How do you become a Pilot/Escort vehicle for oversized loads?

How hard is it to get started in escorting?

 

Place an ad on craigslist!!!

 

Mention specializing in oversize and you might get tons of replies!

 

LOL at Oscar. Thanks for clearing that up so I don't have to. Lots of misinformation in that post that you replied to. I hate sequels.

 

I guess if you think you can survive on $30 - 40K a year then go for it. Read my post from two years ago. You'll never make more than a Swift driver, you'll compete with mostly retirees, and if you're the top banana in the biz you might bring home $50-60K a year but you probably won't be in it long enough to get to that point because you'll be making $30 - 40K the first few years. Oh, don't forget that you'll need to buy a new dependable vehicle with that money... Every two years.
If you manage to get hooked up with people who can get you loaded both directions, $1.60 per mile might be feasible, but being loaded one way is a net loser. Do the math, $40,000 pickup every two years (it will be worth nothing when you trade it in with 250K on it) gas, hotels, maintenance, etc... I use escorts every day, most of them are happy to net $40K in a good year.

 

I beg to differ, I had the privilege of being led from tx/ok border by a ladie that had been in the business for 20+ years. She was running a mid 90's ford explorer with close to 450k miles. She said that her and her husband (both escorts) had new 1500 dodges sitting in the driveway and was driving the Explorer for a few more months, and was then going to retire it. I completely disagree that they will never make more than a swift driver. Their thing was exotic hunts, on top of hunting and spending every chance they could outdoors. It's like everything you chose to do in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Every escort that I've use has charged me for their rooms. Last load I took in OK that I needed an escort on charged a day rate. I met up with him around 8, we discussed our route and where we were headed, and departed just after 9. 70 miles and 2 hours later, I was sitting safely on location waiting to get unloaded, and he was on his way back to semi retired life, 450$ ahead of the game. At that rate he wouldn't have to work but 3 or 4 days a week to bring home a decent living.

 

Getting started piloting shouldn't be that difficult, but gaining the knowledge and experience it requires to be a great pilot, that could take some time. My advice is after you get certified, all your gear, and your vehicle sorted out, is to find someone who has been successful with a pilot/escort company, and learn everything you can from them. It's a learning experience, just like everything else in life. Our current generation wants to be the top of whatever their interests are, but without putting in the work required to get there. Good luck. If you're willing and want it bad enough anything is possible.

 

Yeah the 30k a year thing is BS. The neighbor next to me is driving a 2 year old chevy duramax for his pilot truck and a brand new Cadillac Escalade for his personal vehicle. He makes really good money. He even paid for our driver's hotel room one night and billed it back to the company. Just the kinda guy he is.

He normally runs as our lead pilot when we convoy the trucks. We had to use a pilot at the other end of the state for 4 loads. Had to be piloted about 100 miles each time and we had 4 trips. That pilot made $250 per trip and worked about 2 hours each time.

The main problem I see with new pilots is that they seem to want to stay close to you instead of getting out in front. Causes you to have to slow down at times.

The first time I had to use a pilot was also the first time I had to drive in the snow. It was the beginning of October and overcast, on out way over the mountain to the site it started to snow. Small 2 lane road with a creek running along side of it and no place to get off the road. Well going down the hill the idiot pilot kept hitting his brakes. I got on the radio and told him to get that ####ing thing out in front a half mile and if he hit his brakes again I was going to take him down the hill with me.

 

Working with pilot cars you really do have to lead from behind!

All the talk up thread about certification etc. has me thinking that I need to check into this a bit closer.

We don't often need to pilot anything, and then usually only a front pilot is needed, but we use our company pickups that are set with signs, lights,fire extinguishers, and radios and one of the other guys drives them.
I have read the permits requiring pilot cars, but may have missed the part about being certified to do so.

 

There is also minimum equipment that pilot cars need to carry also. I don't think Idaho needs certification at the moment but Utah and Washington do. The good thing is that you can get certified in Utah and it is recognized in every state except of course New York.