How To Get Into Transporting?

[CumminsPower98]

I transported RVs for 2. 5 years and quit one year ago this month. The company I was with kept the fuel rates up pretty well most of the time so the price of fuel wasn't really a problem for me. I was able to get out from under some pretty big debt at the time, which is why I went to driving. My home job was slow and I wasn't making any progress on the debt. I had all the loads I wanted most of the time but I can't speak for how things are going right now. I have no family, car payment or mortgage so what worked for me may not work for the next guy.

 

[Andersonville]

Thanks HBarlow for the tip. I will check into JET. You are right about the safety guys!Have you been to Alaska? That is the trip I want to make but not economically feasible right now. Any tips for Alaska trip from maybe Pendleton?Thanks and good luck. Grady

 

[HBarlow]

Grady,



I have been to Alaska pulling a trailer but it was on my own dime before I became a transporter. It was a great trip that I recommend to anyone who loves to wander.



Horizon Transport had an occasional load going to Alaska when I worked for them in 2005 but it was always out of the Wakarusa terminal and never out of Pendleton. I wasn't interested because the thought of a several thousand mile deadhead back wasn't appealing.



I recommended JET to another friend, a fellow transporter and he called Vickie, the Human Resources Director. She told him she wasn't hiring immediately but sent him a package and encouraged him to apply. She is a real professional and a pleasure to meet. Give her a call if you're interested.



As a matter of fact, most of the folks I met at JET were great to work with. The dispatchers were knowledgeable and helpful and fun to work for... ... ... everybody but Dave the powermad logs and safety supervisor. If you can keep your mouth shut and obey Dave's whims you'll love working for JET. (I couldn't) They are the best!



Best wishes.

 

[KBalzuweit]

I was told Jet is not putting on drivers until the end of the year.

 

[MountainMan1]

Arn't there horse trailer manufacturers in TX? I'm leased to Quality and it is slow going here as well with most loads going to Canada where everything costs too much!! Maybe it's time to go back to a big truck or buy a 3 car wedge? I live in TN so I have a 1000 mile round trip to go home and back. I'm usually in a Motel 6.

Hey Andersonville,



I too am with Quality. Perhaps you might remember my burgundy Dodge with the big aluminum grill guard.



Got home last Saturday and don't plan to go back until end of the month... I'm otherwise full time.



And guys it's not dead yet however it has slowed down in the RV field but the dealers are still buying. I am hoping the guys that are newbies and the guys that drive over 60 MPH while loaded will get discouraged and leave the rest to the few die hards or idiots like myself.



Peter - W7LUS

 

[Simplysmn]

Val, are you hauling cheap freight again???!!!

NOPE not me just trying to stay afloat but theses Idiot's out there that want you to work for Dirt need to wake up and realize that it cost money to haul there Junk down the road and they need to just suck it up and cover the cost or do it themselves :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

I was told Jet is not putting on drivers until the end of the year.

I'm not surprised.



Are you still surviving? Recent RV industry news I found online sounded like production was slowing at most of the factories.

 

[KBalzuweit]

I'm not surprised.

Are you still surviving? Recent RV industry news I found online sounded like production was slowing at most of the factories.

Surviving yes. Profiting barely. If I could sell my truck I would quit and get a regular job. BTW its dead, I am running out 80 (IL & IA) today and I have not seen one other transporter. I came N on 55 out of St Louis yesterday and the same none. Looks like this may be my only load this week. I think instead of the one week or so July slow down it may be 3 or so at least.

Looks like we may loose a few more companies too, Weekend Warrior looks done. Rage'n who is owned by the same guy looks like it too. And I read today that Eclipse which makes Attitude Toyhaulers will be following (WW owner owns 50%). There was also several comments about Fleetwood flying around about possible bankruptcy or major plant closings (supposed to be an announcement this week).

 

[jkalchik]

I'm not a hauler, but my local RV shop told me the beginning of last week that Fleetwood was rumored to have a buyout press release last week. He wasn't concerned with Fleetwood disappearing.

 

[KBalzuweit]

So far they sold off the folding trailers, but nothing else has been announced yet. Equity firm acquires Fleetwood Folding Trailers > RV Industry News > RV Industry News | News Room

 

[HBarlow]

Surviving yes. Profiting barely. If I could sell my truck I would quit and get a regular job. BTW its dead, I am running out 80 (IL & IA) today and I have not seen one other transporter. I came N on 55 out of St Louis yesterday and the same none. Looks like this may be my only load this week. I think instead of the one week or so July slow down it may be 3 or so at least.



Looks like we may loose a few more companies too, Weekend Warrior looks done. Rage'n who is owned by the same guy looks like it too. And I read today that Eclipse which makes Attitude Toyhaulers will be following (WW owner owns 50%). There was also several comments about Fleetwood flying around about possible bankruptcy or major plant closings (supposed to be an announcement this week).

I'm sorry to hear that the industry is continuing to decline. I've loved RVs and the RV lifestyle since the late 1960s and loved transporting when it was busy.



One of my fellow transporters at SJB is still trying to survive at Quality. I haven't heard from him in a couple weeks but I think he was lucky to get one a week or less and only short hauls. Can't survive that way.



Why not sign on with one of the big truck companies and be a company driver? Let JB Hunt or Schneider worry about paying for the trucks, fuel, maintenance, etc.



Out of curiosity last fall about the time I decided to quit transporting and come home I put my name and a basic resume on a trucking industry recruiting website. I was contacted by a Human Resources Director near Chicago asking me to apply for a local box truck delivery driver job based in Dallas and I still get e-mail messages from Schneider asking me to attend recruiting seminars. Apparently the big trucking companies are recruiting and hiring as many as they can.



Edit: Tried to copy and paste the Schneider message from my e-mail. Didn't work.



Good luck, Karl. I hope it gets better.

 

[MountainMan1]

It's going to be almost dead at this time every year. Almost every RV factory shuts down the week of July to tool up for the new year model. Then it takes at least weeks for a new RV to pop out the door for delivery.



It has always been that way for year and years, perhaps from the beginning of time!

 

[MMeier]

It's going to be almost dead at this time every year. Almost every RV factory shuts down the week of July to tool up for the new year model. Then it takes at least weeks for a new RV to pop out the door for delivery.



It has always been that way for year and years, perhaps from the beginning of time!

Not as bad as it is this year, you a driver?

 

[HBarlow]

Not as bad as it is this year, you a driver?

I agree. During 2005 - 2007 even though the factories shut down I didn't. I was still pulling loads the first week of July because we had trailers on our lot ready to pull when the factory went out on vacation and by the time we returned from that load there was more production.

 

[cuevas623]

so I have not been on here in awhile does everyone still think it is a bad time to get into this.

 

[MMeier]

so I have not been on here in awhile does everyone still think it is a bad time to get into this.

Unless you have some regular "customers" lined out, it is a real bad time to get into this racket. Do you have your equipment already, if not there is a bunch of rigs/ trailers and what not up for sale right now... . wannna buy my 40' GN?

 

[Andersonville]

Mountain Man1 is a driver and brags about being a BBQ chef too. I never tasted his BBQ but he has the FASTEST RV hauler in the US! Something like 800HP! BUT, he gets too many claims against him because his truck is so fast,he arrives at the dealer with just the tongue hanging on the hitch! LOL



Yep it is slow right now. Time to get the maintenance done and get ready for them cold Canuck winters!

 

[MountainMan1]

Mountain Man1 is a driver and brags about being a BBQ chef too. I never tasted his BBQ but he has the FASTEST RV hauler in the US! Something like 800HP! BUT, he gets too many claims against him because his truck is so fast,he arrives at the dealer with just the tongue hanging on the hitch! LOL



Yep it is slow right now. Time to get the maintenance done and get ready for them cold Canuck winters!

:-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

so I have not been on here in awhile does everyone still think it is a bad time to get into this.

As I have previously reported, I'm not transporting any longer so don't have first hand knowledge but I keep in touch with a couple of transporters who I formerly pulled with and with the family that owns one of the companies I pulled for. We have several active transporters who are TDR members and have commented on this thread. Everyone I have talked with says it IS SLOW. I would guess the RV transport industry is slower right now than it has been in ten, maybe 20 years. It is definitely not a good time to try to enter the industry.



I am hopeful and fairly confident that the RV industry will turn around by sometime next year but there are no guarantees.



Actually, fifth wheels and conventional travel trailers are still selling but not in huge numbers. I don't think a dealer can give a Class A motorhome away right now.