Brisco

What are you guys "Fuel Surcharges" like now that Diesel is hitting $2.75 - $3.00 Plus a gallon all over the country???

Just wondering......................

I tryed "RV Transporting" last summer. LOVED IT!! It's just that the company I drove for had way too many "Fees" when it came to being paid in a timely manner. And on top of that, 80% of their business was with one manufacturer that "Sealed" all their units leaving me with a huge lodging expense cause of having a regular cab truck and no place to sleep except in hotels.

Also, was wondering because I looked at the Big 3 websites(Horizon - Quality - Hoosier) and they are all looking for FEMA haulers. I hauled a couple of FEMA trailers last September down to Georgia before my big blow up with that cheap company I was driving for, so I know what is involved. Also included in that blow up was an incident in Ohio which the company and I had a huge difference in opinion/facts over what happened with this incident. Needless to say, I'm not sure they are hauling for one paricular manufacturer over this.

Thought it might worth another try. I could put a http://www.capricamper.com on my truck and stay out for a few months if needed. It all depends on what they're offering for fuel right now with this high cost of diesel.

I mean, last summer I was hauling for .95 cents a mile. I think it was .82 cents plus .13 cent fuel surcharge when diesel was averaging $1.60 - $1.90 a gallon. Hell, I paid $2.19 a gallon in Nevada on that pay!!!

If it's still around the same, and not up to $1.30 - $1.40+++ a mile, it won't be worth it with the way the prices are now.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

rvbill123

I work for RV Transport.Portland,Or. We'er geting $.12-$.13 ? I stopped tell they get it up to a better rate..

RickG

I got out of it in June - just in time . I talked to a hauler this past week . He was getting $.98 cents a mile . Horizon's site says $1.08 . That's loaded miles and you can bet with FEMA trailers it will be half deadhead which cuts your pay in half . The only sensible deal is to have a rollback . Carry one and tow another but that doesn't double the pay . It only increases it about .40 a mile . I've seen some haulers put towbars on their trucks and one tows the other when deadheading to save fuel costs . I worked for Bennett Truck Transport . Avoid them !!! My escrow was returned more than a week later than the 45 days required by law . They pay when you fax in paperwork but they are way understaffed and the fax machine will stay busy all day long and you won't get the fax in . I had corporate in GA put me out of service because my driver's license wasn't renewed but I had given the Bristol , IN terminal a copy a week earlier . I also had my pay held for not turning in logs while my logs were sitting on a desk in Bristol . I quit when I arrived in Bristol on a Saturday after deadheading 600 miles to get a load to GA . They told me Friday afternoon the load was there . It wasn't . The office closes for the weekend Friday at 5 p.m. . No one was available by phone . I had seen this happen to other drivers . They are called in Friday for a load and end up sitting in Bristol until Monday afternoon . The one thing about RV hauling is most companys only require you to make a load or 2 a month to keep your contract . If you want to travel a little and pick up a little extra money then go for it but don't try to make a living at it . You'll just wear out a good truck and make less than half what you'd make as a CDL driver .

RickG

Bennett called me last week to try to get me to haul FEMA trailers for $.86 a mile out of KY . I talked to several FEMA haulers from different companies . Most are getting $1.05 a mile one way and no pay for deadheading back . Firgure 1,000 miles from Northern Indiana to New Orleans . The get a little over $1,000 but it's really for 2,000 miles . Fuel will run close to $400 . They're getting around $.32 a mile and have to pay other expenses out of that while putting over 150,000 miles a year on the truck . FEMA bought 70,000 trailers and wants 500 a day delivered . These guys should park the trucks , block the gates where the trailers come from and demand $2 a mile or paid deadhead . FEMA would o.k. the money . These haulers should also know they have a right to see a copy of the bill showing what the shipper is charged . They can contact OOIDA for more info on this .

Blue3500

HERE'S A BASIC BREAK DOWN OF WHAT YOU'RE MAKING AT $1.00 A MILE: TAKE A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR PAY AND PUT IT AWAY FOR YOUR NEXT VEHICLE (LET'S SAY 4%), THEN TAKE A PERCENTAGE OUT FOR REPAIRS ON YOUR CURRENT VEHICLE (LETS SAY $.35 CPM), THEN TAKE OUT YOUR FUEL SURCHARGE WHICH SHOULD BE APROXIMATELY 10% OF THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHICH IS $2.90 (AND I JUST LOOKED IT UP) WHICH MEANS $.29 OF YOUR EARNINGS GOES TO FUEL OUT OF WHATEVER $ YOU MAKE A MILE. NOW, HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE? WANT TO SAY $.32 CPM? NOW, DOUBLE YOUR FIGURES AND BREAK YOUR PROFIT ($.32) IN HALF IF YOU'RE DEADHEADING. YOU'RE IN THE HOLE BY APROXIMATELY $.36 CPM BEFORE ADDING IN YOUR "PROFIT" IF YOU'RE MAKING $1.00 CPM. AND THIS IS USING LOW FIGURES FOR YOUR TRUCKS REPAIRS AND YOUR NEXT TRUCK. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER VERIABLES THAT CAN BE FIGURED IN AND SHOULD BE FIGURED IN. BUT THIS IS A BASIC.
Basically, what this amounts to is you paying the people you're leased on with to haul the campers they're making money on. According to several places I have talked to, they are being charged anywhere from $1.65 a mile to $1.80 a mile for the trailers they are recieving. FEMA is more than likey paying more.

Patrick Campbell

Ouch. I think $1/mile might be OK if you are not deadheading, getting fuel surcharge ,and your primary liability/cargo insurance is being paid for. In my experience though of course in trailer delivery, it's 95% deadhead on the back haul. It sounds like a nice gig for people who are semi-retired and just want to see the country but otherwise no good. Under Horizon's "how much can I make" page - if you drive 6 days a week you can make 1400 after fuel, but thats only counting fuel one way, not on the back haul. So now you're down to $1000 a week and that's not including ANY expenses (hotels, food, vehicle maintenance, etc).

I just got a quote for commercial insurance myself and it was 12,000 a year for 750K primary liability, only 200 mile radius, not even including onhook (cargo) and I had to park the truck in NY state (nobody in NJ will insure me). I want to drive my own truck for $$$ but I can't figure out how to do it and survive let alone make a profit.

RickG

That's why I left Bennett In June and went back as a company driver . I ran 3,000 miles a week . They had 2 fuel surcharge increases just before I signed with them and none since them . I think those 2 increases were just a ploy to fol drivers into thinking there would be regular increses to keep up with fuel price increases . My truck was in for oil change and tire rotation every 2 weeks , alignment once a month and those 30,000 mile services with transmission and differential lube changes were a killer . In good times I ran 25% deadhead because I tried to keep loads close to the KY , IN , and MD terminals . I left when things got slow and KY and MD only had a few loads per week . I'm going to request a copy of all customer billing for all loads I pulled for Bennett . Legally they have to provide that . I know I delivered to a couple of dealers that complained about delivery charges going up while contractor pay stayed the same . I saw a driver post a message saying he got a 50% advance on a load and that covered expenses for the trip and he " made " the rest . O.K . what about insurance , service , and either a truck payment or as you mentioned putting aside money for truck replacement ? How much did he "make" after that ? With the rates they are paying and the price of fuel I doubt a 50% advance would cover meals and enough fuel for the round trip .

RickG

NJoverkill , that $1 INCLUDES the surcharge and the surcharge is for loaded miles only , not deadhead . It was also said FEMA drivers don't have to cross scales or keep logs . I haven't been able to confirm this . A semi driver hauling for FEMA told me he had to run under regular regs.

sherman

If you are dense enough to pull for a $1.00/mi one way then the hauling co. is going to be quick to use you,It's a no brainer that haulbacks are not part of the game in the RV business,at least not from the Gulf Coast.The real problem is truckers don't figure the true cost of operating a truck which includes ALL costs including reserve for truck replacement.