Tag: niche hauls: Page 7

Losing ground: The military hauling niche

Owner-operators continue to fight for access to military freight, though federal cost-cutting initiatives have reduced rates.

February 6, 2014

Overdrive February 2014 crop

Short and sweet: Pros, cons of length-of-haul trends

Part 1 in a two-part length-of-haul analysis presents owner-operator advantages/disadvantages of the trucking trend to shorter haul length in reefer and dry van segment.

July 8, 2013

Owner-operator Bruce Johnston

Expedited advantage, part 1: Equipment, carriers

The time-sensitive freight niche could be one of the last profitable bastions of irregular route long-haul, offering fuel mileage and other reduced costs, more income on fewer miles and load and lane novelty.

November 14, 2012

Bob and Linda Caffee

Fuel’s Gold

Owner-operators find big money and good schedules working the oil and gas services boom.

July 2, 2012

Kristin Stump says her typical day, if starting empty, begins with a run to a rail yard where sand is loaded into her pneumatic dry-bulk trailer. Driving small roads, typically, in West Virginia, she’s escorted to the well site, where sand is loaded into a storage bin. In a five-day work week, “I doubt if we do much more than 800 miles,” she says.

Chasing the Green

Certain niches offer big income potential for those willing to specialize.

January 1, 2012

Tim Philmon’s 2011 income boost arrived after what he calls the “survival mode” he and so many flatbed operators went through in 2009. His success strategy includes longer rounds and flocking to areas with jobs no one wants to do, such as the North in winter.

Tanking independent — Meet owner-operator Dan Bollinger

Hauling in a 2007 Peterbilt 379 (pictured) — “one of the legacy class editions,” he says, with a 48-inch flattop sleeper — owner-operator Dan Bollinger just got his own authority early this year. He hauls dedicated for a liquid feed supplier to feedlots in Western Kansas, where he lives. Formerly hauling under the feed company’s […]

November 6, 2011

Pulling Tanks

Operators find good pay, a less taxing workload and a professional attitude in this steady niche.

November 1, 2011

Tank haulers must watch their speed on curves to avoid situations such as this one, where a slight road grade makes a turn even more precarious.

Overlooked niches

Advanced handling. Extra-heavy labor. Elaborate LTL logistics. Special hauls often require moreof an owner-operator than ordinary loads, but the financial rewards compensate well.

August 1, 2010

Leo Wilkins specializes in hauling medium-duty truck bodies and highway construction safety equipment.

Featured article: Ports of Confusion

It’s every operator’s nightmare: new California Air Resources Board regulations. With last-minute regs changes and a hardcore freight downturn, compliance is even tougher for cash-strapped operators, who are starting to avoid California altogether.

October 1, 2009

Port of Hope

Intermodal has hit hard times, but looks to lead industry up from the downturn. Despite the current global recession, Lee Robins…

February 16, 2009

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