4 Car Carrier Summer Job NJ To Florida

I was just offered a job hauling a 4 car carrier from nj to Florida. Work as much as you want, no set delivery time for the cars. I could do that trip in two days. The catch is this, the truck has no sleeper so I'd have to crash in the back seat at a rest area. Does anyone have any idea on how big the back seats are on an e350 semi? I would only be doing this temporarily

Unless it's modified under 6', about 70".

I hope you have thoroughly researched this company. How are they paying you? What kind of shape is the equipment in?

Sleeping in a vehicle, without the basic creature comforts of a full functioning sleeper? Florida in the summer can be stifling, muggy. How are you going to stay cool while you sleep?

I smell a 1099/ "independent contractor". This is #1 illegal and #2 very unfair to the employee.

A 350 is a pickup truck with duallies, and technically a "semi", but it's a pickup. If you're around 5' tall, you might fit. But without running your A/C you won't want to spend a Florida night in your back seat.

And you won't be hassled if you pull into a truck stop for the night.

Also - does it have DOT NUMBERS? If it does, are you LOGGING?

If it DOESN'T and you are car hauling cars OTHER THAN WHAT THE OWNER OWNS (as in snowbird car transport) - you are operating a COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, without #'s, without a proper sleeper berth - aka: OUTLAW.

You will eventually get nailed for it (if it's outlaw).

I have friends that haul motorcycles all over the country in a large enclosed trailer on a 5th wheel. They took out the backseat of their F-350 King Cab, built a BED FRAME with 2X4's and plywood, and had a MATTRESS.

A "back seat" does not qualify as a sleeper berth - it has to actually be a BED (however rudimentary it is). You are REQUIRED TO LOG (paper is OK until mid-december this year), you are REQUIRED TO ENTER WEIGH STATIONS (and are SUBJECT TO INSPECTION).

Basically - the same rules would apply to you, as any 18 wheel semi. Lots of companies "run outlaw". Many never get caught. The ones that do, get pimpslapped pretty hard. And YOU THE DRIVER ARE RESPONSIBLE.

If you have ANY PLANS of getting a CDL in the future, you don't want to get jammed up for COMMERCIAL DRIVING OFFENSES.

As attractive as the gig may sound - do your due diligence to MAKE SURE it is 100% LEGIT.

Like I said - plenty of folks outlaw it, and plenty of folks FOLLOW THE REGS.

I'd hate to see you come in here, asking to get out of a jam, because you GOT JAMMED UP.

Rick

I would go look at their CSA Score for starters, see how they stack up. I had a guy come up to me after school last week, he wanted to know if I was interested in a position. They are a 14 tractor operation and lease their trailers. I looked at their CSA Score, they have a 47% OOS rate for inspections. They also have a high percentage of HOS Violations. No thanks, this tells me either the drivers don't care about the equipment, or the owner does not care, either way I am not risking my CDL , and god forbid, my life or someone elses life while I am behind the wheel. While I can refuse to drive unsafe, if I am refusing to move the truck I am not earning money, and who knows what he will say if I leave and he is called by a perspective employer. I should have known the reason why he was outside in the corner of the parking lot was because he probably would not be let in the door.

Chosen one suggests:

I looked at their CSA Score, they have a 47% OOS rate for inspections.

That CSA snapshot can be looked up here: SAFER Web

But Joe's potential job driving a 350 with a wedge trailer sounds more like the renegade Outlaw that Rick describes, without any real Authority registration.

I don't know if it's a typo or if he really meant it, but the OP said E350 (Econoline), not F350 (pickup). Best case scenario, E350 would mean a cab/chassis with a custom towing body on it. Worst case, somebody bought a worn out ambulance and replaced the ambulance body with a gooseneck hitch.

Either way, all that was said here about DOT numbers, weigh stations etc holds true.

I don't know if it's a typo or if he really meant it, but the OP said E350 (Econoline), not F350 (pickup). Best case scenario, E350 would mean a cab/chassis with a custom towing body on it. Worst case, somebody bought a worn out ambulance and replaced the ambulance body with a gooseneck hitch.

Either way, all that was said here about DOT numbers, weigh stations etc holds true.

Something like this?

He kinda indicated it had a "back seat" - not a coffin sleeper - so I'm still leaning towards a pickup.

Rick

It does not need a sleeper to be legal. You have to log off duty but you can sleep in the truck. If it is diesel you can idle and run a.c. with the window down a little. I have been paid on a 1099 most of my life it is not illegal as long as it is not forced dispatch. Sounds like a hard job because of the lack of a sleeper. Also you will have to buy all your meals at restaurants and it gets expensive. You will be stuck waiting for a load at times and I would hate sitting around in a pick up truck for 24 to 48 hours so you are going to need a motel from time to time.

It does not need a sleeper to be legal. You have to log off duty but you can sleep in the truck. If it is diesel you can idle and run a.c. with the window down a little. I have been paid on a 1099 most of my life it is not illegal as long as it is not forced dispatch. Sounds like a hard job because of the lack of a sleeper. Also you will have to buy all your meals at restaurants and it gets expensive. You will be stuck waiting for a load at times and I would hate sitting around in a pick up truck for 24 to 48 hours so you are going to need a motel from time to time.

49 CFR 393.76