Re: OT - buying a semi advice

Posted by thejdman01 on March 12, 2005 at 18:10:05 from (152.163.101.7):

In Reply to: OT - buying a semi advice posted by Dave (IL) on March 12, 2005 at 12:13:14:

i own a semi. have hauled grain. speaking from my experiences is where this will come from. RUN AWAY. with that being said RUN AWAY. i have hauled from marengo illinois area to corn products or ottowa, utica, peroria etc. rate was 17c a bushel. with the toll way prices, fuel the license plates absolutly run away. started running back roads to avoid toll roads and then the small towns and cops who didnt like all the trucks started really being sob's. i now only run my own grain and i think in july when the license is up on it its gonna be gone. i got alot better ways to make money. insurance is another thing that absolutly killed me. tolls were terrible. honestly i could make more money at mc donalds then i coudl in my truck. going in at 10 oclock at night to be 1st in line open at 7 and run your a$$ off to get 4 loads in. took me about 3 hours round trip. but you figure leave at 10 1 hr and a half in and your stiting there hopefully could get some sleep till 7 all the time i spent in there it isnt worth it esp if you figure it out per hour. also if i were still doing it i would have to have a seperate system for heat cant stand to run the truck anymore. i say usually 3 hours round truip and if you really pushed you could get 4 but hit one snag in traffic your sitting there from 5pm till 7 the next morning till they open or on a friday your dropping the trailer driving back out bobtail and then get there sunday night to get inline and the trailer sunk in and you got to get a wrecker to help you big $$$. wait until they break down for 4 hours your left in the dark they break down and its honestly been for 4 hours sometimes and that really cuts into your loads and your pay. or if they ahve to switch barges at river ports can kill 1hr waiting. if your going into chicago alot alot depends on the train traffic. they much rather run trains and suppliment w/semis. if your running river ports alot depends on water levels and bids. ive had months where the bids out you cant haul fast enough other months are idle the bids just not there elevators not selling and then water is low at river ports. sometimes mostly consistant but can get dry spells. depends on the elevator and how much tehy sell. for awhile i was busy wrenching hired somone to run the truck workmens comp for truckdrivers was unreal. 13 buck for every 100 dollars of wages. had one great guy treated it better then i did kept it clean drove real well and had pry oh 6 guys after him and they jsut beat it tore it up didnt care. i really dont think its worth it and it iant worth having it around just for my grain. i did make good money hauling sludge out of chicago but thats very seasonal. 10 a ton. also hualing into corn products, if you backhaul gluten a by product have to have a belt or dump trailer but cattle operatoions use it for feed if can backhaul can help ssupplement pay. dont get as many loads but paid both ways

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