10-4 Magazine May 2023

58 10-4 Magazine / May 2023 sell off my equipment, and settle up with the tax man, or re-power the old truck and commit to a few more years? I have to admit, I struggled long and hard with that question. The falling freight rates were the most difficult to accept. I also feel a level of responsibility towards the guys I have spent the last five years working with. They were there when I needed support, and their freight kept the wolves away from my door. I’m not abandoning them, but I did see the need to expand my horizons. Shopping the freight boards for weeks, not days, and over a period of a couple months, I was seeing some good opportunities in the local steel markets. Once again, this has been out of the normal scope of our operation, but not something we haven’t done before. I had some help making my decision when I was rebuilding the motor, watching the day to day operations of a few drivers, working the steel shipments. During that time, the opportunity to rent a trailer and work with their buyer, not a broker, also presented itself. I chose to work with them for a few reasons. First, I’m not accustomed to rates based on hundred weights, we are more used to dollars per mile, and when the load only goes a very short distance, it’s easy to shortchange or cut the rates. They (the buyer) rate the load on how much it weighs, not how far it goes. Not wanting to be “that” guy, I decided to rely on someone else to show me the ropes. Something about teaching an old dog new tricks. There was also a quality trailer available to rent, with all the necessary equipment including chains, binders, straps, corner boards, timbers, and a rolling tarp system. This saved me a lot of dollars, should this not work out. Plus, it’s all tax deductible in the year I use it. Along with the financial help, I have been relying on them to keep me operating within the range of personal safety. Changing up your freight can mean you need to be more physically involved in the loading and unloading process. I forgot just how old I am! The first week I was convinced they were trying to eliminate the competition... me! After a couple weeks, however, I’m now more comfortable working in this environment. I have set the trailer up to accommodate me, and I’m getting more familiar with the requirements of the shippers. That too is a consideration when changing your work. I’m not in bad physical shape, but I’m not as young as I once was, either. I’m learning to pace myself so I can continue doing this. Note to self: your revenue is based on what you finish, not what you start! This is for the drivers who never moved a 50,000-lb. steel coil, loaded eye to the side (suicide), or rebar stacked six feet high and 60 feet long. It’s a serious business, and your life (or the lives of others) is dependent on your ability to do it correctly. It’s easy to fall into the attitude of “I got this.” Maybe you do, maybe not, however, we don’t want to find out the NOT! Change can be a good thing, but please take the time to learn or relearn the rules. For me, I needed to freshen up on chain requirements and tie down procedures for the different types of iron we are now hauling. The rules of 20 years ago are not all the same as today, and what we did for wheeled vehicles doesn’t apply to large coils and such. The biggest change I’ve noticed is the working relationship between the shippers and receivers. Can you say “refreshing” – they are not your average food warehouse workers. I have not met one grumpy or disrespectful person, and they appear to like their jobs, and the drivers who load and deliver there, too. I’m sure there are some out there, but I haven’t met one yet. As my body readjusts to the rigors of throwing chains and straps, I hope to ease the pain in my checkbook. So far, I’m not seeing the gross revenues we saw last year, but then I’m not running four-plus thousand miles a week, either. My fuel cost is only a fraction of what we were paying. The miles we run are mostly over two lanes, so that increases my MPG due to slower speeds. In the course of all things, it’s not the gross dollars that will tell the story. I still need to watch my costs of operation and do the things that increase my bottom line. For me, at this time, renting a trailer is more advantageous than ownership. My intention is to find out what type of trailer is needed to do the work I’m doing, and then make the decision to purchase, or possibly continue to lease long term. Should I choose not to stay running flats, I still have my old trailer in the yard, available to pull loads in the slow season. Or, who knows, the rates may come back up if enough operators make more bad decisions. For now, I’m chain-ging things up and securing our future to the deck of my soft-side reefer, one load at a time. Should you question if you are on the right road and you see opportunity present itself, explore your options, run the numbers, and see if it’s right for you. There could be money to make, in changing it up, 10-4! n