Personal Issues

As I have previously mentioned, I do not get much into personal details here -- either my own or business of others. I have to admit, I really don't get Facebook. Why is it important for every moment of your life to be detailed to the world?

My dad is still sick. The good news is that he is out of the hospital and at home. But I do not believe he is going to be with us much longer. I have been in GA at their house since Dec 2 so there has been little 'Travelling the USA" going on.

I hope to resume this blog in the near future when we get thru this chapter of our lives. Until then, your prayers are most welcome.

Happy Day-After Christmas!

WOW -- my postings are becoming much less frequent over the past four months; since September. Coincidence that I have a late August posting about "no time" since adding on a new driver.

I put a lot of thought into these words and will re-write things until they say what I mean. How often have we 'spoken' words that you can't take back but they don't really sound the same out-loud as they did in your head. At least with the written word I can adjust before putting it out there.

My dad is in the hospital. I try to be respectful - to a point - with anybody I mention here in an identifiable way. Family in particular provides me an immense wealth of writing material -- which you will never see here.

One of the more significant impacts of dad in the hospital is that I have been in Savannah, GA for most of the last 2+ weeks. I will share with you that my dad has had a wonderful 89 years and has few regrets. He is not in any pain. He has slowed down alot in the past year or so.

I am leaving here Monday or Tuesday to get to IL. I have some (good) driver-business to deal with before the New Year. And I am looking again to add on another owner operator.

How do They Know THAT?????

I am always fine-tuning my business as we grow. As I add on more owner/operators there are new issues to deal with -- like how to pay them after we have been paid for the trip. Especially if I'm in FL and they are in SD!

Cash flow is always a problem for a driver; especially when they first get started. Many of our trips don't get paid for 30-45 days. In the meantime, the driver is paying fuel, maintenance on his truck, insurance, yada-yada-yada. He has alot of out-go with-out much income for the first couple of months. They want their money ASAP!

So Friday I tried PayPal, an internet based payment processing center that anyone cruising Ebay knows all about. I had already 'verified' my account with them and had my checking account linked. All I needed to do was log in and then 'pay' someone by entering their email or cell phone number. A code was sent to them telling them how to 'claim' the payment, theoretically by depositing into their checking account. Simple enough.

After I clicked the button to 'submit' the payment, the next screen was another verification process -- am I REALLY who I claim to be, the person with the RIGHT to move money out of this account. There were three questions. Each had three possible answers and a fourth "none of the above" option. The first question identified a piece of property I use to own and asked what month and year did I buy this -- 25 years ago! Another question identified one of my brothers by complete name and asked what city and state he lived in!

How do they know this? I guess when I verified my account, they looked up my credit report and pulled info from there. But my brother? By full name? How'd they do that? Can't help but remember George Orwell and Big Brother. Is that still mandatory reading? Should be.

Today I looked into another company that is specific to the transportation industry. You see their signs in ALL the truck stops -- ComData. I think I can get a 'credit card' to give each driver. I then electronically deposit funds into their account which they can access like a debit card - to make purchases (food or fuel) or take cash. It remains to be seen what kind of fees are involved.

Last week was the first time I had two, full-time, over-the-road drivers out at the same time. It was an extremely good week for everybody. I worked my butt off the first three days of the week. It is a mental thing. I actively monitor three load boards and my email (alot of my direct shippers sent out a blast message advertising loads). Plus there are a lot of ways to look for loads.

I always start with a radius-search from the zip code where the driver is looking to load. This gives me a list of out-bound loads based on weight and type-trailer parameters that I setup with-in a 50 or 100 mile radius. If I don't find something good, I will do a 'destination' search with the same parameters. This will give me a list of freight going INTO wherever it is I'm trying to get the driver (usually home).

Then I literally put something together. Sometimes it's one item going somewhere close to add another piece going where we are trying to get. When you send a driver off with a load someplace, getting him OUT of there must always be a consideration BEFORE he goes. It's no good having a nice paying job to Minot, ND if he has to dead-head 300 miles someplace after to find more work. Unless it was a REALLY nice paying load in. And speaking of Minot -- the weather is always a consideration also.

Then there is all the back-office stuff that I have to do to maintain compliance with the Feds. Let's not forget billing and accounts receivable -- you know, chasing those dead-beat brokers I have previously mentioned. Speaking of which, I had a driver in an area and Bowers Trucking had freight there they were trying to move. DELETE. I'm not dealing with those yahoos anymore.

Office Boy. I'm not sure how much longer that is going to be acceptable. It's new enough now and constantly evolving so I'm dealing with it. I like challenges. But this is going to get old eventually. So I need to grow just a little bit more so I can afford some office help. I'm thinking one or maybe two more drivers and I'm there. So that's the New Year Plan; add a couple more owner operators in January and then bring on a P/T office manager (to start).

Right now it's time for a little therapy (motorcycle ride; it is mid-60s already outside. And then it's football. Thank you STL for making this a late game today. I can go play until 4ish (east coast) before it's kick-off. Rams are hungry and looking for their second road victory in Arizona this afternoon. The Cardinals beat them almost 3 months ago but they are two teams going in the opposite direction. The Rams had their best game of the year last week and the Cards are in disarray.

GO RAMS!

Back in FL

I am sitting at my kitchen table looking out over the Gulf. It's quite chilly here today, only low 60s for the high and down into the 40s the next few nights; and very windy but the skies are beginning to clear from the rain overnite. The water is very choppy with white caps from the 20+ wind. But it beats the heck out of being up north.

I made it to my parents for Thanksgiving last week. I have only missed one, maybe two, in my life. It's a BIG day for my mother. She spends 3 or 4 days cooking and relishes in the family gathering. This year, all three sons showed up and five of the seven grandkids so she was extremely pleased with the house as stuffed as the 20# turkey.

My two boys were there which gave me immense pleasure. I love Thanksgiving; Food, Family and Football -- what's better?

I was able to load a car in Nashville going to Savannah, so I 'worked' my way there. Then I reloaded another car - 2 miles away - going to Sarasota, FL, about 40 miles south of Paradise. It is REALLY good to be home. I am so blessed to be able to live the life I have. I try to be thankful every day.

Before I left Belleville I was able to get another driver up and running. George is pulling my old (small) trailer for the moment. I have my new (to me) trailer down in FL for now. George is working on upgrading his CDL to an 'A' so he can pull the larger trailer.

It is difficult finding work for the little trailer, even though it supported me okay for almost 2 years before I 'grew up'. The biggest difference is having ramps to load wheeled-vehicles. As I mentioned before, there are hundreds - if not thousands - of cars moving everyday. So when I end up in a place that doesn't have much general freight - say the middle of South Dakota - invariably there will be a car you can take that at least pays the fuel to get you to a better place.

Cars don't pay real well individually. You need a trailer that can hold at least 2 or 3 to make a living at it. But if you are trying to get into, or out of, a particular place, moving a car will usually cover the fuel cost. Sometimes I can add a car to a load we already have that increases the revenue with-out much increase in miles (cost). The ability to move cars has been a HUGE difference for our bottom line.

My last post here -- more than 2 weeks ago -- I got off on a diatribe against brokers. In a moment of sanity, I at least added the disclaimer that I didn't hate all brokers and that there are actually some good ones out there. Regardless, I have had some feedback.

Most of my business is conducted via email and telephone. I do not have a fax here. When an exchange of paperwork is required, I scan and email back and forth. My email has a 'signature' which includes a link to my blog. Apparently, some of the brokers I am in contact with use the link. Not everyone agrees with my opinion.

But I still feel the same (surprise!) I think I'll just leave it at that. Nuff said.

I had mentioned before, that as I add on more Owner/Operators, my time is increasingly spent on keeping them moving (loaded) and then pushing paper in their support - billing, tracking, compliance, etc. The result is - as I was worried it would be - there are are times when I don't have time to drive also. My one freind has taken to calling me 'Office Boy' now.

Take yesterday. I spent about 7 hours straight monitoring load boards on the internet and making phone calls trying to keep my trucks moving. I ended up with very excellent trips for both guys.

My barometer is $/mile. And I calculate differently than everyone else because I INCLUDE deadhead miles. Brokers and shippers don't care about that part. They look at 'loaded' miles. But as a carrier, I am still buying fuel and adding miles to my brakes, tires and engine to GET to the load. It ain't free!

My bottom line is $1/mi from the time they leave the house until they get back. It isn't easy when the national average for an 18-wheeler flatbed is $1.87/loaded mile and our trucks are 1/3 the size. That's where the ability to add a car makes ALL the difference. That and actively monitoring the load boards so when a good paying load does pop-up, you get on it right away. I have alarms set to notify me when a new load is posted. But it is difficult driving down the road doing this.

So for the moment I am stuck in FL - looking out over the choppy waters of the Gulf, trying to stay warm in these 60 degree temps, waiting for my alarm to sound. Oh well.

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.

Everything in Life comes down to BALANCE

I lie here early Sunday morning, reaping the benefits of the time change, and was watching a movie contemplating life in general. My random thoughts reviewed where I am today -- this minute -- and then back thru time and how I got here; is this the direction I want to be going. Kind of a philosophical, home-alone moment.

I don't live in the past but rather try to learn from the past. I try to consider how my "TODAY" is formed by decisions I have made in the past ... choices I have made that led to this point rather than another. Almost with-out exception -- and the only reason I hesitate to make this an ALL INCLUSIVE statement is because there may be 1 exception even though I can't think of it -- most of my decisions involved a choice of action on my part that would have implications on many other people directly and indirectly.

Because I believe in Karma -- if you do good things then good things will happen to you, I try very hard to make good choices -- do the the RIGHT thing -- as often as I can. Because I believe good things will come back to me. Truth be told, I'm being very self-centered, looking out for myself! But I think the way to get there is to be good to others and it comes back to you multiplied.

But then there's that 'balance' thing. Because I also believe very much in balance -- ANYTHING to the extreme is most likely gonna be bad. It's kind of like my head and my heart are at odds sometimes. And there too is balance. For you to feel good about yourself, your head and your heart must be happy.

And everyone wants to feel good. I feel pretty good about my life. Certainly not perfect -- NOTHING IS! So it's about maintaining balance. But that doesn't mean 'stuck in the middle' either. Everyone knows the teeter-totter was way more fun when it was bouncing up AND down. You just have to remember, the further you go one way, the harder and faster you will come back thru the middle.

I'm not sure what I'm doing today since the mornings not even half done. I have been working my new trailer. The ramps are now done -- better than before -- thank you Lance Cabinets in Freeburg, IL. They should be stronger than the last set and are lighter. I am loading some 42' lengths of pipe on my 32' trailer tomorrow going to Omaha, NE. Come back for those pictures!

I may go out to Breeze again and visit my oldest son. He knows a place with good food, NFL Ticket and $2 beers -- gimme a recliner and I'll be in heaven.

But for the moment, it's back to movie time. BTW, it's Grown-ups with Adam Sandler -- 2 thumbs up.

Oh, and in case anyone is keeping score, in an ipdate to my "DEADBEAT BROKER" series, United Intercoastal paid their bill. Two week late but paid in full. Still waiting for Bowers Trucking. And I have three more coming due this next week, so stay tuned!

Good Fortune comes at a Price

I was doing a friend a personal favor. He is building a very large fence for his wife's horses and had ordered a bunch of boards and posts and wire. It was more than a tractor trailer load so I went and picked up the left-overs - which was still almost 20,000# - slightly more than my legal limit (but we won't talk about that part).

I was pulling my new (to me) trailer but was cautious to make sure it had been properly serviced. If I'm going to max this thing out on it's first trip (with me pulling) I wanted to be sure it was capable. I had replaced several of the 8 tires but soon discovered that two of them, although 'looking' okay, were going to be a problem. I made it about half way back on my 370 mile trip and two tires failed.

I hadn't been stopped on the shoulder of the interstate for five minutes when a 'good Samaritan' pulled up behind me to offer assistance (I assumed). Turns out he works for a nearby tire shop. I think I used up a ton of my Good Karma on that deal.

It took about an hour but he had a service truck to my rescue with one new tire (I had a spare) and I was back on the road. It came at a price of course but that is the nature of roadside breakdowns. I don't mean to imply that I was taken advantage of -- NO! I understand the service guy was working O/T and had to drive to my aid and this all happened about 6:00 in the evening. But I will say that I could have saved about $100 had I gone to the store during regular business hours and got the same thing done.

I was debating whether to make my lead to this post my "Good Fortune" story or my DEADBEAT BROKER UPDATE. As you see I chose the good news.

I have two more DEADBEAT BROKERS to gripe about today. Armstrong Transport - a North Carolina company agreed to pay us within 30-days. According to their A/P person, their checking account was hacked and they had to open a new account, and by our good fortune, the new checks came in today. Their freight was delivered on Sep 22 and the Invoice and Proof of Delivery emailed to them on the same day. As of this writing, they are almost 2 weeks late.

DEADBEAT BROKER #2 for the day is United Intermodal of The Colony, TX. Their excuse was they received only the invoice and not the Proof of Delivery. Ahhh, the 'missing paperwork' excuse. Not very original. And unless I take the expense to mail stuff for delivery confirmation, I have no way to challenge their tale.

Now, I have to admit, the person I am dealing with there seems to be helpful rather than arrogant (like Armstrong Yuck-a-deenies). When I re-sent my original email showing when and to whom it went, they agreed to next-day-air our check. And they were apologetic. We shall see.

Interestingly, the load board that I got the United Intercoastal load off of has a rating system. I promptly went online and gave them a 'negative' rating for non-payment. I don't doubt that is some incentive for them to 'do the right thing' and get our money to us. They don't have such a pretty rating even with-out my negative mark. In the past 6 months 16 other companies have rated them negative or neutral (the only other option is positive).