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Retiring (Army) have questions
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I've been reading these post for some time know and enjoy reading them. Here's my questions. 1. If a company had two Drivers with the same driving record, work history, experance, time with company, same milage each week, and one drove van, the other drove flatbed which Driver would be paid more? 2. Flatbed seems to start out at a higher pay rate then van. It it because of the labor involved or because flatbed's drive fewer miles each week? 3. I'm making a list of companys to call. I'm looking into companys that provide their own training with or with out a contract. I have SNI, Swift, MCT, Reohl. Can everyone please post as meny as you can think of? 4. My goal as you can see by my log on name (M and R Trucking) is to own a Rig with trailer if flatbed, 2 to 3 years after I retire in Feb 04. I have read in Trucking mag's, and on the internet that a Lease/Purchase is not a good idea. Companys tend to rip of the Drivers. There has to be at least one good company out there thats willing to assist the Driver in becoming an Owner Operator. Do any of you Drivers know of one? 4. Which has more city driving, van or flatbed? I would think flatbed because of construction. Thanks in advance for the replies Freedom, Never Forget. (POW/MIA) Live Free, Ride Safe, Grow Old, and Keep the wind in your face. Answer: CR England (i wouldn't recommend them read the archives). Also Millis they seem like a good place to work and pay well to newbies. I am prehired with Millis and plan on going with them. Answer: For the most part those of us in the open segment of the industry will earn more revenue per mile than those in the general freight segment. There are a multitude of reasons, the biggest being that we just don't slam doors and drive. We are responsable for securing that freight to the wagon. Plain and simple. If we don't do our job, it could cause an accident and potentially a death. None of us wants that. Yes, we do tarp freight, BUT we also charge additionally for that. We also tend to be in better physical condition from throwing chains, straps and tarps. There just isn't any physical exercise in slamming doors. When the time arrives you will see what I mean. Try to hire on with an open carrier from school. Don't be afraid about having to learn too much right off the hop. Load security isn't rocket science. It just takes common sense>>Just ask yourself when you are done securing the load,"If I stop suddenly, where will the freight be? If I go around a corner too quickly, will the freight stay on my wagon?" If you can answer YES to both of those questions you are on your way to being a safe operator. Answer: 1. If a company had two Drivers with the same driving record, work history, experance, time with company, same milage each week, and one drove van, the other drove flatbed which Driver would be paid more? Total pay is determined by too many factors to answer your question easily. One reason flatbeds seem to make more per mile is that often times they do not run as many miles per week as van or reefer drivers and also because of the extra work every trip in regards to load securement. 2. Flatbed seems to start out at a higher pay rate then van. It it because of the labor involved or because flatbed's drive fewer miles each week? I think I just answered that one. 3. I'm making a list of companys to call. I'm looking into companys that provide their own training with or with out a contract. I have SNI, Swift, MCT, Reohl. Can everyone please post as meny as you can think of? I am not real sure exactly what you mean by their own training. If you are referring to companies that will basically pay for you to attend driving school in exchange for agreeing to work for them for a year or so then you have covered most of them. Millis is another one if you are going to reside east of the Mississippi river and PAM transportation. A few other companies offer this from time to time also such as Werner, and USA Truck. Most training companies though do offer a tuitition reimbursement program if you paid for the cost of driving school yourself. 4. My goal as you can see by my log on name (M and R Trucking) is to own a Rig with trailer if flatbed, 2 to 3 years after I retire in Feb 04. I have read in Trucking mag's, and on the internet that a Lease/Purchase is not a good idea. Companys tend to rip of the Drivers. There has to be at least one good company out there thats willing to assist the Driver in becoming an Owner Operator. Do any of you Drivers know of one? NEVER buy or lease a truck from the same company that has control over your miles. In order to get off on the right foot you should have at a min of $5000 saved in addition to the down payment, initial insurance payments, etc, but having $10,000 set back for repairs, to help with fuel cost spikes, etc would be more advisable. 4. Which has more city driving, van or flatbed? I would think flatbed because of construction. There is no way at all to answer this really. In all liklihood they are probably equal. If you are seriously wanting to become an O/O I strongly suggest you read Partners in bussiness. This is a manual developed by Volvo and Overdrive magazine to show drivers what it takes to be an O/O and to successfully run your own business. Only two things I know of are infinite. The universe and human stupidity, and I am not real sure about the universe. Answer: If there was a good lease/purchase outfit out there, you couldn't get to the building for the pile of drivers trying to get in. Lease/purchase NO NO NO NO NO NO (you get the idea) "We have met the enemy, and he is us." pogo Answer: I'm about to suggest something that is a bit Far-Out & Definately Not the Norm in today's society, but.... How about SAVING for a few yrs & Paying CASH for a trk? That's what I'm doing.(Saving to pay Cash.) Not only will you get a Better Deal on a trk, but... you'll be in a better position to Negotiate your contract with the carrier you lease on with; simply b/c you Won't be so apt to "settle" for that measely .83-.89cpm. Most drvrs that fall for those Cheap rates do so only b/c they know they have trk payments to make & they feel they Gotta Do What They Gotta Do in order to make the payments. In other words.... They are Working For the Trk...INSTEAD of....The Trk Working For THEM. If you have Payments to make, then the MAJORITY of the Money is going DIRECTLY for Payments. If your Trk is Paid For...then the MAJORITY of the Money Goes to YOU. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ***BEFORE I purchase the trk... I plan on having a few grand put aside for fuel & maintenence.(PMs, tires, etc.) I also plan on getting My Own Plates & Insurance.(in case something happens to cause me to leave the carrier....I don't want to be somewhere OTR & can't get home with the trk b/c I have to turn in Their Plates.) I can't find the thread right now, but...a few days ago someone posted something similar to that scenario.(they were leased to a carrier & was let go....the carrier owned the plates, therefore the drvr had to turn in the plates & figure a way to get his trk home on his own.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I suggest checking out http://www.partners-in-business.com/ ...they are out of the FREE Manuals at this time, but they have the same info On-Line. For Financial tips/advice I recommend http://www.daveramsey.com ...you can also listen to his radio show either live or online. [This message was edited by choclit snda on April 25, 2003 at 2:47.] Answer: My goal as you can see by my log on name (M and R Trucking) is to own a Rig with trailer if flatbed, 2 to 3 years after I retire in Feb 04. Well, at least you will have your retirement to fall back on. You may find monetary renumeration for operating your own equipment to be lacking in the grand scheme of things. There has to be at least one good company out there thats willing to assist the Driver in becoming an Owner Operator. You might want to talk to Associates. For the most part those of us in the open segment of the industry will earn more revenue per mile than those in the general freight segment. I'll have to check the latest TEAMSTER contract on this one. Not only will you get a Better Deal on a trk, but... you'll be in a better position to Negotiate your contract with the carrier you lease on with; simply b/c you Won't be so apt to "settle" for that measely .83-.89cpm. Please give us a list of carriers that will allow a Lease-Driver the opportunity of negotiating their reimbursement schedule. I was out there for over twenty years and never came across one of those. _____________________________ Battered Truck Dweller Syndrome
Don't Forget Dwellers... ...Log Smart...Log Often... And Be A Team Player Dock Time Is Leisure Time Dwellerism...It's A Lifestyle... Answer: Joshgxe, Thanks for the other two Companys. michaelgower, uturn2001, maxmiddle, choclit snda, BEDSPREAD. Thanks for your replies. I will take all your advice. I will drive flatbed. I will not Lease/purchase with a Company. I will be an Owner Operator in 2 to 3 years. After a year or two of driving I can Finance a Rig on my own and put my retirement check as well as my normal payment on my truck, pay it off sooner then nromal. I have already down loaded the Owner Operator book from Volvo. Enjoyed it. Thanks again. Answer: It can be everything you want it to be if you follow these general reccommedations: 1) You don't mind getting dirty while you work. 2) You don't mind working. 3) You posess good, common sense. 4) You don't mind taking a rig that's 75+ feet long down goat trails. 5) You won't mind tarping in ALL weather conditions. 6) You don't have a fear of heights. Those are just a few biggies I mention there. But they pretty well sum up what to expect running a flatbed. And the stories about "not making as much as everyone else" is pure garbage. If you're a good runner who understands the need to log legal, you will generally get good miles, although this depends on the quality of your dispatcher. (but it goes for vans and reefers too) As I stated before, I always averaged at least 3000 miles per week. I hauled anything from trees, cars, and 17 pallets of beer once, to oversized equipment and steel to goldmines in Nevada. (mine loads are where you'll find your goat trails) Flatbed freight generally pays more than van freight, and that's why a flatbedder tends to make good money. If someone you hear of is only getting 2000 miles per week, it's THEIR fault, and usually caused because they don't want to work and would rather sit at the truckstop and complain. Flatbedding earned me everything I ever wanted out of it, and I never wanted to do anything else. I kept my truck clean, I did my inspections every day, and I never went into a public place looking like the slob many people see truckers as. I worked with my dispathers, I was friendly to all the folks at my pickups and drops, and I never vented any road rage at anyone. My point here is this: flatbedding is a wonderful way to earn your living. You feel important by properly securing your loads, and you feel proud running down the road with a tarp so tight, it doesn't even wiggle in the wind. It's your chance to shine and lift yourself above what people perceive a trucker to be. You will need to THOROUGHLY understand load securement, and also understand the different requirements in certain states. (such as Kalifornia: put them coil racks away in that state -they're illegal to use.) There's rules for hauling a shipping container on a flat that many get a huge ticket for not knowing. (MUST have chains securing forward and backward movement) You need to understand chains, straps and binders, how to use them, and how many to use. There's a lot of stuff to know. But it's not so much you can't find answers, -they're there, and your company usually has a 3-4 day orientation to go over everything and then send you off with company manuals so you won't forget. If you have the tendancies to be lazy at times, then don't do this: lazy flatbedders are those who lose loads through poor securement. In my 20 years over the road, I saw FAR too many loads lost that came into contact with innocent people: you must always think about that while securing your loads. There is the "legal" way to secure, but you need to also apply the "common sense" way to secure also. Common sense tells you to go above and beyond legal regs. Do not pull out if you are not comfortable with the way the load is either sitting, or secured to the deck. YOU alone are responsible for it, so YOU must make sure it's done right with no cut corners. It is well-known that there are people behind the wheel of a big truck who never properly figured out how to drive a car. And as such, you will see loads on flats that will make you want to scream. (I saw a single coil that weighed perhaps 48,000 lbs secured with TWO chains) But you just go and do your thing and do it the right way. Get your proper rest, do your VI's do your mandatory stops to check your load, and LOG LEGAL. You will make a great living that way...... Answer: Flatbedding is a good choice. See if you can get yout tuition paid/financed as a vet. You might not want to be tied to a company that tight. Definately start with a flatbed co if you decide thats what you want. The better jobs want the experience so you might as well start there. The "box" crowd will take any warm bodies with a clean CDL so the switch is easy if you change your mind. I came into trucking with being a O/O in mind. I gathered as much info as possible while a co. driver. It definately helped. That and about $15,000 cash and NO big bills at home will give you a chance of surviving the 1st few years when you buy in. The best lessons I heard came from failed O/O's When they got close to being honest. Truckers are so full of bull it will be a full time job finding those kernels of truth. Successfull O/O's take alot of vital stuff for granted so I ended learning that stuff from the ones who "forgot" them Best of luck with your plans, TC And Thank You for your service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Answer: Hey guy, I went through a Driving school to get my CDL and just started at SNI, so far I am seeing the things I would expect from a top notch outfit. I am retired Navy Rowdy Pumpkin Drivers Rule!! Answer: Skid Row Joe, Thanks for sharing your knowledge, experance, and porviding me with sound advice. You have made the flatbed picture much more clear to me. Your honesty may sway some people away from flatbeds but not me. You have just made it all the more interesting. I need both a mental as well as a physical work out. I will do as I stated in my earlyer post and drive flatbed for awhile then buy my own truck and trailer. Thanks again. skiffman, Thanks for your advice. I entered the Army as a young kid who did not think I would ever attend a school after H.S. so I never enrolled in the G.I. Bill. I have checked and I'm at a loss as far as the Army helping out with schooling. There is a DANTES program that will pay 100% after the school is completed. I don't wont to take from our saving if I don't have to. Need it to live on after I retire for a while. You are right, If flatbed don't work out it would be easery to go van then visa versa but I do think I will enjoy flatbeds. One thing I have in my favor as an Owner/Operator is that when things slow down I will have my retirement check to help with payments/expense's as my check is not dedicated to our cost of living. Again Thanks. Answer: I'm retired Air Force and since I did not want to use my GI bill for a trucking school, partly because some schools are non-accredited (GI bill won't pay) or if they are accredited they are usually $3500-$5000 and up. I'm attending a technical school in Rapid City SD, a 6 week course and it has been very informitive and I get a lot of driving and backing exercise time. What I did was took information I recieved at my TAP seminar (which will be offered to you before you retire-a must attend, trust me it WILL be a big help!) About the Work Force Investment act (WIA) This program provides you with a grant to pay for your retraining from military (or civilian jobs) to a new career, as long as you fall into certain finacial windows, the kicker is your military pay is NOT considered income under their guidlines so you will qualify, just check with your local state job or career center for details and see what their guidlines might be. I qualified in South Dakota which worked out great for me. Good luck with your pursuit and welcome to trucknet, their are a lot of folks who will help ya and some who are some sour grapes. I chose trucking since I don't want to supervise anymore and feel too old to continue as a law enforcement person, ready for change, plus I screwded up my back two years ago. I'm trying vans first but also have an interest in flat beds just not sure if my body can handle some of the tasks of flatbedding and doing it right!!! I'm looking at swift, werner, Schneider and Millis since I'm settling back in our home state of NY, again good luck if I can help in any way try me here or at my "prodrvr03@yahoo.com" e-mail address Answer: Rowdy7, Have you been to pumkindriver.com web site? Its maintained by SNI drivers. Check it out. Big Dan, I found the WIA info on the Missouri work force web site. Thanks for the information. I will be looking into it in the next few weeks. I'm an Engineer in the Army. Normal job is designing and constructing bridges but my assignment right know is to train ______ for ______ until I retire in nine months. I have looked at the same companys you posted and after checking them out I don't think I'd go with a large company like those except for maybe Millis. Good luck with your retirement and be safe. Again Thanks. Answer: Yes, I am know to pumpkin. And as of the 23rd I will as be a pumpkin driver. I am just finishing up with the first 11 days of training. Rowdy Pumpkin Drivers Rule!! Copyright ? 2006 - 2007 www.thankhealth.com Privacy Policy
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