Truck Delivery Driveaway

Yep, backing up around a curve. Interesting stuff.

I would have paid an entry fee to watch that! Fun stuff!

Keep up the good work Errol. I know of one company delivering Freightliner that is a union job and all hotels and travel is paid by the company and another one that is 1099. The one I know that is 1099 requires at least two years of experience. These are good driving jobs, but you need the experience. Stay with that first company for at least one year. Errol, is a prime example of what opportunities experience can lead to.

I had over three years driving for Swift. Truck Movers likes that much, minimum. And you won't last long if you don't watch the last unit in your string. In a sharp turn it may be the ultimate weapon to take out a light pole or a car fender.

TM is a1099 shop. After I'm done training I'll post an "average" settlement statement, along with my own expenses. (Training pay is deducted in my settlement and paid to the trainer.)

Now for the part where I earns me money.

I must carry tools around with me as I travel, including on airplane trips. I have to be careful my tool bag stays under 50 lbs, the airline maximum bag weight. Included is a 20v cordless impact wrench and impact sockets up to 1-1/8" and 1-1/4" as well as a 1/2" ratchet.

There's no "drop and hook" at delivery. Flatbedders have it easy compared to this. I bring up to 4 trucks piggyback style to the customer and it's my job to separate them. I need to put axles back into the wheels of the towed trucks, remove air lines "artificially" attached to the towed air brake chambers, other various electric and air lines, un-cage the brakes (a bolt in that hole in the brake chamber keeps the brakes from being "on" while the truck is towed.)

Then I call a heavy tow truck to be a crane to lift down each truck from the 5th wheel mount. And this whole mounting system is put together with those big nuts that I have to loosen and remove.

All the stuff I take off the truck must be placed in a pallet sized crate I brought along. Even the heavy steel brackets and mounts.

For three trucks it takes about 4-5 hours of crawling over and under them to get this job done. Then I need to get to the airport and catch a plane to my next load. (My company arranges this transportation.)

Interesting stuff indeed. Glad you seem to be enjoying it.

6 months ago Errol said :

After I'm done training I'll post an "average" settlement statement, along with my own expenses.

Must be long training! are you still enjoying it? What is your favorite, and least favorite parts of doing this?

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Errol had stated in the other area of the forum he no longer does this. He said

Very similar to what TT says about owner operators - to make money you can't stop driving. I guess I didn't have the hustle needed.

And being required to stay in hotels, a few times I was delayed, meaning an average of $70/day in added expenses while I sat for weather and delivery scheduling.

in This thread

I forgot my promise!

I'm out of town today, but I'll get one up. My settlement will show some income and some expenses. The company did pay some road expenses but they claim those refunds were simply added to the main payment, not itemized.

On the other hand, my living expenses were about &70/day. I could not sleep in the tractor (and sometimes I was delivering day cabs anyway) so it was hotel every day. Being limited to airline weight limits (2 x 50lb bags) I could not carry food.

OK, here it is - my settlement statement. This is probably the largest settlement I got. It includes one trip from Dublin, VA (Volvo), to Yakima WA with one stop in Spokane. Also a trip from Laredo, TX (ProStar) to St. Louis MO. When I finally escaped Yakima's freezing weather, The company flew me to Laredo, TX (fly to San Antonio then company bus to Laredo.)

"Load" is the gross amount offered. I had to pay the fuel, and got the Fuel Surcharge back. I had a breakdown in Sioux Falls, TruckMovers (TM) paid for one day. I had to pay for all other hotel stays (nine days including two weather delays getting out of Spokane) and food, of course. I used an average of $70/day for hotel and food, so that's close to $630 for this trip. I also must pay for state licenses/permits and all tolls. From Dublin I drove south of Chicago, avoiding over $100 in tolls but a slightly longer trip.

The "3-Way/2-Way" is the miles hauling that many units plus my drive tractor. I never calculated my net income since I needed to add up all the receipts for a given week, and I never did that.

Added feature: When I delivered to St Louis, my wife drove up from Memphis and we spent the weekend there.