Anderson Trucking Service

If you are going Spec, join it.

I don't know anything about the lease side. But you are going to enjoy spec. Wanna haul tanks? That actually runs and drives? They do that. And so on.

 

i got a good friend that is over there doing a lease purchase and running oversize for them. been there now for roughly 6 months and is doing good. Goes home about every 3 weeks. Hes not been in the negative yet. He did explain to me that the first year is a traditional walk away lease. Then at the second year you have the option of getting a different truck and going straight into a lease purchase. The way he explains it that at the point you have the option to order a truck through their financing side and that if you so choose, you can move to a different company, but there are specific things that have to be met in order to do so. Of those, I have no clue.

 

Not sure where you heard 2 years to move into heavy haul. I would not put much faith in that. I have friends that have been here for more than 6 years and have been turned down multiple times.

I think part of the problem with people talking about coming to ATS heavy haul is that they don't understand how the company is structured.

ATS specialized has several driver classifications. Starting at class 4. Unless you have verifiable OD experience you will start here. After class 4 loads you move to class 3. Loads get bigger. After 4 class 3 loads you are allowed to test into class 2. After 4 class 2 loads you are now class 1.

After you become class 1 you may take the wind training class, provided you are a good driver with a good rep. If you're the kind of guy that runs late, can't run a permit or damages freight you won't be attending the wind class.

Once you pass the wind class you are now class 1a. You can pull blades now.

Here's the rub. Class 4 loads and most class 3 loads are a dime a dozen. Plenty of them. Class 2 loads are going to be more dependant on location and even time of year. I know many good drivers that took a year to go from class 2 to class 1 just because of freight.

Also you have to pull certain types of OD loads to move up. For instance, you can pull 50 class 2 loads at 13' wide legal height and weight and only 2 will count towards class 1. You have to get 2 overheight loads as well. They must be overheight for the state's you are in as well.

For instance, a 14' high load picking up in southern Cali going to Laredo tx is a legal load. Doesn't count towards class 1. You also need 1 value load. Has to be over a particular $ amount in value.

Something else to consider is freight rate. How much you are making. Just because a load is OS doesn't mean it's huge money. When I get offers I will pick the best paying freight based on dest, weight and commodidity. Plenty of times legal freight pays more than OD freight because of established customer contracts.

Finally if you are lucky and get your 4 class 4 loads, 4 class 3 loads and on and on till you get to class 1, and pull 5 class 1 loads you will get laughed at if you apply for heavy haul. 5 class 1 loads isn't even 10% of what they want for experience before you may even grace those hallowed halls.

 

Their lease ops always ask a fair price on their equipment when they're turning in the truck. Grabbed 40 4"x30' chain end straps for $200 off the last one I came across.

 

Ah c'mon, Heavy Haul is easy. You guys just try to make it sound all so complicated cause you wanna keep all the good freight and glory to yourselves...

ROFLMAO!!!

 

Shhh...if only I could build a 4 axle Volvo out of western express truck

I could haul those 500k loads and save on the push truck

 

I saw an old blue Gordon truck that was converted into a 4axle. Made me jealous.