A few people have ask me when I'm going to get back to my blog. I'm afraid it may be awhile before I can do this again regularily.
If you look back over the last six months, I have been getting farther and farther between posts. What use to be once or twice a week has become once in a while. The biggest reason is because my situation has changed significantly from this blogs inception.
Look at the title -- Traveling the USA. When I started this, that's what I was doing; driving around the country on a permanent, 'paid-vacation' living the dream. My motorcycle was on the back of the trailer and I went wherever I wanted doing as I pleased, for the most part. Life was good.
Last year I got my own Motor Carrier Authority which meant I got to keep ALL the money I generated rather than sharing with someone else for putting their name on the side of my truck. But it also opened a whole new way of making money. I was able to have OTHER owner/operators working with MY name on the side of their truck. My plan was to take a small percent and continue doing what I was doing but generating extra income for me.
It didn't take long to realize that I could make MORE money by concentrating on having more drivers out there working. Plus, I didn't have to drive as much. As much as I like to drive, running 80-90,000 miles a year means 'living' in your truck -- ALOT. Sitting on the beach in paradise and dispatching 2 or 3 other owner/operators became the norm. But I lost alot of the new subject matter to write about. I wasn't Traveling the USA anymore.
Then my dad went in the hospital in early December 2010 and my priorities REALLY changed. You can read my last couple of posts and see that. After he passed, a whole new set of priorities emerged. And that is where I have been these past two months. My travels have been limited to FL to GA to IL to FL to GA to IL over-and-over.
My life has changed in ways I could never have imagined six months ago. But the reality is, I am not Traveling the USA much these days. So this blog has very little purpose today. It's not The End; just a time out.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Open Letter to My Dad
(We buried my father last Friday. I suspect he has some questions about why I did certain things and I wanted him to know ‘why’. Also, many friends have wondered about some of the details and I thought this would be a good way to share. And in case you are reading this first part but not the rest, please take away THIS: There is AN END to our days so don’t wait too long.)
You may be wondering why I was so ardent in my efforts to make the end as ‘Jewish’ as possible for you when the vast majority of your life was not. I was actually challenged with this question by someone I greatly respect and knows our family well. It really bothered me at first. Was I doing this for ME?
I can answer that now, at least in my head. The very first part of your life was Orthodox. Then things changed drastically for you – as a young teen – and religion was more enemy than friend. But I think you identified with Judaism in a very internal, personal way that got stronger over time. I tried to complete the circle for you because that’s what life is – a circle; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You started out very Jewish and I tried to make the end as Jewish as I could.
But there was more. Most of our talks, as the end got closer, centered on your desire for mother to be taken care of. (Sidebar: You should know better than ANYBODY, mother really needs no help. She’s an incredibly strong person) The Jewish tradition of ‘Shomer’ – guardian of the body from the moment of death until burial – seemed to be the best way to give her peace of mind; knowing that your earthly remains were treated with the utmost respect, until you reached your final resting place.
Speaking of which, I’m sorry about no Arlington National Cemetery. Your Purple Heart and WWII war hero status wasn’t good enough to move you up the 6-month waiting list to be buried there. Your youngest son tried; REAL hard. But bureaucracy won. The good news is, it will be easier for many family and friends to visit you at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.
I am trying my best to maintain Jewish tradition by sitting shiva for you. But since we were never particularly religious – some would say I’m not Jewish at all – some of the ‘rules’ are difficult to adhere to; much like the funeral itself. (My drivers do not want another week of un-paid vacation, so I will be working later this week.)
This part – sitting shiva - is for me. By trying to keep some of these traditions, I am first-of-all learning what they are and then, secondly, getting some comfort from it. Which is ironic, since most of these customs are meant to be UN-comfortable so you focus on the grieving process. But then I consider myself a Pragmatic Jew; I try to fit these 3,000 year old customs into my 21st century life. As you know, I believe religion is about inner-peace and a personal relationship with GOD. Since I find following the ENTIRE Bible to be nearly impossible, I focus on Exodus 20:1-17 (The Ten Commandments).
That part about honoring thy Mother and thy Father? That has been my motivation for the past two months. You need to know, I still feel good to this day about what I have done. I understand your questioning my commitment but, more often than not, I try to do the right thing because it IS the right thing.
I will miss you dad. The conversations we had these past few weeks have changed me for life. I had hard feelings for you many, many years. I blamed you for a lot of stuff that now, in hind-sight, is so trivial. The last ten years have been better. The past two months have been priceless. Thanks. And thank GOD I was able to get it right while you were still here.
You may be wondering why I was so ardent in my efforts to make the end as ‘Jewish’ as possible for you when the vast majority of your life was not. I was actually challenged with this question by someone I greatly respect and knows our family well. It really bothered me at first. Was I doing this for ME?
I can answer that now, at least in my head. The very first part of your life was Orthodox. Then things changed drastically for you – as a young teen – and religion was more enemy than friend. But I think you identified with Judaism in a very internal, personal way that got stronger over time. I tried to complete the circle for you because that’s what life is – a circle; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You started out very Jewish and I tried to make the end as Jewish as I could.
But there was more. Most of our talks, as the end got closer, centered on your desire for mother to be taken care of. (Sidebar: You should know better than ANYBODY, mother really needs no help. She’s an incredibly strong person) The Jewish tradition of ‘Shomer’ – guardian of the body from the moment of death until burial – seemed to be the best way to give her peace of mind; knowing that your earthly remains were treated with the utmost respect, until you reached your final resting place.
Speaking of which, I’m sorry about no Arlington National Cemetery. Your Purple Heart and WWII war hero status wasn’t good enough to move you up the 6-month waiting list to be buried there. Your youngest son tried; REAL hard. But bureaucracy won. The good news is, it will be easier for many family and friends to visit you at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.
I am trying my best to maintain Jewish tradition by sitting shiva for you. But since we were never particularly religious – some would say I’m not Jewish at all – some of the ‘rules’ are difficult to adhere to; much like the funeral itself. (My drivers do not want another week of un-paid vacation, so I will be working later this week.)
This part – sitting shiva - is for me. By trying to keep some of these traditions, I am first-of-all learning what they are and then, secondly, getting some comfort from it. Which is ironic, since most of these customs are meant to be UN-comfortable so you focus on the grieving process. But then I consider myself a Pragmatic Jew; I try to fit these 3,000 year old customs into my 21st century life. As you know, I believe religion is about inner-peace and a personal relationship with GOD. Since I find following the ENTIRE Bible to be nearly impossible, I focus on Exodus 20:1-17 (The Ten Commandments).
That part about honoring thy Mother and thy Father? That has been my motivation for the past two months. You need to know, I still feel good to this day about what I have done. I understand your questioning my commitment but, more often than not, I try to do the right thing because it IS the right thing.
I will miss you dad. The conversations we had these past few weeks have changed me for life. I had hard feelings for you many, many years. I blamed you for a lot of stuff that now, in hind-sight, is so trivial. The last ten years have been better. The past two months have been priceless. Thanks. And thank GOD I was able to get it right while you were still here.
Monday, January 17, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
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.
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.
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