# Found a job traveling in a van



## Zigali

I have found a job traveling and living in a sprinter type van for as long as I want with a day or two off after each delivery and after every 4-8 weeks I can take time off to go home or do whatever. The company president said if I pass insurance requirements I have the job without a question! I found this job at a career fair and I had no idea it existed. It’s called A. Blair Enterprises their home base is in Louisville Ky. Can’t wait to find if I pass the requirements! The president also said that the drivers that don’t take weeks and weeks off make $50-$60,000 a year. It also sound like he really wanted more drivers both for local and OTR so if anyone’s interested you might wanna check it out.


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## Matt Derrick

how far do you get to travel? and are you living in the van or just using it for work?


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## Deleted member 20975

Zigali said:


> I have found a job traveling and living in a sprinter type van for as long as I want with a day or two off after each delivery and after every 4-8 weeks I can take time off to go home or do whatever. The company president said if I pass insurance requirements I have the job without a question! I found this job at a career fair and I had no idea it existed. It’s called A. Blair Enterprises their home base is in Louisville Ky. Can’t wait to find if I pass the requirements! The president also said that the drivers that don’t take weeks and weeks off make $50-$60,000 a year. It also sound like he really wanted more drivers both for local and OTR so if anyone’s interested you might wanna check it out.


Thats interesting. I like the idea of doing something like that while travelling to earn some bucks. Let us know how it works out. I think i will do more under the table type stuff though (post ads on kijiji and craigslist, or see if people posted ads and just take a trip to wherever they want stuff delivered).


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## Zigali

You travel all over the USA and you live in the van for 4-8 weeks at a time (he said you put a bunk inside the van) then you can take time off if u want. I will post after I find out for sure if I get it. I believe as long as you don’t have more then like 2 wrecks and don’t have any dui or a bunch of speeding tickets u should be able to qualify but I will update cause I have two wrecks but they wasn’t really my fault.


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## Zigali

NotmybestNotmyworst said:


> Thats interesting. I like the idea of doing something like that while travelling to earn some bucks. Let us know how it works out. I think i will do more under the table type stuff though (post ads on kijiji and craigslist, or see if people posted ads and just take a trip to wherever they want stuff delivered).


If you have your own van you can be an owner operator and just take jobs from the issuing companies directly that’s my plan do this until I save enough for my own van then be an owner operator


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## roughdraft

this is actually fascinating man thanks for this


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## Zigali

rana y sapo said:


> this is actually fascinating man thanks for this


Np ur welcome


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## Joe Btfsplk

You are looking at a job as an expediter; a courier driver. You will be on call 24 hours a day, every day, for months. Your bed will be on a cot in the cargo area, winter times are dicey for warmth, summers, the obverse. You will drive hard for a bit, sometimes be idle (no pay) or have to deadhead to freight. 

There is money there if you have stamina. 

You should investigate expediter freight. Here is a site:

.https://www.expeditersonline.com/forums/threads/a-blair-enterprises.66201/page-2

I drove big trucks for years, no expediting. It is a different life in the transport business.

I am able to easily sleep days, drive nights. Drive days? Hang on, give me a nap and I'll be fine. No timetable. That is driving life. You will not be able to get fucked up , no booze, smoke, etc. Must be ready at all times or be axed. They do check your pee. Overall, you are constantly watched.


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## Zigali

Believe me I’ve done my homework I’m not taking this lightly. I’ve scoured the internet and I called a couple friends of mine one of whom has been doing it for over 30 years. I don’t drink or smoke anyway. I sleep like 3 hrs a day at random times. I currently have no life no friends no nothing I sit in one room 24 hours a day and very seldom go anywhere. I’ve lived in vehicles before it’s no big deal. I haven’t had a time table or a life in so long I forgot what one is. I appreciate the link I had already found it a few days ago.


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## Joe Btfsplk

Ahh, good show, you're not ignorant of expediter reality. I just wanted to give you feedback on what to somewhat expect. This could be a good match for you.

There will be highs and lows, therefore, the stamina needed. Keep the left door closed, wheels turning and drive on. It is a hard life, the dropout rate is high. However, you sound like a possible good fit in the system.

Keep posting on your experiences doing expediting if you land the work. I think a lot of others are interested in the outcome.


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## Zigali

Well as it turns out I asked some friends of mine that have been doing this for 30+ years and they said doint take that job thru that particular company they would screw me over based on the details so I am currently applying to other companies in order to find one that is offering a decent opportunity. It seems that company was paying too little (.45cpm) and requiring me to pay for fuel and a very expensive lease and an escrow that is 4 times the normal along with a half dozen other things which at the end of the day would leave me making almost $0 but there are other companies out there who are a lot better.


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## Joe Btfsplk

Ouch. Good luck.


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## Minky

Keep us posted, good luck!


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## Zigali

Got another way better offer guy is offering 70/30 split 70 to me 30 to him and none of the other bull from the last offer. I told him I will take it we just gotta wait for my background check to clear. When it does I have to head up to Toledo OH for orientation and to pick up the van and get started. I’ll be a driver for an owner operator this time so it gets rid of all the drama from a fleet like having to pay for a lease and all that crap all I gotta pay is fuel, tolls and my workman’s comp ins which is offered thru the company for $35/Wk I’m figuring to average about $5-600 a wk after fuel he said 6-700 but ppl always embellish so I took it down a bit. Hopefully I’ll be heading up there in the next week or two I’ve been registered as living in several counties and a couple states so my background usually takes a bit lol


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## Zigali

Boss man is trying to get me signed on within the week. So maybe by next week I’ll be on the road.


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## roughdraft

keep us updated man


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## Zigali

Passed my physical today and the carrier company called and I should be starting Monday I will update again when I pick up my van.


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## Lilly

Reading just the head line of your post I was like 'Got a Job Travelling in a Van'... Sounded kind of fishy at first like what kind of prostitution ring is this person frolicking into  haha tho now that I've read the post, it sounds pretty cool 

Be safe anyway though


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## Zigali

there’s has been a few hiccups but now I am actually leaving on Sunday July 8th for Toledo I have my van keys already and have completed all my online paperwork and setup my orientation. I will probably get a bus ticket if no one answers my seeking ride post soon, probably today. The price gets higher if I wait much longer, I know I shoulda posted earlier but I didn’t know when I was leaving for sure and now I do.


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## Zigali

On the bus headed to Toledo! Making a stop in trotwood real quick it seems.


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## Zigali

bus has to turn around dude forgot to get off...


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## Zigali

Finished up my Orientation on Monday picked up my new van it’s a 2017 Nissan NV2500 High Rise. I took my first load yesterday, it was only a short load but a decent one. I’m currently sitting at Walmart in Findlay OH waiting for my next load I’m number 3 in line so hopefully I’ll have another in a couple hours.


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## Zigali

I’m posting on Twitter @Lightshrine


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## Minky

How do you like so far?


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## Zigali

Its amazing I spent an awesome weekend here in Laredo Texas met some really great Mexican folks down at Lake Casa Blanca Park met some of the other drivers here too we all went to the lake and went swimming and grilled out and everything. Locals here are pretty good people I’ve really enjoyed it here so far.


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## Zigali

I keep looking for any of y’all hitching I haven’t seen a single one yet


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## Joe Btfsplk

Zigali said:


> I keep looking for any of y’all hitching I haven’t seen a single one yet



Zigali, don't let anyone else ride in your working van without Big Boss permission.

I've followed your expediter venture, was interested if you agreed with the lifestyle or not. Seemed an initial good fit. Don't get canned for picking up hitchhikers.

Doing such can get you into deep misery.


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## Zigali

CrimCon said:


> Zigali, don't let anyone else ride in your working van without Big Boss permission.
> 
> I've followed your expediter venture, was interested if you agreed with the lifestyle or not. Seemed an initial good fit. Don't get canned for picking up hitchhikers.
> 
> Doing such can get you into deep misery.




Nah it ain’t no biggie that’s what the rider policy is for in my contract he doesn’t care. We are on the road so much that they know we like to have company sometimes. They just can’t drive the van.


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## Zigali

CrimCon said:


> Zigali, don't let anyone else ride in your working van without Big Boss permission.
> 
> I've followed your expediter venture, was interested if you agreed with the lifestyle or not. Seemed an initial good fit. Don't get canned for picking up hitchhikers.
> 
> Doing such can get you into deep misery.




Also yea I think it is a good fit I love being able to see the country and meet new people and make money at the same time. Between all the drivers and locals I’ve met since I started I have majorly expanded my social circle and I’m loving it. People are so much better then the news and such tend to make us believe. I hate the news .


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## Zigali

Well I’ve had 3 days of non stop loads got 2 1/2 hours of sleep now I get to spend the weekend in Tulsa Oklahoma not too shabby I think . Also just got my planet fitness membership today had a nice workout and a decent shower now I’m gonna get a good nights sleep . Should get a load out of here mon or tues no telling where to maybe west maybe east maybe south to Texas who knows...


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## Zigali

And oh yea got my first check over $500 not too bad for a first check should go up now I’ve been taking more loads then I did that first week. It seems to be pretty profitable and lots of travel only thing is when ur on a delivery you don’t really have time to stop and check out areas u pass thru. You usually have a fairly tight schedule they try to give you extra hours sometimes you get 8 hours sometimes u get one or two hours to spare mainly depends on the length of the trip. A 1200 miles trip should net at least 6-8 hours to spare for sleep and restroom breaks and fuel stops but that doesn’t leave much for sightseeing. I do my sightseeing after I drop and am waiting for a new load occasionally I might pull off the side and take a pic of something neat but that’s really all I have time for. Weekends are slow so if you get a load out west or down south or something you’re likely gonna spend the weekend there (which I like doing) but if you’re in the Ohio Indiana Michigan area u might get loads but idk haven’t been stuck there on a weekend yet. If I think of anything else I’ll post it if u have questions about this job ask me and I’ll try to answer them maybe a couple of y’all might decide to do this too! I don’t really feel my freedom is restricted I do a little bc I don’t own my own van and I can’t really drive too far without talking to my owner but he’s pretty easy going. Also this job is pretty easy to get into if you’re thinking about it.


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## roughdraft

500 for approx. how much work..?


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## Joe Btfsplk

Zig:

Good going. You have so far adopted a lifestyle others find hardscrabble.

Questions.

When driving, where do you sleep? I doubt if you are compensated for motels. Cot in the van?

Do you have a 12-volt DC food cooler in the van? When I travel, that is a staple.

Do you rely on fast food for meals? That can wear thin after a bit.

Do you usually do back-hauls? Take a load out, bring a load back?

Do you ever load/unload?

On the rosy side of it all, I've read expediting is booming at this time due to the shortage of overall truckers. You have stepped into this quite nicely.

I'm no where near Tulsa, it would be interesting to meet sometime.


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## Zigali

rana y sapo said:


> 500 for approx. how much work..?



I only made two loads that week one like 50 miles and one 1300 miles I actually made around $1000 but had to deduct for fuel and occupational accidental insurance and training fees


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## Zigali

CrimCon said:


> Zig:
> 
> Good going. You have so far adopted a lifestyle others find hardscrabble.
> 
> Questions.
> 
> When driving, where do you sleep? I doubt if you are compensated for motels. Cot in the van?
> 
> Do you have a 12-volt DC food cooler in the van? When I travel, that is a staple.
> 
> Do you rely on fast food for meals? That can wear thin after a bit.
> 
> Do you usually do back-hauls? Take a load out, bring a load back?
> 
> Do you ever load/unload?
> 
> On the rosy side of it all, I've read expediting is booming at this time due to the shortage of overall truckers. You have stepped into this quite nicely.
> 
> I'm no where near Tulsa, it would be interesting to meet sometime.




Sleeping varies while on a load I usually only sleep a couple hours so I sleep in the front seat but if I don’t have a load I have a mattress in the back that i strap to the inside of the roof when I pickup a load.

I don’t have a electric cooler yet bc I started kinda low on cash but my cooler only goes thru I’ve like every three days so a 10lb bag in 3 days isn’t bad.

I don’t rely on fast food I have non perishable food in the storage compartments in the van and sometimes I will get fast food or if I have to go to a local restaurant for local cuisine.

The way my loads work is I’ll get a load to a certain destination and then sit and wait for my next load now sometimes before I get to that destination they will call me with a pre-plan load to somewhere else and very seldom they pre plan you when you get the first call. It’s mostly done that way bc they have to bid on loads that are posted on load boards they have to have time to find a load coming out of that area and then try to win the bid on that load.

Most expediting is no touch freight all you do is strap it down. There is what they call white glove which is loading unloading and setting up inside the destination location but only a few companies offer that and u have to be trained for it u also get paid more but that’s mostly for straight truck freight I think.

As far as expediting is booming it is but the downside is that there are lots and lots of other sprinters and cargo vans competing for available loads. Like when I was in Laredo there was 16 other sprinters in the area from my company alone, panther,XPO logistics, the damn Russians (they bid really cheap and steal our loads) and other companies also had vans down there idk how many but all three truck stops in the industrial area was full of vans and semis and str8 trucks. 

Where are you located lol I will most likely be going thru there at some point.


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## huze24

Cool, glad you're liking it. As you get more experienced, you will be able to better manage your time spent at various stops. I've been all over this country, and often have only stopped in places for quick visits anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours, or a day or so. You still get to see a lot of cool shit, meet people, and you're being nomadic - which is what we're supposed to do. Its better than sitting at home looking at pics/vids of those places on the interwebz, or being a hamster on a wheel stuck in a fucking cubicle with the sheeple.

As for those low bidding Russians undercutting the competition, they are running drugs (and other contraband) in those loads, which is why/how they are able to bid so cheaply.


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## Wild Ty Laserbeam

So it's long haul trucking but small scale? Sounds like a good job.


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## Zigali

huze24 said:


> Cool, glad you're liking it. As you get more experienced, you will be able to better manage your time spent at various stops. I've been all over this country, and often have only stopped in places for quick visits anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours, or a day or so. You still get to see a lot of cool shit, meet people, and you're being nomadic - which is what we're supposed to do. Its better than sitting at home looking at pics/vids of those places on the interwebz, or being a hamster on a wheel stuck in a fucking cubicle with the sheeple.
> 
> As for those low bidding Russians undercutting the competition, they are running drugs (and other contraband) in those loads, which is why/how they are able to bid so cheaply.




It wouldn’t surprise me if they weren’t running drugs lol. I really do like to explore the areas I visit so I’m sure I’ll get more efficient


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## Zigali

Wild Ty Laserbeam said:


> So it's long haul trucking but small scale? Sounds like a good job.




Yep pretty much and it’s not bad at all


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## Zigali

Hung out with a cool kid and his dog last night found him spanging in downtown Nashville name of Flag dogs name sobaka. Hung out with him all night he’s a good kid and a good dog after he was done for the night I drove him around town to get a few things done met him at like 10:30 we was out till like 7am lol. met two more kids also but they hopped out a few mins after I got there I can’t remember their names for shit


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## T0m80w

How'd you go OP?


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## Zigali

Well I’m sitting in Santa Rosa Texas right now getting a new van it’s a 2018 ford transit ext it’s bigger and better then my old one so much more comfortable and has a generator with rooftop ac unit I’m living it up haha. I’m hoping I get more loads and am able to travel further with this one.


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## Zigali




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## Matt Derrick

Zigali said:


> getting a new van it’s a 2018 ford transit ext



dang, sounds expensive.


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## Zigali

Matt Derrick said:


> dang, sounds expensive.




Yea over 40k after everything and still got some more work to do on it but my boss has money so that’s fine with me. The more he does to the van the more comfortable I am lol


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## AjfrmAtlanta

Im enjoying the hell outta your adventure, kid. Maybe not as much as you but im close lol safe travels out on the road man.. Be CAREFUL not to pick up any shady ppl who may try to steal from your truck while you have a load! You seem like a very caring and helpful person and unfortunately, a few ppl on the road out there love to take from folks just LIKE THAT!.. I got robbed for my entire molle 2 pack only a day after getting to Venice bch. All i wanted to do was watch the sunset into the pacific Ocean for the FIRST time in my life, being from ATLANTA Georgia id never been out west.. I offered a homebum a beer or 2 and asked if he wanted to join. Long story short, i was dead tired from my trek to the West coast so i passed out with my pack under my head as a pillow.. Woke up with NOTHING. My miniGuitar was strapped to my pack and my wallet and all my clothes were gone.. Just a small reminder to WATCH the company you keep... You can lose EVERYTHING just like that....


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## Zigali

Yea there’s a lot of shitty ppl out here but I’m pretty strict on who I’ll pick up cause I don’t trust ppl. That’s pretty shitty what he done that’s why I usually don’t mess with homebums, dirty kids I’ll talk to but not homebums it’s generally not a good idea I’ve found most of them are shady


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## Zigali

Update: I’ve been much busier since I got this new van and I’m liking it better. I’m making more money and staying on the road more plus the van is hella nicer lol. I’m currently headed to Missouri near St. Louis I left from Detroit this morning. Still interested in switching carriers tho. 

I just came off a weekend load that kinda sucked, I had 3320 lbs squatting my van almost all the way to the ground for 3 days I hated that. My max weight is 3400lbs so it was about maxed out, sooo glad I got it off lol. I didn’t have anywhere to sleep cause it was 3 full size skids which is all I can carry so I had to go to my dads for the weekend which wasn’t bad so I reckon some good came from it. I almost rented a Airbnb log cabin that was right next to the Lake Erie public beach access that would have been cool haha but decided to save the money and go to my dads instead.


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## Zigali

Oh yea I almost forgot I finally got to meet a guy I’ve known on the PS4 for 5 or 6 years last week so that was pretty cool we hung out for a couple days at his place in Georgia it was good times.


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## Joe Btfsplk

How about you getting a stright truck with a comfortable sleeper? More opportunity. Surely you've heard of Landstar. If you had a lift-gate and reefer; more opportunities.

Wait a minute. Landstar prefers teams. That's a hard decision. Myself, I'd rather be alone


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## Zigali

Well I thought about str8 truck but I’ve got so much more maneuverability and I don’t have to deal with eld or weigh station or hours of service all that is just a load of bull and a lot of stress if I was to do that I would have to go with a semi with an older truck so there’s no eld and I can keep different logbooks but it’s still a pain in the ass. I might go that way one day but right now I’m enjoying my sightseeing excursions


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## Joe Btfsplk

What you've typed is spot-on. Regulations; ever ongoing. Freedom of driving big trucks is now more microscoped than if you worked in a factory or at a desk job. Penalties can be severe.

Then there is weather. Your first winter driving is coming up. There are exciting times in the winter. Black ice is worst. Heavy snows means crawling along at 25 mph endlessly. You mostly seem to stay in the midwest area, totally different experiences in the eastern or western mountains. Braking can easily cause jackknife. I used to drive doubles year around, god, last thing I wanted to do was brake on snow or ice. With so many brake shoes on your wheels, all not in exact sync with one another, you don't know where you're going to wind up and two trailers jack instead of one. It happens so quickly.

A lot of semi drivers are trying to get in to expediting because of what you've stated. At the moment, the expediter market is supposedly swollen, but could change if this driver shortage bull-roar has any merit to it. Looking to ship product means any way possible.


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## Zigali

Yea there’s way too many vans on the road right now. I just wanna start throwing nails out at truck stops to give them all flats so I can get all the loads lmao jk btw. My company alone I heard has 500 vans that’s a crazy stupid amount it’s no wonder they have trouble keeping everyone moving, they’re so worried about being the biggest that they aren’t paying enough attention to the drivers they have. They’re still sticking with mostly auto parts for their contracts too, they really need to expand and get into other types of deliveries, and they need to start expanding westward as well. They can’t expect to be the biggest company and still only keep their ppl on the east coast it just won’t work. A bigger fleet requires a bigger area of operations and I don’t think they understand that, hence the reason I want another company smaller fleet more loads and better personal service


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## Jackthereaper

Things still going well for you sir? Is the pay holding up in the new van as well?


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## Zigali

Jackthereaper said:


> Things still going well for you sir? Is the pay holding up in the new van as well?




Yea it’s doing ok I got $1300 coming for this week that’s in my pocket. I just bought a new $1400 phone so overall I’d say I’m doing pretty decent


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## Jackthereaper

Zigali said:


> Yea it’s doing ok I got $1300 coming for this week that’s in my pocket. I just bought a new $1400 phone so overall I’d say I’m doing pretty decent


Thats spectacular pay! Great you found a solid job and can stay on the road!


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## Zigali

Yes sir we are going to analyze the income for the rest of the year to determine whether or not to switch companies based on the percentage of the return we get too, by January we will be able to decide whether to stay with this company or go with another one that has a reputation for better loads and pay


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## jimbo slice

How do you apply for such jobs I'm having trouble finding any


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## Zigali

jimbo slice said:


> How do you apply for such jobs I'm having trouble finding any




https://www.expeditersonline.com is a good place to start there’s forums for information, classified driver ads, place to apply for multiple companies etc. it’s a good site also check Facebook expedite groups like Transportation life wheels, wings and rudders


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## Joe Btfsplk

Zigali said:


> Yes sir we are going to analyze the income for the rest of the year to determine whether or not to switch companies based on the percentage of the return we get too, by January we will be able to decide whether to stay with this company or go with another one that has a reputation for better loads and pay


How is it going with the expedite work?

An update would be interesting.


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## noothgrush

I don't like driving my house for work. I already put enough wear and tear on it living out of it. But if it works for you go for it.


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