Recommendations and Stuff.

OK so I'm cool now. Got my Prepass and Bestpass stuff switched over (it's all on the Corp. I hate stopping for every weigh station and toll booth, and messing with reciepts.) Cancelled my old insurance. I'm placarded, IFTA'd, plated and briefed.

Never saw any of the people I deal with. Kristy, who principly handled my application, is a Compliance Officer or Safety Director at the central office in NC. I don't have a printer, so I had to email the hotels I was at, then help them open the files, print them, fill them out, and get them to fax the pages.

The first hotel charged me a buck a page at first, but I somehow made them feel sorry for me, and then acted like I just forgot, and they let me go. After all, they want me to come back and spend more money, and I let it show that I was irked.

Had to dig up some of my own stuff from various government sources on-line, and send them in. Found out I was delinquent on my road use taxes and paid them. It's been a hassle--but boy, it was worth it.

The main company provides authorities to the owner-operators, and assigns them to independant agents. (by the way--everybody including my agents is female. Which I like. I find women generally sharper and more reasonable than men. Generally, okay-so no PC BS. Reality is what it is-get used to it.)

My agents are in MD. I thought I'd have to go there for orientation or some sort of thing, but Courtney (one of the agents) told me no--they'll get me a trailer near where I am, and load me too. That's different...

Landstar has a similar business model, except they have a network of agents and are much larger. This company is, I believe, Texas-and-east regional.

With my former company, I didn't pay trailer rental, but made 3% less (72% of the load vs. 75%). That company owned its' trailers, but this one leases them from trailer companies. They don't have a company logo on them. After I've learned the ropes, I might consider buying my own trailer to save the 120/week, but doubt it.

When you own your own trailer, you have to pay for its' maintenance and insurance. Then, whenever you need to get away from it, you have to find someplace to drop it. Sometimes you have to pay for that--and if you don't, and it's not a well-lit secure location and it's stolen, your insurer won't cover it. You can't drop and hook, either, so it's like an anchor.

They sent me only 50 miles to get a 2007 from a trailer rental place. It had JUST been inspected and tuned up. Sliders slid like butter, too. Rusty, and wood chips inside, but I don't care. It's nice to know that the trailers are well-maintained.

Economic comment: See, the trailer rental companies compete with eachother. They know that if drivers get trailers with problems, they won't come back. They're MOTIVATED to keep them up, plus they're specialists. And why do they do this? To make money. Freedom works, understand?

Anyway, my former freight paid less than 2 bucks; probably 1.50 average going out, with a 1.00 backhaul. That is, until Jim took over the backhauls and dug up a bunch of 1.20-1.50 backhauls.

This company evidently hauls more high-value stuff, since per James, (the other owner-op who first told me about this company) (and who I owe a beer if I ever see him again), these "outbounds" gross between 3 and 4 bucks a mile.

I was told on this particular load that if I need to go back to the area I came from, I'll probably gross 1.00/mile on that.

However, I suspect that the agents haven't beaten the bushes like Jim did, and I know which brokerage he got his higher-paying backhauls from. I also have experience calling brokers and dispatching myself--during a really tough period in the industry. I'm being quiet until I get my feet wet here, but I think I can help them out with the backhauls a little later.

However, James--who is married and needs hometime sometimes, said that (after three weeks with the company), he actually has a sort circular "route" that he runs, with zero backhauls. That's what I'll be working on. Plus, I don't need home time. If not a route, I'll try to just run around and not go to the dead zones.

Backhauls for my former company were just the way they're set up. They only have one yard, and not that many trailers. Many of their loads are outbound, and they have to dig for stuff to bring you back.

I already know from this load that MA, and perhaps the upper northeast, is a dead zone for this company. (Actually it just is--like Texas). You can get a high-paying load there, but there are too many trucks always trying to get back out, and the market prevails.

For now, though, I stupidly told them that I'd deliver this load on tuesday instead of today, which I easily could have. I wanted to stay around Ohio where I was so I could get the rest of the money my former company owed me. The reason that was stupid was because Junior doesn't intend to stiff me at all, and I don't need to be there. He can send me the payments via comcheck.

...which...it's 1530, I just called, they're still in a meeting, it's friday.....

Well I'm not worrying about it. I'll get it eventually.

Anyway, so I just went ahead and took this massive 700 lb. load to this hotel that I'm fond of with a bar in it, and will reside here til monday. I'll be at the recievers at o800 tuesday, and see what I can get next.

This company doesn't use qualcom, which is cool. I opted to scan my bills in--7.50/week is worth it. I found out today that I'm supposed to call in my location each morning by 1100, which doesn't bother me at all. I get to show off for them, since I tend to get way ahead on every load.

That's one of my best motivations, by the way. I allow me to be a child and try to impress everybody. He hopes they hang up the phone and say to somebody else "Damn! He's 150 miles out already!", and that somebody else says "Guess we'd better keep him!"

It's juvenile, but the social instincts we've evolved have real reasons for them. They help you do your best.

Political comment: Our founding fathers (and Adam Smith) also understood this, which is why they designed a free and open economic system while creating the land of opportunity. Which marxism poisons and eventually destroys. GET IT? FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!!!

Anyway, they also didn't need to know the weight, count, who signed, etc. on the load like some other companies do. You know--like when you're trying to fill out the screen or read the bills while the yard dogs are telling you to get the hell out of here? (I wonder how many accidents are caused by red tape.)

I have only two issues remaining, really. First, the money I'm owed, of course. Second, I'll have to renew my PO box next month. I'll really need to move it, since I only chose it because it was near my former company's yard.

For the next few weeks, I'll feel around and determine what to do about that.

THIS time, I can take my time and pick a good spot. Maybe where I can drop a trailer, or near Cleveland (doubtful), or maybe at a place I deliver to or pick up from weekly.

But for now, I'm real happy. Everybody affiliated with my new company seems very nice, I know James told the truth about everything, and that this is the best company I've ever worked for. Now I'll take a shower...I'm going to the hotel bar...

Say.......I really like this hotel, so maybe if...they could take my mail...hmmmmm....

Oh yeah! I got a new bluetooth earpiece and love it. It's a Plantronics discovery 975. There's no loop. It just goes right in (not inside) your ear and sort of magicly sticks firmly (you get three earpieces to choose from). I could take a PUNCH and not lose this thing!

I don't like having my earpiece in all the time, though, but this thing has it's own little charging station. I mean: You charge the charging station, and then it charges your earpiece. It comes with a lanyard. I hook the lanyard to my keychain or my shirt, and put the earpiece in it. It has a quick release thing so you can get it out with one hand and stick it in your ear before the third ring.

Every pro driver should have one.

Okbye.