Anyone run their own transport business?

PNWguy · Apr 22, 2019

I started a company in 2006 called RT Transport which basically was me and a business partner with a dump truck that we leased out in Arizona. I was the driver and mechanic. Lease rate then was $75 an hour.

For the first three-four months, I was working ten hour days and we were making money hand over fist.

Then the housing industry collapsed in the area and within two weeks we were out of work. Sold the truck and I went into the insurance industry.

So, I have some experience with trucks and expenses and assorted things of that nature.

Every now and then, I will see a big Dodge or Ford diesel dually pickup going down the highway with a gooseneck flatbed hauling a bunch of brand new utility trailers, or fiberglass boats, or some other sort of cargo.

The pickup will have a magnetic sign on it advertising a transport company of some sort.

My girlfriend and I were headed back from Seattle enjoying our road trip and were talking about a semi-retirement job that would allow us to travel that would pay the bills.

I thought of those privately-owned pickups doing fairly light hauling and wondered what the pay was like and if it was worth looking into.

Anyone here have any experience with it or know anyone that does it?

jbett98 · Apr 22, 2019

My retired neighbor sold his house and made a custom 1 ton Dodge truck with a mini low boy camper on the back, along with a trailer hitch that could raise or lower as needed and he started hauling new RV Trailers from the mid west to the NW.
On his back track, he would tow a car on a rented tow dolly/trailer. He said that it was lucrative enough and since he loved driving long distances, it was better then sitting home and watching tv.

CoastRange57 · Apr 22, 2019

I have seen a few of them around working. My personal opinion is that if you are going into the transportation business like that, I would go to a medium duty type truck with good engine and a manual transmission, and not some off the lot flashy new pickup. Dual rear tires make a HUGE difference in how a truck tows They have a higher GVW, and a lot more stability in cornering, and less body roll.

I owned a construction business back in that same time frame and I had my fill of both Ford and Chevy pickups trying to be used as a heavier commercial vehicles doing any kind of towing. I went to Freightliner FL 60s for the daily drivers for the construction crews. Cummins diesels with 6 speed transmissions. They had 22,000 GVW so no CDL problems to deal with. They could tow a 16,000 GVW trailer with out smoking the transmissions constantly. You can put or get them with air ride seats and some more of the creature comforts.

Unless you get a new truck specified for the fleet market, you are just taking a $ 70,000 pickup that is more pleasure car than work truck and using it for towing like that, you will quickly devalue that truck real fast.

I don't know what kind of money those haulers make, but I would think you need to make $ 100 an hour minimum on that kind of operation, or if they get paid by the mile. A friend is a long haul driver for Central Oregon trucking and makes about 100K a year, but he rolls some miles.

You can find good medium duty trucks used for a decent price all over the west coast. I was getting my FL 60's out of various places in AZ and CA. There was more selection in those areas, they tended to be well cared for vehicles and all it cost me was a plane ticket to go get them.