Turning my authority back on...

[Lonestar10]

Im leased on with small company 18 trucks 2 guys in the office 1 dispatches other is safety/billing/settlements/yada yada, been doing this since September 99% of the time loaded over the weekend leave on Sunday drive 1-5hrs to be close to drop off get home normally 3-6 friday afternoon. our worst rates are lumber at 1.65 PMile + 100 tarp pay. best rates are typically PVC pipe 2.80-3.20 PMile depending on the market they are sending you into have had some Styrofoam insulation out of Wisconsin 165 or 190 miles cant remember pays normally 800 bucks. PVC is normally 700 min rate for anything under 250 miles + FSCharge of around 32-34c per mile.


They Pay - Cargo Insurance and idk what else
I pay - IFTA/Truck Trailer Insurance/Fuel/Plates/$20 a month ELD fee/anything related to truck

Fuel - with RTS card best places to fuel are Sapp Brothers .20-.40 off cash otherwise hit up Coffee Cups and other small mom pop type places as its only 12c off cash at J/TA/Pet/Pilot. need to look into NATSC or Waterloos APEX card.


Typical 5 day week average pay before expenses is 4500-4700 take home - they take their 12% off the line rate i get 100% of FSC and Tarp pay. on average 1200-1400 in fuel a week

if i was running like Rawze and pulling a van im sure the van alone would help my fuel mileage but i also wouldnt push as hard as i tend to now as Rawze has said its not worth it to run to make someone else money faster and lower your end result but running this flatbed running a bit harder getting one more 800-1000 dollar load in a week for me adds up. avg about 65mph today and parked at receiver when i unload in the AM ill already be at $2500 for the week and 3 loads delivered.

granted i miss Van/Reefer the 7 or 8 am to 3-4pm load/unload window of flatbed can be a killer some days especially when you get delayed at other shippers/receivers


I honestly don't know what some people are doing wrong in Flatbed and other specializations. i became an O/O in Sept bought my truck used and trailer brand new right around 95,000 big ones on credit hit the road with 2,500 left in the bank after down payments and plates.

Now i have around 21,000 in the bank and ive been maintaining the hell out of the truck replacing parts that Act or are Bad.

since Sept so 9 months just on the truck not fuel/insurance/eld/cat scales/and all other assorted business stuff
740 in APU repairs
32,000 in Maintenance/injectors/rear ends/water lines/labor/charge air cooler/sensors/actuators/u joints/air dryer rebuild/thermostat/exh manifold gaskets/air bag/and idk what else.

I do all my own labor where i feel comfortable with my skill level and shop does the rest. some things probably didn't have to be replaced but im trying to get the truck into top fighting form 1 small area at a time. next is going to be the head that wasn't replaced when it was overhauled.....after that idk im starting to run out of parts to replace trying to find out what is killing my fuel mileage. part is my foot but it shouldn't be 4.5-4.8MPG my cascadia DD15 i drove at crete got 8MPG all day long and i held that thing pegged at 65 all day long and beat the crap out of it where my truck now i treat like it the love of my life which i do love my truck its not perfect but it looks good no one ever believes its 10yrs old and so far except for fuel mileage its treated me good and hasn't stranded me once.

[Waterloo]

I hear ya, everyone's situation is different. Sounds like you found a good outfit, the one I am with is crap. Calling me all day today, I never answered, told them several times I would be at the VA hospital today. They still blew up my phone. Screw them.

I just want to work, NO DRAMA, tired of sitting in truck stops waiting for the phone to ring, or idiot dispatchers calling with forced 12 pick loads that pay $640 gross. Yes, 12 pick loads at $640 gross. Or that call at 2330 telling me she, the dispatcher, is going home for the night when I have a 0400 pickup. I put these red flags in my pocket, I'm done, the pocket is full.

[Lonestar10]

typically send in an "MT soon" txt and get my next load sent back to me. maybe now and then get a "when do you think youll be there" text thats about it unless something in my load info txt was wrong and i call in to figure it out. otherwise im left to my own devices

[Magard]

(06-14-2019 )Waterloo Wrote:  

(06-14-2019 )Magard Wrote:  Are those prices without road tax or something.... that’s crazy cheap.

That is the real at the time it comes out of your bank account price. Pump says $2.99 you pay $2.28... Give them a call. Seriously.

I’m looking at fuel cards. I haven’t made any calls but seems like your cards won’t be much of a option for me because I’m saturated with loves and pilot flying j out here. Petro is few and fare between. I found a card that is mostly loves and t/a Petro I’m gonna call them tomorrow. It’s a fleet one card I believe so I thinks that is the same ones behind the nastc card.

[Waterloo]

(06-18-2019 )Magard Wrote:  

(06-14-2019 )Waterloo Wrote:  

(06-14-2019 )Magard Wrote:  Are those prices without road tax or something.... that’s crazy cheap.

That is the real at the time it comes out of your bank account price. Pump says $2.99 you pay $2.28... Give them a call. Seriously.

I’m looking at fuel cards. I haven’t made any calls but seems like your cards won’t be much of a option for me because I’m saturated with loves and pilot flying j out here. Petro is few and fare between. I found a card that is mostly loves and t/a Petro I’m gonna call them tomorrow. It’s a fleet one card I believe so I thinks that is the same ones behind the nastc card.

Yep, FleetOne with the NASTC card, Comdata and TSH/TCH behind the Apex card. Do you have Speedway out there? I thought your wife said they were up in your area? How about AmBest? I haven't been out that way in years... And that sucks, because those are solid discounts.

And I would call these guys and ask about fuel stops, they may surprise you. There may be a few mom and pops on your routes that you don't even know about or have just kind of ignored due to their location.

[SquareOne]

Waterloo, man I wish you the very best. I've read a ton of your posts and it seems the takeaway is this.....be grateful and reliable to those who take care of you, because it seems very few and far between in this industry... Everybody sells you a Picasso when trying to get you there, although it rapidly becomes just another WalMart reprint once you arrive.

- Honestly, people screwing others over, not knowing their job, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. is a common theme in business unfortunately. If you pulled all the weeds, there would be no lawn left lol!


As far as the fuel card is concerned, I've actually given APEX a call about the TCS fuelcard. Waiting for a 'human' response now, not an automated email. From what I can gather, the only way to see any current pricing is to be a holder of one of their cards (which they sent me the agreement for, but I have yet to fill out). Currently, with the rewards discount on my card...I pay off every month so there's no interest either... my per gallon cost as of yesterday was 2.53. I fill up at the same store (Keith's Discount Chevron) so with their rewards program I also get a $5 credit on every 3rd purchase. Not very much, but it's nice to get a coffee and a couple other items when you're running through the night.

My run is very basic, so it's easy to hunt the best fuel price as I'll mainly be on the same route. For ex., as I pay $2.53 currently, I look across the street at the Petro and the cash price is still $2.91

[Magard]

I just called the apex card people. It’s pretty amazing. Deposit cash with them and use your money to save. No attachment to your account. One particular spot I fuel at right now is a 70 cents a gallon savings off of cash price. It’s not always that way but it’s 30-40. Cents is common.

[Waterloo]

(06-18-2019 )SquareOne Wrote:  Waterloo, man I wish you the very best. I've read a ton of your posts and it seems the takeaway is this.....be grateful and reliable to those who take care of you, because it seems very few and far between in this industry... Everybody sells you a Picasso when trying to get you there, although it rapidly becomes just another WalMart reprint once you arrive.

- Honestly, people screwing others over, not knowing their job, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. is a common theme in business unfortunately. If you pulled all the weeds, there would be no lawn left lol!


As far as the fuel card is concerned, I've actually given APEX a call about the TCS fuelcard. Waiting for a 'human' response now, not an automated email. From what I can gather, the only way to see any current pricing is to be a holder of one of their cards (which they sent me the agreement for, but I have yet to fill out). Currently, with the rewards discount on my card...I pay off every month so there's no interest either... my per gallon cost as of yesterday was 2.53. I fill up at the same store (Keith's Discount Chevron) so with their rewards program I also get a $5 credit on every 3rd purchase. Not very much, but it's nice to get a coffee and a couple other items when you're running through the night.

My run is very basic, so it's easy to hunt the best fuel price as I'll mainly be on the same route. For ex., as I pay $2.53 currently, I look across the street at the Petro and the cash price is still $2.91

I do my best out here and hate being taken advantage of. Just received my paycheck, not happy, they are a tad bit judicious with their numbers when they tell you what the load pays, sad.

But on to better news... I have a line on Amazon freight up here, all set up with insurance to move their trailers. Called JB, asked about rates and trailer availability today... 25 trailers sitting waiting for trucks, high was $3.67 heading to Buffalo, low was $2.02, didn't ask where that was going. But plenty for me, he said it is slow in regards to available trucks... I like this kind of slow, no sweat me going to Buffalo.

And you could not get anyone at Apex? They picked right up when I called, gave me prices without a question. Maybe they are extra busy, I know OOIDA is.

[Waterloo]

(06-18-2019 )Magard Wrote:  I just called the apex card people. It’s pretty amazing. Deposit cash with them and use your money to save. No attachment to your account. One particular spot I fuel at right now is a 70 cents a gallon savings off of cash price. It’s not always that way but it’s 30-40. Cents is common.

That .70 really helps the bottom line.