IS A CONVERTIBLE PROFITABLE?

Feb 13, 2011 at 08:25 AM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I have been driving for 32 years, an owner/operator for 10 years, and I live in northern Indiana. I pulled a convertible about 16 years ago for a company in Iowa. I am currently leased to a company in Nebraska pulling reefers and vans. I am looking to be out on my own in the near future and am considering getting a convertible so that I can be more versatile in hauling loads. Is pulling a convertible profitable?

Replied on Sun, Feb 13, 2011 at 09:32 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Honestly, I don't know, Wish I could help, To me if you're gonna do van loads buy a van, BUT I've never pulled one or converted one, so I probably am no help

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 06:46 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Thanks, I appreciate your input. I was thinking about buying a Cornhusker 800 convertible in the near future, if I go that route. I was looking for input from people who are in the bulk business.

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 08:57 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. We had two Cornhusker convertables about 10 years ago. What we found is that if you have dedicated floor loads that you can haul and use the hopper on returns it might be worth looking into. But we found many negitives. 1- Many shippers won't load convertables or don't want there product hauled on a convertable when they can easily get a dry van to haul it. 2- The cornhusker convetable will weigh alot more than a conventional hopper (maybe 2000-3000 lbs). 3- The exposed posts on a cornhusker will decrease fuel mileage. 4-If the trailer you are looking at is the same as we had there is one bulk compartment above the hoppers with bulkheads in front and behind. So when hauling grain we had problems with the bulkheads leaking(usually with wheat) or the man at the elevator or grain cart driver overflowing grain onto the flat floor areas in front or behind the bulk compartment leaving you to to scoop it once you get to the terminal. 5- Since there is one compartment and three hoppers if you are dumping in a place where you can only dump one hopper at a time you have to dump the middle,then front,then back, then back to the middle to empty ony product that spilled back into it (that means alot of in and out, pulling foward ond backing up). I am usually not a negitve person and maybe someone else can give you more positives.

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 08:57 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

We had two Cornhusker convertables about 10 years ago. What we found is that if you have dedicated floor loads that you can haul and use the hopper on returns it might be worth looking into. But we found many negitives. 1- Many shippers won't load convertables or don't want there product hauled on a convertable when they can easily get a dry van to haul it. 2- The cornhusker convetable will weigh alot more than a conventional hopper (maybe 2000-3000 lbs). 3- The exposed posts on a cornhusker will decrease fuel mileage. 4-If the trailer you are looking at is the same as we had there is one bulk compartment above the hoppers with bulkheads in front and behind. So when hauling grain we had problems with the bulkheads leaking(usually with wheat) or the man at the elevator or grain cart driver overflowing grain onto the flat floor areas in front or behind the bulk compartment leaving you to to scoop it once you get to the terminal. 5- Since there is one compartment and three hoppers if you are dumping in a place where you can only dump one hopper at a time you have to dump the middle,then front,then back, then back to the middle to empty ony product that spilled back into it (that means alot of in and out, pulling foward ond backing up). I am usually not a negitve person and maybe someone else can give you more positives.

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 09:55 AM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. We have ran convertables for nearly 22 years, cornhuskers, wilsons and timptes. my preference is cornhusker for the ease of conversion and the lightweight of the trailer. True the stakeside will drag a bit on fuel economy but we have found the convertables to be a profitable piece of equipment. My problem is that my drivers are getting older and a convertable is a younger man's trailer. There is a bit of manual labor involved in them and a lot of the younger drivers dont want the workout a convertable can give you. I would love to have about 4 or 5 more convertables to run in my crew but I can't seem to find drivers that will work them. Yes i am one of those slimeball sleazebag brokers that everyone talks about. I have been doing this for about 25 years. If you are interested in talking you can call me at 877-637-3330 and i can tell you more about that trailer that is about as much of a dinosaur in this business as I am!

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 09:55 AM CST

+ 1

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

We have ran convertables for nearly 22 years, cornhuskers, wilsons and timptes. my preference is cornhusker for the ease of conversion and the lightweight of the trailer. True the stakeside will drag a bit on fuel economy but we have found the convertables to be a profitable piece of equipment. My problem is that my drivers are getting older and a convertable is a younger man's trailer. There is a bit of manual labor involved in them and a lot of the younger drivers dont want the workout a convertable can give you. I would love to have about 4 or 5 more convertables to run in my crew but I can't seem to find drivers that will work them. Yes i am one of those slimeball sleazebag brokers that everyone talks about. I have been doing this for about 25 years. If you are interested in talking you can call me at 877-637-3330 and i can tell you more about that trailer that is about as much of a dinosaur in this business as I am!

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 02:30 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. We've been checking them out as well because we haul bulk to a lot of our customers, but have palletized freight that we buy to come directly home to us. Our van drivers don't go out as far as the return freight, and it seems silly to hire it out if we could put it on our own trucks. It's been difficult to get information on weight and pricing from the dealers, and we need to haul 45K back on the vans. Can you typically haul 25 tons bulk on them?

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 02:30 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

We've been checking them out as well because we haul bulk to a lot of our customers, but have palletized freight that we buy to come directly home to us. Our van drivers don't go out as far as the return freight, and it seems silly to hire it out if we could put it on our own trucks. It's been difficult to get information on weight and pricing from the dealers, and we need to haul 45K back on the vans. Can you typically haul 25 tons bulk on them?

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 02:40 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Depending on the tractor you have pulling it. I have one guy that runs a W900 kw aerocab and he runs 50000# payload legally. I have another guy running a freightliner classic with a standup bunk and he hauls 50500 if he keeps his fuel down to about 1/2 tank. Where we make them pay is when we can pull a palletized load out for a customer and roll out with 47000# + the pallet weight. If the guys keep the fuel in line and things will sit in the trailer just right we can get 48000 + pallets. It makes a difference on some customers if you can get that extra to or so of weight. You won't get rich overnight with a convertable and the driver will most likely stay in good physical shape.(don't we all need to live a healthy lifestyle?) The problem is finding that driver or owner operator who doesn't mind a little physical labor sometimes. You will become familiar with a pallet jack or a two wheel cart on occasion but I liked that better than when we used to have to use a mormon board on a van load of bulk material. (I do have the experience of pulling a van and a convertable for a few years and i would take the convertable any day.)

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 02:40 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Depending on the tractor you have pulling it. I have one guy that runs a W900 kw aerocab and he runs 50000# payload legally. I have another guy running a freightliner classic with a standup bunk and he hauls 50500 if he keeps his fuel down to about 1/2 tank. Where we make them pay is when we can pull a palletized load out for a customer and roll out with 47000# + the pallet weight. If the guys keep the fuel in line and things will sit in the trailer just right we can get 48000 + pallets. It makes a difference on some customers if you can get that extra to or so of weight. You won't get rich overnight with a convertable and the driver will most likely stay in good physical
shape.(don't we all need to live a healthy lifestyle?) The problem is finding that driver or owner operator who doesn't mind a little physical labor sometimes. You will become familiar with a pallet jack or a two wheel cart on occasion but I liked that better than when we used to have to use a mormon board on a van load of bulk material. (I do have the experience of pulling a van and a convertable for a few years and i would take the convertable any day.)

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 03:50 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Thanks, these were things I was wondering about. Duane, I will give you a call when I get back home.

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 06:04 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. What the hell is a convertible?? I need to get out more lol.

Replied on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 07:24 PM CST - 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. a convertible is a waste of money and time that is a hoppper tailer and has fold down floors that you can haul the second most worthless commidity van load!!!!!!!

Replied on Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 02:44 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "What the hell is a convertible?? I need to get out more lol." covertible = cheap loads

Replied on Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 05:00 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "covertible = cheap loads" So thats why i never heard of them lol.

Replied on Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 10:34 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "a convertible is a waste of money and time that is a hoppper tailer and has fold down floors that you can haul the second most worthless commidity van load!!!!!!!" CHEAP RATES YES, WORTHLESS NO WAY NOT IN MY BOOK, I LIKE MY BEER TO MUCH AND HAVE HAULED IT MANY TIMES WITHOUT THE REFER GOING. SAME GOES FOR TOILET PAPER I'M KINDA FOND OF USING THAT STUFF ALSO.

Replied on Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 10:34 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "a convertible is a waste of money and time that is a hoppper tailer and has fold down floors that you can haul the second most worthless commidity van load!!!!!!!"

CHEAP RATES YES, WORTHLESS NO WAY NOT IN MY BOOK, I LIKE MY BEER TO MUCH AND HAVE HAULED IT MANY TIMES WITHOUT THE REFER GOING. SAME GOES FOR TOILET PAPER I'M KINDA FOND OF USING THAT STUFF ALSO.

Replied on Tue, Jul 08, 2014 at 11:23 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I can give you a good reason it would be good but long as your clients don't mine loading Hopper good money Load 44 ton in Alberta pays $2500 for 650.00 miles then off load washout go down 68 miles and pick up dry van frieght going to Surgar Plant in Alberta $2300 you can do 2 rounders a week 3.69 per Mile i do it and then i have 2 reefers two so I pick up 22 ton of Canola Seed in reefer and do same run but then I pick up cucumbers and Apples etc for $5.09 per mile Back to Alberta two runs a week

Replied on Tue, Jul 08, 2014 at 11:23 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

I can give you a good reason it would be good but long as your clients don't mine loading Hopper good money
Load 44 ton in Alberta pays $2500 for 650.00 miles then off load washout go down 68 miles and pick up dry van frieght going to Surgar Plant in Alberta $2300 you can do 2 rounders a week 3.69 per Mile i do it and then i have 2 reefers two so I pick up 22 ton of Canola Seed in reefer and do same run but then I pick up cucumbers and Apples etc for $5.09 per mile Back to Alberta two runs a week

Replied on Wed, Jul 09, 2014 at 01:20 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "We had two Cornhusker convertables about 10 years ago. What we found is that if you have dedicated floor loads that you can haul and use the hopper on returns it might be worth looking into. But we found many negitives. 1- Many shippers won't load convertables or don't want there product hauled on a convertable when they can easily get a dry van to haul it. 2- The cornhusker convetable will weigh alot more than a conventional hopper (maybe 2000-3000 lbs). 3- The exposed posts on a cornhusker will decrease fuel mileage. 4-If the trailer you are looking at is the same as we had there is one bulk compartment above the hoppers with bulkheads in front and behind. So when hauling grain we had problems with the bulkheads leaking(usually with wheat) or the man at the elevator or grain cart driver overflowing grain onto the flat floor areas in front or behind the bulk compartment leaving you to to scoop it once you get to the terminal. 5- Since there is one compartment and three hoppers if you are dumping in a place where you can only dump one hopper at a time you have to dump the middle,then front,then back, then back to the middle to empty ony product that spilled back into it (that means alot of in and out, pulling foward ond backing up). I am usually not a negitve person and maybe someone else can give you more positives." i worked for a company back in about 1999 that had cornhuskers and we had the same problems as far as leaking. Maybe they have some better system now. It was a lot of work shoveling wheat midds. I don't know how the timpte, wilson, or merritt convertibles are though. I pulled flatbeds in the early 90's and sometimes i would see people hauling grain on side kit flatbeds with grain shoot slide doors in the floor or I would see people pulling what are called western flatbed trailers with hoppers underneath the flatbed floor. Some of the grain terminals would raise the flatbed trucks up on a big hoist platform and dump them out the back end. Its all a little more physical work but if you can gain more customers and get more extra good paying loads why not try it.

Replied on Wed, Jul 09, 2014 at 01:20 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "We had two Cornhusker convertables about 10 years ago. What we found is that if you have dedicated floor loads that you can haul and use the hopper on returns it might be worth looking into. But we found many negitives. 1- Many shippers won't load convertables or don't want there product hauled on a convertable when they can easily get a dry van to haul it. 2- The cornhusker convetable will weigh alot more than a conventional hopper (maybe 2000-3000 lbs). 3- The exposed posts on a cornhusker will decrease fuel mileage. 4-If the trailer you are looking at is the same as we had there is one bulk compartment above the hoppers with bulkheads in front and behind. So when hauling grain we had problems with the bulkheads leaking(usually with wheat) or the man at the elevator or grain cart driver overflowing grain onto the flat floor areas in front or behind the bulk compartment leaving you to to scoop it once you get to the terminal. 5- Since there is one compartment and three hoppers if you are dumping in a place where you can only dump one hopper at a time you have to dump the middle,then front,then back, then back to the middle to empty ony product that spilled back into it (that means alot of in and out, pulling foward ond backing up). I am usually not a negitve person and maybe someone else can give you more positives."

i worked for a company back in about 1999 that had cornhuskers and we had the same problems as far as leaking. Maybe they have some better system now. It was a lot of work shoveling wheat midds. I don't know how the timpte, wilson, or merritt convertibles are though. I pulled flatbeds in the early 90's and sometimes i would see people hauling grain on side kit flatbeds with grain shoot slide doors in the floor or I would see people pulling what are called western flatbed trailers with hoppers underneath the flatbed floor. Some of the grain terminals would raise the flatbed trucks up on a big hoist platform and dump them out the back end. Its all a little more physical work but if you can gain more customers and get more extra good paying loads why not try it.

Replied on Wed, Jul 09, 2014 at 09:13 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I'll never forget probably 15 years ago I saw a guy unloading blood meal out of a convertible. It leaked through and he was shoveling it out. He was sweeting like a whore in church. And ya know what happens when blood meal gets wet? He looked like he walked straight off the set of a scary movie. Good luck to you!

Replied on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 10:49 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Hey ya'll! Broker here, with a question. Maybe dumb, please bear with me LOL. What exactly is a convertible trailer? What does it convert to or from? I've worked iwth carriers with hoppers, dumps, WF/Belts, pneumatics and tanks but I'm not familiar with convertible and it's showing up as an equipment type here on bulkloads.com. Thanks in advance for the help!

Replied on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 10:49 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Hey ya'll! Broker here, with a question. Maybe dumb, please bear with me LOL. What exactly is a convertible trailer? What does it convert to or from? I've worked iwth carriers with hoppers, dumps, WF/Belts, pneumatics and tanks but I'm not familiar with convertible and it's showing up as an equipment type here on bulkloads.com.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Replied on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 02:30 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "a convertible is a waste of money and time that is a hoppper tailer and has fold down floors that you can haul the second most worthless commidity van load!!!!!!!" we love our walking floor team, not only can they do bulk loads but they also do out palletted/tote seed loads, and no they are not cheap at all.

Replied on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 02:30 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Hey ya'll! Broker here, with a question. Maybe dumb, please bear with me LOL. What exactly is a convertible trailer? What does it convert to or from? I've worked iwth carriers with hoppers, dumps, WF/Belts, pneumatics and tanks but I'm not familiar with convertible and it's showing up as an equipment type here on bulkloads.com. Thanks in advance for the help!" Hopper / van. Try googling it. Convertible hopper.

Replied on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 02:30 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Hey ya'll! Broker here, with a question. Maybe dumb, please bear with me LOL. What exactly is a convertible trailer? What does it convert to or from? I've worked iwth carriers with hoppers, dumps, WF/Belts, pneumatics and tanks but I'm not familiar with convertible and it's showing up as an equipment type here on bulkloads.com. Thanks in advance for the help!"

Hopper / van. Try googling it. Convertible hopper.

Replied on Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 10:34 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Hopper / van. Try googling it. Convertible hopper." Thanks so much! That's what I thought based on what I'd seen on Google, but just wanted to confirm and try to not sound like an idiot if I came across one LOL Thanks!!