in the morning I drove to Trailers Canada in Breslau where I met my sales guy, Bruce. A big tow truck arrived around 9 am and he took off the stepdecks off my flatbed one by one with its crane. I was shooting the action with my Flip and will post a video on YouTube in a couple of days, once I pick up the step with my truck.

We did the rest of the paperwork after and I signed my life away on a 60 month capital lease with GE Canada, with $1 buyback. After the 2 grand we added for accessories (I got it as cashback at signing to spend on things like tarps, load levelers, chains, straps and such), the price in Canadian Dollars came up to $40,406 (the actual price was $38.4K). I put $1,900 down.

The interest is pretty high (about 10%, I think) and my payments are going to be $873.74 a month, starting on October 16th (I asked them to give me a 45 day delay for the first payment). $41.61 in the payment is GST ('goods and sales tax') and I'll get a refund for it from the Government. So, the final out-of-the-pocket payment for the trailer will be Cnd$832.13/mo.

In terms of cashflow, nothing should change: I rented out my condo apartment for $800, which pretty much covers the trailer payment. I can't refinance the trailer because it's a lease, but I'll try to do something about my $1,600/mo truck payment. The 2004 truck is probably worth $32 - $35 grand on the street, and I owe only $23,000 to GE Canada for it. If I do nothing, the truck will be paid off in December 2010.

I'm looking forward to getting 82% percentage pay from now on, and with capital cost allowance for the trailer (30% a year), my profit per mile should improve.

I left the trailer at the dealer to let them plate it, re-paint a spot on the landing gear where the paint disappeared (the trailer rubbed against another, as they were being driven from Moberly, MO to Sioux City, Iowa), and replace the mud-flaps with the new Eco-Flaps I bought at a TA truck stop in Gary, IN on the way back. I'm using Eco-Flaps on the truck now and I like them, so I decided to make all flaps the same. The dealer said they should be done with the trailer tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon.

The license plate is going to be in my name, but the insurance will be provided through MacKinnon. I was surprised to learn that trailer licenses in Canada are given only once and that you don't have to buy any annual stickers (as we do for cars).

I called AeroKit, the company in Burlington, ON that sells load levelers and they said I can pick it up tomorrow, around 4 pm. I'll also buy the rest of the stuff I need for the trailer (chains, binders etc.) and I told Dispatch I should be ready for my first load Wednesday morning.

The trailer looks very well made, except for one tiny thing: the sliding winches are designed in such a way that they constantly scratch the aluminum on the trailer side. I checked both trailers (mine and the other one I brought over) and even though they are like one week old they already have nasty markings where the winches slided .. I asked Bruce the sales guy if I should put any grease in there and he said it was a bad idea.

Another thing that I'm not happy with is the straps. I bought 4" straps with flat hooks because they were on sale at Tarp Stop. These will fit the 4" winches, no problem there ... However the stake pockets will be too small for hooks to go through and I'll have to hook the straps to the rail under the side, which can withstand something like 5100 lbs. Stake pockets are rated for close to 6,000 lbs :( and Bruce said it's best to use stake pockets for securing loads.

Unless, and I'm thinking it might work, I'll unroll the strap, thread it through the stake pocket first and then hook the hook to the bottom of the stake pocket. I'll do a field experiment tomorrow once I have the trailer with me back at the MacKinnon yard.

All in all, I feel excited to become a 'truck and trailer' owner-operator, which is in full accordance with Rule #7 of the "Rich man in Babylon": INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TO EARN. Getting the trailer seemed like the easiest thing to do this - I'm going from $1.12/mi to 82% of the freight price.

I"m hiding my only credit card and switching to cash from now on. I'll split each paycheque like this:

10% - Savings account (for future invesments into trucking and real estate). This is where the money will come from if I decide to replace my stock exhaust manifold with an extrude-honed one. This costs about $1,200 and should improve my fuel mileage by .2 mpg. I"m also planning to buy a cheap 3-plex or 4-plex later on (owner-occupied), if I can find a deal with $0 down (read: "motivated seller").

20% - VISA (to pay off the existing balance). I"m not going to use the credit card until it's fully paid off. This is doable because I'm single, have no kids, and I don't smoke :)

70% - for bills and daily living. As the Rich Man from Babylon says, "Budget your expenses so that you may have coins to pay for your necessities, to pay for your enjoyments and to gratify your worthwhile desires without spending more than nine tenths of your earnings." Nine tenths is 90% (because you're supposed to save 'one tenth' or 10%) but when you have debt, they recommend you use 20% of your income to pay it off.

Which could be exactly the same.

great thread and posts. keep them comming. !!

Wilson's have had that system for winches for years. The comment you made about hook end straps is one of the reasons people use chain end type. Don't forget a while ago some of the states were enforcing the rule of "no straps over the rub rail" and nailing guys left and right. Did you get any floor tie-downs installed? I use those as much as possible (just cause) and it helps to make tarping look tidier and more professional.