And Then There Was One! (plus me) (for the moment)

My first new driver, Mike, is the only one left, besides me. I added two more after Mike and both have now failed to find success. I have said it before, truck drivers -- in general -- are not the sharpest pencil in the box. And I don't mean to belittle professional truck drivers. I am proud to be one myself. But you go hang around the fuel pumps at any truck stop and you'll see what I'm talking about.

On the good side though, I have another potential Leessor meeting Monday. This guy has also shown some initiative by researching what is required to upgrade his CDL from a "B" to an "A" and has that scheduled for next week.

He has experience delivering campers country-wide. That is the perfect type experience, in my mind. There are many common areas between 'Big Truck' drivers and Hot Shots like us. But there are some big differences too. Delivering campers over-the-road teaches one alot about professional driving but from a different prospective than a big truck. And he is a referral -- a friend of a friend type thing. I am very optimistic.

The bad news, I am likely going to be with-out a trailer next week. My new guy doesn't bring one with him. But no worries. I will get my new one fixed up -- still got brake issues -- and then let him lease it from me. It will likely get more work with someone else (highly motivated) pulling it that sitting with me in FL for $5/day storage.

My trip to SC Wed turned out well. I had a nice paying load out, delivered Thu after lunch, found a truck going to Greenville, SC and then two cars from there coming back -- one right into Belleville! I was home Fri nite late and made my delivery this morning after a nite in MY bed. My log book will catch up with me around noon today. I had a VERY long drive day yesterday.

DEAD BEAT BROKER UPDATE -- I finally got money from Bower's Trucking -- 44 days after they received the invoice and Proof of Delivery. One SHIPPER conceded to me that anything less than 45-days was no big beal. But I can't complain from the shipper. They typically are paying a very good rate for your haul. Waiting a bit longer for your money is factored in because you feel pretty good the money is good.

Brokers are a different story. DISCLAIMER FIRST: I don't hate ALL brokers. But there sure seem to be a bunch of un-professional, greedy, internet-savy parasites that have gone into business putting buyers and sellers together -- in this case shippers and carriers. Paying their bills late is only the tip of the iceberg to what some of these money-grubbers will do.

One of the more extreme of which just happened earlier this week. Many shippers send out an email announcing their shipping needs. I'm on this email list for many places around STL. So 30 minutes after the email is sent, I see all these brokers posting the freight on one or more load boards -- that I also subscribe too. It is interesting to see the variance in pay each broker is offering, compared to what the shipper is paying. This past week I saw a $1500 load being offered from $1400 to $900! For the same load! $900! THAT broker is on my "Do Not Call" list. There are a few brokers out there that actually EARN a REASONABLE finders fee for their service. But very few.

So, I am around STL for the next week or 10 days. Then I will head to see my parents for Thanksgiving - probably my MOST favorite of ALL the holidays. From there I will go on down to FL for some much needed R&R.