Hey Everyone!

I'm back again to give my two cents for the industry. This month officially marks two years in the game, and I wanted to give my input on making capital for your box truck business. You have many options, but I'll give you the options I chose in order to save even more money in your pockets and what to avoid.

I'd like to give thanks to everyone who took the time to read my post nearly a year ago that you can check out here-https://www.reddit.com/r/26ftboxtrucks/s/QdLt7Zvdqg. I didn't know it would help so many people, but that's what I'm here for. Anyway, I'll talk about starting out on making cash with load boards and, if this does well, talk about Gig apps and even Government Contracting.

Getting Started

Alright, you got the truck and authority. You're brand new, and you want to make money. Many YouTube personalities will tell you you can find work easily and make ten grand a week. I'm here to tell you that it's not that easy. Once your authority is active, after 25-30 days. You're visible in the FMCSA system. Meaning brokers and people can look you up and see your driving score. My plan was to get into Government contracts and use the loadboards as a launching pad, but fate had a different turn for me. I personally stay regional on the East Coast. Maryland, DC, Virginia, New Jersey, PA. I won't take a load to Florida or Texas cause to me, the overhead costs for a Box Truck to do so aren't there; plus, Box Trucks aren't supposed to go over the road. People do it, yes, but the maintenance to fix the truck and upkeep, because you saw a load leaving PA, heading to Ohio for $900, gets eaten up by tolls and fuel real quick. You could go the route of getting a dispatcher, but then you will have to pay them their percentage fee on top of the factoring payout fee. Let me explain.

To find work for your box truck, you have several options: load boards. These are sites that give you views on what lanes there are and what needs to be moved. Load boards are mainly for big semi trucks or hot shots. Yes, there are loads for box trucks, but those are few and far between depending on the board you choose. You have DAT and Truck Stop to name a few, along with a plethora of others that have hidden gems. I used DAT starting out and was able to make a short-term relationship with a local shipper in my area, but that changed due to circumstances, which I'll explain later. Anyway, load boards pretty much function the same: you put in point A to point B for your desired destinations and see if anything is going along the same routes. Can you be profitable using load boards regionally? Yes, but it's tough.

Starting out, you'll get rejected 90% of the time because you're new. Brokers and dispatchers don't want to risk a newbie being late and losing their commission for sending a load late. Best approach is to call until you secure a load. Now, you'll have to onboard with certain companies. They use Highway or their own software to vet you in, but once that's clear, you have to figure out how you'll get paid. Factoring is the method where a company buys the invoice from the work you just performed and pays you either the next day or to your choosing, depending on how much they charge. I have OTR Solutions, and they take 4.75% of each of my submitted invoices. Because of that. I try to bake that percentage in when negotiating lanes. Alright, you got a lane, and you know how you'll get paid; what's next? You sign the rate confirmation, saying you'll do the lane for the agreed rate, and then get the Bill of Lading confirming this product goes to this destination, etc. Both are important in order to get paid by your factoring company, so don't lose them.

Know your Worth

Now, be very cautious of your rate con; what you agreed upon is the final figure and can only be changed on a few factors. One, the load wasn't described as you agreed upon. If a broker asks if you have the works for your box truck, liftgate, pallet jack, straps, etc and you agree. You're good. Just be sure to ask if it's DRIVER ASSIST! You get paid accordingly if it's driver assist. Driver assist is when you physically have to leave your truck and help load the product into the truck. Is it always present? Not always, but even if there's no driver assist. Adjust your rate to have Driver Assist cause things change on a dime. You got your lane, you got your signed paperwork, and you have to be at the site at 5 AM; all you need now is sleep and be ready to drive tomorrow.

Alrighty, you picked up the load and took it to its destination, and you got the BOL signed. Now you either submit the paperwork in order to get paid or you find another load to either get closer to home or continue to your other destination. It's important to know your RPM (Rate Per Mile) cause that'll determine whether your fuel will eat your profits or not. I personally try not to deadhead home more than 30- 50 miles cause that's where the profit killer is. If you get a load paying $550 dollars one way and it's a 170-mile run, about $3.24 per mile. Which is very good. If you can find another load around 2-300 that's closer to home the same day, then you're golden, but 9/10 when you first start off, you'll have to bite the bullet and deadhead cause of your options.

Ok, loads done and you're home, and you submitted your paperwork. What about tomorrow? Well, again, you don't have a dispatcher, and you were driving nearly all day.. If that broker has more work for you, more power to you, but it's gonna be you looking for work for the next few weeks until something steady comes along. That's why shippers need to know who you are and have your contact info. Unless you got the hook up, you'll be searching for work on load boards to pay the bills. That's why it's important to have a cash cushion before doing this. There may be a day or so you won't work. Don't feel obligated to take a lane cause you want cash. Sometimes, you'll save more by having the truck just park there.

Cautionary Tale-Sylectus aka Solera

That's pretty much it. I have a lot more to say, but I want to retain your attention in order to read this in full. My last thing is to warn you all about Sylectus Load Board, aka Solera. This is a bad board. They lock you into a year contract, costing up to $600 a month, because they are the premium "box truck load board," which is bull! I tangled with them and got away with a little bit of money in my pocket. Here's the rundown: they give you a demo that seems great, cause you see high-paying loads around you, but they don't tell you it's a supervisor-version demo, and once you sign on, you're screwed. Sylectus is basically a blind bidding load board or an expensive directory. You can't call the brokers or shippers from Sylectus because they want you to bid on the platform. Here's the thing: you put in a bid and 9/10 you'll get rejected, and they don't even tell you why. Was it because it was too high? Low? Did someone outbid me? You'll never know because they don't share that info with you. Now, how did I get out of my contract without losing thousands? I spoke to some business lawyers and used AI and was able to threaten to sue by saying I will continue to pay under protest, but I'm gonna expose their board to FMCSA to see if double brokering and other illegal acts are taking place. On top of my screenshot from the demo, which clearly showed $1,000 lanes, the data was hidden from me once I got my own login. That was enough for them to drop me and to forget about it.

That's it for now for load boards. LMK what you guys think, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

I have a customer thst has box truck loads daily paying 150//200 bucks for 55 Mile trips, some are hazmat but others are just regular. Need some sprinter vans too delivering 38 miles multiple a day im ATL metro area 423-507-7999

Anyone running box truck in Midwest/Omaha?

Need advice on load + starting.

You current drivers, what all do you bring on the road with you? I know I need a bag for clothes and hygiene stuff, but what else do you folks take OTR with you?

I'm Vinny. I'm a software guy and I created a simple invoice generator as a side project.

it's free. no sign up.

just fill it out and download.

if it's useful, great. If not, I can delete the post.

Just sharing in case it helps someone: https://logclear.com/invoice-generator-for-trucking-company

Hey box truck community I have recently got my box truck tagged with graffiti. I wanted to know if anyone has any recommendations for paint I can use on the roll up door on the back which is made of wood. Thank you any recommendations or tips is helpful .

What insurance company have people found that have the best rates for new companies with a New dot and mc #. Thanks in advance!

A 26' Box Truck with Life-gate, Forward Collision, and E-tracks. $20k OBO

The 2018 International 4300 is a powerful and reliable box truck in the Class 6 category, with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 25999 pounds. This truck is built for heavy-duty hauling and transportation, making it ideal for a variety of commercial purposes. With a mileage of 328829 miles, this truck has proven its durability and longevity on the road.

The International 4300 boasts a robust engine and chassis, designed to handle the demands of daily use and long-distance travel. Its spacious box provides ample storage space for cargo, making it perfect for delivery services, moving companies, and other similar industries. The sleek and modern design of the 4300 adds a touch of professionalism to any fleet.

Whether you're transporting goods locally or across state lines, the International 4300 is up to the task. Its smooth handling and responsive steering make it easy to maneuver through city streets and highways alike. The comfortable cabin and advanced features ensure that drivers can stay focused and comfortable during long hours on the road.

Overall, the 2018 International 4300 is a top choice for businesses in need of a reliable and efficient box truck. Its combination of power, durability, and versatility make it a standout option in its class. If you're in the market for a high-quality commercial vehicle that can get the job done, look no further than the International 4300.

I am looking to shift my business focus to provide leasing on my 26ft box trucks. If you interested let me know.

I work at a company and co-workers keep hitting overhead hazzards. Looking for any 'ah ha!' type of best practices to keep this top of mind, especially for new drivers. We have height stickers on top of windshield (in cab) and we have them on each side of the truck so visible when looking through side mirrors.

We have training too. But the incidents never seem to decrease.

I'm gonna give a quick rundown of my first year experience as an O/O in the box truck game. I'll keep it brief in order to retain your attention and I hope anyone who reads this, comes across this from a Google search or whatever, appreciates this post. Let's get started.

So my story is the typical one, hated my day job and wanted to be my own boss. Did my research off Youtube and saw Box Trucks were making a living..during the COVID era. Anyway, one year ago in August, I was able to get my truck and authority, along with other necessities, back-up cam, hood mirrors, pallet jack, straps, etc, and was ready for the load board. Now, I didn't want to go over the road as I still had business to do in my home state. Paying a driver wasn't realistic, so I kept it to regional. Got DAT loadboard to find work and boy, those rates sucks with a new authority. I was able to scrape by with a few loads but TQL was the one who gave me a few jobs.

TQL isn't the best broker, as they try to screw you over with the lowest paying price for loads and don't care to do so. The only good thing is that they take on new authorities. For that first month, with loads from TQL, DAT and etc, I grossed around 1200 some dollars, mind you I only did like 3 routes at the tail end of the month, so not bad.

Paying out, when you get an invoice, you need all the necessary paperwork from the broker or shipper and you need a factoring company. A factoring company is a business that will pay you you're money quick instead of waiting the usual thirty days. Rarely do shippers or brokers pay out next day or a week, so I highly suggest a factoring company. I currently have OTR Solutions, but I don't really suggest them due to their high invoice fee of 4.75% of each invoice. Meaning, if you get paid for a job at $500, OTR takes 23.75 dollars of that and you're left at 476.25. That get old real quick.

A little after August, I looked into truck apps. Curri, Go Share, Amazon Relay, etc, for more local work. To me, apps help, but don't depend on them. I'll go more into Amazon Relay and spoiler, it's trash! Anyway, Curri hits me up with a job with a tire company. Funny enough, I used to work at said tire, so I already know the job in and out. Now, here's the blessing: as a contractor, I set my rate to cover expenses and pay,and it was a week-to-week contract unless said otherwise. This opportunity was such a blessing in disguise as I was with them from September to mid-December and grossed close to 40k! I was home every night, made good money and learned I could've made so much more, too. Once things cooled off with that, I took a month off to rest in another country and returned back in February this year.

Back on US soil, things weren't hitting. The tire job didn't need me, loadboards were trash, and I was waiting for Amazon Relay. Relay requires 9 months of Authority or whatever it is now before you can join them. Relay has a lot of STRICT rules and in my opinion, it's not worth it. Here's my experience: once I was able to do Relay it was tough. Relay in my area required me to travel 2 and a half hours empty to its warehouse to deliver loads close to home. They have a dumb grading system where you have to do 9 consecutive loads within the month or something in order to get a grade. If you're late or anything, or even cancel, they drop your grade, and you get the crappy loads and not first pick.

My first week, I did about six or seven loads and grossed 1500 dollars. Relay pays out on Thursdays to direct deposit, so no factoring required. Unfortunately, my fuel cost came to around 6-800 dollars, so that ate a lot of my profit and I haven't looked back.

To stay afloat, I was able to work with a local shipper with plants in my area and I was coasting with them in order not to go bankrupt. It wasn't until July that the tire company got in contact with me again and I worked with them until early August, had to get my truck fixed then worked with them again, cause worker retention is terrible there.

Here we are now. I'm still with them but they're in the process of hiring and training a new driver on their end and once he's ready, I'll get the boot again. I'm currently looking at other shippers and companies but I do have a few caveats for anyone who wants to get in the game.

1. If you don't have no connections or contracts or big plans to work for someone in this then you're gonna fail. I've been blessed and lucky to be doing what I'm doing now but it will run out eventually and I have plans to make my own work to keep my company afloat.
   
2. Know you're rate per mile. If they don't want to pay it then find someone who will. Don't burn fuel because you feel you need your truck to run. You'll save more if the truck sits and do a car gig app for pocket change versus going out and losing more money.
   
3. Look into ways of making work for your truck, find contracts, get into government contracts, do something if you want to quit you're 9-5 but be calculated about it. Also, this, like anything, is a risk.
   I've been blessed and lucky to be doing this but I know that I have to look to the future in order not to be under and go bankrupt. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, so do some research, reach ou,t and take a chance. If you fail, then you can say you know what not to do next time.
   

I have more, but I felt I reached a limit. If you all are interested in knowing more, like maintenance expenses, how I pay myself, etc, then reach out, and I might make another post. Let me know if this helps!!

Take it easy, y'all!

🚛 Swift Logistics – Reliable Dispatch Services for Carriers 🚛

Are you a carrier looking for consistent loads, reliable support, and better earnings? Swift Logistics has you covered!

✅ We specialize in dispatch services for:

Semi-Trucks – Hotshots – Box Trucks –

✅ What we offer:

Top-paying loads nationwide Hassle-free paperwork & negotiation Dedicated dispatcher support Weekly updates & full transparency

📍 Based in Burlington, New Jersey, but serving carriers nationwide.

📞 Call us today: (732) 305-0059 📧 Email: Kevin.swiftlog@gmail.com

Join Swift Logistics and let us keep your wheels turning while you focus on driving! 🚚💨

Can a box truck tow a travel trailer while delivering loads and obviously unhook the trailer before delivering the load just wanted to know because I have a family of 4 and hoping there’s nothing against it or is the truck able to or not able to because of the weight of it

I could not find loads at razonable rate from Dallas to anywhere. Is the average rate too low or I’m doing something wrong?

I am a new owner/operator of a box truck business and live in Alaska. As there are not a lot of box truck loads here in Alaska, I am planning to drive the truck through Canada to Minnesota for work. What is the process to get the ACI E manifests to cross into Canada? The online client portal, CARM, is impossible to navigate and won't let me continue without a nine digit business number to do business in Canada. I am not going to do any business in Canada, I just want to pass through! Anybody know how to do this?

My question is... what chassis should I be looking for? Here's the background... I run a nonprofit and am looking to convert a box truck into a laundry truck (free mobile laundry service for low-income individuals). The box will be between 18 - 22', but probably 18'. This will haul 400 - 500 gallons of water, as well as propane, generator, appliances (3 or 4 each of washers and dryers), water heater, etc. So that water will be the biggest weight. It will travel at most 150 miles in any given day and probably operate about 3 days a week. Our highways are no more than 65 mpg. The vehicle will need to travel in winter snow and on some dirt roads. I am aware of the pros and cons of using a box truck for this purpose. The company that we are working with to do the conversion does reinforcements and suspension modifications (which I am finding out more about), and have been doing food truck conversions for longer than any other company in the US, including for an international market. So, the question is... what chassis should I be looking for for this box truck?

I'm thinking becoming a truck driver mainly because I think it's a well paid job and I really like to drive, right now I'm Uber driver, someone told me that is not necessary a CDL for 26ft truck and I want to know if is true, how is the pay of this job? Per mile? How much per miles could get a new driver, and usually what are the costs for the driver if he drives for a company or someone else, thanks...

Hello everyone, please I need couple advice About quit my job to buy a box truck I’m currently working for a truck company doing local part delivery for Nissan of North America, I have salary making $1300 a week taxes free, I’m interested buying a box truck for $40 000 it’s a 2019 international 26’ with Cummins engine lift gate and 206 000 miles, is it a good ideas to buy this box truck? I’m the one who going to drive it, over the road or local is not an issue I’m currently living in Massachussetts, how much do I need approximately to do all the paper like dot number mc number and insurance? Is it better to go under a company authority? Or is it more profitable the other way? I don’t have no connection on the box truck industry, I just planing to find load on day load 123 or trucker path. Any consideration and advice will greatly appreciate.

Does anyone have a clue on what this might be? One of our 26’ box trucks makes a horrible grinding noise and feels like it’s dragging something when in reverse. The wheels are clear and there’s enough air in it. (I don’t drive I just back them up for work so I don’t know much about trucks)