Trailers in Recruiting
Trailers have always been a recruiting instrument. As a power only owner operator, I am constantly checking out trailers. These days it seems as if all of them have have ads that promise more money, more miles, and more home time. We all notice older and poorly maintained equipment. We won’t go there. On the other hand new well maintained equipment represents the company well. A bad trailer can have a negative effect on a company’s CSA score and your PSP score.
Trailer to tractor ratios matter. The higher the ratio the more drop and hook loads. I have always enjoyed multi stop loads. Drop off pay adds up. Shorter multi stop loads usually have higher rates. They can also absorb your 14 hour clock. The 14 hour rule and electronic enforcement definitely encourage higher trailer to tractor ratios.
Aerodynamic trailers will help attract the smart owner operators. I was discussing fuel mileage with another owner operator. It was at a show and my fuel numbers were on display. At the time my lifetime-for the first 35,000 miles was 8.04 mpg and from 20-35,000 miles it was 8.225 mpg. We both have Cascadias with 6x4s and dual tires. Our numbers won’t be Albertesque with those configurations. We still want to maximize our fuel economy. We talked speed and rpm. He said he drives about 1 mph and 75 rpm higher than I do. My drive tires have a lower rolling resistance. My EVO is a year newer than his Cascadia, and there are a few positive changes in the aerodynamics. These are all little things that add up.
Then I asked about his trailers. None of them have skirts. My company, partly due to my whining, is pu
tting skirts on all of our over the road trailers. He responded that his company does not go to California and does not need them. I told him that neither do we and that is not why an owner operator wants them. They improve your fuel mileage. I told him that I had two very similar loads. Bothe loads were about 43,000 pounds coming up to Wisconsin from the south. On the first one I had an older trailer. The company is rotating these trailers into local use. The tires were legal, but not great. The second trailer had new tires and had a skirt. On the first load I got 7.71 mpg. On the second load I got an 8.375 mpg tank. He saw my point.
Henry does not get 10 mpg tanks without an aerodynamic trailer. He has a nose cone. He has straight freight wings. His tires are low rolling resistance wide base singles. His trailer axles are slid as far forward as they can be. The cross members beyond the trailer axle are covered. Trailer tails were recently installed. He carries his dolly handle in his side box. And, yes he actually did move his license plate. It all matters.
When considering where to lease on with look at the trailer situation. Don’t shy away from short multi 
stop loads, if they pay a better rate than long drop and hook loads. Does the company have a high trailer to tractor ratio? Are the trailers inspection magnets? Then last but not least, are they going to help my fuel mileage and decrease my biggest expense?