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Much to my surprise, shortly thereafter I was approached by a forklift with a couple 8’ long auger like devices that turned out to be screw in anchors for stabilizing cell phone towers. After a couple trips I had six of these galvanized screws laying in a row on the deck of my trailer.

The next load of the forklift was a small spool of guy wire cable. About two feet in diameter, the spool couldn’t weigh much more then a couple hundred pounds. The operator came back again toting a 5 gallon bucket that was filled with paint for touching up towers upon completing erection.

That was it, he next presented me with my shipping papers and after securing my load I was off. This was going to be a good trip. With 40’ of empty deck space available, the total load took up only the first 8’. With a total weight at only 1,400 lbs, this would be like driving an empty rig across the country.

The time allotted for delivery was very lenient, no need to run all night, I can take my time and enjoy the scenery. Turns out the only reason they hired a Hot-Shot to haul this paltry load was UPS and the usual freight delivery services don’t make deliveries to locations that don’t have addresses. Expensive for the tower company, but a good deal for me. With a hand drawn map and a couple cell phone numbers for directions, I was off and running.

At $1.59 a mile one way in 2002, this trip would gross the better part of $1,800. Hot Shot driving, for the most part, is paid in one direction. Odds of locating a return load in a reasonable time frame are pretty slim. I always approached the situation by allowing the company I was leased to, one hour to find me a back haul. I would wait that long. Remember, as an owner/operator, you hold all the cards. They can’t make you sit and wait very long.

Almost 100 percent of the time I was on the road, I headed back as fast as I could. The next load out of Dallas was waiting to go, and the faster I got back, the sooner I was making $1.59 a mile again. By having a reputation for getting back quick, and being ready to go again, the leasing company knew I was a good producer, and had no problem with my lack of patience waiting around for a back haul.

Those who sat around truck stops, hoping to catch a $250 return load, usually missed out on high paying cargo headed out. It’s a penny wise, dollar foolish situation. An empty Hot Shot can run fast and cheap, get back, and get another load makes more sense.

My trip went as smoothly as I hoped, out for six days including one night at my sister’s place in Ann Arbor. Indiana is beautiful in the spring, everything was so green and lush. I stopped at one tower sight and unloaded the tower anchors, then went on another 150 miles or so and dropped off the 5 gallons of paint and small spool of cable.

If all my trips would be this simple and profitable, life would be really good.

Article provided by: Curtis Carper

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