New Haul and Tow RV transporter truck build..... Season II
- Thread starter pmmjarrett
- Start date
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Thank you Jon,
I will be there all day on the 15th and I look forward to seeing everyone.
I will be there all day on the 15th and I look forward to seeing everyone.
CrazyScotsman
Well-known member
Just pop up to NYC Mike,that way you can visit me.
In NYC till we load out after Friday nights show, then head up to Toronto.
In NYC till we load out after Friday nights show, then head up to Toronto.
Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
You will be hard pressed to spot me anywhere near the Rotten Apple.
Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
Some good news.
Just doing a little book work today and my average fuel mileage for the first 5020 miles loaded and empty is 10.96 MPG. Well into where we need to be to be profitable with a Haul and Tow truck. My worst number so far since the modifications was 10.23 and the best was 12.31.
That's a 3/4 mile per gallon improvement over the medium duty Ford F800 that had a 5.9 Cummins backed by an Allison Automatic.
The real crying shame is it's only a 1/2 mile per gallon worse than my 2006 Ford F350 with a 6.0h No and automatic was doing just pulling singles. That's sad.
Just doing a little book work today and my average fuel mileage for the first 5020 miles loaded and empty is 10.96 MPG. Well into where we need to be to be profitable with a Haul and Tow truck. My worst number so far since the modifications was 10.23 and the best was 12.31.
That's a 3/4 mile per gallon improvement over the medium duty Ford F800 that had a 5.9 Cummins backed by an Allison Automatic.
The real crying shame is it's only a 1/2 mile per gallon worse than my 2006 Ford F350 with a 6.0h No and automatic was doing just pulling singles. That's sad.
Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
Do they pay you double for two trailer pulls?
more per mileage?
or flat rate regardless?
just curious as to how they pay. So your hard work is paid off faster. Leaving more coin in your pocket faster.
Could you load 2 smaller trailers on deck and pull the third. and would that pay more?
more per mileage?
or flat rate regardless?
just curious as to how they pay. So your hard work is paid off faster. Leaving more coin in your pocket faster.
Could you load 2 smaller trailers on deck and pull the third. and would that pay more?
Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
It depends on the how the load originates from the factories when they book the load for the transport companies to move them. It is rare that you will ever see 2 units on the deck of a haul and tow truck like mine unless it is pop up campers or really small units like Edge M13 which is called a 13' trailer but in reality is almost 17' with the tounge. We can generally add 4' to what almost any factory tells us they are and be pretty close to the actual length. There's only so much you can cram onto a 25 - 26' deck.
Most loads for these trucks are booked as a Haul and Tow load which is a discounted rate per unit over what 2 singles would pay. Haul and Tow loads originate from the same manufacturer and delliver to the same dealer. On rare occasion they deliver to different dealers in close proximity but the load will pay to the furthest point. I make more doing this than pulling a single. I also work harder and have much more risk and expense.
Now if I manage to put 2 trailers together from different manufacturers going to different dealers, I'm getting full rate on each or it ain't moving on my truck... or pretty much anybody else I know either. I can make bank here. I generally ain't allowed to do this unless there isn't a haul and tow load available for me in the Elkhart area, I've been out for a while and trying to get home or I am running reloads out of other areas of the country.
The majority of the trailers we move with these trucks are your entry level, less expensive models that dealers often order more than one unit at a time. It saves them money and keeps us in demand as there are so few of us. Less than one percent of the transport drivers run a truck like this and even fewer are using tractor and trailer and there are only a couple specially built stinger steered tractor trailers out there that can do 3 - 4 units at a time.
Now don't forget the first rule in owning a business, it's not about how much you make.... It's all about how much you keep. I have a number in my head as too how much I keep a week staying out away from the house and if I'm not making what I want, I will.
- Find a different carrier to lease too that pays better in lanes I run.
- Find a different commodity to specialize in and adapt the truck as needed.
- Park the truck for only my own use and be "semi" retired... Pun intended
- Sell the truck and retire.
Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Paratrooper - Retired
I don't care how many sky dives you've got....... Until you've stepped into complete darkness at 800' wearing 95 lbs of equipment and 68 lbs of parachute, you just havn't lived.
NO KIDDING! Done that! Thanks for your service! (I'll never do it again either!!!! LOL)Recovered from 25-May-2010
Recovered
HaHa. Likewise. I don't think I could make it to my feet wearing all that stuff anymore much less make down the tarmac to the bird a half mile from the staging area.... If it's even that close LOL
Now give me a Hollywood, chopper blast, from a Chinook or Blackhawk, with dash 1 toggles at 4000' and I'll sky shark and catch thermals all day and steer it home to the assembly point for a short walk. Nothing like a tailgate Chinook jump, it's like walking into a big screen TV on the way out.
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Jim thanks for the invite to Nashville, I had a great time for the couple days I was there meeting a few old friends and making some new ones. Been pretty busy the last month and now I'm home. Truck has been running great.
I'm getting ready to start on some heavy modifications to the deck over the next week or 2 getting it set up to haul cars back. Just got back from picking up about $1200 worth of steel a few minutes ago.
Now it's time for Y'all to pull up an easy chair. sit back relax, watch the progress and have Mama fetch ya a cold one...... Or get up and get yer own when she hits you in the head for asking.
I'm getting ready to start on some heavy modifications to the deck over the next week or 2 getting it set up to haul cars back. Just got back from picking up about $1200 worth of steel a few minutes ago.
Now it's time for Y'all to pull up an easy chair. sit back relax, watch the progress and have Mama fetch ya a cold one...... Or get up and get yer own when she hits you in the head for asking.
jimtoo
Moderator
Good to hear from you Mike and glad the truck is doing it's job. Your never finished are you? You just keep on improving things.
Well,,, I got a new bigscreen laptop,,, got the recliner all checked out.... got a fridge full of cool stuff...,,so get on with the show Mike!!!
Jim M
Well,,, I got a new bigscreen laptop,,, got the recliner all checked out.... got a fridge full of cool stuff...,,so get on with the show Mike!!!
Jim M
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Owning and operating you own truck is a self fulfilling prophecy Jim.
You spend money to fix up the truck so you can hopefully make more money to spend to fix up the truck. It's a never ending work in progress.
Trucking is a penny business and every penny counts. Change $$$ is coming......
You spend money to fix up the truck so you can hopefully make more money to spend to fix up the truck. It's a never ending work in progress.
Trucking is a penny business and every penny counts. Change $$$ is coming......
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Now I know there may be a couple NBC TV "Friday Night Lights" fans here so here's a couple shots of "Tim's" Airstream trailer.
And the last shot of it at the production studio in Austin Texas............ Yep a world famous trailer on a world famous truck on a perfect day.
Don't ask me where it went or who bought it, I will ignore those questions. Just be happy it has a really nice peaceful home in the country with some stunning scenery.
And the last shot of it at the production studio in Austin Texas............ Yep a world famous trailer on a world famous truck on a perfect day.
Don't ask me where it went or who bought it, I will ignore those questions. Just be happy it has a really nice peaceful home in the country with some stunning scenery.
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Thank you. As long as ya stand back 50' so you don't see the million miles worth of stone chips, scratches and faded paint she looks pretty good.
OK, lets get down to business.
I started stripping the truck yesterday and finished the de-construction today. Removed the lights, moved wiring, scraped off reflexive tape, cut out the 5 forward crossmembers that will be replaced and cut off all of the deck plate. Everything is ground down smooth and ready to start fabricating the new upper deck tomorrow to get this thing ready to haul cars and trucks as well as trailers.
The rebuild of the deck will only take a couple days and I have purchased a Hobart 187 MIG welder to help make it happen. I'll be running flux core this time around as almost everything I do will be outside. Looking at the weather also tells me I am good for 9 days of sunshine, 80's - 90's and all with a 0% chance of precipitation so It's time to get busy.
pmmjarrett
Not just tired..... RETIRED!!!
Making progress.
Got the framework for the upper deck all tacked and clamped together and have the stake pockets tacked on. I am leaaving the front 2' of the bed open to so it's easier to load trailers and keeps it as easy access to get on the bed from the battery box steps. I may put a couple flips up front.
I have to run into town for a 10lb spool of flux core wire, some contact tips and a new chop saw tomorrow and weld everything solid. My old chop saw is so shot now it would have a hard time cutting warm butter.
Here's a welding tip for you. When using flux core or aluminum wire I use one size oversize tip for the welder. Flux cor wire is soft and the rollers easily deform it slightly making it stick in the tip and aluminum wire tends to swell when hot and sticks in the tip. When I use oversize tips it greaatly reduces this headache.
Got the framework for the upper deck all tacked and clamped together and have the stake pockets tacked on. I am leaaving the front 2' of the bed open to so it's easier to load trailers and keeps it as easy access to get on the bed from the battery box steps. I may put a couple flips up front.
I have to run into town for a 10lb spool of flux core wire, some contact tips and a new chop saw tomorrow and weld everything solid. My old chop saw is so shot now it would have a hard time cutting warm butter.
Here's a welding tip for you. When using flux core or aluminum wire I use one size oversize tip for the welder. Flux cor wire is soft and the rollers easily deform it slightly making it stick in the tip and aluminum wire tends to swell when hot and sticks in the tip. When I use oversize tips it greaatly reduces this headache.
2010augusta
Well-known member
Mike "they" make U-shaped rollers for your MIG that do not deform Al wire don't know if it works with Flux core too.
New truck looks good and hauling cars should mean more $$$
Good Luck
