Quote:
Originally Posted by tbogle
I did go to the website and from what was reading most werent being honest from what other people were saying. I dont know i couldnt tell you if it is true or not. But you said you were close to going with them...ok so you didnt go with them, so how did you get your numbers? Where did they come from? I know that with the numbers we found, they didnt look to bad. Maybe i need to go see another accountant and get a second opinion. Maybe I dont know what i am doing and need to go back to school and get some more education on accounting. Plus how can you go bankrupt in 5 years on a lease that is only 4 years long?
Well best of luck to you, like I said I never wish for anyone to fail. So, in all honesty I will be pulling for you and your husband to make it. It has been a couple of years since I ran the numbers and will have to look to see if I can find them, I would be more than happy to fax, e-mail them to you for you to look over. I have nothing to hide and just hate to see someone who will spend so much time and money in a career that will most likely not be a sound investment. An FYI, Prime only pulls their own frieght, so if they have no frieght your husband will have no recourse to try to broker his own load as a supplement. In other words, if they do not have a load for him, he has to either sit, or perhaps deadhead many miles on his own dime to get another load. I talked to a driver who agreed to deadhead 600 miles to pick-up a load to keep from sitting. I do not know how much that happens, but I am sure in this low frieght period, it could be a possibility more often than not. Just think how much it will cost to drive that tractor 600 miles to pick up aload that may pay $600-$700, there are many drivers who get upside down by taking a load, just to get a load.
I have no idea how much experience your husband has driving, you may have said and I missed it. But if he is a new driver, consider it will take him at least a year to get comfortable with the system, load planning, trip planning, driving habits, knowing where to get the cheapest fuel. Figure he will be at least 10% or more OOR miles, being unfamiliar with the area, in other words getting lost, believe me it will happen. Road consrtruction detours, DOT violations, missed delivery and pickup times. Those things are just a part of being new in the business, and unfortunately they cost money, don't forget eating on the road, they are all things that add up quick. Just something to keep in mind.
I would recommend getting a truckers atlas, being familiar with all the states laws in regard to weight, truck length and width, your dispatcher is not going to know, they should, but they do not. Make sure he learns to log correctly and runs legal, ther are no breaks for not knowing the law, or just forgetting something. A CMV is a bank on wheels to many states and if you are green and forget something, it could cost hundreds of $$$.
Trust me for your last question, if you run in the red for 4 years, it is very easy to dig a hole so deep that BK is the only option. Please remember this, the only that is important to a trucking company is the frieght, everything else comes second, if you doubt that see what happens the first time a shipper or reciever complains to Prime about late pick up or delivery, these days it could cost you your job. There are hundreds of drivers out of work because of very minor violations, taht a couple of years ago wopuld have just been let slip by.
Like i say i wish you nothing but the best, but I am afraid the odds are really stacked against you at this time, but maybe you will be thet one who beats the odds, lets hope so.