152 episodes

Chris has years of experience helping others start their own trucking company. Now he’s going from behind the desk to behind the wheel to put his money where his mouth is. Follow the highs and lows of starting a trucking company through our podcast Haulin Assets.

Haulin Assets Motor Carrier HQ

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 294 Ratings

Chris has years of experience helping others start their own trucking company. Now he’s going from behind the desk to behind the wheel to put his money where his mouth is. Follow the highs and lows of starting a trucking company through our podcast Haulin Assets.

    #149. Finding Loads: Keys to Success

    #149. Finding Loads: Keys to Success

    Sign up for information about Haulin Assets Academy here: https://haulinassetsllc.com/2024/01/23/finding-loads-the-process-episode-146/
     
    We start this episode off with a funny story about Cruella de Vil the truck, it makes for a good listen. Finding the right loads is one of the most important things to do well with your trucking company. It is also one of the most challenging. That is why I decided to do a series on the subject. This episode is going to wrap the series up and tie it all together with a neat little bow. If you have not listened to the previous three episodes, go back and listen to them first. As a reminder, they were: Episode 144, Finding Loads, They Systems I Use, Episode 146, Finding Loads, The Process, and Episode 148, Finding Loads, Relationships.
    What To Expect From Episode 149
    The spot market, that mostly lives on load boards, has its purpose in the trucking industry. However.... if that is all you are using, you probably won't last long as a company and you definitely won't be as profitable as you could be. There is both a science and an art to find the best loads available. The the science is the systems, processes, and number crunching and art is the relationships and negotiation. We break down the science and art and talk about the following keys to success:
    The Science
    Having good systemsLoad board
    TMS
    File Storage
    Tracking weather

    Having a good processEarly to bed, early to rise, makes a dispatcher successful and wise
    Don't wait
    Be efficient

    Know your numbersVariable and total cost per mile
    Target rate per mile
    Revenue per day is as important as rate per mile

    The Art
    80-20 Rule
    It's about relationships
    Where to find the best loads
    How to negotiate

    • 43 min
    #148. Finding Loads: Building Relationships

    #148. Finding Loads: Building Relationships

    If you want to hear about the worst experiences I have had with a repair shop, listen to this episode. All I can say is never take your truck to the Freightliner Northwest in the Seattle area. As time goes on, I get more and more comfortable dispatching. One of the best parts of dispatching is the relationships I have been able to build. Relationships is one of the biggest keys to being successful finding loads.
    What To Expect From Episode 148
    Anyone can find loads, it is a lot more difficult to find loads that are profitable and keep drivers happy. The biggest difference between finding just any load and finding consistent, good paying loads is building good relationships. When I first started dispatching, I was getting all of my loads, that weren't direct shipper loads, off load boards. Last month I booked 41 loads through brokers, I only got 20 of them came from a load board. The other 21 were all via a few broker relationships where I was able to reach out directly to the broker and get a load before they had posted it.
    The meat and potatoes of this episode covers some of the things I have been doing to find and build those relationships. This may seem like a simple thing, but it's not easy. It takes time, commitment, compromise, and a good attitude. Doing it right can have one of the biggest positive impacts on your trucking company. Like many hard things, it's worth the time and commitment it takes. Being willing and able to do hard things is one of the biggest factors that separate the successful from the unsuccessful.
    THE CHECKLIST Whenever I book a load with a new broker I...
    Make sure I communicate well throughout the entire load
    Do everything they ask
    Follow through with what I commit to them
    Send a follow up email thanking them for the load.
    If I think they are someone I would want to do more business with, I follow up with a phone call:
    5a. Try to guage if we are a good fit for each other. Common lane, are their rates good enough
    5b. Make regular contact
    5c. You might have to take a load that fills a need for them, but might not be the best for you

    • 35 min
    #147. January 2024 Financials & Chris's Dumb Mistake

    #147. January 2024 Financials & Chris's Dumb Mistake

    January was a good month, it seems like it has been a while since I have said that. It's also been a while since I have told a good "Chris is stupid story" from my adventures on the road. This episode starts with a good one. The silver lining is that it was a good learning lesson that shouldn't cause any serious harm.
    What To Expect From Episode 147
    The last 4 months have been some of the hardest months of my career. They have been tiring and stressful, but it is so nice to see positive results and it is making all the sacrifices feel worth it. With that being said, we still have work to do. Like I said in the story I told at the beginning of this episode, we can't get complacent and we can't settle into a routine. If we continue to push, good things will happen.
    I feel like we need a drum roll. I'm really excited to share this month's numbers, so without further delay......
    Total miles ran– 120,930
    Deadhead miles– 6,347 (5.2%)
    Total revenue- $290,958.59 (New Record)
    All-in rate-per-mile- $2.40 (Best number we have seen since August of 2022)
    Haulin Assets realized a good profit of $59,546.22. Last month I said I was not going to feel good until I see our net profit number in the $50-60k range. I feel pretty good. We haven’t seen a number like that since the height of the market at the beginning of 2022, right before the crash started. I think we have made a muckle, at least for this month.
    Most of the expenses on the P&L were pretty in line with normal so we don't talk much about those. The only exception was fuel, which was only 24.3% of revenue. That is the best we have seen since the beginning of 2022. Hopefully, fuel stays relatively low and revenue stays high.
    We finish off the episode by talking about some of the changes happening that have produced good results.

    • 33 min
    #146. Finding Loads: The Process

    #146. Finding Loads: The Process

    This episode is jam packed with tips to help you find loads for your trucking company. We hone in on the process of finding and booking loads. We also start off this episode by introducing a new project I am working on that is going to be a game changer for many of you. It's called Haulin Assets Academy. It is an online, video based learning system that a team and I have developed to help you take your trucking education to a whole new level. Whether you have 1 truck or 20, Haulin Assets Academy is being built to take what I have learned over many years of trucking and condense those lessons learned into easy to digest modules that will help you sprint to a high level of success without losing your breath. You will be able to get to where you want to be faster, with a lot less headache. Stay tuned, Haulin Assets Academy will launch sometime in the next few months.
    What To Expect From Episode 146
    Dispatching is not an easy job. It's busy, hectic and requires you to be detail oriented at a very high level. Having a well defined process and following it is critical to keeping your trucks rolling efficiently with high paying loads. One of the keys to success is starting your day early. Load boards see their highest level of activity between 0800-1100 Eastern Time Monday-Friday. Activity on load boards tend to see another uptick around 1500 (3:00 PM). You need to be up and glued to the load boards during those hours if you are looking for loads for a truck. Here are some of the other things we talk about:
    Staying ahead of the game
    Your company information
    Sending a driver out
    When to start looking for the next load
    Relationships
    Take notes
    Impact Tip
    Register for the Haulin Assets Academy email list. Go to haulinassetsllc.com and look for the popup on Episode 146's page.

    • 45 min
    #145. December 2023 Financials

    #145. December 2023 Financials

    Happy New Year!! I am so happy to kick 2023 to the curb. I am optimistic that we will see some good things happen in 2024. Regardless of what happens with the economy, I think the changes we are making will help Haulin Assets continue to improve and become stronger as a company. One thing I know for sure is that this challenging year has taught us lessons that will make us stronger and more profitable than we would have been otherwise. I hope you follow our journey and that some of the lessons we learn will be valuable for you too. 
    Craig and I start this episode off with a funny story about one of our drivers crossing a scale while pulling a reefer trailer full of bulk liquid totes. 
    What To Expect From Episode 145
    This was another month that did not produce the results I was hoping for. On a good note, we were slightly in the black. Here are the numbers for December. 
    Total miles ran– 123,557 (315 more miles than last month, you can’t say we aren’t constant)
    Deadhead miles– 7,455 (5.1%)
    Total revenue- $268,143.84 (Second best ever)
    All-in rate-per-mile- $2.16 (One of the better all-in rates of the year, but still not where we need it to be)
    I am really happy with the total number of miles ran, total revenue and our all-in rate-per-mile is moving in the right direction. The net income did however disappoint me. This month Haulin Assets realized another small profit of $1,633.76. There were several contributing factors that kept us from better numbers. Here are some of the areas we dive a little deeper into:
    Bad debt
    Payroll
    Fuel compared to revenue
    Repairs, especially Truck 02, our only active truck that we bought used
    Tolls
    I also spend some time talking about a new goal I have regarding working with brokers. I have already seen some good benefits. Listen to the episode to find out what I am learning and what I am trying to do different that is bearing fruit. 

    • 29 min
    #144. Finding Loads: The Systems I Use

    #144. Finding Loads: The Systems I Use

    Finding loads for truckers is one of the most critical tasks for any trucking company. If you have been following this podcast, you know that up to this point we have used a third party dispatching service to help us find loads. About three months ago we started the process of bringing load finding in house. We are taking about 5-6 months to complete the transition. I am up to dispatching 6 of our 11 trucks and will take on 2 more trucks in about a week and the last 3 in the month or two that follow. The last 3 months have been super educational and I plan on sharing a lot of what I have learned with you. I am going to do at least 3, probably many more, episodes around the topic of finding loads. The first one is going to be technical, Craig and I are going to cover all the systems I use to do the job effectively.
    What To Expect From Episode 144
    Finding loads and dispatching trucks is a very fast paced, intense job, whether you are managing 1 truck or 10. It requires lots of different skills, you have to be able to multitask, pay attention to detail, build relationships and stay organized. Having good systems and processes in place is critical to being successful, that is why I am dedicating the first episode on this series to the systems I am using to stay on top of everything that is going on. Here are the different systems I am using, we cover each one in more detail throughout the podcast. I hope this episode is helpful.
    ComputerTwo monitors, scroll down to see what my computer setup looks like.
    Email, kind of goes without saying
    You want any system you use to ideally be able to operate on your phone so you don't have to be by your computer all the time. However, the apps are never as good and there are typically things that are harder to do from your phone.

    Phone systemA VOIP based phone system, something that records calls and can text. I use my cell to communicate with drivers and my VOIP phone to interact with brokers.Ring Central seems to be the most popular
    Nextiva

    A cell phone

    LoadboardsDATSeems to have more loads
    The app is not as good as the computer. You can't do multiple searches at the same time.
    Audible alarm
    Heat map that shows inbound and outbound volume of loads

    ITS, truckstop.comCheaper
    They say they have brokers who either use them exclusively or post to their site before they post on other load boards


    TMS (Transportation Management System) or an Excel SpreadsheetOne of my favorite things about spreadsheets is they are free or very cheap, Google Docs, Excel
    I think you can manage 5 trucks okay with a spreadsheet. Once you get over 5, I would definitely recommend using a TMS. You may even want to with 3.

    ELDMotive

    A program to digitally sign docs, lots of optionsFor a Microsoft Windows based computer, Adobe Acrobate DC, it's freeComes installed on most computers

    For Macs, PreviewerComes with the computer

    Android, Adobe Fill and Sign Mobile App
    iPhone, you can sign with the native pdf viewer

    Credit ChecksDATI take this with a grain of salt

    Factoring companiesTheir systems seem to be the most reliable


    WeatherNational Weather Service, look at the loop and select weather.
    State Road Conditions, every state has somethingLook at the cameras
    WY, I-80
    OR
    WA
    NE


    Cloud based share point for document storageAccessible from your phone

    EvernoteKnowledge is everything. The more you know the better you are going to be. I don't remember everything well, so I take notes and review my notes regularly
    Free and paid versions

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
294 Ratings

294 Ratings

llllllllllllllmmmmzzzzzzzz ,

Great Content

You have definitely had a hand in helping me make my choice for doing this. I think a lot of your experience and info on the business and actual working in the trucking environment is very insightful.

Clayfox41 ,

Question

Chris,

I wanted to say how timely what you said on this podcast was for me! I have a question…. When you purchased MotorCarrierHQ and then decided to hire -was the company already making enough to cover these 2 new positions… salary, insurance, etc.
Or, did you essentially know their value and trust that they would add that and therefore the company would quickly be able to generate more income?

I have listened to you since the beginning and you have encouraged me in ways you can’t even imagine.
In November of 2021, my wife and I bought a small Permit business from a lady who had started it in 1983… she had some great clients who were with her for 30+ years.
We handle getting folks DOT/MC, do IFTA, tag renewals, etc.
We are outside of Charlotte, NC. We love it… we love building relationships and helping these drivers! We still have mainly paper log clients so we stay busy with trip sheets!
I said all this to say, we are at that point where we know if we want to grow that it will need to be more than myself and my wife…. She was a teacher in elementary school for 10 years but we prayed through it and decided to homeschool… we have a 9 year old girl, 7 year old boy and a 2 year old boy. We had originally purchased this business to replace her salary and the Lord has certainly done that! We are beyond thankful.
I have worked the same 9-5 since college… it’s a plastic injection molding company and our main product there is oil seals that go on the front axle of trucks… freightliner, Peterbilt, kenworth, Volvo, etc.
it’s a small family run business where
Like a Swiss Army knife… I do a little of everything but my main area has been shipping and receiving… so I’ve built so many relationships over the years with local ltL drivers, dispatchers, and met many interesting and cool otr drivers… I still load and unload dry vans and run the forklifts like a champ.
I’ve been around the industry for a while and I just wanted to say thank you for what you do!!!! The podcadst and especially the new entrant audit file system!!! I can’t tell you how many folks we’ve emailed the direct link!!!!!!!

Also, I connect with you on the level of not buying the new big truck, (I drive a 1998 Landcruiser), many of the books you recommend have been books that have really shaped me, and just your overall attitude.

If I ever could, I would love to connect with you and have the opportunity to just talk with you.

Clay Gerringer
Big Rig Permit Services
bigrigpermitservices.

C-Zottoli ,

Love the show!

This show is so helpful in understanding the trucking world. Thank you for all the wonderful info 😊 my husband and I are team drivers and one day hoping to own our own business.

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