I'm Quitting - Again

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I,ve been an o/o , a fleet owner, a company driver, and an o/o again, in that order,.i went broke in '81 due in part to 8v-92's (three of them) and 22% interest rates,.
I just recently bought a couple of trucks at auction and sold one which paid for two,. i thought with such low risk and overhead, i could easily survive just doing local city work,
so i rented an older 53ft air ride van from gtaa rentals, clean, safe,. but well used, priced very good, exactly what i needed.
First flyby night managed 1 load, not a full load so yes it was light , but,.they seemed to think that i should know the rate after the job was done.
So i went from ancaster to scarborough in 5hrs, and learned of my great fortune of $250.00,9( did they think the truck runs on fresh air?). last load for Fbn#1. Fbn #2 same deal only worse,. "pickup 6 skids in guelph back to toronto for $125, we'll find something else to go with it call us when you are loaded",. they are still waiting for my call. FBN #3, first 2 days seemed fair,.percentage, full days,. 3rd day nothing,.??
then 1/2 days with a promise of more, showing up and telling the shipper i was from from company "C",. shipper was expecting company "A" and i worked for company "B",. too confusing,.such a lack of info about loads,. after 3 weeks, i get "the story" come payday,(i hate stories,. i like the truth). *sigh* i,m still waiting,.and i quit because i couldn't invest any more fuel money in this deal,. and because i "quit" well now i must be punished,. and i may never get paid,. FBN#4,. " you can be hourly or commission, it all works out the same"
Silly me,I chose hourly,. after 1 week of all out of town loads i tried for an adjustment,. "well try the comission next week you'll do better because you are a hard worker who hustles , you'll see" 4 days later after sitting at so many places for hours on end (distribution centres),.i gave up,.stacked deck as usual,.Nobody made an effort to call,. nobody ever called to say we'll make it better give us a chance,.they just moved onto the next victim. Hope we get paid,.

I,m tired of being a straight shooter,. on time,. well prepared, honest,.good with my paperwork,. equipment well presented, driver well presented neat and tidy etc,. and clean, polite and helpful with the customers,willing to pitch in as needed to assist with loading and unloading, etc etc etc,.
My teenager works at a slaughterhouse for $12hr, he netted more than i did the last week,.
So,. the rental van is now returned,. the plates expire the end of the month, ,insurance will be cancelled, no need to renew the cvor again.and i,m back to looking for employment, and another used truck is for sale,.cheap because i need to pay my fuel bill.
Nobody wants to deal one on one with an owner operator, so they are forced to deal with load brokers,.and as this forum was started with the idea, there are alot of FBN brokers out there,.
You all (legitimate brokers) should collectively lobby for better regulation,. as should the truckers,.
but then again,. who cares,.. right? nobody like a whiner,

Nick
 
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I,ve been an o/o , a fleet owner, a company driver, and an o/o again, in that order,.i went broke in '81 due in part to 8v-92's (three of them) and 22% interest rates,.
I just recently bought a couple of trucks at auction and sold one which paid for two,. i thought with such low risk and overhead, i could easily survive just doing local city work,
so i rented an older 53ft air ride van from gtaa rentals, clean, safe,. but well used, priced very good, exactly what i needed.
First flyby night managed 1 load, not a full load so yes it was light , but,.they seemed to think that i should know the rate after the job was done.
So i went from ancaster to scarborough in 5hrs, and learned of my great fortune of $250.00,9( did they think the truck runs on fresh air?). last load for Fbn#1. Fbn #2 same deal only worse,. "pickup 6 skids in guelph back to toronto for $125, we'll find something else to go with it call us when you are loaded",. they are still waiting for my call. FBN #3, first 2 days seemed fair,.percentage, full days,. 3rd day nothing,.??
then 1/2 days with a promise of more, showing up and telling the shipper i was from from company "C",. shipper was expecting company "A" and i worked for company "B",. too confusing,.such a lack of info about loads,. after 3 weeks, i get "the story" come payday,(i hate stories,. i like the truth). *sigh* i,m still waiting,.and i quit because i couldn't invest any more fuel money in this deal,. and because i "quit" well now i must be punished,. and i may never get paid,. FBN#4,. " you can be hourly or commission, it all works out the same"
Silly me,I chose hourly,. after 1 week of all out of town loads i tried for an adjustment,. "well try the comission next week you'll do better because you are a hard worker who hustles , you'll see" 4 days later after sitting at so many places for hours on end (distribution centres),.i gave up,.stacked deck as usual,.Nobody made an effort to call,. nobody ever called to say we'll make it better give us a chance,.they just moved onto the next victim. Hope we get paid,.

I,m tired of being a straight shooter,. on time,. well prepared, honest,.good with my paperwork,. equipment well presented, driver well presented neat and tidy etc,. and clean, polite and helpful with the customers,willing to pitch in as needed to assist with loading and unloading, etc etc etc,.
My teenager works at a slaughterhouse for $12hr, he netted more than i did the last week,.
So,. the rental van is now returned,. the plates expire the end of the month, ,insurance will be cancelled, no need to renew the cvor again.and i,m back to looking for employment, and another used truck is for sale,.cheap because i need to pay my fuel bill.
Nobody wants to deal one on one with an owner operator, so they are forced to deal with load brokers,.and as this forum was started with the idea, there are alot of FBN brokers out there,.
You all (legitimate brokers) should collectively lobby for better regulation,. as should the truckers,.
but then again,. who cares,.. right? nobody like a whiner,

Nick

Hey man - if your not getting $4.00 a mile there is no money in trucking. Freight brokers think that someone else's freight will pay your fuel bill. They're not making enough on the load to giveup to the guy hauling it. One day these brokers are going to go out of business because it will get to a point were nobody will haul their cheap freight - they're going that way empty anyway. Get there quicker with the no money freight on your wagon. Leave - they're not worth waiting to see if they even pay for the load - 30 60 90 days after their fuel is paid for by you. As well as interest on the fuel if you haul it cheap you will go broke cause the guy before you is already broke ....
 
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Heavyhauler,

I think you're giving up too fast. Starting a trucking operation is pretty similar to a salesperson starting up whether in an asset-based or broker environment. Sometimes you have to sift around some crap to find the gold.

There's no question there are FBN brokers out there, by the same token there are FBN carriers too. If you're able to hold on and stick to it for a while, you will build up a good enough base of contacts to find good stuff and know who you want to deal with, and pretty much ditch the rest.

Remember, a broker (or shipper for that matter) may be reluctant to hire someone who has a fresh CVOR especially as one-truck owner operator. You'll have to prove as well that you're worthy of working for the good guys. It's the way it works.

A month is not long enough. But do I feel bad that you're having bad experiences ... of course.
 
Heavyhauler,

I think you're giving up too fast. Starting a trucking operation is pretty similar to a salesperson starting up whether in an asset-based or broker environment. Sometimes you have to sift around some crap to find the gold.

There's no question there are FBN brokers out there, by the same token there are FBN carriers too. If you're able to hold on and stick to it for a while, you will build up a good enough base of contacts to find good stuff and know who you want to deal with, and pretty much ditch the rest.

Remember, a broker (or shipper for that matter) may be reluctant to hire someone who has a fresh CVOR especially as one-truck owner operator. You'll have to prove as well that you're worthy of working for the good guys. It's the way it works.

A month is not long enough. But do I feel bad that you're having bad experiences ... of course.

Thanks,. but i,ve had a cvor since 1998,. it,s been longer than a month,.but i don't have the financial resources to keep adding fuel,. paying insurance,. maintenance,. plates,. and run the household too,.
Not to mention the startup costs etc,.
but as i said ,. no body likes a whiner,. the big get bigger,. the small fall by the wayside.

Nick
 
heavy hauler

I as well am looking for Utopia but have not found it.

I am purely a carrier but have learned not to bite the hand that feeds me.
Good freight brokers, are no different than good carriers, they pay equally well.

Our cheapest clients are house accounts on outbound freight.

Since the US recession two years ago, we have had to deal with a bunch of Ontario based carriers and brokers that slashed prices on our freight.

We are the only Quebec based carrier left competing with much larger Ontario based carriers that have received so called government assistance or have been resurrected from Chapter 11, shedding their debt to come out stronger, in our lane.

As for the $4.00/mile . I will gladly operate on half that and come out making a profit.

As for Phantom , you should not despair, hang on to the truck, put it on ice for now and find yourself a reputable carrier in your area.

I am sure one of the memebres here will find you a home!!!
 
Sorry to hear of your misfortune. There's no excuse for lying or leading someone on with promises. However, there is opportunity provided you're able to find yourself at least one good account that pays fair rates promptly. I know, that can be like finding a needle in a hay stack, but they're out there. Having GOOD customers is the key to everything. With GOOD customers you can ride through the tough times and there's room to move when you have an unexpected expense. Conversely, bad customers are worse than having no customers at all because at least if you've got no customers you can stay home and sleep or watch TV. Bad accounts will chew up your time and at the end of the day you've paid THEM to do the work. Before you invest in any business make sure you've got a solid customer on board before you spend your money on trucks, trailers, etc.
 
Hey AIX I'm an Ontario carrier, can you tell me where to get some of that good old government assisstance? I've been around a lot of years and have not seen a cent. I like how the rates are always someone elses fault, I'm sure you run a good business and you always have good posts but this is a FREE market everyone has a different cost per mile. The one thing I completely agree with is bankruptcy protection protection nothing ticks me off more than someone mismanaging their company and then get a do over.
 
I like that lowmiler, "rates are always someone else's fault". A "low" rate only becomes a "bad" rate when you agree to work for it. Shake your head in disbelieve, turn-up your nose in disgust, but if you take the rate, it's now your problem.
 
One good customer?? Yes it would be nice - preferrably a customer who has had poor service from a carrier and we could grow to a productive relationship. I have..I did...and I will always turn my nose up at cheap work.

I just wish I wasn't "punished" every time I do.

"Hang in there" seems to be the rallying cry. Why? To encourage masochistic behaviour?? Perhaps to prove beyond all doubt that I truly am a slow learner.

N.
 
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One good customer??,. yes it would be nice,.preferably a customer who has had poor service from a carrier,.and we could grow to a productive relationship. I have,. i did,. and i will always,. turn my nose up at cheap work.
I just wish i wasn't "punished" every time i do.

"Hang in there",. seems to be the rallying cry. Why? to encourage masochistic behaviour?? Perhaps to prove beyond all doubt that i truly am a slow learner.

N.

Well, here's a dissenting viewpoint for you... Don't hang in there... It has got to be hard trying to find the elusive good customer while still trying to pay for your equipment and costs and living expenses...

My advice is to find a good stable trucking company and go back to being a company driver. After a few years, if you are crazy enough, you could try it all over again... ;)

There are good companies out there that will pay you reasonably and keep you busy, you should find one of those and get on board.

Hey lowmiler88, I'm in Ontario too and if you find any of that "government assistance" that AIX is talking about, Sign me up! haahaahaha... Always seems that I'm the one assisting the government these days, not the other way around...
 
Nick,

First of all, you are in a very tough market. The Ontario market is flooded with people looking to do work and that is why you will wait for freight and when you get it, it will be cheap. Just think of it this way; envision back to the 1920's depression when people stood outside a fence of a company and a manager would come out and pick 5 people to work and get paid something. That is what it is like right now(especially in the Ontario only market).

Yes, it is very hard for a one truck company to get their foot in the door with a shipper/broker. It takes a long time with an excellent track record before anybody will give you better freight. You have to get out, shake hands and get to know them. Unfortunately you are the driver and when your shaking hands you're not making money behind the wheel.

I can only offer you 2 pieces of advice:
1 If you are a hard worker, maybe try flat bed? Doing something that not just anybody can do may separate you from the pack.
2 Be an O/O with a company. You don't have the time to do the invoicing, sales, bookkeeping and everything else that comes with the company.

Good luck,
 
Sad story

A sad story, but let me ask you this. When you decided to buy a truck and own your own business, what was your business plan?

Did you have contracts with customers already set up?

What was your marketing plan? How did you expect to reach customers and gain new clients?

Who was going to do the sales function?

Did you forecast your revenue stream and budget your costs?

Did you forecast what your profit would be based on that data?

After doing all that did you then make an informed decision that it was a good idea to start your own business?

Not just in trucking, but I see so many people start their own business because they buy the operational assets. Whether it's a trucking company or a restaurant, you need a business plan to succeed.

My advice, the number one thing you need to start a business is customers. The rest will take care of itself.
 
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I'm going to respectfully disagree with Pablo on one point.
It would be great to have customers BEFORE venturing into business, but its pretty tough to solicit freight without any way of moving it. Unless you are at a company and plan on taking their customers with you when you go (I think there is a word for people that do that.), you have to get the equipment first and establish yourself. That said, I am in agreement with the rest of his points. There are business owners that should never be more than o/o's, there are o/o's that should never have been more than company drivers.
Awhile ago I ventured out into the field of self employment. I started with two trucks, then three, now 4. I didn't have contracts, but I had an idea of the direction I wanted to go, and aimed for it, along with some hopefuls.
Money is always going to be tight, but we are turning a respectable EBT, and playing by the rules. It takes patience while you get established, and you need accurate and realistic budgets and forecasts, and some finances in reserve.
If you plan on factoring, 30 day receivables, or no major unforseen costs, go open a variety store.
You need to pick a market segment that isn't over saturated (if there is one).
For the poor fellow that started this thread...why local cartage? That would be my last choice. Ask any driver what their Utopia is, and you will hear "Don't cross the border and home every night". To me cartage would be the worst place to go because of the competition, and others who feel a cheap truck is a ticket to home every night and a big margin.
If you have been in the business as long as you say, you will land on your feet. 3

Good luck.
 
Dave in London

I am fully in agreement with you, and may I add the following:

We are a Quebec based carrier and have noticed a few things that relate to your comment about local cartage and rates.

The easier the task is to do the more competition there is. Local being simple , the easier the barriers to entry.

In Quebec there are two factors that add to this , they are geographic location and the language barrier. Both of these issues affect the rates.

First if the driver is uni lingual french, he cannot work elsewhere, this being the case in the majority in outlying areas, carriers located there benefit from paying low wages. $13.00/hr being the norm.
The same applies somewhat to highway drivers in the outlying areas, there is no work due to the closure of the lumber industry and the failure of the furniture manufacturing sector.
Carriers such as we are , from the Montreal area have to compete with Carriers from outlying areas that are paying their highway drivers $.28/mile.

Starting a trucking co. here would verge on Emotional self mutilation.

As for Pablo, I completely disagree,
A salesman is generally a glorified bull shitter, the good ones are generally focused that's all. With a useless product or under par service , there is not much they can do.
 
Alx, were you joking with your last comment regarding salesmen? I am quite sure that you would not have your position if there wasn't someone in your company selling your service and most likely doing a good job at it. Like most other things, there are good sales people and bad ones, but their role certainly doesn't deserve such a disparaging comment. Surely you jest.
 
Dave in London, best way to go (in my opinion) is to get the account first and start out as a broker. Once you've got a small group of customers set up then that might be a good time to put trucks in lanes where doing so would improve profitability. Starting out as a carrier, by first purchasing trucks and trailers, requires very deep pockets and alot of hope. What do you tell the bank in order to get the financing? And how do you attract drivers when applicants ask, where do you run and who do you haul for? I tried to start out as a carrier myself and ran into those roadblocks time and again. So I started brokering instead, got myself a few accounts, and am currently getting my own trucks for lanes that are well balanced and where doing so adds to the bottom line and justifies the headache of buying trucks and hiring drivers.
 
No jesting

No gentlemen, I simply call a spade , a spade.

There is no need to glorify salesman, they are what they are , a necessary evil.

Do not get me wrong, the successful ones a great at what they do, they are masters of the spin.

Yes , we have them and I am one of them.
My motto has always been that I may not convince you, but I will certainly confuse you!!!

There are certain talents required of a salesman and I am certain that I do not like several of them. You all know what they are!!!
 
The best sales people are the ones who understand what they're selling and who genuinely care about providing their customers with products and services that add value. No spin, no phoney smiles, no "I want to be your friend" bullshit...none of that. Just simple and honest communication, and if you don't need my services then that's fine too.

Sales people are no more of a necesary evil than anyone else.