Profile For Mr. Smith

Hitachi EX400 92,400 lbs not including the truck and trailer.

I don’t scale out.

In the port of Long Beach there’s already a lot of trucks running “onsite” without drivers. A lot of cranes without operators even when the battery goes out a little truck drives itself over and charges the batter by itself then brings it back to the humans.

Mr. Smith...

All your examples are legacy, decades old companies and several of them aren't trucking companies but private fleets delivering their own product.

How does any of it correlate to the likely success of a start-up O/O in 2018?

I never give advice contrary to what I would do in a given situation. You advised the OP to buy a truck or two. Is that what you are going to do? Are you going to take your own advice Mr. Smith?

Those are the companies that all started out as grandpa gotta dump truck. They are successful companies that have grown from one man one truck. Those are success stories. (Transfer Truck Owner Ops) and there are other smaller guys following right behind them.

But with it comes no family time and your kids may not grow up knowing what your love is like. Nor your wife.

Read what I wrote don’t skim it.

Would I buy a couple trucks?

YES OF COURSE

IF

it was exactly like I said in the original post.

IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND that can Garantee you loads without a shadow of doubt that you have these set loads every single day then of course! I would buy as many trucks as my credit would allow me to. If I was guaranteed the same exact loads everyday.

If I found that Nitch/Niche, however you spell it, then yes.

Old School,

I shared my optimistic perception of something I observe day in and day out.

You posted a pessimistic judgment on the character of men you’ve never met. Based on your own observation of failure.

But what I won’t do here is disrespect you by taking your words completely out of context.

They have nice things and have had nice things for 2 going on 3 generations now.

The guys I’m telling you about have been in business since the 60s.

Frank Smith (FST) and other companies (Be Safe) he helped grow from one truck.

He started out with one truck.

“Family owned and managed, FST Sand & Gravel has been serving the Southern California area since 1964. Originally based in South Orange County, in 1980 the company relocated to Corona. From its quarry plant site in South Corona, FST can provide a variety of aggregate and sand materials for construction and home sites including concrete and asphalt aggregates. Plant pickup customers are welcome in addition to orders requiring delivery. FST can provide transportation with a dedicated fleet of trucks. No job is too big or too small.”

The Struiksma Family (WCSG) They started out hauling cow poop from the dairy farms...

“Since 1968, West Coast Sand & Gravel has been providing California (and now Phoenix too) with quality products and services. Since our start, we have grown to ten locations and have expanded our product offerings from construction aggregate to specialized services such as dirt import and export, environmental waste hauling, and sports field products. At West Coast, our core values of Safety, Service, and Stewardship have provided a solid foundation for 50 years. These values also lead us to believe that integrity in business is the key to keeping our customers coming back for years to come.”

Chris Smith C Smith Corporation dba (Pacific States Transportation) originally the Matthews and Ellis Families and Chris was office Manager... Related...

Mike and Debbie at PTI Sand and Gravel have been Supplying Sand and Gravel Since 1948!

Roger Northcote (BNI) Barney Northcote Incorporated (Roger Jr.) his dad started out with one truck. When my grandpa in law was in school he would say “Barney! You’re never gonna amount to nothin” (don’t pick apart the double negative) because Barney would be taking welding and auto mechanics while my wife’s grandpa was taking drafting... Barney retired with millions of dollars and lives in a paid for beach house up in Northern California. Business is in its second generation and appearing to thrive.

Brian James (French Valley Transportation)

Ver Steeg is not going bankrupt anytime soon.

The list goes on Bubba.

You know the cool part about all of these Long Time successful family owned trucking companies that started out as just dad has a dump truck?

They are all willing to share and help each other. The motto for the Struiksma family is People over Profits.

Two guys running together making really good money. The accountant said you should buy another truck. So they did. A couple months later the accountant says. What in the world happened? You aren’t making any more money than you did before?!

We drive that truck on Monday’s Wednesday’s and Friday’s we take Saturdays off and run the other truck Sunday’s Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. 🤔

I’m one of those guys that too wouldn’t mind finding a nitch.

Lot of dudes running owner op with transfer trucks here. And they really do net healthy. But they don’t go home and eat dinner and sleep. They go home and find more loads and work on the trucks. They go home (to the office) and handle business while eating dinner on the toilet type thing. No commas on purpose.

They say on average the most successful business men are horrible dads and husbands. Not because they are jerks right horrible people. They just seem to be invisible...

Some guys run drayage out here and they too rake in some good money (Net) but it’s the same story... Running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off...

My current boss said he made good money before he bought a second truck. He said what’s getting him the worst is insurance.

The sand and gravel guys running transfers though... their rigs aren’t the only thing they have that’s nice. Homes on land in so-cal. Toys (60s Chevys, Boats, Vacation homes at the lakes and rivers, F-250s for personal vehicles and wifey driving kids around in a masarati with the windows having finger prints and chocolate all over them and not even worried about it.) It’s not one of those things they have to talk about or brag about. It’s just there and everyone knows. I asked one of them “Wilcox” about the idea. He said “Do it!”

Another one told me yes do it but don’t use the loan sharks for purchasing your truck. He used a loan shark for his first truck. He said don’t do that. Although he thinks if he used a bank for his first truck he’d be in a different business now. he grosses between 10,000 and 15,000 per month per truck. He has 5 trucks. I do not know what he nets. He is either in a lot of debt (probably) or is doing good (probably also)

Over the Road... I have no clue. You’ll need that Nitch. Huss found their nitch here with Alta Dena.

If you have a friend somewhere at a small big place that can guarantee you the same load everyday... Buy some trucks.

No one wants to see you fail. Of course others are successful. Are you willing to sacrifice?

Maybe you can buy trailers and be a freight broker instead?

I see a lot of white haired men in diesel pushers. I know a couple guys in their 60s that still have color in their hair. They sold their homes and bought diesel pushers.

Some people choose to travel as their life after retirement.

I say why not! Maybe you can get in with a company that runs slow. Somewhere that can be considered your own personal retirement plan... many a men’s dream

If you like history Philadelphia is a cool place to take your home time.

Lots of that 1700s history

Up on the sidewalk, THUMP THUMP THUMP.

Put the phone down driver.

If you’re really interested in still running for someone, you may end up really stressed out. It will be one of those companies that thinks (knows) you can’t go anywhere else and they may hold it over your head... they may also have really bad trucks and expect you to hurry hurry hurry. In turn putting you at risk for citations and possibly more preventable accidents.

Maybe you can get a job as a receiver or a yard jockey until things clear up...

What are the details on the preventables?

59,000 LBS raw milk to Fleur De Lait.

I just want to say Thank You so much! You have no idea how happy I am that you let up on the throttle so passing doesn’t take 45 minutes.

This is a great topic.

I'm governed at 62 max, and I certainly enjoy the stress free pace. In most situations you'll just find me chillin over in the right lane. But for the in-city three-lane situations like you described, I prefer the middle lane most often. Like Errol said, it's a feel kinda thing. Being in the right lane can often create more dangerous situations due to vehicles merging, plus the idiots that have to cut in front of you and hit the brakes 50ft before the exit because God forbid they get behind the big truck.

When I'm in the middle and I see a big truck rolling up on me, I'll key up the mic and tell him to pass me on the right if he likes, and I'll lift the throttle to make it easy for him. It's far easier for him to do that, then pull back in front of me, than it is for me to move over and then try to pick my way back to the middle.

The four wheelers are on their own. I have no guilt or shame.