Turning my authority back on...

[Evotrucker]

I went from making 1k-2.8k a week to $500-$800 a week after all company expenses.... I'm trying to save up enough to get my own authority and just run of DAT load boards. I'm hearing and seeing brokers/trucking companys bitching and moaning about prices BUT! i followed the prices in the mid west, its been $2.10+/- a mile for a long time.... coming from working in the ports for 1.50-1.90 a mile. 2$ at this point is living the high life, this company is great! just not enough work or lanes to work consistently.


Even working at $2 a mile or more is a lot better getting to pick certain lanes and build a reputation with brokers and customers is more appealing to me. One big thing is, i can clearly see what im getting paid vs what im getting told what im getting paid and! i get my detention money and no excuses from the company say the customer hasnt paid yet.... like come on! lol. i also wouldnt have to share that money :P.

[flatbed94kid]

Some boards are, dat, 123 load board, jb carrier 360, uber, convoy, Internet truc stop,

Then large carrier have their own like swift.

Just depends on the rates. How much is that 10 or whatever percent your paying?

your going to be paying for all the insurances,

Maybe your giving up the 3% to factor if you do. If not you will spend some on fuel on 30 days or 75 days or so.

So now your at the 100% or 97%. From 90, from 80, from 75, 65?

Main thing I see is your rate has to pay as you got more expenses. Insurance mainly is the biggie.

[Waterloo]

(06-14-2019 )flatbed94kid Wrote:  Some boards are, dat, 123 load board, jb carrier 360, uber, convoy, Internet truc stop,

Then large carrier have their own like swift.

Just depends on the rates. How much is that 10 or whatever percent your paying?

your going to be paying for all the insurances,

Maybe your giving up the 3% to factor if you do. If not you will spend some on fuel on 30 days or 75 days or so.

So now your at the 100% or 97%. From 90, from 80, from 75, 65?

Main thing I see is your rate has to pay as you got more expenses. Insurance mainly is the biggie.

The Insurance has been my sticking point too. But, sitting when I can be working, and finding my own freight outweigh, and in the long run will negate, the insurance costs. I figure insurance will run roughly $1000 a month for cargo/liability and collision. I will keep my current bobtail insurance and go with OOIDA for the cargo. They have a pretty good handle on what I am looking to do with power only and their pricing seems reasonable. There are a few little add ons associated with power only that they can take care of that I had no clue on.

Remember too, no hidden fees that a carrier slaps you with, have your pay in 24 hours or less, if you want to work, there is work, and bobtailing to a trailer is quite a bit less expensive than dead heading with a trailer. And if you are out of town and without a trailer, easy parking, another benefit.

And I have been doing some more digging, Christmas is coming up, I found the UPS outfit that handles that seasonal rush, power only, and pays good. Starts in September. $$$ That is steady freight, 24/7 right up to Christmas Eve, I know where one of the yards are that handle the inbound trailers, not far from the house down in Toledo area.

Also found a local carrier that needs to move auto parts, power only. They pay around $2+ a mile, loads are light, trailers are new and all drop and hook. That is right in my wheel house.

I'm honestly surprised at what I am finding, and then we have the Mega Carriers, they too are looking for power only tractors. Just running the numbers, and low balling them, I think there is something here.

[Waterloo]

(06-14-2019 )Evotrucker Wrote:  I went from making 1k-2.8k a week to $500-$800 a week after all company expenses.... I'm trying to save up enough to get my own authority and just run of DAT load boards. I'm hearing and seeing brokers/trucking companys bitching and moaning about prices BUT! i followed the prices in the mid west, its been $2.10+/- a mile for a long time.... coming from working in the ports for 1.50-1.90 a mile. 2$ at this point is living the high life, this company is great! just not enough work or lanes to work consistently.


Even working at $2 a mile or more is a lot better getting to pick certain lanes and build a reputation with brokers and customers is more appealing to me. One big thing is, i can clearly see what im getting paid vs what im getting told what im getting paid and! i get my detention money and no excuses from the company say the customer hasnt paid yet.... like come on! lol. i also wouldnt have to share that money :P.

I never had any real luck on load boards, but they were in their infancy back then. As far as turning on your authority, call OOIDA. They have a pretty much turnkey solution, right now looking at roughly $1300 to get it all going and be legal with just their cargo insurance, I will keep my bob tail. Granted, you can do the set up for free if you want to take the time and save $200. The only real cost for myself is the $85 fee to turn on my old numbers, but will let them do the rest of the filings and be done with it.

Then the IFTA, I do not believe they handle that, but it is easy to get... Just go to your state website and fill out the forms, they will send you your stickers in a week or two after you get your insurance and are filed with the feds. There should be no charge for the stickers and permit.

And remember, the IFTA filings are quarterly, so you will need to be able to record your miles properly. I still use pen and paper, I do not trust these computers, and if a computer crashes, then what do you do if that data is lost? Have a system that is fool proof and you will be OK when filing and when renewing your base plate.

The one thing they will hit you with is the drug and alcohol program, you must be enrolled in a consortium to be legal. Up here in Michigan, we have Concentra Medical, they have a consortium and it is free to enroll. You may have something like that in your area, no need to pay for something that you do not have too. Call your local DOT pee test clinic and see if they have such a program. Ask if they have a "Drug Consortium", if they have such a program they will know immediately what you are looking for.

I am totally disgusted at what I am seeing out here with these trucking companies. My old company must have been an oddity out here, we were never treated like I have been and seen in the past 6 months. No professionalism in these offices, and totally clueless folks running the dispatch side. The stress and drama is just not worth it. When you wake up pissed off in the morning, before you have had your coffee, it is time to move on.

If you are confident in yourself, I would say go for it.

[Lonestar10]

from what ive seen theres plenty of freight at meh rates and plenty of trailers ready to roll and no trucks because most of these companies are running the ever living piss out of the drivers especially all the drivers that saw the "Super" rates and bought 150-200k trucks and now their ending up flat ass broke because they have no clue about seasonal/political/weather drops in rates. Flat bed has been good 4500-5k per wk take home before exp. but our dispatcher is working his ass off to keep 18 trucks rolling and he doesnt have much help its just him and his brother and his brother does all the safety/billing/payroll

[Nostalgic]

Waterloo, you're making me feel extremely blessed to have found the company I leased on with. I originally planned on my own authority, but honestly, I despise paperwork - more specifically, paperwork that has to be done just in order to pay taxes. The % I give up is well worth it in my opinion and settlements are in my account 2 weeks after I mail in my weekly pods without giving up any of the freedom to do what I want.

I found out that Truckstop Pro is pretty much a necessity - I tried the cheaper platform(s) first, but to see credit score and live data, it's worth it to pay the extra, and DAT has given me a few nuggets when I put myself in dead areas. If you're doing van, you'll probably find the opposite to be the case.

I have a newfound respect for good dispatchers - it's a lot of work to keep the $ ball rolling while looking ahead a week and dealing with the daily setbacks. So far, my biggest challenge has been keeping the trailer loaded over the weekends.

[smorgan87]

I tried jb hunt power only. My last load i hauled for em was to front royal, va. Got there and the customer had no empty trailers. Well guess who else didnt have an empty trailer? JB. Afyer sitting til monday i ended up and bobtailed from VA (almost to DC) to MO, rented a wagon from xtra and got to work. That was the 3rd time they left me sitting with no trailer and no loads. Constantly wanted me to haul 45k lb beer loads for sub $2 (i dont have alcohol permits either) they only have certain loads available to power only and will not book a load from the brokerage. The power only load board did not work with android and i couldnt seem to get my point across to the dispatcher that i dont haul for free. Theyre a typical mega carrier IMO. Ive worked for them as a driver, as a PO carrier and ive hauled for their brokerage. The brokerage doesnt like me much. Ive actauly had them tell me i needed to quote them a reasonable rate and argue with me that 2 bucks to phoenix was a good rate.

[Chamberpains]

IFTA, in PA at least, is as simple as going down to the DMV and setting up the account and paying, I think, $10 for the sticker. Should be a quick painless experience. Then just file quarterly. Print or download the form online. PA is going 100% electronic this year so we no longer will get forms in the mail. Just sign up on PennDot or PA department of Revenue site for IFTA and files thru there quarterly.

[Waterloo]

(06-15-2019 )Nostalgic Wrote:  Waterloo, you're making me feel extremely blessed to have found the company I leased on with. I originally planned on my own authority, but honestly, I despise paperwork - more specifically, paperwork that has to be done just in order to pay taxes. The % I give up is well worth it in my opinion and settlements are in my account 2 weeks after I mail in my weekly pods without giving up any of the freedom to do what I want.

I found out that Truckstop Pro is pretty much a necessity - I tried the cheaper platform(s) first, but to see credit score and live data, it's worth it to pay the extra, and DAT has given me a few nuggets when I put myself in dead areas. If you're doing van, you'll probably find the opposite to be the case.

I have a newfound respect for good dispatchers - it's a lot of work to keep the $ ball rolling while looking ahead a week and dealing with the daily setbacks. So far, my biggest challenge has been keeping the trailer loaded over the weekends.

I miss my old company that I was leased too... This new outfit has the freight, but all of the drama in the past two weeks was enough for me. And then the lying, that does not play well with me at all. The 2330 wake up call was the last straw with the forced dispatch. Going to VA Hospital tomorrow for an appointment, I don't know if I am going back. OOIDA has everything started, should get the final numbers tomorrow to turn it all back on and get me rolling. Found an ELD today, have that all ready to go. Just need my DOT and MC numbers reinstated to get the IFTA and start registering with the brokers and what not. I'm ready to go.