Anyone run strictly North east?

Im going to try and answer your questions in order the best I can.

1. This is difficult to answer. You never know what will happen. If you are leased to someone it makes it easier.

2. A sleeper. You want a truck you can do anything with

3. What you can afford. Look for one with low miles or a rebuilt engine

4. Another difficult question to answer there are to many variables

5. Getting you own authority is about $900. The states you want authority to run in would be added on your cab card (registration)

6. Renting a van trailer is between $300 to $400 a month and .03 to .05 a mile. I would not rent a trailer until you know what you are doing. Lease on to someone first and pull their trailer.

Good luck

 

You should get more experience. Leasing to a carrier isn't always bad. No one but you can answer all the can it be done questions-the life you want to live determines a lot about how you'll need to work and what you'll need to earn.

As for money: make a worst case scenario theory, take that number and double it. Then add 25%. That's what you're likely to need for capital.

 

I ran strictly northeast pulling a flat and mainly steel. I would go from south Plainfield to Boston with a multi drop. I will post more when I get home to a proper computer and not a smart phone.

 

I bought my first truck running the Northeast only. I also got my authority two years later staying in the Northeast primarily.
I would have a couple months home reserves a few months truck reserves, a break down fund and operating funds.
Personally I'd recommend leasing to a quality percentage based carrier so you can learn the business end vs the steering wheel end. There is a lot you don't know, so why learn the hard way. You mentioned Landstar, I think that's a great idea, but I'm biased. I sold off all my trucks and trailers but one and signed on with them in 2009, which was a terrible time in trucking. The northeast is full of lucrative freight, but the odds of a rookie o/o finding it are slim unless you know someone. Besides, how do you know what to charge? The Northeast with traffic and tolls can make a 100 mile run into a $1000 or more load. I would definitely have a sleeper truck. You'll most likely be running as far south as Baltimore and west to PA as that is how that region works. It's a great area to be a regional trucker. I think staying strictly in Mass is laughable. Regional will work best and make the most money, and if you self dispatch with your own authority or Landstar, you control when your home.
If you go to Landstar, I'd use their trailer for a couple of months. If you're not doing much drop and hook, lease or buy your own. Talay, Bowman, and a couple others up there will lease a trailer to a one truck operator. I primarily did grocery warehouses when I lived up there and made a lot of money. Of course, I wasn't afraid of grabbing a jack and unloading and pocketing the lumper money. Some places were worth doing and some weren't. It wasn't worth it at Walmarts and A&P if I remember right, but you'll have to figure that out yourself through trial and error.

 

Did the shipper start with an M and broker start with a N? If so, we ran a lot for them out of there and GA.

 

Nope no broker ran for norbet trucking hen it was still decent and also cypress trucking out of perth amboy. Both were good gigs when they were good in the older years.

 

You were leased to Norbet? They were the broker for me. I hated having to tarp those HD loads.