Hauling RV campers with diesel dually pickup truck?

[Maniac373]

I have a plan to haul RV campers for a company in Elkhart, Indiana. (about 1 1/2 hours east of me).. I will be buying a GMC sierra 3500 4x4 dually pickup truck, with a 4 door cab, 8 foot bed, and 6.6L diesel engine.

The company required 'add-ons' that are needed, are an additional $1500.00 on top of the price of the truck..

I want to know if there is anyone on this board who knows if this is worth doing or not. I just plan on doing weekends for about a year, then I plan on starting an LLC, and going into business for myself-- If everything works out.

The average pay for doing this is between $.80 - $1.05 a mile (depending on the run)

I will have to carry $500k to $1m worth of coverage on my truck to cover non-trucking liabilities, I have to pay for fuel, and road expenses (food/hotels), even if I am only working weekends.

I want to know is the RV industry "steady work"-- all year around??

hopefully someone can give me some insight.
I currently hold a class A cdl license in Indiana, with all trucking endorsements.

[pcuthbert]

Maniac;

I've seen a lot of these units on the road. It seems to me that the business is quite seasonal though.

The insurance is one thing you should never skimp on. Get as much as you can afford. It doesn't take much now for a claim of 1 million to be awarded in a court.

But, I would suggest that you get a copy of the contract that is being offered. Take it to your lawyer and your accountant for them to go over.

Their input will give you a better handle on the situation.

[Rockee]

Maniac, I have checked into this somewhat and I have a friend that does this now through a "broker" if you will. For me, My thoughts were that is would not pay (me) enough to make it worth my while.

Say you drive 700 miles for 1.00 a mile, take out 200 or 220 for fuel then pay for your meals which will probably be more than at home. Your medical insurance and insurance for rig and liability and maintenance will have to be factored in.
Most guys sleep in the back seat of their truck. Will the company that you are hauling for have a backhaul for you and if so, how far will you have to deadhead to get one. They make trailers all year long so its not seasonal, lots of guys dont like to run in the winter though. It can be done but for me, the big factor would be running somewhere with no load.