I'm about to give up!!

Auburn IL

At least you've been home with a paid off truck. I've been sitting just as long on the other side of the country with an overly expensive truck note.

Steve,

We are all feeling it right now. Giving up is choosing failure. I have been in this for 11 years. Many times over the years I have occupied that very headspace including a couple weeks ago. I am still not out of the woods yet. This past December and January about wiped me out, and I have 5 trucks. Part of this is that the market outside of the stability of bulk loads got very lucrative during Covid, and trucking company registrations nearly doubled, going from around 270,000 to nearly a half million. Last year those rates and the demand for capacity dropped. Many of those companies necessarily will fail, because there isn't demand to support the capacity. We are feeling it because new entities are jumping into my niche, because their market became volatile. That coupled with a sharper than average slowdown, and we were in trouble. You have to make the decision to stay or go, and fight for your spot. Sometimes, that involves getting in your pickup and having a face to face with potential regular customers, give them a business card. You might look for a trade organization to join. This correction is hitting everyone. many companies will fail. The stubborn creative problem solvers are who survives.

You already identified some of the issues that causes your problems. As the captain of your ship, it is up to you to patch the holes in your boat or stare at the water coming in. Try leasing to a larger company as others suggested until you ride out the storm, and save up for your better trailer, if you can. Look for power only and don't rent a trailer that is not earning its keep. I am not sure how long you have been in business but if it has been over a year and you are doing the books right, you should be able to get commercial financing for better equipment. Also, owning a trucking company isn't worth destroying your quality of life over. If you can make decent money hauling for someone else, and you don't like what you do, don't throw good money after bad. You have your wife behind you, and that tells me it isn't a lost cause.

He's right 100%

Steve, I will drop you an email. Hang in there, though. Nobody ever said a grain hopper and finding your own loads was easy.

Okay, well....drop me an email at: [email protected] or you can text me at: 620-203-8177. My technology isn't working this morning and so it won't let me drop you an email at the moment. Sorry. I'm willing to share what very little I know. Maybe I can give you some suggestions or something, even though I'm still fairly new at finiding my own loads.

Steven I feel for you. Text me at 417-322-4140 and we can chat some time. I have several loads of my own to haul but also haul loads for hire. I currently have 5 Owner operators leased on with me plus my trucks and a couple guys that haul for me full time but with their authority. I'm looking to grow my truck basis to cover more loads. I noticed you're close to St. Louis. I moved 20 loads from St. Louis on Friday.

Hang in there buddy I have been sitting at home on the couch for 3 weeks straight. I pull dry bulk cement tankers. It's normally slow for me this time of year but I have never seen it this slow. I have my own authority and the insurance, equipment payments and payroll still has to be processed even though no revenue is coming in. I have even tried to run some power only loads just to get some revenue coming in. All I can do is pray that things are going to get better.

A slowdown this time of year is pretty common, but it's been worse this year. Having a much warmer than normal winter has made road salt loads disappear, corn vomitoxin levels in certain parts of the country are slowing feed movement, the U.S cattle herd is it's smallest since the 1950s, and the price of U.S commodities are too high compared to some of our global competitors. So... we sit until things get sorted out. But the thing is, if you are an O/O with a clean driving/criminal record, you can go to work for a few of the large companies like Walmart & Loves and make as much or more money without the hassle of putting together loads or repairing equipment. I am in a good position financially, but I hate selling myself short. My wife keeps a spreadsheet of income and expenses. So far 2024 is starting out as one of the least profitable in my 5 years as an O/O.

Sorry to hear about everything! I'm pretty new in the bulk game, with your specialized hopper, what types of product are you able to haul?

Email me or text me, Steven. I get emails ALL the time from a up in Illinois and such.
[email protected] or 620-203-8177

Hey, Weare all in the same boat and Im on the verge of saying the hell with it. I have a reefer and stepdeck cogestoga along with a 3 axle high side hopper and I cant seem to find work unless u want to haul cheap so when does a guy say enough is enough? The thing that keeps me going is my family mostly but after 31 yrs and I've never seen it this bad,so try n hang in there n hope for the best is what I say.

We started as a trucking company 3 years ago with 1 truck/trailer. Now, we are up to 7 owned and 2 leased. I will not take loads for my drivers if the rate is too cheap. I will tell the broker that the rate is not high enough and I move on. Shoot me an email if you might want to lease onto us. I'll do the calling around to find you the loads. I've been able to keep all 9 of our trucks out all week.

[email protected]

No you don't understand, in the past 50 years I have watched many come and go and they all have had the same problem ? no business plan no work lined up and no back up plan, somehow I would have figured that if there is no freight than I would haul something different your truck does not care what you haul so you must just really want to be a hopper hauler, it must have been your dream to enjoy the hopper hauler lifestyle which brings me back my point it is a business, no plan no business so now you can join the ranks those that tried and failed because although you may be a fantatstic driver your not a good business person, it's just the way it is and the truth is ugly, I would assume your not driving a 300hp. day cab with no sleeper which in most cases if you want be close to home would work fine and I would also assume that you have not gone out to every farm and place that would need a hopper with a handfull of business cards or pamphlets to promote your business, unlike the field of dreams where if you build it they will come which is s fantasy a business is brutal and unforgiving and if you have quit you learned a valuable lesson and next time you might do better, you should always learn from your mistakes, there is lots of money to be made in the trucking business but be a business person first and truck driver second, find a niche and exploit it, our primary trucking business is something that most people don't even know exists we move airplanes ? and we have very little competition because it requires a crew with extraordinary talent and dedication which is in short supply in the country, good luck on next try because if you any spine you will try again.

Driver for for 31 or owner for 31 world of difference