Post by FUSION on Nov 1, 2015 6:54:59 GMT -5
Quote Originally Posted by fld View Post
Thank you for answering each of my questions.
I have been looking for information on running intermodal as a mc, but I have found very little.
I am in a (family) situation that it is best for me to not be gone for days at a time. I have pulled intermodal freight before (mainly rails, some port), and this may be a good fit for me. So, more questions:
With this company that acts as your broker, how are you dispatched/ how do you find load?
From what I have seen, most of the trucks running out of the Norfolk area are leased on under the big companies that run out of the area (Hubb Group, Bridge Terminal Transport, Roadrunner, Lightning, Port Container Group, Jb Hunt, etc). I would research all available options and choose which company seems best for you. The company I pull for knows the lanes I prefer to run (that get me home daily) and offers me those loads.
Do you negotiate rates for each load?
I don't haggle too much unless the rate doesn't cover my cost, wages and profit. Having my own authority carries more expense and responsibility so my service costs more than an owner-operator leased onto a company. This also means the company that brokers my loads don't carry the expense that they would if I was leased onto them. I also realize the company finding mad brokering the loads for me needs to make money to cover their costs and profit, so they must get a fair cut of that load.
Do you receive detention pay?
Yes after 2 hours but it rarely happens. Call ahead to the receiver/shipper as many times the address given isn't 100% correct. Intermodal customers are many times large companies with multiple warehouses/terminals.
What limits do you carry for cargo inss?
Check with each company you are interested in working with, as each may need different limits. I carry $100k cargo and $50k for the chassis & container. Again, I carry this insurance since I am operating under my own authority.
If I understand you correctly, pulling intermodal loads with authority is about finding intermodal broker(s) or a company that can act as a broker. Is this correct?
You are correct. If this is the route you want to take, start calling the intermodal/drayage companies in your area and ask if they ever use owner operators with their own authority.
To the best of my knowledge, in this area (phila), there is no negotiation with companies that o/os lease on to. Most here pay 70%.
Everything is negotiable . Seriously though, it's all about knowing your costs and what you are able to operate for, just like any other form of trucking or business for that matter. Whether it is % or per mile, just make sure it works for you. Here around Norfolk all the owner opp contracts seem to be per mile and look low from what I have seen advertised. I haven't dug very deep into the leased on side of things though. I would always be interested in finding more companies who broker boxes to drivers with their own authority though
It also seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong about this, but most or all of this freight come from brokers. So being leased on to a carrier means that the load first came from (at least one) broker, then to the mc, then to the leased on o/o.
Where the load or box initially gets brokered off the ship, I am unsure. I haven't asked the company I pull for because I don't want them to get the impression I am trying to cut them out of the equation because as I said above, I understand they must take a piece of that load for the service they are providing me (consistent freight in the lanes I prefer to run). I would like to find out who/what they work with to find said loads though. For informational purposes of course haha! To answer your question directly, yes your chain of how the load moves is correct.
So if the broker takes (20%?), and the mc takes 30% of the remaining 80%, that doesn't leave very much.
I'm not sure how each boxes percentages work out but yes the per mile rates to O/O I have seen seem low. The system doesn't seem to allow for someone with their own Authority to get in so I seem to be one of the few doing so around Norfolk at least. I see some trucks without the bigger companies logo though so others are doing it. Prior to doing the intermodal thing, I already had my own DOT/MC authority so I had to do some searching to find the right fit for me.
Im happy to help with any info I can and I am always interested in learning more about the subject. I hope this thread can achieve both.
Thank you for answering each of my questions.
I have been looking for information on running intermodal as a mc, but I have found very little.
I am in a (family) situation that it is best for me to not be gone for days at a time. I have pulled intermodal freight before (mainly rails, some port), and this may be a good fit for me. So, more questions:
With this company that acts as your broker, how are you dispatched/ how do you find load?
From what I have seen, most of the trucks running out of the Norfolk area are leased on under the big companies that run out of the area (Hubb Group, Bridge Terminal Transport, Roadrunner, Lightning, Port Container Group, Jb Hunt, etc). I would research all available options and choose which company seems best for you. The company I pull for knows the lanes I prefer to run (that get me home daily) and offers me those loads.
Do you negotiate rates for each load?
I don't haggle too much unless the rate doesn't cover my cost, wages and profit. Having my own authority carries more expense and responsibility so my service costs more than an owner-operator leased onto a company. This also means the company that brokers my loads don't carry the expense that they would if I was leased onto them. I also realize the company finding mad brokering the loads for me needs to make money to cover their costs and profit, so they must get a fair cut of that load.
Do you receive detention pay?
Yes after 2 hours but it rarely happens. Call ahead to the receiver/shipper as many times the address given isn't 100% correct. Intermodal customers are many times large companies with multiple warehouses/terminals.
What limits do you carry for cargo inss?
Check with each company you are interested in working with, as each may need different limits. I carry $100k cargo and $50k for the chassis & container. Again, I carry this insurance since I am operating under my own authority.
If I understand you correctly, pulling intermodal loads with authority is about finding intermodal broker(s) or a company that can act as a broker. Is this correct?
You are correct. If this is the route you want to take, start calling the intermodal/drayage companies in your area and ask if they ever use owner operators with their own authority.
To the best of my knowledge, in this area (phila), there is no negotiation with companies that o/os lease on to. Most here pay 70%.
Everything is negotiable . Seriously though, it's all about knowing your costs and what you are able to operate for, just like any other form of trucking or business for that matter. Whether it is % or per mile, just make sure it works for you. Here around Norfolk all the owner opp contracts seem to be per mile and look low from what I have seen advertised. I haven't dug very deep into the leased on side of things though. I would always be interested in finding more companies who broker boxes to drivers with their own authority though
It also seems to me, and correct me if I am wrong about this, but most or all of this freight come from brokers. So being leased on to a carrier means that the load first came from (at least one) broker, then to the mc, then to the leased on o/o.
Where the load or box initially gets brokered off the ship, I am unsure. I haven't asked the company I pull for because I don't want them to get the impression I am trying to cut them out of the equation because as I said above, I understand they must take a piece of that load for the service they are providing me (consistent freight in the lanes I prefer to run). I would like to find out who/what they work with to find said loads though. For informational purposes of course haha! To answer your question directly, yes your chain of how the load moves is correct.
So if the broker takes (20%?), and the mc takes 30% of the remaining 80%, that doesn't leave very much.
I'm not sure how each boxes percentages work out but yes the per mile rates to O/O I have seen seem low. The system doesn't seem to allow for someone with their own Authority to get in so I seem to be one of the few doing so around Norfolk at least. I see some trucks without the bigger companies logo though so others are doing it. Prior to doing the intermodal thing, I already had my own DOT/MC authority so I had to do some searching to find the right fit for me.
Im happy to help with any info I can and I am always interested in learning more about the subject. I hope this thread can achieve both.