Been driving trucks of one sort or another since 1968, have thought about hauling RV's lately. I appreciate your experience and your willingness to share your knowledge with us. In my career, I have trained many individuals, not only to drive trucks, but how to load and unload trailers ( pneumatics) etc. You are providing valuable information for those of us who are interested in hauling RV's. I'm not retired, wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't working, have had a job of one sort or another since 1961. Wish I could break the habit (not going to happen) so I will continue to do something that constitutes "work" to keep me happy. Thank you 😊.
I’ve been driving Class A OTR 22yrs. The first couple years When I first started driving the truck was just washed the dashboard was clear, and I got pulled in for an inspection. When it was done I asked the officer what prompted her to pull me in. “Nice clean truck, company with good record, easy inspection “
Weight isn’t as important as wind resistance and drag Haul 5th wheels even if they are heavy. The wind drag is MUCH less, fuel economy is about 20-30% better and they pull much smoother. Bumper pull = 8 mpg while 5th wheel = 11
I’ve been working for Horizon for 16 years they can’t cover everything in orientation in two days you Gotta have a little bit of common sense anybody interested in this kind of work should make a list of questions
Was in the company should have some common sense and make orientation 2 weeks and cover everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or as long as it takes to cover everything but they should make sure they cover everything!!!!!!!!
Scott Chapman two weeks would be way too long. By then most would figure this out. Co. don’t want that. What works is inexperience. They want drivers to be delivering the trailers while they figure it out. This is a multi-billion dollar business. There is no reason a driver could not be make a decent income delivering these RVs. Building beds, sleeping in the truck ,eating cucumbers dipped in ranch dressing while being responsible for trailers worth 50-150k ? With that statement alone,figure it out. It’s a great informative video. But notice how many times that you hear (it is what it is) or (sometimes ya just have to eat it) ? This is great info. Listen closely. You can figure it out.
What should I expect for Insurance? I know everyone is different and driving record has a lot to do with it but more looking for a ballpark. Great video.
I recently retired from txdot . I was thinking of bringing back loads to Texas . Which is a tad over 1000 miles . I live in East texas . Maybe twice a month I would get loads
Smh and I was looking at running RV's in the winter during my down time. That and I need another pickup truck. I make more money running tri-axle during the warm months. This would be just extra money for me through the winter. Every thing your talking about all adds into why I cam off the road pain in the ass anymore smh
You should never pull a park model with anything less than a 5500. Park models are truck killers for all trucks under a 5500. Yeah I know there are some guys out there with duallys that say I have hauled several and my truck its fine. Then we can go to the two dozen guys I know that have torn up rear ends, transmissions, engines and frames doing it with duallys and below. So if you want to save your truck and your under a 5500 never haul a park model.....EDIT.... An dispatch and the company know this and even stated that yes those park models should really be in the class A division so since they are still not that tells me again Horizon is still screwing drivers with failure to communicate and put loads on the proper boards.
Thanks for posting again. Good stuff, totally agree. I run the reload board out of the PNW, a lot of shorter loads out here but still can make some money. The board is dead right now though, been told it’s due to factories shutting down for the new model year?
He is just trying to be informative. There are ups and down to owning your own business. If what he says discourage you from hauling RV’s then you should hire on with a trucking company. When you lease out you have to be able to manage your business.
I’ve been thinking about doing this. I think the pay is too low. It would be fine if it weren’t for the lack of a backhaul. To replace your pickup truck in a couple of years, the $60,000 tag is going to be unattainable
hey I saw one of your posts somebody said that your name is Michael Wright Mike I wish my truck was getting 22 miles to the gallon my dually 3500 6.7 with a thousand pounds of torque I'm getting about 18 Max to the gallon I wish I could get 2221 around there all right man looking forward to your video hope you're well.
Have you ever considered CWRV Transport? I've been researching them and have talked to recruiters. They do store to store transfers and stuff out of manufacturers. So it seems like you'll have more chances to stay loaded and not always having to deadhead back to indiana...have you heard or talked to any cwrv drivers?
This is why I would never invest in high dollar equipment because then they have to drive day snd night to make the payments and other expenses (to make others rich) and be so indebted that they cant leave. Not me I may buy a cheap jaloopy for driveaway but that's about it elsewise I'll stay in trucking or do temp work. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.
I forgot to mention after I dropped off my run in arroyo grande California coming back going back to whole way to shipshewana I was getting over 18 miles to the gallon with my 410 rear end Dodge high output dually with the Cummins 6 7 so it was doing really well over 18 miles to the gallon but still I'm not getting any kind of mileage you are getting but then again I have an out high output and it's putting out a lot of power.
@@ictpilot I saw a towing chart and the gear ratio is factored into the tow rating of the truck, the higher the gear ratio the lower the capacity. it takes more effort to move more weight, truck and trailer combined, and that builds up heat, so the lower gears offset that.
@@rachaelsingleton8011 I was talking just about fuel mileage. The 3:73 would get better fuel mileage, but the 4:10 would get the load moving faster and probably climb the hills a little better.
If that was so there wouldn’t be many big truck drivers. These delivery companies prey on the no experienced and retirees. They don’t pay much more than cost of operations to the truck to deliver. Even though the camper business is a multi billion dollar business.
One thing he doesn't mention is the cab of a pickup doesn't meet d.o.t. requirments for a sleeper and if your logging off duty they can request to see motel receipts
After pulling RVs with a P/U truck I've determined if you get an Enterprise truck which is $3500/down plus $0.22/mile or you have a newer nice 1 ton truck you need to do Haul&Tow by buying a 50' low pro trlr so you can get 2 or 3 travel trlrs paying $2.30/mi instead of only $1.39 plus you get backhaul cars that will pay at least fuel both ways with even just one car. You'll actually make great money if more than 1 car backhaul
Yes, there is way more money hauling multiple units. I have no personal experience, but if I were to haul multiples, I would use a semi truck and not a 1 ton. Fuel mileage would be close, you have a sleeper, and more reliability.
@@act2.533 i personally see little reason to justify pulling 2 3000 lb RVs using a semi. Semi trucks are for 40,000 lb loads. And avg 7mpg. 1 ton trucks avg twice the mpg's. You can get a sleeper and every wearable part is half that of a 1ton
You're only partly right. a 53' stepdeck normally pulls 3 campers, and a loaded 1-ton with a 53' trailer will be lucky to get 9mpg. But to each their own. I can't speak from experience, so I will just say if you are thinking about it, talk to some guys that do both and see what they say.
@@act2.533 well I can certainly agree I'd rather buy fuel & have the dependability that comes with a SEMI. (Or a kenworth 270/Frtlnr M2 106 med'm duty) VS replacing that 1 ton's rear axle/ trans
I've done it all, singles with a pickup truck, doubles with a medium duty load and tow and triples with a semi truck and 53' shipshe trailer. I can tell you from my experience a semi truck with a full 40' frame doing doubles as a load and tow is the biggest money maker and the most reliable. The negative side is the cost of the truck, but the positive side if the truck is built properly is reliability and FUEL mileage.
yeah I forgot to say did you say that you were a machinist or something at one time I was going to say hey why you pulling RVs machinist make good money.
Do you need CDL or Commercial insurance to do this? I need to start making money asap I have a 2016 Ram 3/4 hem Hd gas burner 4x4 with 51k miles on it. already have 7 pin and 5th wheel I use for my camper.
You do not need a CDL, but you will need commercial insurance. Search "RV Transport Companies" on google and they should have contact information and an FAQ.
@@act2.533 thank you If at any time I’m a nuisance with my questions just let me know I’m sure you’re as busy as as a 1 legged man in a butt kicking contest
I honestly can't remember where I got it, but I think it was $45. I asked in one of the RV transporter groups on FB and they gave me the place. I do remember it was in a small shop near the walmart in Goshen.
How are you liking your truck bed camper? How did it affect fuel mileage ( loaded vs. bobtail) Do you think you are losing many loads by not having a 5th wheel? Would you do it again? Thanks
I dumped the camper after a couple weeks, mileage dropped too much to make it worth it (13mpg empty). Plus, not having room for a fuel tank reduces the profit even more. The 5th wheel thing is really only a problem during the slow times (cold months). And even then, it's not too bad. A bigger issue with the 5th wheels is the weight of the camper abuses the truck more than the increase in pay per mile makes up in my opinion.
Do you recommend buying a used truck or going out and buying a new truck?? I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while I’ve been delivering medicine for the last couple years and that has come to an end... looking for advise thanks
Yes, the DOT numbers are provided by the company you work for. And you have to go in most scales, some scales specifically say no trucks under 26,000; you can skip those.
No, they have to be approved by your company to be in the truck at all, and the truck can't be moving during your "off-duty" time. What you can do though, is if the passenger drives, you can be "on-duty" giving you an extra 3 hours of moving time.
@@act2.533 Thanks. I guess 3 hours is better then nothing.. I'll probably be getting into hauling soon..seems like alot of rules for being a self contracted person for a company they sure control alot .
If you register the other driver with the company and they have the proper license yes they can drive you back to the yard while you are off duty as ling as you have a legal sleeper. It's called team driving.....
Enough money means different things to different people. But you only get a couple more hours of drive time with a team because the back seat of a pickup doesn't count as a sleeper.
hey I've left you quite a few messages and you don't respond what's up boss come on you're an intelligent Guy come on help me out here all right well I've done a couple of runs already out of shipshewana no problems everything's cool but I learned the hard way don't bring your wife and don't stay in hotels every night because that spends about $75 a night so I stayed in hotels for about fifteen nights.
Not all of them. The ones in Chicago are over 8 tons, so it depends on how heavy the trailer is. But if it doesn't specify a weight, then yes, you do have to stop.
@@farmerstevesolox18s Nope. It says Gross vehicle weight, not Gross vehicle weight RATING. If that was the case you would have to pull in empty too. Do that, and watch the station master yell at you.
@@garrywhere7511 You only need a CDL if you are over 26,001 pounds. Your state may have different requirements, but a 5th wheel is no different than a bumper pull.
So is your transport insurance high? I heard that horizon offers for hire insurance for around $150.00 per month. Does that sound realistic to you? I do appreciate your conversation with me. Some people don't
Been driving trucks of one sort or another since 1968, have thought about hauling RV's lately. I appreciate your experience and your willingness to share your knowledge with us. In my career, I have trained many individuals, not only to drive trucks, but how to load and unload trailers ( pneumatics) etc. You are providing valuable information for those of us who are interested in hauling RV's. I'm not retired, wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't working, have had a job of one sort or another since 1961. Wish I could break the habit (not going to happen) so I will continue to do something that constitutes "work" to keep me happy. Thank you 😊.
I’ve been driving Class A OTR 22yrs. The first couple years When I first started driving the truck was just washed the dashboard was clear, and I got pulled in for an inspection. When it was done I asked the officer what prompted her to pull me in. “Nice clean truck, company with good record, easy inspection “
One of the most informative vids I’ve watched on this subject.
Weight isn’t as important as wind resistance and drag
Haul 5th wheels even if they are heavy. The wind drag is MUCH less, fuel economy is about 20-30% better and they pull much smoother. Bumper pull = 8 mpg while 5th wheel = 11
Finally...actual information! Thank you!
I’ve been working for Horizon for 16 years they can’t cover everything in orientation in two days you Gotta have a little bit of common sense anybody interested in this kind of work should make a list of questions
Yup, that's why the FB groups and youtube channels are great!
Was in the company should have some common sense and make orientation 2 weeks and cover everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or as long as it takes to cover everything but they should make sure they cover everything!!!!!!!!
Yes they could they don't care
@@scottchapman8044 welcome to the trucking industry.
Scott Chapman two weeks would be way too long. By then most would figure this out. Co. don’t want that. What works is inexperience. They want drivers to be delivering the trailers while they figure it out.
This is a multi-billion dollar business. There is no reason a driver could not be make a decent income delivering these RVs.
Building beds, sleeping in the truck ,eating cucumbers dipped in ranch dressing while being responsible for trailers worth 50-150k ?
With that statement alone,figure it out. It’s a great informative video. But notice how many times that you hear (it is what it is) or (sometimes ya just have to eat it) ?
This is great info. Listen closely. You can figure it out.
Most employees who work inside the building have never worked OTR. It's not illegal, just unethical.
I like how you're right to the point
What should I expect for Insurance? I know everyone is different and driving record has a lot to do with it but more looking for a ballpark. Great video.
Great video ! People like me want to hear what the real deal is.
I recently retired from txdot . I was thinking of bringing back loads to Texas . Which is a tad over 1000 miles . I live in East texas . Maybe twice a month I would get loads
What have you been up to? No new videos been wondering if your still moving rvs?
Smh and I was looking at running RV's in the winter during my down time. That and I need another pickup truck. I make more money running tri-axle during the warm months. This would be just extra money for me through the winter. Every thing your talking about all adds into why I cam off the road pain in the ass anymore smh
Thanks brother.
God's blessing upon you.
Safe travels
If you don't get reimbursed, you can still get to write it off on your taxes.
You should never pull a park model with anything less than a 5500. Park models are truck killers for all trucks under a 5500. Yeah I know there are some guys out there with duallys that say I have hauled several and my truck its fine. Then we can go to the two dozen guys I know that have torn up rear ends, transmissions, engines and frames doing it with duallys and below. So if you want to save your truck and your under a 5500 never haul a park model.....EDIT.... An dispatch and the company know this and even stated that yes those park models should really be in the class A division so since they are still not that tells me again Horizon is still screwing drivers with failure to communicate and put loads on the proper boards.
You forgot to mention the full width mud flaps come out your pockets too lol ✌️
Extremely informative
Thanks for posting again. Good stuff, totally agree. I run the reload board out of the PNW, a lot of shorter loads out here but still can make some money. The board is dead right now though, been told it’s due to factories shutting down for the new model year?
Yeah, they shut down for two weeks or more around July 4th. Last year it never really picked up again.
Hey Paul check ur comments on ur channel
Thanks
Well binged all videos all caught up can wait for more love content and look forward to more keep up the great work
Good informative video and glad your still rolling
When will it start picking up again?
No idea. It never really picked up again last year.
I was looking at doing this you just about talked me out of it
I am retired. I just need a little extra cash. I think this will work for me if I bust but from April til snow. I am not doing snow.
He is just trying to be informative. There are ups and down to owning your own business. If what he says discourage you from hauling RV’s then you should hire on with a trucking company. When you lease out you have to be able to manage your business.
I’ve been thinking about doing this. I think the pay is too low. It would be fine if it weren’t for the lack of a backhaul.
To replace your pickup truck in a couple of years, the $60,000 tag is going to be unattainable
Check out my video on how much you make. I cover that!
I'll do an update video this weekend...stay tuned!
hey I saw one of your posts somebody said that your name is Michael Wright Mike I wish my truck was getting 22 miles to the gallon my dually 3500 6.7 with a thousand pounds of torque I'm getting about 18 Max to the gallon I wish I could get 2221 around there all right man looking forward to your video hope you're well.
👍
Who were you working for at the time? and what type of truck were you driving with the sunroof
thanks for your insight.
Have you ever considered CWRV Transport? I've been researching them and have talked to recruiters. They do store to store transfers and stuff out of manufacturers. So it seems like you'll have more chances to stay loaded and not always having to deadhead back to indiana...have you heard or talked to any cwrv drivers?
CWRV is a division of Horizon. I see their drivers all the time, never talked to them though.
Some transports don't require Log booking
Dot requires it
Great info, Thanks
Yes they do set you up for failure. Anyways good to c ya again. Thanks for the videos.
This is why I would never invest in high dollar equipment because then they have to drive day snd night to make the payments and other expenses (to make others rich) and be so indebted that they cant leave. Not me I may buy a cheap jaloopy for driveaway but that's about it elsewise I'll stay in trucking or do temp work.
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.
Thanks for the information...
By the way sir what is your name...... I have watched half of your videos and learned a lot and what is your name??????
I forgot to mention after I dropped off my run in arroyo grande California coming back going back to whole way to shipshewana I was getting over 18 miles to the gallon with my 410 rear end Dodge high output dually with the Cummins 6 7 so it was doing really well over 18 miles to the gallon but still I'm not getting any kind of mileage you are getting but then again I have an out high output and it's putting out a lot of power.
It's that 4:10 rear end. If it was 3.73 it would be better.
@@ictpilot I saw a towing chart and the gear ratio is factored into the tow rating of the truck, the higher the gear ratio the lower the capacity. it takes more effort to move more weight, truck and trailer combined, and that builds up heat, so the lower gears offset that.
@@rachaelsingleton8011 I was talking just about fuel mileage. The 3:73 would get better fuel mileage, but the 4:10 would get the load moving faster and probably climb the hills a little better.
I think commonsense and want to go along way in rv transport
Can you make $2k a week after expenses?
Hell NO!
😂make money pulling RV’s
If that was so there wouldn’t be many big truck drivers.
These delivery companies prey on the no experienced and retirees. They don’t pay much more than cost of operations to the truck to deliver.
Even though the camper business is a multi billion dollar business.
One thing he doesn't mention is the cab of a pickup doesn't meet d.o.t. requirments for a sleeper and if your logging off duty they can request to see motel receipts
That was changed several years ago. You can log off-duty as much as you want, you cannot log sleeper berth.
That's what all these so called transporters do not talk about
After pulling RVs with a P/U truck I've determined if you get an Enterprise truck which is $3500/down plus $0.22/mile or you have a newer nice 1 ton truck you need to do Haul&Tow by buying a 50' low pro trlr so you can get 2 or 3 travel trlrs paying $2.30/mi instead of only $1.39 plus you get backhaul cars that will pay at least fuel both ways with even just one car. You'll actually make great money if more than 1 car backhaul
Yes, there is way more money hauling multiple units. I have no personal experience, but if I were to haul multiples, I would use a semi truck and not a 1 ton. Fuel mileage would be close, you have a sleeper, and more reliability.
@@act2.533 i personally see little reason to justify pulling 2 3000 lb RVs using a semi. Semi trucks are for 40,000 lb loads. And avg 7mpg. 1 ton trucks avg twice the mpg's. You can get a sleeper and every wearable part is half that of a 1ton
You're only partly right. a 53' stepdeck normally pulls 3 campers, and a loaded 1-ton with a 53' trailer will be lucky to get 9mpg. But to each their own. I can't speak from experience, so I will just say if you are thinking about it, talk to some guys that do both and see what they say.
@@act2.533 well I can certainly agree I'd rather buy fuel & have the dependability that comes with a SEMI. (Or a kenworth 270/Frtlnr M2 106 med'm duty) VS replacing that 1 ton's rear axle/ trans
I've done it all, singles with a pickup truck, doubles with a medium duty load and tow and triples with a semi truck and 53' shipshe trailer. I can tell you from my experience a semi truck with a full 40' frame doing doubles as a load and tow is the biggest money maker and the most reliable. The negative side is the cost of the truck, but the positive side if the truck is built properly is reliability and FUEL mileage.
yeah I forgot to say did you say that you were a machinist or something at one time I was going to say hey why you pulling RVs machinist make good money.
Do you need CDL or Commercial insurance to do this?
I need to start making money asap
I have a 2016 Ram 3/4 hem Hd gas burner 4x4 with 51k miles on it. already have 7 pin and 5th wheel I use for my camper.
You do not need a CDL, but you will need commercial insurance. Search "RV Transport Companies" on google and they should have contact information and an FAQ.
@@act2.533 thank you
If at any time I’m a nuisance with my questions just let me know I’m sure you’re as busy as as a 1 legged man in a butt kicking contest
Its all about cash flow in the rv business
Did you buy a slide in camper? I enjoy your channel
Where in goshen can I pick up the small breakaway battery set up? About how much do they run?
I honestly can't remember where I got it, but I think it was $45. I asked in one of the RV transporter groups on FB and they gave me the place. I do remember it was in a small shop near the walmart in Goshen.
How are you liking your truck bed camper?
How did it affect fuel mileage ( loaded vs. bobtail)
Do you think you are losing many loads by not having a 5th wheel?
Would you do it again?
Thanks
I dumped the camper after a couple weeks, mileage dropped too much to make it worth it (13mpg empty). Plus, not having room for a fuel tank reduces the profit even more. The 5th wheel thing is really only a problem during the slow times (cold months). And even then, it's not too bad. A bigger issue with the 5th wheels is the weight of the camper abuses the truck more than the increase in pay per mile makes up in my opinion.
Any tips on preparing for paying taxes?
Do you recommend buying a used truck or going out and buying a new truck?? I’ve been wanting to get into this for a while I’ve been delivering medicine for the last couple years and that has come to an end... looking for advise thanks
Used for sure.
Thanks for all the videos, Do you have a CDL? Does your wife?
do you need dot numbers ? do you have to go thru scales?
Yes, the DOT numbers are provided by the company you work for. And you have to go in most scales, some scales specifically say no trucks under 26,000; you can skip those.
How long do you stay out?
not correct about gas buddy. Its for Diesel as well. You have to use the filters in the app man. Get the ES Advantage card.
Can a passenger drive u back to the yard after your 14 hour day...11 hour drive time .. thanks..
No, they have to be approved by your company to be in the truck at all, and the truck can't be moving during your "off-duty" time. What you can do though, is if the passenger drives, you can be "on-duty" giving you an extra 3 hours of moving time.
@@act2.533 Thanks. I guess 3 hours is better then nothing.. I'll probably be getting into hauling soon..seems like alot of rules for being a self contracted person for a company they sure control alot .
If you register the other driver with the company and they have the proper license yes they can drive you back to the yard while you are off duty as ling as you have a legal sleeper. It's called team driving.....
Does Horizon reimburse you for tolls?
Yes.
Is it worth doing this as a team? Is there enough money in it?
Enough money means different things to different people. But you only get a couple more hours of drive time with a team because the back seat of a pickup doesn't count as a sleeper.
You're way too smart to be a driver.
hey I've left you quite a few messages and you don't respond what's up boss come on you're an intelligent Guy come on help me out here all right well I've done a couple of runs already out of shipshewana no problems everything's cool but I learned the hard way don't bring your wife and don't stay in hotels every night because that spends about $75 a night so I stayed in hotels for about fifteen nights.
Ya gotta run cheap to make money, and taking your wife is only a bad idea if you don't get along.
@@act2.533 yeah we get along fine we only problem was staying in a hotel 15...14 nights in a row.
I live in South Carolina. Would it be cost effective for me to do this?
It depends on how long you stay away from home. There are generally trailers heading that way pretty often though.
@@act2.533 Do all the loads originate in Indiana?
@@kevinbell910 Depends on who you pull for, but some come out of Oregon, and I think there is a place in OK, but I'm not sure about that one.
No
This is your 3rd Orientation. Hmmm. Good Luck
Yup, the first company was tiny and got me 4 loads, then nothing. The second company dried up, now I'm on my third. Blind loyalty is for suckers!
Do you have to stop at way stations?
Not all of them. The ones in Chicago are over 8 tons, so it depends on how heavy the trailer is. But if it doesn't specify a weight, then yes, you do have to stop.
It doesn't matter what the trailer weights, it goes by what your truck is registered for.
So if I'm 26000 reg. I need to.pull in??
@@tkkc4644 yes sir
@@farmerstevesolox18s Nope. It says Gross vehicle weight, not Gross vehicle weight RATING. If that was the case you would have to pull in empty too. Do that, and watch the station master yell at you.
I team driving worth it?
Yes and no. You get a couple extra hours of driving a day, but you would make more with two trucks.
Okay, I was talking with a friend about doing something like this. You do have to have a class A cdl for fifth wheel don't you
@@garrywhere7511 You only need a CDL if you are over 26,001 pounds. Your state may have different requirements, but a 5th wheel is no different than a bumper pull.
@@act2.533 that's what I thought but it been a few years since I even thought about cdl. I do have class b.
So is your transport insurance high? I heard that horizon offers for hire insurance for around $150.00 per month. Does that sound realistic to you? I do appreciate your conversation with me. Some people don't
Hey you still rolling?
Yup, it's slow now. I just got back from WI, not much on the board.
Good
Just checking on ya 👍