"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
02/21/2020 at 21:15 • Filed to: None
3
6|
"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
02/21/2020 at 21:15 • Filed to: None | 3
| 6 |
My new adventure mobile finally got loaded on a truck in Virgina this morning. It should be in Southern NM sometime next week. There was a not unexpected delay in a shipper actually showing up to collect the truck, especially since this wasn’t an expedited or top-dollar paying load. Apparently still like when I dabbled as a hot shot auto transporter pretending not be a commercial truck driver back in the day , I feel pretty safe saying there is money to be made out there hauling cars for any truck that can actually show to a specific place at a specific time.
The anticipation grows. I’ve already ordered some parts and read the service manual for the truck. Now I’d like to actually drive it.
66P1800inpieces
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
02/21/2020 at 21:42 |
|
More HotShot stories! Some of the YouTube channels like VinWiki mention it is really hard to get get cars moved around.
|
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> 66P1800inpieces
02/21/2020 at 21:53 |
|
For the most part, auto hauling is big trucks driving a circuit picking up and dropping cars off along the way. It is a brutal business with tons of competition all trying to undercut each other by pennies, or fractions of the penn y per mile. When I dabbled in it, I was between careers and owned a 1-ton dually and had access to a friends 52 foot, 3/4 car wedge hauler that wasn’t used outside of the weekends. He was also the connection that knew folks that needed (nice) cars moved. I did jobs that involved moving special cars and/or cars that needed to be somewhere halfway across the country yesterday. That end of the business actually does show up to very specific places at very exact times, but you pay for it. That kind of car shipping ran $2-3/mile, as opposed to the less than .50 cents/mile I’m paying for the Pajero to come across the country.
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
02/21/2020 at 22:17 |
|
I wonder what business opportunities there are for hauling high value cars. Like one, maybe two cars at a time in a fully enclosed trailer, with full photo documentation of the vehicle prior to loading. And also lots of insurance.
|
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> BaconSandwich is tasty.
02/21/2020 at 22:42 |
|
Yes, that kind of car hauling is certainly a thing and it’s close to what I was doing . I think the harder part about that end of the market is finding enough loads in the right places. If you keep having to deadhead hundreds of miles to the next job after dropping off a car(s) to find the next nice car to be moved exclusively at top dollar, that nice pay per job doesn’t keep up with costs very long. The insurance isn’t really special, as anyone hauling anything for hire has a minimum million dollar commerical liability policy. The jobs themselves will be profitable, but you have to find the next job in the right place to keep things rolling.
It’s more overhead than you might imagine. The 1-ton/F-450 type truck you’re going to that with costs $60+ k, easily $20-30k for the trailer, a small mortgage payment per month for that commercial liability insurance (especially if you don’t have prior years of accident-free commercial driving experience, and fuhgedabout expensive if you’re under 25) , fuel, maintenance, hotel rooms since you can’t really live in a truck that small... and you’ve got to keep the truck rolling (with cargo) more than you might guess just to cover costs.
|
66P1800inpieces
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
02/22/2020 at 10:18 |
|
Really good insights. I think my adult brain would eventually catch-up but my initial though ts are get truck + trailer = see the states and Profit. As you aptly raised, I think the deadhead runs would be the ultimate downfall. It might be possible to get a stable of regulars but even then those types of loads are less predictable and always need to be done yesterday. I bet a lot of it is also seasonal with people wanting their cars moved to warmer climates in the winter.
|
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> 66P1800inpieces
02/22/2020 at 11:33 |
|
In terms of both insurance costs, licensing , operating authority, fuel taxes and to some degree running costs, commercial hauling with a pickup isn’t cheaper than running a semi as an owner operator by nearly as much as one might think