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50 minutes ago, Nobody454 said:

all this junk is on the road because all the big guys have figured out that they can charge $125 HR for a truck and find some dummy who thinks he is making good money @ $70 but cant buy the right bumper for his truck. So the big guys sit in the office making all the $$$ not owning any trucks...and the poor saps that run for them make NOTHING

 

just my 2 cents

All the junk on the roads is because the soaring cost of liability insurance, tires, fuel etc. I'm sure we are on borrowed time running our company owned fleet of old R model macks hauling gravel to the precast plant. I'm really glad I only have two years until retirement those old junks running asphalt are running by the hour 45 miles per hour down the same two lane roads we need to run they are nothing but rolling road blocks. We have one of those rolling junk yards where they park probably 75-100 of them down the road from our plant they will run you over in their personal vehicles while you make a right turn into the plant in the morning but when they get in their big rig its 45 miles an hour all the way.

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Mackey,I also remember Artim from 1974, when I was hauling steel for  JV McNicholas, my buddy was talking about going to work for Artim said they gave the drivers a handful of credit cards to buy fuel,we could only buy fuel at certain stops, very inconvenient, you had to watch your mileage to avoid running out! Was trying for months to remember their name! Anybody remember the steel hauler from western PA that ran the black and white 4200 Internationals,with box sleepers? My buddy drove for them.The drivers used to call them "skunks" on the radio!😁

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3 hours ago, storkmack said:

I've seen that guy tunning around this season and I think to myself. his biggest problem is gonna be paying taxes at the end of the year.

If your a foreigner I don't believe they make you pay taxes for a certain amount of years when you start your own business. I had thought of taking the superliner when it was done and hauling gravel but to many south of the border guys hauling to just pay for the truck. Since there is no longer any loyalty to guys who do a good job or have worked hauling for these companies for years theres no point in trying. Business today is all about money they would drop you in a second for someone who would haul a load for ten dollars less. It a revolving door these guys that park in the rolling junk yard across the street always have a trainee in the truck they will blow a little smoke up you know where about working for yourself and how good it is to be an O/O that fall their truck is up for sale to the next victim.

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Mackey,I also remember Artim from 1974, when I was hauling steel for  JV McNicholas, my buddy was talking about going to work for Artim said they gave the drivers a handful of credit cards to buy fuel,we could only buy fuel at certain stops, very inconvenient, you had to watch your mileage to avoid running out! Was trying for months to remember their name! Anybody remember the steel hauler from western PA that ran the black and white 4200 Internationals,with box sleepers? My buddy drove for them.The drivers used to call them "skunks" on the radio!😁

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Mackey, I vaguely remember "Steel Haulers" but that's not the outfit I'm referring to! Ranchopper, you have said a mouthful! As I understand it the immigrants you are referring to are given five years tax free to "start" a business because they " create employment" the employment they "create" is often to their relatives who they "sponsor" for a fast track to citizenship! The most common examples of this concept are convenience stores,fuel stops and motels! I've often wondered if they could be "tax free" for five years, then go back to their country of origin, wait awhile then come back and do it again! Or maybe the relative they " sponsored" could get the five years tax free at a different location! Anyone remember  the "Liberty" chain of fuel stops on I80 in eastern Pa? Good example! But you did get a "free" beverage if you fueled! What a great country!😁 To be clear... we are all immigrants even those who arrived on the Mayflower! However most of our ancestors who came here from the seventeenth to middle twentieth century either worked or starved! No lifetime of social programs because we were a certain ethnicity, or none if we weren't! OK that's my political statement! Back to trucks and trucking! Ranchopper, speaking of the joys and benefits of the owner operator lifestyle, Are you old enough to remember Midwestern Distribution out of Ft Scott Ks? Or North American New Products Div.? Two sides of the same unethical coin! I'm gonna eat lunch now, but I'm sure some of the members will have some memories of those two!

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I have no problem with legal immigration and its perks but that being said you cant tilt the table toward the immigrant and make it a monopoly for them as the Us citizen with a business cant compete with their tax exempt status. I also know when their time limit is up it gets sold to another family member keeping the monopoly going. In a perfect world the table being level for both new citizen and those who legally immigrate here would promote competition as it should but it isn't a perfect world and one would have to scratch their head wondering why law makers would make such a stupid law that only has a downside for the born here citizen.

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I haven't been on here in a long time cause I keep forgetting my password and it logs me out all the time.

I liked the old layout better.

It would take me to long to explain everything about what's going on in the Chicago area construction, but let's just say you will be seeing even more junk trucks. When I started my business in '04 it was for construction. In the last few years I've branched off with other things but alway did construction for about 3 months in the summer. As of right now I sold my 1/4 frame and my belt trailer and pretty much done with construction. Lots of my friends and I have decided it's just not worth it anymore. Lots of good guys getting out of the business. No work, rates getting cut, beating up your truck and the final straw is the union. They have decided that since they need more money they want to charge us $600-$800 a week now and the companies are not giving us anymore money. Heck, Curran has even lowered their rate $6.50hr since the beginning of the year. It's just not worth it when you can't even get 40hrs a week. Lots of other stuff also, but I can't type that much. 

I really did enjoy my time in construction and do miss it, but unless things change I won't be going back. I still have the short bus though. My '83 Hilbilt frameless. 

I will have to go through some of my pics I have taken and start posting again. 

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