one addition I learned this week.

Kentucky also wants you to have a liquor transport license which is an additional $210 annual fee from 1 Jan to Dec 31. This is required even if you transport THROUGH Kentucky not just pick up or drop off IN Kentucky.

Not sure what the penalty is for not having this license. And not sure I care to find out otherwise either. I know picking up IN Kentucky where the shipper was checking for this, the rate sure didn't justify the cost.

Good to know since I am Miller dedicated. Don't think I will be doing beer under my own A!

Lancer $10k with $100k cargo so that is a big booster MN. I asked for $250k cargo and reefer so don't know what they based it on.
Checking with OOIDA insurance now but read someone does not accept OOIDA ins to run their loads... CH Robinson? Possibly a non issue if I use ITS predominantly.

MN what do you have, dry or refer? Refer probably pays more but will it cover the added fuel, maintenance and weight that comes with a refer? Perhaps it's best to run refer in summer and dry in winter but need 2 trailers then. I am leaning to dry full time now. Maybe lease a refer if worth it in summer.

I started with a dry van in July 12. Feb 13 I got a reefer. I went van to start because I only wanted to re with so much getting started maintenance wise. When I got comfortable with the truck and my process, I added the reefer. What's your level of comfort. That's all.

My rate went from $1.90ish to $2.13ish. Up about 20-25 CPM. The last couple moths I am pushing $2.30 on all miles as well. So reefer is definitely worth it in my book.

My insurance includes reefer breakdown as well. The $10k they gave you is about what I was expecting when I started. I dickered with them and got a better deal. But my cdl all goes back to 1990 too. That helps.

Landstar is one of the big ones that don't accept OOIDA insurance. Their broker loads aren't that great anyway so your not missing much.

Weights reefer vs dry van for me.....


I can scale 45,000 with either. So it's really a moot point.

West Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey are like that as well (for beer, as well as liquor). I don't know what the fees are with these, as I'm a company driver. One of them (Maryland, methinks) runs from Nov-Oct, not Jan-Dec.

Looking like the ball will start rolling beginning of July and completed beginning August. Dry van Great Dane for starters. Purchasing tenatively in Henderson,CO ...

Congrats. I don't think you'll be sorry.

I'd even suggest starting now your billing process and all the forms you'll need and practice as if you have your authority now.

I did that about 3 months after leasing on with my first carrier because of settlement issues all the time. When I started giving them weekly invoices, my settlement issues went away.

Ok thanks, so it's more than just sending in the signed BOL, I best start playing with Quickbooks if so.....

I would suggest Quicken Home & Business instead. It's not as cumbersome as Quickbooks. If you have multiple employees and such, then yes, quickbooks would be good.

When I was leased on, items on the settlement were fuel, prepass, insurance, load line haul charges, lumpers, permits etc. Most of my headaches were from fuels not being right or related to that. When I created my invoice, if I bought fuel, it went on the invoice. Same with prepass, insurance and everything else. I put the full line haul amount in the rate box and the "qty" box had my lease rate to carry across to the charge column.

Like I said, my settlement issues went away then.

As a business owner, it's basically KNOWING what your cashflow should be.