High-Seas to Highways
#651
11-28-2007, 11:34 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 2,065
Originally Posted by broncrider1
i know i know....lol
then again i am an o/o never know....you might be back...to bad about yer accident though...thats a tought break especially when starting out BTW, I totally forgot to call you back today and will give you a buzz tomorrow. 
#652
11-29-2007, 02:49 AM
Originally Posted by devildice
11/28/07
So what does all this mean for me? Well I had not planned on announcing this until after the holidays, but I have been for some time now considering becoming an O/O. To make a long story short, long before all this news came about; I found a truck and trailer and started the ball rolling on purchasing it. I am buying a 2001 Western Star with a 2003 Transcraft Eagle II 48x96 spread axle trailer. I am picking it up in about 2 ½ weeks and will be bringing it back to lease onto Davis after the New Year. I know there are many that will criticize me for doing it but that’s o.k. I hope there will be a few that at least wish me luck in my new endeavor even if they think I am making a mistake. I have been researching this for about 2 years now and ever since signing onto Davis I have been getting the information on each load as it would pay to an O/O as well as all the maintenance cost etc. Yes there are many, many pro’s and cons to it, and NO I do not know everything there is to know about it but I feel I know enough that I can be successful. I could continue to crunch numbers all day long every day, but until I get off the side lines and jump into the game, there is no way of knowing what the outcome would be. I am fortunate enough to have a few friends that are O/O’s (including here at Davis) that are ready and willing to assist me should I have questions or need advice. I have also be assured my some higher ups at Davis that they will do everything they can (although most of it will be up to me) to help me be successful. If I am successful as an O/O with them, then they to are successful. One of my family friends that is an O/O that runs his own authority, told me that one of several key aspects is to always remember that you are businessman first, and a driver second. He said that if I always keep that priority then I should come out on top. So, when the New Year comes and I cross over to the other side of the fence, I hope that those of you that follow my thread will wish me luck and success. Anyways, now that the “big” news is out of the bag, back to my boring adventures. I am once again shut down at the North Bend TA for the night. When I called my customer for directions, the gal told me there was no where on or near their property for me to park over night. So tomorrow I will check out the atlas and truck stop guide and see where I can position myself for a quick and easy run into their facility. Hopefully I will find something.  As for parking in Wenatchee, where are you loading? If your loading Aluminum billots, down on the river, there is a truckstop just west of Quincy, on Hiway 28 that is roomy. In Wenatchee itself, trucks used to park behind the Denny's, right down off of downtown at Chelan Ave. North of Wenatchee on US 2, eastside of the river, about 3 miles up from the US 2/hiway 28 interchange, there used to be a couple stores with truck parking. Finally..there was a truckstop just on the east side of East Wenatchee...I think it was in Rock Island.
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Space...............Is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence! :thumbsup: Star Trek2009
#653
11-29-2007, 02:54 AM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 2,065
Originally Posted by Orangetxguy
Originally Posted by devildice
11/28/07
So what does all this mean for me? Well I had not planned on announcing this until after the holidays, but I have been for some time now considering becoming an O/O. To make a long story short, long before all this news came about; I found a truck and trailer and started the ball rolling on purchasing it. I am buying a 2001 Western Star with a 2003 Transcraft Eagle II 48x96 spread axle trailer. I am picking it up in about 2 ½ weeks and will be bringing it back to lease onto Davis after the New Year. I know there are many that will criticize me for doing it but that’s o.k. I hope there will be a few that at least wish me luck in my new endeavor even if they think I am making a mistake. I have been researching this for about 2 years now and ever since signing onto Davis I have been getting the information on each load as it would pay to an O/O as well as all the maintenance cost etc. Yes there are many, many pro’s and cons to it, and NO I do not know everything there is to know about it but I feel I know enough that I can be successful. I could continue to crunch numbers all day long every day, but until I get off the side lines and jump into the game, there is no way of knowing what the outcome would be. I am fortunate enough to have a few friends that are O/O’s (including here at Davis) that are ready and willing to assist me should I have questions or need advice. I have also be assured my some higher ups at Davis that they will do everything they can (although most of it will be up to me) to help me be successful. If I am successful as an O/O with them, then they to are successful. One of my family friends that is an O/O that runs his own authority, told me that one of several key aspects is to always remember that you are businessman first, and a driver second. He said that if I always keep that priority then I should come out on top. So, when the New Year comes and I cross over to the other side of the fence, I hope that those of you that follow my thread will wish me luck and success. Anyways, now that the “big” news is out of the bag, back to my boring adventures. I am once again shut down at the North Bend TA for the night. When I called my customer for directions, the gal told me there was no where on or near their property for me to park over night. So tomorrow I will check out the atlas and truck stop guide and see where I can position myself for a quick and easy run into their facility. Hopefully I will find something. As for parking in Wenatchee, where are you loading? If your loading Aluminum billots, down on the river, there is a truckstop just west of Quincy, on Hiway 28 that is roomy. In Wenatchee itself, trucks used to park behind the Denny's, right down off of downtown at Chelan Ave. North of Wenatchee on US 2, eastside of the river, about 3 miles up from the US 2/hiway 28 interchange, there used to be a couple stores with truck parking. Finally..there was a truckstop just on the east side of East Wenatchee...I think it was in Rock Island. I was talking to GFI and he just loaded out of this place and I am delivering in the same place he did. He said there was a decent TS about 15 minutes away from the customer in Rock Island on US-28 so I may just go there.
#654
11-29-2007, 03:25 AM
Hey DD best of luck to you. I hope you keep posting your adventures as O/O and let us know how well you do. The good with the bad. Maybe some of us will follow your footsteps. The news about Davis was what I was told and also they discontinued their training so I'm not sure where that would have left me being that I would've just finished training this week if I hadn't got hurt. I've just been accepted as a "pumpkin driver" for western regional. Schneider has a terminal just 20 minutes from my house and that's where I go for orientation. Then, since I have some experience I go to their "advanced" training program. I get paid starting day one. I take a driving test and based on how well I do they will determine how long I attend their "academy". Could be 1 to 14 days. Then I go with a trainer for 1 to 3 weeks. I'm hoping with the experience I got from my Davis trainer the time will be short. I start 1-5-08 so I hope my wrist is healed by then. I have to do some physical test at orientation. While training I also get a room at the local Marriott hotel even if I live only 20 miles away. They said since their paying for it, they want me to stay in it. I'll have the wife come on the weekend hahaha. Again, good luck to all of you and thanks DD for your "message board".
#655
11-29-2007, 03:49 AM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 2,065
Originally Posted by jvnd
Hey DD best of luck to you. I hope you keep posting your adventures as O/O and let us know how well you do. The good with the bad. Maybe some of us will follow your footsteps. The news about Davis was what I was told and also they discontinued their training so I'm not sure where that would have left me being that I would've just finished training this week if I hadn't got hurt. I've just been accepted as a "pumpkin driver" for western regional. Schneider has a terminal just 20 minutes from my house and that's where I go for orientation. Then, since I have some experience I go to their "advanced" training program. I get paid starting day one. I take a driving test and based on how well I do they will determine how long I attend their "academy". Could be 1 to 14 days. Then I go with a trainer for 1 to 3 weeks. I'm hoping with the experience I got from my Davis trainer the time will be short. I start 1-5-08 so I hope my wrist is healed by then. I have to do some physical test at orientation. While training I also get a room at the local Marriott hotel even if I live only 20 miles away. They said since their paying for it, they want me to stay in it. I'll have the wife come on the weekend hahaha. Again, good luck to all of you and thanks DD for your "message board".
as for the thread come the new year......well I guess I could keep it going. I have no problem sharing the good, bad and ugly of my experience as an O/O.
#656
11-29-2007, 05:53 AM
yeah you just forgot to call me back i bet......lol
any way...i know you'll do fine as an o/o here...you hafta be either retarded of half lazy not to make any money here.....just dont run anything under $1.15/mile before davis(within reason) percent plus FSC and dont run alot of d/h miles....they will kill you but i think you'll be just fine hopefully we will have a contract with plehps dodge before long...that would pay decent for you outta the house after all i grossed just under 105k in about 6 months here.... but if i did get a desk job...shesh i can only hope....i would give you the better of the runs....lol still tryin to figure out what im doin with my truck...was supposed to be paid for it yesterday, but am still waiting....my newer truck is waiting on money as is my trailer...god i wish i was still a company driver at times
#657
11-29-2007, 06:01 AM
jvnd....it is my understanding that the training might continue...in a manner such as prime and cr egland...finish training and lease a truck...i talked to mr mckinnny about it and he said he would look into it....believe me i trust him.....he has been alot better about goin after new contracts than anyone else i have talked to (matt or a few differnt dispatchers)
no offence to anyone else at davis but there are very few in the office i trust..............and ultimatly the only one 'si trust to run MY business is me and my wife
#658
11-29-2007, 01:08 PM
LOL...It's good to know my memory of what is available in the Wenatchee area is still there!! Glad to hear that the TS in Rock Island is still there as well.
__________________
Space...............Is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence! :thumbsup: Star Trek2009
#659
11-29-2007, 03:01 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 2,065
Originally Posted by broncrider1
yeah you just forgot to call me back i bet......lol
any way...i know you'll do fine as an o/o here...you hafta be either retarded of half lazy not to make any money here.....just dont run anything under $1.15/mile before davis(within reason) percent plus FSC and dont run alot of d/h miles....they will kill you but i think you'll be just fine hopefully we will have a contract with plehps dodge before long...that would pay decent for you outta the house after all i grossed just under 105k in about 6 months here.... but if i did get a desk job...shesh i can only hope....i would give you the better of the runs....lol still tryin to figure out what im doin with my truck...was supposed to be paid for it yesterday, but am still waiting....my newer truck is waiting on money as is my trailer...god i wish i was still a company driver at times
#660
11-29-2007, 05:39 PM
Sorry broncrider1 but the last thing I want to do at this stage of my career is lease a truck. I appreciate the response though. To be honest with you, my experience with Davis and the office hasn't been the best. I can tell you now that I received a written letter from them stating that I would be paid $500 wk for orientation. When I got to Missoula I was told on the second day of orientation I would only get $325 wk or a bus ticket home at my expense. They said I got the wrong letter. Since I noticed Davis was quick to make a driver pay for his mistakes(points,etc.) I thought they should honor theirs since I could have gone with 5 other companies that pre-hired me but chose Davis mainly for the better pay. I also feel they should pay for a drivers way home if they are injured on the job. I may be wrong here being new to the industry but is this common? They did try to route me home but being in the truck was causing more damage and eventually I hurt my wrist again trying to get in the sleeper. That's when I borrowed the money to get home. I know Schneider pays for a $20,000 travel/accident insurance policy for their drivers and the list of bennies is three pages long. The starting pay is $350 wk starting day one while training then .29 a mile with at least 2500 miles. Of course I had other promises in writing so I'll keep you all posted on this adventure.
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