Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/93143
plentiful leisure and fewer headaches. By Todd Dills advantage I t took years for Silex, Mo.-based owner-operators Bob and Linda Caffee to find their fit in expediting. Following Bob's 20 years of work as a diesel mechanic and Linda's long tenure in the information tech department of the county courthouse in Elkhart, Kan., the couple found a home when they leased to FedEx Custom Critical. As with many expediters, the pair took to hauling only after their children flew the coop. "Bob drove tractor-trailers for four years, initially, and I rode with him," says Linda. Running hard as company drivers, though, "we found that we didn't fit the driver mold." They chose expediting in part because there was no need to pull a trailer – they use expedit- ing power units, which often include the cargo-carrying box, sometimes refrigerated. Also, Linda says, "being older, we wanted to be able to travel," to see the country and make money at the same time. If you're not in a hurry to get home, the occasional long waits between loads offer opportunities for exploration both urban and rural, made easier by often- smaller trucks and lack of a trailer. It's just one of the many attractions that have brought traditional truckload owner-opera- tors, as well as many husband-wife empty-nesters and others, into the niche in sizable numbers over the 20 years of growth it's seen. Owner-operators well-suited to expediting's demands also will find better fuel mileage and other reduced costs, more income on fewer miles and load and lane novelty. In the following pages, find some of the ins and outs of expediting. Equipment The Caffees' first truck was a 2005 Freightliner M2 somewhat similar to the 2007 M2 unit for- mer J.D. Logistics-leased operator Don Lanier now drives in the Nashville, Tenn.-based opera- tion of DMW Expedite. The price tag on the Caffees' M2, complete with a 96-inch walk-in sleeper by Double A and a 24-foot cargo box, was $102,000. That's not cheap, but consider the operational details. Lanier tracks the fuel mileage from his Mercedes diesel at 10 mpg. He runs with a typical load of 1,000 to 7,000 pounds. Lest you're tempted to attribute the mileage strictly to the smaller Class 7 vehicle, consider that the Caffees, running today in a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia with a 100-inch Bolt Custom Trucks integrated custom sleeper and 23-foot cargo box, have achieved a lifetime 11.6 mpg. Their fuel surcharge is based on 9 mpg, so they're making extra money on fuel. It's also not out of the ordinary to run expe- dited in a tractor with a fleet-provided trailer. Representatives with FedEx Custom Critical, for instance, report that they lease more than 400 owner-operated tractors, or about half the number of straight trucks. Other necessary equipment reflects the diverse nature of expedited freight. "Some freight haulers, if they have three load bars in the van, they consider themselves well- equipped," says Linda Caffee. She and her hus- band run with "10 load bars, 40 blankets. We have a pallet jack, all kinds of dollies … you never know what you're going to go in and pick up." They also want to avoid any cargo damage claims because of their $2,500 deductible. December 2012 | Overdrive | 23 Todd Dills