Owner/operator truckers

[Stompin Tom]

I know more than a few guys that have sold their scissornecks and bought hay racks mid season last winter. this year there will be plenty of guys ready and willing to haul sticks. dollar is low, forestry industry is kicking some ass right now.

Yup, lots of Alberta trucks coming out to try to log. Its been great to see the rates get cut more and more as they try to work their way in. Also lots of Alberta logging trucks sitting in the body shops because they dont have a clue how to handle a real hill in the winter. Also lots of Alberta logging trucks come over with Alberta rigging who have no idea of BC rules and get sent home packing because BC spec is very different than Alberta spec.

The forestry industry is off to a slow start this summer, mills had a great winter moving wood, lots of product in the yards, the softwood agreement has expired so there is a level of uncertainty so the mills have backed way off. The Canadian dollar has risen a bit which hurts the exports and the Chinese market has really softened. Going to be an interesting year to say the least. If I was an out of town trucker I would be very hesitant to spend $80,000 on a new hayrack with the hopes of getting a solid job. I know there has been a real big push by locals to get the mills to support the local trucks.

 

[Stompin Tom]

If it was me, I would wait until the economy starts turning around and rolling again, unless of course you can get locked into a log haul.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As far as BC goes there is pretty much no such thing as "locked into a log haul". No contracts, its all done on a handshake which with some guys works great, others not so much. My trucks have been with the same contractor for 7 years, we have a great relationship, work as much as anybody in the industry, but even we are off to a slow start this year only running about 75% of the hours we normally do. Been spreading things around for our regular trucks so everyone gets a bit of the pie.

 

[teeroy]

Yup, lots of Alberta trucks coming out to try to log. Its been great to see the rates get cut more and more as they try to work their way in. Also lots of Alberta logging trucks sitting in the body shops because they dont have a clue how to handle a real hill in the winter. Also lots of Alberta logging trucks come over with Alberta rigging who have no idea of BC rules and get sent home packing because BC spec is very different than Alberta spec.

The forestry industry is off to a slow start this summer, mills had a great winter moving wood, lots of product in the yards, the softwood agreement has expired so there is a level of uncertainty so the mills have backed way off. The Canadian dollar has risen a bit which hurts the exports and the Chinese market has really softened. Going to be an interesting year to say the least. If I was an out of town trucker I would be very hesitant to spend $80,000 on a new hayrack with the hopes of getting a solid job. I know there has been a real big push by locals to get the mills to support the local trucks.

west fraser couldn't find enough trucks here last season, the guys that were working made some bank. of the guys that rigged up around here none went to BC...plenty of logging going on here in northern AB. no chains, less fuel burnt, pretty much a gravy run.

 

[Stompin Tom]

west fraser couldn't find enough trucks here last season, the guys that were working made some bank. of the guys that rigged up around here none went to BC...plenty of logging going on here in northern AB. no chains, less fuel burnt, pretty much a gravy run.

I have an uncle up in the Slave Lake area, he says they had a really good winter, first time he can remember having more drivers than trucks, things went very well.

Saw a fair amount of trucks with Beaverlodge, Grande Prairie, Drayton Valley, Hinton, Edson, Valleyview, Rocky Mountain House on the doors here last winter.

One of the funnier things we saw last winter was a few weeks in a row different Alberta trucks coming out with nice new rigging, but 9'6 axles on their trailers, going to the bush getting their first load, then crossing the CVSE stations and getting parked on the spot. The first one was mid December, parked for 3 days, finally got a picker in to unload him, then had to hire a lowbed to haul out his trailer because 9'6 axles are illegal here, you cant have them on the ground, not even empty. That truck leaves town, the very next Monday another one locked up at the CVSE station, same problem, 9'6" axles, then two weeks later another one. We started to wonder if one of the local contractors was setting them up. One guys showed up with a jeep and hayrack, a big no no, another with a quad axle hayrack, also a big no no. It was a fairly steep learning curve for a few guys.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Not true, many mills still have evergreen contractors and seniority hauling.

As far as BC goes there is pretty much no such thing as "locked into a log haul". No contracts, its all done on a handshake which with some guys works great, others not so much. My trucks have been with the same contractor for 7 years, we have a great relationship, work as much as anybody in the industry, but even we are off to a slow start this year only running about 75% of the hours we normally do. Been spreading things around for our regular trucks so everyone gets a bit of the pie.

 

[teeroy]

I have an uncle up in the Slave Lake area, he says they had a really good winter, first time he can remember having more drivers than trucks, things went very well.

Saw a fair amount of trucks with Beaverlodge, Grande Prairie, Drayton Valley, Hinton, Edson, Valleyview, Rocky Mountain House on the doors here last winter.

One of the funnier things we saw last winter was a few weeks in a row different Alberta trucks coming out with nice new rigging, but 9'6 axles on their trailers, going to the bush getting their first load, then crossing the CVSE stations and getting parked on the spot. The first one was mid December, parked for 3 days, finally got a picker in to unload him, then had to hire a lowbed to haul out his trailer because 9'6 axles are illegal here, you cant have them on the ground, not even empty. That truck leaves town, the very next Monday another one locked up at the CVSE station, same problem, 9'6" axles, then two weeks later another one. We started to wonder if one of the local contractors was setting them up. One guys showed up with a jeep and hayrack, a big no no, another with a quad axle hayrack, also a big no no. It was a fairly steep learning curve for a few guys.

never heard about the 9'6" thing, is that rule just for log trailers? I've run our lowbeds in BC with 9'6", 10', and 10'6" axles on BC permits with no trouble.

sucks for those guys for sure, you'd think someone would have done their due diligence before heading to another province to work their AB spec'd equipment.

 

[Stompin Tom]

never heard about the 9'6" thing, is that rule just for log trailers? I've run our lowbeds in BC with 9'6", 10', and 10'6" axles on BC permits with no trouble.

sucks for those guys for sure, you'd think someone would have done their due diligence before heading to another province to work their AB spec'd equipment.

the other way around, lowbeds can get a special permit exemption for wide axles, not allowed in other configuration. Logging trailers they have a compete ban on wide axles. The other areas where Alberta loggers get in trouble is bunk width, cab guard spec and overall length.

 

[Stompin Tom]

seniority hauling is VASTLY different from a hauling contract. You dont have your name on a legal document saying you "own" that position. Seniority hauling is usually nothing more than a verbal agreement which mills and contractors honor for each other. Back "in the day" you could buy a numbered position and "own" it, but those situations are very few and far between now.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

seniority hauling is VASTLY different from a hauling contract. You dont have your name on a legal document saying you "own" that position. Seniority hauling is usually nothing more than a verbal agreement which mills and contractors honor for each other. Back "in the day" you could buy a numbered position and "own" it, but those situations are very few and far between now.

You can still buy positions with contractors. Yes much harder to find but they are out there. Lots of people will sell a truck and a position as one if they are retiring or getting out of the game.

 

[Stompin Tom]

You can still buy positions with contractors. Yes much harder to find but they are out there. Lots of people will sell a truck and a position as one if they are retiring or getting out of the game.

And its based on a handshake agreement with the contractor. No actual contracts involved. Yes I have seen situations where a contractor will help out a long term hauler with a commitment that he will give the person who buys the truck a position if he is qualified, but based on his word and a handshake, no ink involved. Once ink gets involved, lawyers get involved, then the mill has to be involved, that is what killed the whole "contract haulers" situation the way it was years ago.

 

[teeroy]

You can still buy positions with contractors. Yes much harder to find but they are out there. Lots of people will sell a truck and a position as one if they are retiring or getting out of the game.

And its based on a handshake agreement with the contractor. No actual contracts involved. Yes I have seen situations where a contractor will help out a long term hauler with a commitment that he will give the person who buys the truck a position if he is qualified, but based on his word and a handshake, no ink involved. Once ink gets involved, lawyers get involved, then the mill has to be involved, that is what killed the whole "contract haulers" situation the way it was years ago.

that stuff happens in every industry. it's called kickbacks, and now involves trips to hawaii or vegas or other under the table "gratuities" for keeping work. the stories I hear of companies around here and the stuff they have to do to keep working on native land is pretty outrageous. and involves millions in "loans" or payouts. the more things change, the more they remain the same

 

[Bnorth]

SLA grace period expires in October and everyone I've talked to expects 23-25% tariffs into the US which is still the biggest market for Canadian softwood. The Chinese market was developed to diversify the lumber companies options but is very slow right now. Expect the first downward cost pressure to be on logs once the tariffs hit. If you are hauling logs do it for a plywood or speciality mill which are exempt from tariffs and have more margin/m3 of wood.

 

[Murminator]

Couple things to remember when your not in it your under it, and when your in it or under it your worrying about it or what is come. Unless you inherit a truck there is not enough in it to be rich the only good thing over company driver is you can pick what color/brand you want to drive. You can't drop off the keys on Friday ad say fix it without costing a bunch of money or worrying what the find, and just when you pay it off time to replace and start over. I deal with leasers and company drivers and these are the common things oh and forget about time off LOL

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Having your own shop is a must, fixing lights, greasing, chasing down electrical issues and simply changing oil in the winter sux if you don't have a place to get out of the weather. Definitely a lot more involved then just buying the truck. However I have one for sale if your interested.

 

[Caper11]

I'm lookin at runnin my own low bedding and logging rig like Ive been running for the last 10ish years now just with my own

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

I'm sure you've done this already, have you kept track of every nickel and dime the truck has made and lost in that time???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[the_real_wild1]

I was under a truck and thought of this question today. The question back is are you a truck driver or a business man? If you answer one and not the other then keep working for someone else.

 

[buckie]

I'm sure you've done this already, have you kept track of every nickel and dime the truck has made and lost in that time???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been around trucking long enough to know what goes in and what comes out I've got 3 family members that own their own rigs, you'll never get rich off one truck but it's a start to bigger things and if your good at what you do you'll make a little money, gotta spend it to make it

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Caper11]

I was under a truck and thought of this question today. The question back is are you a truck driver or a business man? If you answer one and not the other then keep working for someone else.

Exactly!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Caper11]

I've been around trucking long enough to know what goes in and what comes out I've got 3 family members that own their own rigs, you'll never get rich off one truck but it's a start to bigger things and if your good at what you do you'll make a little money, gotta spend it to make it

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

My apologies buckie, the question was ment for the OP not you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buckie]

My apologies buckie, the question was ment for the OP not you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No worries at all bud

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk