I am considering converting my 96 super cab short bed f250 into a full time commercial hauler i am talking engine overhaul compound triples air suspension/brakes (not sure on the possibility of air brakes) aswell an 8ll or 13 speed eaton fuller via adaptor plate and maby divorced mount transfer case also going to do a drw conversion and detroit lockers i live in edmonton alberta and want to get a foot in the door with the trucking industry and am looking for a cheeper way to do so. If anyone could shed some light on some of the more extreme mods it would be greatly appreciated. I am only 19 and just moved here from windsor ontario aka the unemployment capital of canada so it will be awhile b4 this project is set in motion.

 

I'll tell you right now.

don't do it.

I worked in the patch. no one is gonna take some hotshot kid with a worked truck seriously.
secondly, for the cost of that mod list, you could put a damned good chunk down on a C500 kenworth, and go do tank hauling, or lease building, or a **** of a lot of other things that'll make ya money.

if you DO get to be an owner/operator, subcontract out for a larger company. you can work out all kinds of contracts, right down to them having their mechanics work on your truck.

if you have a class one, get on running a truck and get good at it. damn good. good enough to set down a tank within 4 inches of another one.
then buy your own truck and sub it out.

your modded pickup won't do with a full out 63,000kilo GVW semi will do. period. it will look cool and work great for hotshotting runs.
it won't haul 400bbl tanks, it won't haul covered trailers, it won't do those things.

that being said, welcome to the west. you've come to the right place to make money.

 

Wow i didn't know u could get contracts like that that's wut was steering me away from buyin something like a c500 or a 359 pete considering i havent got the tools or space to work on something that size and i know how quick u can rack up a huge bill thanks for the advice

 

do you have a class one?

do you know what you're doing behind a truck?

if there was anything I learned in my time out there it's that you have to "do your time". as it is, bottom of the barrel pay in the patch is about 20-22 an hour, with OT after 8 hours.

my average paycheque was 185 hours dude. even with 3 months off at spring breakup, I woulda done 50 grand in my first year. second year I woulda been through for my 1a, and then my picker ticket. that's 45/hr right there. that's 80 grand a year at the hours I worked.

you don't need to own your own truck right now. right now, at 19, you need to own a good vehicle, get to work on time and work your *** off. wash the bosses truck, say yes sir, no sir, and work your *** off. Don't say not o any job, even washing the muddiest goddamn semi truck and trailer combo you've ever seen for 5 hours after an 18 hour day. because if you do that at the right company, they'll like you. and if they like you, they'll take damn good care of you out there.

if you are good at it and can handle the hours (I could not, and I didn't enjoy it as much as my framing, I really didn't) you can make such seriuus money just working for someone that you don't need to worry about the hassle of owning your own truck.
i payed rent where I lived and payed 800 a month in fuel at times.
I still walked around and pretty well bought whatever I wanted.

that said, yes. where I worked, one guy used to own his own truck. he was in his 60s I think when I worked with him, but he was still contracting his lowboy trailer out for 125 bucks an hour, he just ran a company C500.

get hired somewhere (if you are going for the patch life) and get good at your job. the big truck and fancy house will follow suit. But, and I cannot stress this enough, save up and buy **** in CASH out there. the patch can crash at any time, any day. be smart with your money as much as you enjoy your money, and have as few payments as possible.

 

I know my way around a truck pretty good for a person my age i grabbed the first job that called me back im only drivin a small 5 speed freightliner reefer truck around edmonton doin dropoffs for restaurants at 14 an hour i mean its experience but not exactly a great career and i am saving up to get my class 1

 

quite honestly I wouldn't bother with anything in that neck of the woods that doesn't have to do with the extraction of crude oil from the ground.

because that **** simply pays better.

 

U know any good companies i should maby try applying at?

 

you've been PM'd.

 

Thanks for the info man i don't know to many ppl out here yet so any info is helpful

 

having a connection does help, yep.

if you ARE going to apply at oilfield places, get after it soon, because spring breakup starts mid-end of march and can stretch for a while.