Trying to find a heavy hauler owner/operator. NV to KS

This has proved to be quite challenging. For the rates quoted so far, I should buy a truck and screw people for a living too. I am looking for any resources to finding truck operators that move from say CA to midwest frequent enough. I am super flexible on the move and looking to catch someone maybe on a back haul or something. I was hoping there was a site for this. Uship rates are ridiculous.

I am having the same problem. From the mid-south to the northeast I am getting quotes of $3-4/mi. I know what it costs to run a truck but I am not paying a more than 200% mark up especially for a truckload and no permits necessary. In my case I am trying to move trucks so maybe I should just fly down and drive back. There are people out there that can sympathize with you.

Try the websites for posting your load.Lots of owner operators use them and they cut out the middle man.One such site is www.GetLoaded.com.There ar more.You post your load then they call and give a price but don't be in a hurry.Just make sure they have insurance like Cargo etc.

I guess I seemed offending on other sites but sounds like you guys might understand that maybe making 175/hr to sit in a truck and roll down the road seems a little over the top IMO. I guess "I" get a little offended when we design and make CNC machined parts for airplanes and asked to hold it a $60/hr and our machines cost as much or more than any rig. I do realize there are costs in this though. Fuel as a major player. I have looked up permits for Wyoming and was quoted that they will be 700 bucks from a trucker! I am not sure what I missed on their website but I was no where close to 700 bucks!

2stick, thanks for the site link. Let me know if you know if any more that we could post on. It might seem offending but I simply cannot pay for a round trip for a trucker to drive all the way home unloaded...! That just seems absurd to me, and they want me to pay for it. Wonder how many get this rate, then get a hotel and get to work finding another load and double dip?? Anyway, not trying to offend the truckers, just need to understand the costs involved.

2stick, I checked out that site and they want 45 bucks just to post my load!! I would pay it if I actually thought this would work out but based on the 50 numbers I called yesterday, I am leery of wasting money on this.

What are you trying to haul that needs a lowbed from California? Or are you trying to go from where you are to the west?

I can sympathize with you since I just paid >$3.00/mile to get my dozer from Ms to TX.I tried U ship and called around with different companies but as far as I could tell $3 was a good as it was going to get. Not much you can do without interstate authority.

from mt-to-tx, i haul'd a 9xle/w-RTcrane; 12'wide-15'tall about 110000lbs paid almost $800 on a permit just for wy.

That is so wrong it should be illegal. I apparently missed something when looking up Wy permits. I was not working too hard at it since we are way off cost wise anyway.

fastline said:

2stick, I checked out that site and they want 45 bucks just to post my load!! I would pay it if I actually thought this would work out but based on the 50 numbers I called yesterday, I am leery of wasting money on this.

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Didn't know that.I got a trial run on that site but it was years ago.Then posting was free.Some sites let you post free then the trucker pays to hunt loads.
Just seach Load boards and you might find one.

fastline said:

This has proved to be quite challenging. For the rates quoted so far, I should buy a truck and screw people for a living too. I am looking for any resources to finding truck operators that move from say CA to midwest frequent enough.

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You know what...You have no clue what you're talking about. Permits, insurance, registration fees......you think all this crap is free? Yeah....I screw people for a living and I'd love to take your money since I have what you need. But you.....you are offending, you are a waste of time and you'll never come up with enough money for the screwing that an offended OO/HH will give you.

Not trying to start anything, but as somebody who tried hard to get rich in the trucking business from 1995 until July of 2011; I wish people would try a business before they talk about ripping people off.

I'm sure if you own a machine shop you are quite tired of people who tell you have it made automatically just because you own a business. I own several different kinds of businesses involving heavy equipment and trucks, and my hobby is talking to people who own other types of businesses.

Let's start w/ your first assumption: That this truck is going to make an average of 59 mph. As you know in the machine shop, a lot of the cost is setup. The driver has to get there, load and chain down your machine. Maybe he'll have to find somebody to jumpstart it, or to air up the tires. Next he has to deal with the time lost at weigh stations, and mandated breaks. Hauling 92,000 lbs, he's going to be stopped and inspected and his paperwork checked at everyone. Most of them will fine him $100 for forgetting to dot an "i" in his logbook, or an illegible capacity mark on a chain, or anyone of a thousand other petty things.

Now lets look at fuel: you hear over the road van drivers bragging about averaging 7 mpg. Most of them don't even gross 80,000 lbs most of the time, much less the 130,000 you would weigh hauling a 92,000 pan. Also, a lowboy w/ a machine on it usually has the aerodynamics of a parachute. This fellow would be thrilled to get 4 mpg. There's $1 a mile right there, or at least $2000 for the round trip.

Now, let's think about tires: just count them up (hint: it's not 18) and multiply by $400. Tire life is not great at all in the heavy haul business, and you can't just pop in at a truckstop and think they will have your size in stock if you need them.

On the subject of permits, (and the sheer aggravation of every state having different rules about axles, pilot cars, and etc.) there are 5 states to deal w/ here.

If you are thinking of getting a tractor and trailer to haul 50 tons interstate, don't bother kicking tires w/ only $200,000.00 in your pocket.

On the subject of having your own interstate authority, I had it for 5 trucks, and you have never even thought about bureaucracy until you get in this business. You really almost need a full-time person to deal with it. That's why most O/Os are leased on to somebody.

On the subject of one way hauls: This is a very specialized business, and w/ what one of those rigs weighs, you can't just run down to the local mill and get a flatbed load, if you had the deck space for it. If a load can be divided, he CANNOT get a permit to weigh over 80,000 in most states.

I still have a 50-ton lowboy and a healthy tractor, but I wouldn't do that 4 or 5 days work for $3600 if I lived next door to you.

I hope I've opened your eyes a little without making you mad, cause I really didn't set out to do that, but you really don't know somebody's life till you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Good Luck, Mitch

Hey Pete,
You posted while I was writing that book above.

Don't jump on me cause I underestimated some stuff, and left out all the stuff about ins. taxes, reg. ,etc.. You know if we told them how much this crap cost, they'd never believe us!

You tell'em boys. Drove a dry van for years and always respected the heavy haulers...got to have some top-shelf equipment and be very patient...not a lot of room for error in your business.

I run my own 5 axle tractor lowboy for my "toys". My toy hauler costs me $100 / month for plates at 54,000 lbs and $100 / month for antique truck insurance (can only haul my own stuff). Truck and trailer is all paid for an agreed insurance value of $15,000. I do not intend on replacing it so no cost there. I can average 6mpg because I run light. That's $0.65 per mile just for diesel. I figure I'm in the $2 / mile without any repair expense or replacement cost figured in.

As for permit costs, it is much easier to use a permit service to get one, they deal with the DOT's every day. You pay for that service. When I go out of state my friend in the heavy haul business told me to use a permit service to get my fuel and trip permit because it's a big hassle to do it yourself. He gladly pays for the permit service. $50 worth of fuel and trip permits for my last 3 state trip (no oversize or overweight) cost me $160 thru the service.

Hauling the 90-100,00 scraper you want moved isn't near as easy and simple as you think. I can also just about guarantee you that if you are getting multiple quotes above $10,000, those are probably decent numbers. In this economy, these guys just can name any price they want. If they aren't competitive, they go out of business. Gravel trains go for about $125 / hour here in MI. $175 for a heavy hauler sounds reasonable to me.

I always used to tell them hey im sure Kenworth sell you your own truck for $145,000 i know chaz Murray would love to sell you a new trailer for $80,000. Then you can go get a CDL to drive your new truck and trailer get about 5 years practical experience so you can find some company to rape you for insurance costs. you can pay the $2,200 alone in fuel this trip is going to cost you, then the possibility of a $750 tire service for a single blown tire.

So basically for $200,000 you can do this for free and hope luck and god himself is on your side and by some miracle you dont put the whole quarter million dollar mess in the ditch from point A to point B.

I once saw a O/O hauling a dry box and on the back door it said. "last year I paid 24,000 dollars in fuel and road taxes, so yes I do own the road."

We have our own lowboy and tractor for hauling or own stuff but on the occation we do some single day short hauls. That big of a machine over that distance, there is no way in hell i'd move that thing for any less the 14,000. First time Barnie Fife at the weight station looks you over and decides to be a major d--k walking away with less then $2000 in fines is a good day. And who the hell is going to drive 1500 miles to request a court aperance to get the fines lowered? Just pay the bill and look at it as bribeing the local goverment to do busseness. Sorry bud but look at some of the cost to really move this stuff and I think you will see where they are getting there prices from.

For cheap hauling call em at 303-242-9523 or visit haulhero.com

We charge $175 any hour. We were broke down for a while and the outfit we hired charged us $225.

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