Visit our Popular Forums

BigNickMontana · 19-03-2016, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishin4bogey

Nick, if that trailer is yours also, ditch that broker, and give someone like Landstar a call. Nothing worse than a dirtbag broker. However if selling it all gives you 35k, I'm assuming the tractor is just yours, not the trailer. In that case I'd stil try Landstar or even the Landstar-like set up Schneider has. With your oversize experience maybe sell the tractor, and get on with a heavy haul company.

You obviously know the industry. Someone with your experience can get work in about 45 minutes, even if it's hauling regular ol' freight.

I know I could go somewhere else, but quite frankly I am just burned out on heavy haul. I own the truck, own the trailer but still owe quite a bit of money against them.

I want to go back to pulling legal loads and get out of the sunrise to sunset shuffle because it is keeping me from doing other things I love like Photography.

Cadence · 19-03-2016, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigNickMontana

I know I could go somewhere else, but quite frankly I am just burned out on heavy haul. I own the truck, own the trailer but still owe quite a bit of money against them.

I want to go back to pulling legal loads and get out of the sunrise to sunset shuffle because it is keeping me from doing other things I love like Photography.

Nick, How on earth did you get into being an independent? It has always looked like being a 24/7 job just to pay the overhead. Even at that the gov. stops that. Which I guess is good but not for the wallet.

fishin4bogey · 19-03-2016, 17:21

I walked away from long haul October of 2014, and never looked back. 2010-2014 were spent at Heartland. Made good money, had a travel agent that made me his personal whipping boy, and always kept me IN the money and OUT of NYC/Long Island. Ran several log books when I ran produce. Running legal was awesome.

Now I run a dump truck, 10 wheel flat bed, trying to get them to start training me on the low boy. Home every night, weekends off.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

fishin4bogey · 19-03-2016, 17:22

Drove long haul for 11 years.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

BigNickMontana · 19-03-2016, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadence

Nick, How on earth did you get into being an independent? It has always looked like being a 24/7 job just to pay the overhead. Even at that the gov. stops that. Which I guess is good but not for the wallet.

I am leased to an outfit that takes care of most of it for me, in the past it has been a really good situation and I have made a lot of money in this business.

It's gonna feel really good for a while going back to my truck that is paid off even though it is not as nice. It is just a matter of not having almost 5 grand a month in payments that is going to feel so good.

BigNickMontana · 19-03-2016, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishin4bogey

I walked away from long haul October of 2014, and never looked back. 2010-2014 were spent at Heartland. Made good money, had a travel agent that made me his personal whipping boy, and always kept me IN the money and OUT of NYC/Long Island. Ran several log books when I ran produce. Running legal was awesome.

Now I run a dump truck, 10 wheel flat bed, trying to get them to start training me on the low boy. Home every night, weekends off.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I can't say I blame you for wanting to get out with all the crap they are throwing at us these days.

I've been also pretty surprised how many of us there are here, I guess boating is a good fit for truckers.

watson1990 · 19-03-2016, 18:04

SOVEREL 28 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

kennyarmes · 19-03-2016, 20:43

I have been doing it for 28 years and can't wait to get out I'm going to do it for 3 more years and then I quit and sail over the horizon unless I hit the lottery between now and then LOL

Sent from my VS985 4G using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Sailormantx · 19-03-2016, 21:49

BigNickMontana, take a good look at the Clear Lake Texas area, is is by far the most affordable place in the USA to purchase and fitout a boat. A decent liveaboard slip can be had for around $300 a month, which is good because there are few places to anchor out long term in Texas unless you have a very shallow draft. Your background is similar to mine excepting the veteran part, you will have no trouble adapting to the cruising lifestyle. I taught my self how to sail from books and trial and error, sold my 8 axle rig in 1996, moved aboard and sailed out of Lake Michigan and never looked back. Now I am wandering about and stopping to refill the cruising kitty as needed. Not the easiest lifestyle for sure, but definitely worth it! Hope to see you out there.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Hearts Content · 19-03-2016, 21:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Good point on considering draft. For Florida & the Bahamas try not to exceed 4'. For the west coast don't worry about it.

Regarding trawlers not going anywhere because of the price of fuel I don't get that one. We burn less than 1 gallon per hour. A typical Taiwan built trawler with the usual Ford Lehman 120 will burn about 2 gallons per hour. The fuel expense on a trawler is a small percentage of the cost of ownership & usually not a concern. If you compare the costs of maintain a rig & sails to a trawler's fuel costs you'll actually come out ahead on a trawler, especially when you consider the fact that most sailors motor a significant percentage of the time. Of course the reason someone buys a sailboat is not because they want save money, it's because they love to sail.

Let's see, for me, a direct run to Key West is 42 hours. So that's 84 gallons of fuel. Let's assume $2 a gallon to tilt it in your favor. It cost you $168 just to GET to Key West in a trawler.

Man, you crazy stink potters.

BigNickMontana · 19-03-2016, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hearts Content

Let's see, for me, a direct run to Key West is 42 hours. So that's 84 gallons of fuel. Let's assume $2 a gallon to tilt it in your favor. It cost you $168 just to GET to Key West in a trawler.

Man, you crazy stink potters.

I had seriously looked at building a 55' trawler out of steel, was going to stuff a pair of 6bt Cummins engines in it, Then when I started thinking about filling 3,000 gallons worth of diesel so I could enjoy passage making, I abruptly decided to go for sails.

Fuel consumption would have been about 6gph, while I would have made about 13 knots maybe 15 with a bulbous bow.

Just to make the 2400 NM passage to Hawaii it would have cost a minimum of 2,300.00 in fuel.

That is a lot of freaking money for a trip to Hawaii, and mind you that is one way.

BigNickMontana · 19-03-2016, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

BigNickMontana, take a good look at the Clear Lake Texas area, is is by far the most affordable place in the USA to purchase and fitout a boat. A decent liveaboard slip can be had for around $300 a month, which is good because there are few places to anchor out long term in Texas unless you have a very shallow draft. Your background is similar to mine excepting the veteran part, you will have no trouble adapting to the cruising lifestyle. I taught my self how to sail from books and trial and error, sold my 8 axle rig in 1996, moved aboard and sailed out of Lake Michigan and never looked back. Now I am wandering about and stopping to refill the cruising kitty as needed. Not the easiest lifestyle for sure, but definitely worth it! Hope to see you out there.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I lived in Corpus Christi for 5 years, Houston for 2, very familiar with the area down there.

I wouldn't be opposed to coming back down other than the fact that my Grandfather who I am very close with is 83 now, and not in the greatest health. In Seattle I am a day's drive from his house, which means I can spend time with him in the summer, int he winter if I go south to Cali, again I am a days drive from his winter home in Arizona.

So my adventure will be starting from Seattle.

You are on point though, starting out down there is a really good suggestion for someone who doesn't have those kind of ties.

fishin4bogey · 20-03-2016, 04:14

A paid off truck is a wonderful thing!! Now you won't have to run yourself into the ground because you MUST make that payment!

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app