The Island of Misfit Toys

[mndriver]

I apologize as well. You're probably right. I should just let stuff from that job go. It makes me want to put my fist through a wall sometimes when I have a week like I just had. So smooth, so professional. I should have left a long time ago. Nothing I can do about it until I learn how to build a time machine. For what it's worth, thanks for smacking me into a better mindset, I needed it. I am super grateful for my job here. It's hard sometimes when something great happens here to not look back and remember the misery and the diametrically opposed nature of things over there. It will realistically take about three to four months to recover from the downslide I went through because of the downslide they are going through. That giant will fall, or at least be crippled. That makes me happy.

You've got every right to hold on to it. there's a reason I went out 7 years ago and got my own authority. I was leased on to farm2fleet for 6 months. Every week I had to correct my own settlement. When I actually crunched the numbers, it was better for me to get my own authority and pay my own insurance.


There really is no benefit to being leased on to somebody right now.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

You've got every right to hold on to it. there's a reason I went out 7 years ago and got my own authority. I was leased on to farm2fleet for 6 months. Every week I had to correct my own settlement. When I actually crunched the numbers, it was better for me to get my own authority and pay my own insurance.


There really is no benefit to being leased on to somebody right now.

Thanks for that, really. I agree with you 100%, very little benefit leasing on to pretty much any company out there. With the situation I have now, there would be minimal benefit in getting my authority. Any gain in revenue would be swallowed up by insurance and workers comp. Right now I can pull any load on any board as long as the broker's MC# passes a quick credit check. In return for running under their authority, my company takes 10% of the line haul. If I got my own authority, I'd barely see an increase. Even if I found factoring under the 3-4% average, the offset between 90% and 96-97% will show me next to nothing after the additional costs. Not to mention, brokers tend to shy away from shiney new MC numbers. So I'd be bottom feeding for a while until my rep builds. If I found a profitable enough lane on my own, I'd be willing to get my own authority. For now though I'm warm and happy, and catching my breath from this move.

 

[mndriver]

You sound like @Mike a couple years back. LOL.....


He's had his authority now for two years and I get the impression he'd never go back.

Being new never has been an issue with either of us. There's enough brokers out there that just don't care.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

You sound like @Mike a couple years back. LOL.....


He's had his authority now for two years and I get the impression he'd never go back.

Being new never has been an issue with either of us. There's enough brokers out there that just don't care.

Food for thought for sure. I'll start looking into it as soon as I get solid footing. These folks here aid drivers in getting their own authority if they want it, and obviously OOIDA does as well. It's something that I want to do eventually. But like I said, just catching my breath from this move.

 

[Mike]

You sound like @Mike a couple years back. LOL.....


He's had his authority now for two years and I get the impression he'd never go back.

Being new never has been an issue with either of us. There's enough brokers out there that just don't care.

Food for thought for sure. I'll start looking into it as soon as I get solid footing. These folks here aid drivers in getting their own authority if they want it, and obviously OOIDA does as well. It's something that I want to do eventually. But like I said, just catching my breath from this move.

First day I posted my truck on the load board after getting my authority, I had a load booked within 10 minutes. It was really overwhelming how quickly the calls started coming in.

Getting good loads was never a problem.

 

[Duck]

First day I posted my truck on the load board after getting my authority, I had a load booked within 10 minutes. It was really overwhelming how quickly the calls started coming in.

Getting good loads was never a problem.

How much do they harass you at the chicken coops?

 

[mndriver]

My first two years, I'd gotten pulled in twice. Second time I got a level 1 and a set of stickers at the MO/IA border on I-29.

I had a rash of inspection in 2016 where we got fourteen level 1,2 &3 in a nine week period. I about got arrested until a supervisor stepped in and wanted to know why I was upset. It was our last inspection for two years. @Junkyarddog was as frustrated as I was.

I started asking for an explanation WHY we were getting flagged constantly. No one seemed to have or was willing to give an explanation. The supervisor simply looked at me and said it wouldn't be an issue for a while.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

Ok, so quick questions....
1) In what ways will insurance change? Right now I have the obvious two, which are bobtail and cargo livability. I'll obviously need a trailer and insurance for it as well. I'm assuming I'll need business insurance for my LLC. Any ballparks on cost? Does it vary by state?
2) How much of a problem is workers comp for having my own authority? I definitely know that varies by state. Far as I know, Ohio ain't bad.

 

[mndriver]

You don't have to carry work comp if you are self employed. I forget what it's called, but there is a version of medical insurance I'd have to ask my insurance agent about again what he called it. Comparing it to the work comp in Minnesota, it's a fraction of the cost.

You'll have physical damage, liability and cargo insurance. Just as you do now.

The price will likely go up over what you currently pay, but other expenses will go down. Namely the share you pay to the motor carrier.

Being leased to a carrier isn't bad. Especially if they pay you in less than 24 hours, cover all your ifta, billing and invoicing, baseplate etc.

All of that has value. And you pay someone else to do a lot of running around.

2290, irp, UCR, ifta filing etc. You pick up a lot of office tasks that the carrier is doing for you now. I have to try and figure out how to do it on the road or take time at home when the wife is at work to do those back office tasks.

Getting my own authority gave me an additional $1500 NET per month over being leased to a carrier. It means I can work a whole lot less for the same bottom line value.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

You don't have to carry work comp if you are self employed. I forget what it's called, but there is a version of medical insurance I'd have to ask my insurance agent about again what he called it. Comparing it to the work comp in Minnesota, it's a fraction of the cost.

You'll have physical damage, liability and cargo insurance. Just as you do now.

The price will likely go up over what you currently pay, but other expenses will go down. Namely the share you pay to the motor carrier.

Being leased to a carrier isn't bad. Especially if they pay you in less than 24 hours, cover all your ifta, billing and invoicing, baseplate etc.

All of that has value. And you pay someone else to do a lot of running around.

2290, irp, UCR, ifta filing etc. You pick up a lot of office tasks that the carrier is doing for you now. I have to try and figure out how to do it on the road or take time at home when the wife is at work to do those back office tasks.

I currently have that substitute worker's comp stuff, so I'm good there. Already do 2290. IFTA can be tracked through ELD for a fee, just gotta file. What is irp and ucr?

 

[mndriver]

What is irp and ucr?

IRP is your baseplate. It should be somewhere around $1800-2000 annually.

UCR is.....you tell me and we'll both know.

UCR

www.ucr.gov

If you are already filing your IFTA yourself, you should be already to go with your IRP as well. In Minnesota, the IRP and IFTA accounts are part of the same website.

I had a company file my original IRP. Talk about a wasted $475. And then they wanted to charge me $160 quarterly to send them a break down of my state miles. So they can take 10 minutes to enter it into my IFTA account. I ALREADY did the break down and such, all they were doing is the final step.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

IRP is your baseplate. It should be somewhere around $1800-2000 annually.

UCR is.....you tell me and we'll both know.

UCR

www.ucr.gov

If you are already filing your IFTA yourself, you should be already to go with your IRP as well. In Minnesota, the IRP and IFTA accounts are part of the same website.

I had a company file my original IRP. Talk about a wasted $475. And then they wanted to charge me $160 quarterly to send them a break down of my state miles. So they can take 10 minutes to enter it into my IFTA account. I ALREADY did the break down and such, all they were doing is the final step.

My company takes care of my IFTA via my ELD. Any fuel tax I owe gets sucked out of my check once a month. Usually I owe next to nothing, as I'm typically running and fueling in Ohio and Indiana. Base plates in Ohio are pretty cheap, relatively speaking. 1300 a year I think, I'd have to look at my receipt. So, got another question. Pretty much just a simple math question. If I get my own authority, based on what you're describing, I'm basically gonna be getting an extra 6-7% of my line haul correct? I still have to factor my loads. So it seems like the best I'm gonna do is an additional 6-7%. While I do understand what that number results in, it seems like a lot of hard work to get another 10-15k a year. I'm not scoffing at that number, I know it's a decent amount. But... I'm not yet in a position where that move would make sense. I absolutely plan on going that route, no question. I think I'm gonna stay put for a stretch especially since I just got here. I will make no secret of this fact: I didn't come here for just a better work situation. I came here to steal. I am going to find a solid local company pushing decent freight and steal them from whatever broker they are using and run it dedicated. At that point, my money goes up and then it is for sure worth the change. Now that I have access to all of these national boards, it shouldn't take long. Find a mark, build a relationship, treat them well. Then undercut the current price they are paying and we both win. They pay less, I make more. Win win. But, I'd need authority in order to make that happen. All good things come to those who recognize opportunity.

 

[mndriver]

You'll learn quickly most shops won't want to deal with a one-truck operation.

They want to hand off 45-60 loads a week and know every load will be taken care of. And a truck shows up when it's needed. Don't have a truck and leave a load sitting on the dock, they'll find a new schmuck immediately. Yesterday.

First company that comes in and shows they can save $100 per load over you, your gone.

Just been the experience.

Even if they screw things up on themselves, they'll come back to you expecting you to do it for the same cut rate.

 

[Sinister]

I apologize as well. You're probably right. I should just let stuff from that job go. It makes me want to put my fist through a wall sometimes when I have a week like I just had. So smooth, so professional. I should have left a long time ago. Nothing I can do about it until I learn how to build a time machine. For what it's worth, thanks for smacking me into a better mindset, I needed it. I am super grateful for my job here. It's hard sometimes when something great happens here to not look back and remember the misery and the diametrically opposed nature of things over there. It will realistically take about three to four months to recover from the downslide I went through because of the downslide they are going through. That giant will fall, or at least be crippled. That makes me happy.

This is how I feel about Quality Carriers vs where I am now.

Sometimes when I get pissy here I’ll remind myself that I could be sitting everywhere I go for days on end, working on percentage for mystery rates...etc.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

You'll learn quickly most shops won't want to deal with a one-truck operation.

They want to hand off 45-60 loads a week and know every load will be taken care of. And a truck shows up when it's needed. Don't have a truck and leave a load sitting on the dock, they'll find a new schmuck immediately. Yesterday.

First company that comes in and shows they can save $100 per load over you, your gone.

Just been the experience.

Even if they screw things up on themselves, they'll come back to you expecting you to do it for the same cut rate.

I recognize that's a risk, for sure. But I personally know a couple guys who went this route, and they've been at it for a couple years. If I said they were doing really well, I'd be underselling it. Both of them offered me all the necessary introductions and names of hands to shake at the customers they haul for. Both said they'd vouch for me and get me in. However, they're both in the south. So that does me no good up here in Ohio. I'm good at networking and schmoozing. I'm plenty good at selling myself, had to do it for a decade when I owned my roofing business. I'll get there eventually. I am absolutely not in a rush. This is a truly good place I've landed. Love these people to death, for real.

 

[Electric Chicken]

This is how I feel about Quality Carriers vs where I am now.

Sometimes when I get pissy here I’ll remind myself that I could be sitting everywhere I go for days on end, working on percentage for mystery rates...etc.

For me the good is also the bad WRT the job itself.

I know all my customers unless they throw a new one at random. Once I get the first load I generally know what's happening next even if it isn't already assigned. I'm in and out real quick at most of them because we know each other and I know my setups, where everything is, etc.

But this causes the boredom of repetition.

Added to that night driving for max efficiency but not seeing anything past the headlights.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

Added to that night driving for max efficiency but not seeing anything past the headlights.

Not to mention all of that delicious venison walking around, waiting to smash up your grill

 

[Electric Chicken]

Not to mention all of that delicious venison walking around, waiting to smash up your grill

And shocks!

 

[Mike]

How much do they harass you at the chicken coops?

1 level 3 in 2 1/2 years.

 

[Steelersjunkie]

And shocks!

Lol. And brake lines, and air lines, and wires, and harnesses