Question:
What category and brand of new or used trailer would you buy to get the most income out of your T600, 379, 9400 or W900 with a 72" or 86" sleeper, assuming you are leased to a company that runs the type of long haul loads you'd be buying the trailer to pull? Would you buy more than one trailer if you could? Or would you NEVER buy a trailer, period? Thank you for taking the time to respond if you choose to do so. P.

Answer:
I've pondered the thought of buying a trailer, but then I'd almost need to get my own authority.
Why? I do LTL work.
Because having your 'own trailer' (one that you bought), and being leased to a company, severely eliminates any chance of grabbing a preloaded wagon and hitting the road.
We have a couple guys that have their 'own' (permenantly assigned), trailers. Once they get back from a run, most likely they will spend 2-3 days reloading 3 pallets here, 5 pallets there, etc........... No real chance for any uninterupted 'home time'.
I on the other hand, pull a company wagon with my tractor. I have the option of 'live loading' my wagon or having the local guys grab the stuff and bring it to the dock.
It costs me a little bit to have this done, but my 'home time' is of a premium to me. The more the better.
Now if I did go out and buy my own trailer, I'd buy 2 of them (dry box). That way, I could be under a load and on my way back to the yard while my other trailer is getting loaded. The local guys could deliver my partials for me. This would cost me $$ also.
Oh yeah, the only way I'd even consider this would be if, I had an 'iron clad' guarantee that NOBODY would ever pull my trailers except to put them in the dock for loading or unloading and the company would cover any damages to them while in the yard. If it wasn't hooked to my tractor, it wouldn't leave the yard.

Answer:
What kinda trailer? Flat van or are you going to go refer?202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
There are too many variables to really answer your question.
However in a general sense either a step deck flat bed or a reefer would be my top two choices for general income maximization, but I would only buy a trailer if I found a company to run for that had the connections to make it worth my time and the expense to do so.
As Hoss pointed out, with some operations, it could be somewhat detrimental to have your own trailer.
Answer:
My first choice would be a step deck with spread axles. Then I would probably lease on with Landstar. The number one reason for a step is you do not go to warehouses. Alot of loads can be driven on and chained down making it fairly simple. If your hauling equipment the receivers are usually ready for you when you arrive and some happy to see you. You do not have to take tarped loads if you dont want to although there can be money in them also. I hate tarps so I wouldn't take them.
My second choice is not cheap. It would be a double drop RGN with a third drop axle on the back for heavy haul. It would mean you will have to limit your loads due to weight but the loads pay much better.
I wouldn't buy a reefer or Van for the reasons Hoss stated above. To much wasted time chasing loads down and then getting loaded. To many crap warehouses. With a dry or reefer you can just lease on your tractor and have the ability to pick up preloaded trailers. Also with a reefer you have to be ready to go where the loads are. They haul alot of produce and the season changes throughout the year. You have to follow the harvest. Getting home can be hard. Also most who own their reefers also have their own authority. It would almost be pointless to lease a tractor and refer trailer to some company in my opinion.
I like diversity and money so a step deck or RGN would be my choices.

Answer:
I would go with a van. For the price of a good used refer you can get 4 decent used van trailers. Maybe even set up some kinda dedicated drop and hook account for your self.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
I've asked the Driver's Round Table two questions since discovering it and seen similar names responding to me both times. I have gotten some really sound advice and the fees are excellent! I won't forget...thank you all who took the time to help me. Someday I believe I'll be able to return the favor.
I have a new question but I'll wait a little while so you don't think I'm taking advantage of the generosity with which you share your time and knowledge. Respectfully, P

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Ask away! That's what this place is for.

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From what I have seen. A step deck. Can bring some of the lowest rates. Way, to much dead head. Shippers have to have something that requires that equipment. It is floaded with equipment. Every owner op thinks it is the best paying.
Kinda like campers. A few years ago with a One ton pick up truck. You could get over $1.25 a mile to deliver campers. Now it is around $.60-$.80 a mile. Every one got one and jumpped on the band wagon.
Refers. To much maintanance. The rates are tied up.
Vans, plenty of freight. The rates go all over the board. They are cheap to run. Heck. You can pick up a 102" for 4k well maintained from some of the major fleets.
The freight is there. You can also haul things in a Van that you can not haul in a refer.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
Then you haven't seen much. It's called specialized and it pays very well. Dead head is minimum with the right company. Two dollars or more a mile is very common. Put on heavy or wide loads and the rate goes very high. I hauled a load from around Portland, Or over to Savanna, Ga that paid at 3.50 a mile. One owner with his own RGN pulling th same load made 76% of that rate. You can't sneeze at those rates. Easy on and easy off most of the time. I've dead headed just as far with a van if not farther and alot farther with a reefer. I'm pulling a RGN for the time being and my dead head is minimal. The only time I have to dead head any distance is when i have to get a load for our dedicated company. Other wise it is never very far. The O/O's that work where I do pulling a RGN wouldn't do any thing else and the same goes for the step deck guys. Their the ones who own truck and trailer. The money isn't skimpy and the loads are not spread all over the planet. You have to be doing it to know any thing about it. Listening to some one gripe about it because his last load sucked won't give you a clue.

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About the only thing, generally speaking, you can not haul in a reefer that you can in a van is some classes of hazmat, which mostly are hauled by teams anyway since they often require a driver to remain awake and with the vehicle all the time the load is on except in certain designated areas. Even then, with some minor modifications, you can still haul those products.
Anyway the entire reason I suggested a reefer is due to the flexibilty of freight hauled, particularly if you want to run all 48. The other reason is that some people do not care for any type of flatbed work.
Answer:

Exactly. I dont have anything against flatbed work though. People always gotta eat and freight is always steady even while other freight seems to slow down the first couple months of the year. In trucking, to survive its all about making yourself as versatile as possible. Reefer makes that possible.
I myself pull my own reefer and lease it to a company. Have yet to experience any problems owning it. I haul LTL. Simply come home and drop the trailer in the lot. Usually its full waiting for consolidation at our dock. No one has permission to move my trailer except the guy driving the yard goat. Seeing that we consolidate, the time my trailer is spent in the yard is in return my home time. Usually get a minimum of 2 days a week at home and more depending on the runs I run like the typical WI to OH runs and back. I have been known to pull a company trailer on local runs once I arrive home, but home time currently is real important to me.
Problem with LTL, is that it is time consuming. Each drop can and often does bring along its own problems. Thats why I like to do LTL outbound and truckload inbound or LTL with a maximum of 4 stops. I preform those stops and because we have freight scattered around the state of WI, theres always freight to pickup on the return to bring back to the dock. Rarely do I come home to drop my trailer empty. I always have some freight in there, whether its just a pallet or a truckload.

Answer:
Actually there are alot of loads you can not haul with a reefer that you can in a van. It is the same the other way around. Reefer trailers are very heavy and with the right setup maybe can haul 44K pounds. Vans can easily approach 49K. Also load dimensions are often restricted to vans. Check load boards for available van loads and then call them and ask about a reefer. The majority of the time they will say no. Things from load heigth, floor thickness, wall width and room in the front of the trailer are a consideration on many loads. You can't forget the weight restrictions. Theres a reason there are van only companies, reefer only companies and companies that have both.
Each type of freight has it's own areas of operation. Some times they can be mixed. Like Dry van or reefer, flat bed and step deck etc.. Many times it must be the specified trailer type. It's best to figure out what you would like to do. Want to haul a reefer then go for it. Like to haul equipment then go for it. Get a trailer type that fits you.

Answer:
Paladin1
if you have no experience in flat bed or RGN stay away from buying a trl like that, learn from a company as a company driver and then invest in one if you don't change your mind. 3 or 4 months is not enough experience in RGN to go out and buy one if you are not on a dedicated basis.
You will have to know about pin settings, a total different axel wgts schedual and if you want a removable pin or how the flip axel works, gauges for adjusting the wgt , It gets crazy at times. and , a bunch of tech stuff you will have to see to know.
I loved doing a RGN but like what I haul now a lot more. There is no snooze button
on a cat that wants breakfast.

Answer:
Whats RGN? Is it the heavy machinery float with removable goosneck or what?
That kind that haul highhoes and graders?