Horizon Transport review: Expensive hobby! 40

While some have indeed experienced the opportunity in the way that Mr. L describes, many, many others have found the opportunity to be quite viable. It is truly not for everyone and it is true that some treat it like a hobby. There are, however, those who have given it a fair shake and have found that they can consistently generate satisfactory financial results. Let's face it. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of drivers plying their trade for Horizon Transport and enjoying it - and yes Virginia, there are some who are making decent money at it.

I too am a successful transporter. The most common mistake I see with new transporters is lack of knowledge about the business and the industry. A transporter is an independent contractor leased to a transport company. As such the transporter is a business as well. As my own business I only accept laods that work for my company (me)... not the other way around. Don't think that the transport company is going to show you how to be successful, you'll have to learn that on your own. There's a lot of information on the internet about transporting rv's. Search the internet for all the info you can find before making the commitment. I know lot's of folks that are having the time of their life and making money transporting rv's.

Will the ones that are so successful please stand?
How can you make money with fuel at this price now, and the company is still paying the rate of a year ago?
There are hardly any reloads (that are hyped up before you start working there)---and you have to deduct the dead-head miles--so breaking even is barely feasible. Sleeping all the time in the truck is a money saver--til you get caught by DOT---and eating cold beans and soup is ok for a while. Then there is the circulatory effect---sitting for so long can cause blood clots--a major driver dehabilitating, if not death causing, problem. Anyway, take pics of any prior damage--and if they refute that--take em to court--

It is very sad sa all of us have to learn things in life this way. I would not blame some of the people who work there, they are told what to do ! in general they are nice individual, on my first trip I did not check the upper part of a toy hauler that was burried in snow in the back yard in Wacarussa, by the time I got to Oregon 4 days later, the dealer in conbination with horizon charged me all the money for repair, later on I can say that I got a camera and took picture of every trip and made sure that even a microscopy scrash would be noted on the manifiesto papers.

If you absoluttly have nothing else to do to make some money in other way, then start hauling, specially now, there is nothing out there. I learned how to be in the west coast for weeks doing cheap trip just to keep alive! the experience has its rewards this is a beautiful country and it was a great experience but that is why they have continuos schooling because after 1 years they already have nade sure that they made their money with you. I started on feb 28 2008 and had to stop in florida after the weekend of july 4th 2008 in that short time I grossed in my 1099 form 42, 500 dollars about 3500 per week . I gave 100% of my truck and my time then I had to dislease later because of a mis understanding on time load that I was to take and I got all confuused on the dates. they still again took another 1000, 00 dollars out of my account,

you will break your neck for them and sometime things will be cancel and that is it ! but if you make a human mistake, they will make sure to take your money. I have a felling that they would not want you there for a long time once you become smart enough not to let you get taken for, then they will find a way to dis lease you.

I say this, go and get yourself a good company and start hauling a big rig ! does not matter what yoiu do you will not make 200 dollars per day on your truck

now I must say, if your are retired and want to take a trip per month and have the money to stay in places on vacation until something come your way, do it or start doing the Canada trips and make a 2000 mile trip and then what, with no fuel ?

sometime you are not only a driver, you have to colect checks for your unit and do other services un espected.

I repeate, beside few really strange fellows in that office everyone is very friendlly and willing to help in what ever their duty is.

be carefull when you go downstair in the office you migh find yourself doing 50 push ups and 70 butterflys and a little slap on your B#!3!4$ Boss down there is a drill sargent who will not, i repeat, will not have tear out of his eyes for anyone ! He is put in that job for a reazon !

last but not least, this is the only time in my life that I had wish that all tow away driver in the USA be unionized as a one body ! they would not be acting the way thaey are if someone would have been watchimg them. to all be carefull and take care, if you have any question I will be happy to answer, I just know too much about this business already, I could write a book !

Horizon is a truly an dreadfull company to contract with and I definitley worked very hard for them for over a year. They are always charging driver's for drivers damage and the driver has no fair way to disagree. I once delivered a Motorhome to Florida from LA and they claimed that I drove the motorhome with two flat tires, for which they charged $950.00 against my damage deposit. The dealer had already had checked the "no driver damage box". I asked for a review of the situation and they claimed tha it had been reviewed and I still had to pay the $950.00. How could I drive a M/H with two flat tires and not know it. Also I picked up a motorhome to deliver to Tacoma, WA and the fuel gauge didn't work so I called Waky to ask for advice. They told me to play it safe and give it " agood shot" of fuel and that I would be reimbursed. I had no idea if there was any fuel in the rig. Upon returning my paper work they wouldn't reimburse me for the fuel purchase as they claimed that I did not put "enough fuel" in the tank to get reimbursed.

They are always in the driver's pockets and DO NOT support their contractors like they claim in their recruiting material. They will nickel and dime you to death and WILL NOT SUPPORT the contractor in a dispute with the factory. I found that the driver is always wrong and the review system to be an inside job !

I did find one dispatcher there to be a good guy and he really tries and help the contractor out, but I can't remember his name.

If you want to make any money or want to be treated with any dignity DO NOT go to the trouble, and it is a huge project, of becoming a contractor for Horizon. Actually you are not a contractor, you are a grunt who has to live by their rules, demands, and one-sided policies that always seem to favor them.

I have driven Charter Buses for 32 years for the same comany, never has a chargable accident, and just wanted to try something else fo a while.

All I have is a credit card with $10, 000 of charges that I couldn't pay. It's no way to make any money.

A driveaway driver is usually considered the "lowest of the low" in the world of trucking. Drivers go through phases of "low", whether student drivers, JB HUNt, Schneider, etc. that hire new drivers from the truck driving schools, ... it is just the way drivers are, always looking for someone to look down upon. Personally, the lowest of the low are Premeir drivers: they all seem to be from North Africa, being paid 19cents per mile while the owner of the company is building a ten million dollar barn in Missouri for his show horses. But, outside of the big rigs, the lowest of the low are the RV drivers and this includes the transport drivers in straight trucks (U-Haul) and RV's so be prepared to be "dissed' out on the road, even if you are driving a half million dollar piece of ICC freight and the truck driver is hauling trash. On the flip side, most professional truckers who came to driveaway had a hard time with it because they were use to getting paid to wait at dealerships, pay for deadhead miles, pay for hotel rooms, etc... all of which driveaway doesn't do.

Driveaway counts for nothing as far as experience is concerned. Having worked 9 years for Horizon transport as a driveaway driver, no trucking company wants me, even with 19 years experience on the highway, because I come from the driveaway field. Most want three years of RECENT driving experience so getting a job after transporting is difficult. I liked the freedom of driveaway which is why I stayed with it but you are not investing anything career wise if you do this because it counts for nothing to the trucking companies; and I have a CDL class A, Hazmat, tanker, doubles and triple endorsement, three years experience, etc.

In general, on the positive side, you are trying to make $100 a day and you shouldn't pay any taxes due to the writeoffs. Forget about mileage or hours; that's what you are trying to pull, and that includes deadhead. It seems like the guys that did best were over 65 because they could fly back at huge discounts. (Forget about backhauls; if you get one it is only icing on the cake.) They also had wives back home who could get on the computer and search for cheap flights while they did the driving. Also, most of these guys wives had jobs and they were covered under her benefits plan. With pensions, Social Security, paid off houses, health insurance from the wife's job, a "come and go as you please" schedule, driveaway was a decent job for the retired.

What the driveaway comapnies are looking for are pickup trucks to deliver trailers. I never saw the sense in this because yoou need to buy a $40, 000 truck plus add ons in order to get started. In one year, you had 100, 000 miles on your truck, a thousand dollar payment and a truck worth, well, ... $15, 000; but you still had $35, 000 left on the loan. I have met many a driver that would sell me their truck if I would just take over the payment. Of course the companies love this because if you are stuck in a truck and have a high payment, you have to keep working -making them money- to keep your head above water. But think about it: if all the companies are begging for pick up truck drivers, but can't get them, the numbers don't add up. In other words, if the job were so good, they would have a waiting list of drivers and owner operators. One of the best jobs in trucking is Walmart; the fact that they have a waiting list TELLS YOU SOMETHING. The fact that the transport companies are begging for drivers (you take all the risks), well, that tells you something, doesn't it?

Horizon had a dispatch system where the driver could pick his own runs off the computer. This worked out well when they were busy, but now that things have slowed down, the computer pick system has turned into a nightmare. What happened is that dispatch would put on the computer that there would be, say, five loads about to appear on the computer at the top of the hour. But at the top of the hour, all the loads were gone. Here's the scam: the the loads went to the "first pick' of the shuttle drivers so all the loads were disapearing out the back door. The problem was, you could not be a shuttle driver unless Alice, (I think that was her name), the van driver, picked you to be a shuttle driver. So unless this minimum wage shuttle driver liked you or picked you to shuttle, you couldn't get a run. It seemed like "that nice young couple from Nappanee" was always getting all the good runs. In other words, all of her friends. Another problem is that they want the Rv's off the lot the day they came in, so the driver had to be on the lot to get a run. I started sitting there day after day waiting for a run. One driver, a friend of Alice (FOA), got a run going to California. He went, came back, got another run to California ALL THE WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE waiting for a run. I told dispatch that they had to get a waiting list started so that I would eventually HAVE to get a run but they didn't want to change their system. It was like musical chairs at the top of the hour without any chairs. After 9 years, I figured they just wanted to get rid of me for some reason so I just quite the company and went to work for someone else. The problem is this; we drivers make major investments in tow cars, equipment, career tracks; to do this job as it is intially presented to us. To change all the rules after this investment is a ripoff, unbelievably unfair. If they want to PHASE a new system in, that would be different, but a lot of us drivers got shafted by the sudden change in rules. Especially those of us from out of town. Having to be on the lot for days at a time, never knowing if you are going to get a run when home is 500 miles away; lets just say there were a lot of very angry out of town drivers.

If you are considering a job in this field, you really should live in the area, expect about $100 a day when all is said and done, 50% deadhead and no benefits but no tax problems either. I don't see the point in buying a truck for the job but you might want to try it if you already have a truck. In a perfect world, I would go to The West coast and Amtrak back, or fly. I will never take a bus overnight again. Some drivers don't mind this, thinking that the $500 for a bus pass for 90 days is the way to go but I am only 5'6" and I am extremely uncomfortable on the bus. Also, the busses are packed at night, when you most need a second seat to sleep on. When my tow car goes, I will proably leave the field because you are just giving your car away to the company. If you like to work on cars, know your way around most of the repairs and have no problem driving a $500 beater through the Mohjave desert in the middle of the night, then a tow car might work for you, but I just don't see the money in these short runs where you only make a $100 bucks but take two hours hooking up yourcar to the back of a pretzel truck, mess around with the lighting, worried that you car might fall off the back, etc... a lot of work for a one day trip.

Rumour is that Horizon was always hiring new drivers, even as their old drivers sat there with nothing to do: here is the scam. We think that Horizon was getting paid by the government to hire new drivers and thus reduce unemplyment. The new drivers would go through the three days of safety school, and on Wednesday they would be dispatched on a run. When they got back, they were now part of the driver pool. They would sit, and sit, and sit, just like us old drivers. When they would ask where all the freight was, we would tell them there wasn't any. They were just hired and got one run so that Horizon would get " a commission" from the government agency for hiring a driver. The turnover at Horizon wasn't 100 % year, more like 100% a month. Management does not care about the experience of their drivers. Drivers are a dime a dozen and if they could make a buck constantly hiring drivers, what did they care. The freight got moved.

Horizon lost a lot of drivers when Monaco coach closed down their factory in Wakarusa, Indiania, and Monaco was the core of the company. But, they have since re-opened that plant and their is freight moving out of there. With Obama in the White house, I wouldn't expect a luxury item like a RV to be a big seller as it was in the Bush days so i would be careful about getting into this end of the business. BUT, Canada, especially the oil patch in Alberta, is not having the same problems as the US is having so there is some RV traffic. I just got back from an RV delivery in Winnipeg. Again, be careful. A lot of drivers can't be bothered with Canada. One driver I know had a DUI from 1974 when he was in the ARmy and Canada won't let him in the country.

Although Horizon is across the street from Utilitymaster, a major producer of what I call "pretzel" trucks (UPS, FedEx, Cintas, box trucks, postal trucks...) there was a rumour when I left that they were not giving Horizon any of their business because they had a falling out with someone in the office. I noticed there was only one utility truck available for us drivers, going 25 miles, when we use to have at least 15 to 20 a day. That was last year but maybe that has changed, but don't assume it if you are considering working for the company.

The Rv business died nearly overnight in september of 2008. Looking at the causes will help you decide whether you should invest your time in this business.
1) fuel hit $4.oo a gallon. It is now "normal at $2.65, so that should not be much of a factor.
2) the stock market crashed wiping out the buyers 401k plan. In the Bush administration, people had this money to buy an expensive toy like an RV.
3) the housing market bubble burst. People who used the equity in their homes to buy an RV suddenly had no equity.
4) Monaco in Wakarusa closed its doors and moved back to Oregon. It has since been sold and they are making Rv's in the Indiania factory but the Rv market is weak due to the economy. Canada seems to be the customer.
5) Elkhart, Indiania is "ground zero" for the recession with a whopping 21% unemployment. There are a lot of people available for driveaway, pushing the cost of labour, your pay, downward.
6) the President of the country is socialist and, like Jimmy Carter, there will probably be hard economic times until their is a new administration. He seems to be an ideologue, so there is probably no reasoning with him and he shows no intention of changing is mind about his world view.
7) talked to two Horizon drivers a few days ago. they say the dispatch system is still in place, you have to shuttle to get a run, and Alice still decides who shuttles.
8) You have to be on the Horizon lot to get a run so be prepared to do some camping out if you are from out of town.
9) the Eugene Oregon office (Coburg, Oregon) is promoted as the drivers 'backhaul" source but that office is keeping itself alive by driving repossessed Rv's from the Banker's lot to the Auction, then from the auction to the dealership that bought it. In other words, don't rely on that office to get you back East. You'll probably just run up and down the Califrnia coast.

Although I did try to get back with Horizon, assuming it was better than assembling bikes at WalMart, they said they didn't want me because of some damage I did to one of the Units. I hit an alligator tread on the most crowded road in the US, south of chicago where 90, 80, 94, all run together below the lake. It knocked off my muffler and cost about $900 to fix. but they took my entire $1500 deposit for it, so as far as I am concerned, they actually made a profit from my little accident. You would think they would be anxious to get me back.

Although I enjoyed the company and the work I did for them, Mel shrock, the founder has since died and his son Marion has taken over. Although Marion is honest, I think his heart is into being the preacher at his own church and has turned over the management of the company to others. with the changes they have made to the dispatch system, I would be careful about joining the company with any expectations of making any money. You may be a hard worker but what good is it if they don't get you a run. As long as the shuttle drivers get first choice, and Alice chooses who the shuttle drivers are going to be, I would be wary.

Well, a friend of mine is getting ready to contract with Horizon Transport. I was considering it, myself. It sounds a bit one sided, though. As a matter of fact, it sounds a lot like a C.R. England lease deal. All for them and very little for the driver.

Horizon is a joke they are in buisness to make money and they do, but as a driver you don't. Getting your deposit back is a job. I emailed the owner because the people in the office treat you like the plague. He is just as bad when I emailed him a third time to tell horizon they had everthying back he quit retuning my email how convient. I makes you wonder about a company that has been around awile with this bad of a reputation with its past drivers. You would be lucky to break even. Horizon will cost you money to get on as a contractor DON"T SPEND IT you will lose it. I can't imagine how many drivers they go thru they dont actualy lie to you they just don't answer your questions.. This is my opinion of Horizon I hope someone thinking of contracting for horizon reads this and walks away

RCM Surprise AZ

Horizon is the best company in the business to work for. And if your smart you can make money at this job. If your tow away ask questions before you buy a truck so that you don't overspend on one and buy more truck than you need. Thats the problem as well as most people do no preventative maintenance. They drive them until they drop. Another issue is a lot of guys want to go in one direction Florida or Texas. Its all pavement go where the reloads are. Eating out, casinos, and strip clubs are other downfalls. Dont get into the drama and negative talk. Every trip isnt going to be a pot of gold take the good with the bad. If your frustrated take the day off. Wake up and I guarentee tomorrow will be better. Go to church on the road I do and it keeps you grounded. Stay faithful in your tithing also. The staff at Horizon is there to help you dont be scared to ask questions as they are more than happy to help you. Im not just talking out of my butt either ive made the mistakes I was one of the dummies who bought a 54k truck and wore it out carelessly in 2 years. SAVE SAVE SAVE for rainy days. Although I laxed on maitenence with it I saved 10% of EVERY load for repairs and it paid off big when I had an idler pulley freeze up and snap my serpentine belt 24 mile from the Elko Nv exit and 3 days later when I dropped my tranny in the Mojave desert yes it was 8k in tow trucks and repairs. 900 alone for my truck and trailer in Elko for the tow but I was prepared. But had I keep up my mait. and inspected my vehicle like I should had this could have been prevented. Its all a tax write off anyways. The new truck was about 1/2 the price and no there are no bells and whistles but were here to work not ride around and look good. Outfit it properly (ie.DOT approved sleeper) Woodhouse Dodge in Nebraska makes a great on that fits in your cab. It makes all the difference in the world when you rest properly. Its DOT legal so you can sleep anywhere like rest areas. So basically one ticket and a shut down covers the cost. Buy a fuel Tank and buy fuel where it is a better price. That too will pay for its self in the long run. We just had our new one installed @ Dually Depot and I like there tank because it is a fairly simple system and I like the size of the dash indicator and the fact its just lights. Keeps it simple and uncomplicated. Laptop is key and mobile printer is a GODSEND. Use that laptop like your married to it. Dont wait until the end of your trip and try to find a reload. Respect your dispatcher. Remember they are human too and your not the only driver they have. Help them and they will help you. Just dont kiss butt and suck up thats terribly annoying. Be yourself and not one way at Horizon and as soon as you leave the parking lot act another way. So by help them I mean if they ask a favor do and I am certain when you need a favor they will return it. Dont cuss at them either. Its not nice. If you dont like what your told dont be a whiny butt and bother Mr. Marion hello hes not Dr. Phil and I personally find it annoying when people use JESUS AS A TOOL to get their way. Mr. Marion owns our company and he has bigger fish to fry like running his company so we all have a place to work. I think he has enough stress without whiny people pestering him when they dont get their way. He is a great guy and he allows us to approach him unlike many of the other companies but dont pester him with non sense. Thats why he has hired a chain of command. I personally feel that bothering him should be your LAST resort. Nobody at Horizon is out to get you and steal your money. You make a mistake OWN UP TO IT and be honest an dfollow the guidelines laid out for us. If your having issues talk to someone I personally went through an ordeal myself a few years back and had to take a significant amount of time off and EVERYBODY was very supportive of the whole ordeal from the start but I put my fair share of effort back and ran to the best of my ability healthwise at the time. Contrary to the rhetoric we dont go through near as many drivers as other companies. Keep your dot required up (logs etc. this makes life better for all of us at scales etc. it helps keep our reputation up an dour safety rating down) Remember we are the customers and dealerships only face they have to put with their unit. We are their face of customer service and we should be our best at all times under dispatch. Ok now to towaway. INVEST in a good tow car not a beater. I also have a tow car which is a great deal to have the option to do both. Stay off of public transportation have your car at all times. You never know where your next reload is. Dont be the dummy who turns down reloads because its more then 100 miles away. You miss a lot of money that way. And STAY out of the hotels your throwing your profit away. Keep to yourself finding running mates usually cost you in the end. As for both only believe about 2% of what you hear out on the road and dont put your trust in everyone because you will find yourself used quite a bit by some of these people out here. Rember ask before you leap of the money cliff so you dont spend more than you need to. Stay positive and remember you wont get rich but you can make an honest living at this job. I just wonder one thing though "If Horizons so bad than why do some of these posts say they tried to get their jobs back?

As with most companies, there are good experiences and bad experiences. There are also jobs that fit and jobs that don't fit a particular person.

If you want to keep up-to-date on RV Transport related issues try visiting this blog site:
http://rvtransporter.blogspot.com/

a big thank you to every contributor since 2008! I was going to try and talk myhusband into doing RV driveaways for Horizon as a retirement activity. After all that I have read about the hard lessons and experiences outlined in the comments above, I will not only not waste my time and money in pursuing a contract with Horizon! Thank you all so much from a grateful would-be driver from Michigan.

I currently work for Horizon & have not experianced ANY of the complaints mentioned...please note the dates complaints were made, over 2-3 years ago when the RV bussiness was slow...things have changed since then...if I don't do a trip for a week, my dispatcher is calling asking me to do a trip...

Dead head miles will kill your profit. They have zero interest in helping you keep these miles down. They have zero interest in reload deals on the west coast from the bigger auctions. The rude salesman wanted to get off the phone to get more FEMA load calls. Funny, those loads never showed up on the load board. Neither did the hook and tow loads. Rescued a trailer from a breakdown that had one trailer loaded on a flatbed and towing another. Yes, they will jack your load if you have a breakdown even if you give them a repair date. Not one of the special family members or friends then you get to play the lottery system they have for computer dispatch. There is something higher than the TAC rating they have and that is being family or close friends who get dibbs before a load hits the board. Could they match drivers with reloads to keep their deadhead miles down? Yes, but they are unwilling to do so. 2008 was bad and showed how bad this company is and zero care for their drivers. Even the fellow who won a new truck said he didn't make any money there yet.

As far as the IRS - these butt wipes need to be sued for you being an employee not an independent contractor. Because at audit time they make a company officer sign as themselves not as a company officer. This and documentation they supply to the IRS can get your expenses wiped off your taxes. This example has 2 drivers for a company formed to haul RV's for them. The specific non negotiable route they give you is a good example of being an employee. Damaged a trailer bad with a fresh tar and chip road rock blasting the front of the trailer. Other routes were available and we did not pay for the damage to the trailer.

Requiring a new expensive pickup is stupid. Other companies like Success Transport do not require a specific year, thus removing a $700 payment from your books for a newer rig.

Fuel will be your biggest expense when you are getting less than 10 MPG towing. Deadhead at 18 MPG is better to wait for a load.

Some cut expenses by sleeping in the trailers they tow. Good luck with restrooms.

Simply put there are better companies out there for towing RV's. Horizon Transport is not one you can make money with - unless you are a favorite.

The biggest problem I have with Horizon is like most other comments that have been made here. They will not stand behind their contractors and their computer dispatch system is not always accurate.
I am a current contractor in the drive away division and will be a former contractor by the end of the month. I have made this decision not because I cannot handle my business and make money, but I cannot overcome financially the mistakes that Horizon makes by not verifying information that they post on their load board. You would think that they would verify that a load actually exists before dispatching someone on it, but no they route you to it by giving you something else that delivers relatively close then for no apparant reason the load you were supposed to pick up once you deliver your original load has vanished and you are stuck. They then have nothing else close for a reload and you either deadhead home or have to find transportation back home or to Wakarusa. How can I plan when Horizon fails to verify information that they post on their load board? Not only do they post the load they dispatch the load. Is that not a contract? Just because Horizon fails to verify that a load actually exists should not relieve them from their contractual obligations to a contractor when said contractor accepts a load based on information given by Horizon to be factual and correct.
Bottom line is this...Horizon will lie to you. Do you really think they deserve you when they will lie to you? They will not stand up for you. They will take hundreds of orders to pick up and deliver RV's for manufacturers without verification from the owners of these RV's if they can actually be picked up. When you call the owners to see when you can pick the units up it is only then when you find out you have driven hundreds of miles to only be disappointed when they tell you that they have already settled with the same manufacturer that placed the order with Horizon who contracted you to go get said unit to bring it back to Elkhart for repairs. Then you are screwed! Horizon will tell you thats just the way this business is...News flash Horizon...It would not have to be this way if you would verify with the owner of the RV instead of the manufacturer of the RV if the unit is actually available. Post factual information on your automated dispatch system and you will not be open to a liable suit.

RETIRED RV TRANSPORTER HAS NEW REESE SLIDER THAT HAS NEVER BEEN USED, THIS IS NOT THE HITCH BUT THE SLIDER THAT GOES TO ONE, MOVE TRAILER FORWARD FOR BETTER TRACTION IN WET CONDITIONS, OR IF YOU HAVE SHORT BED BOX ON YOUR TRUCK, MOVE TRAILER BACK FOR MORE STORAGE IN TRUCK, AND BETTER RIDE. THIS IS A REESE KWIK SLIDE, 16, 000 POUNDS. 250.00 FIRM T KS JIM [protected]-1199 MOUNDS OKLA (TULSA)

i have been with horizon for 8 yrs, I quite them 1 yr ago, , now ---ill say this if you do not have ways to cut cost stay away its a night mare...i fly free, , i get fuel discounts. my wife worked for shell oil co.derector of adavatizing dept... i sleep in the motor home and use every thing in it (this is not allowed)..i discountect the gen wire to the hour meter and run every thing.i have a ball ...now if you cannot or will not do these things YOU WILL GO BROKE working for them..they have a full class every week for new drivers.if just 10% stayed on they would have 50, 000 drivers their now, , , , use your head before you do it...SORRY HORZION BUT YOU JUST ARE A BUNCH OF BLOOD THURSTY DONT CARE BUMS AT THE TOP...THE REST DIAPATHCERS LOW RANKING OFFICE WORKER ARE OK...

Well I'm seriously thinking about driving for Horizon's. I'v done Driveaway work in the past for another Company for about 4 years, and the whole time I was there I never had any Problems.
But the one day I take a bus back becuse its not workng right, they let me go! talk about wrong. that company was Roadrunner driveaway in ks.
But from what I'm reading it sounds Like Horizons is the way to go. if you have more info on Horizons please email me at -->>kpax37@hotmail.com
thanks

Many of these Transport Companies DO NOT HAVE UNINSURED MOTOIST MEDICAL for the DRIVING CONTRACTOR. A chap I know had a head on collisin with a young man that DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE. Guess what. That driver was ON HIS OWN for the repair of his tow car, the tow company that took it off the highway after the crash of the vehicle he was transporting by the youngster that DID NOT have insurance.

BEWARE of PERSONAL RISK. THIS WAS NOT COVERED DURING ORIENTATION.

Some think it would be a good idea to form a class action law suit against the TRANSPORT COPANIES to require them to carry Uninsured Motorist Medical for their DRIVE AWAY DIVISISONS./ Operations.

It was not very good experience working with Horizon, especially when you are going to delivery the RV at the locations where the Fuel is $5 or $6 per gallon, like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania etc. they pay you not enough to cover you expenses, it is all up to you how you want to spend the expenses including living in RV, with out using a bed or toilet there.

If you figure out you save a $200.00, that is with out your food and living expenses you make, that much a day but if you like to go to the Restaurant you spend all day about 20, you spend 50 for Hotel, and you have to pay the insurance for the RV you are driving, and AAA for towing plus other expenses related to the travel you find out you made $100, a day, and if you work five days you make 500, and 2 wk you make 1000.

I think I might like to give them a try if they are willing to give me a try. Most of the complaints sound like disgruntled employees that would complain about being hung with a new piece of rope. I have owned businesses for most of my life at the same time I belonged to the millwrights union local 1000 in Tampa Fl. and I know there are a lot of people that just don't like to work and are always miserable and want everyone around them to feel the same way too.

I worked for Horizon before I left them I had around 120, 000 safety miles. I never damaged a unit. Well lets just say I never got caught. There are lots of things that can happen out there while transporting this stuff. I ran alot of reloads and there is no telling what you will run into. I was in the top 15 drivers in the Towaway division at one time out of around 1200. That was for amount of miles per week that I ran. You can make money working for Horizon, but you have to work hard, and very smart. You need to know how to fix things mechanically, cosmetically, and electrical. Ive ran into problems with loads that most people would have pulled away from but I would do it anyway. I would get it done no matter what.
You have to cut costs everywhere you can. When I drove Flying J would have the cheapest fuel if you paid in cash. I had a printout in my truck that told the location of every Flying J in the us and canada. I had a big fuel tank that I got from Dually Depot on my truck. I planned my trips out before I ever left with them. When you run into states with high priced fuel or canada you get loaded up on fuel before you get there and then get fuel again on the way back out if you can. Like if you are going to southern california from Indiana you would want to get fuel in Gary Indiana at the J and then fill it to the rim in Oklahoma City at the J and pay cash. I only ate once a day and I stayed in motels sometimes but it was very rare.
You need a laptop with internet service in your truck at all times. I never had a printer but it would have been nice. On my Flying J printout of locations it also listed the fax numbers to those Flying J's. I would dispatch a load and have the papers faxed to the store before I ever got there. When I got there the Paperwork would be waiting.
Dont try to run with parteners it works out sometimes but most of the time it causes problems. When you get on the west coast its going to be hard enough to get yourself a load out of there. You dont need to be trying to get two loads because you dont want to leave your buddy. You need to be watching for loads on the board while you are driving. You need to have your laptop in the truck up and running and occasionally look at the loads. Most of the time I had another load before I ever dropped the one I was hooked too. The dispatchers are not going to find you a load. If they call you about a load more than likely its one you probably dont want. LOL.
The folks at Horizon still send me christmas gifts and invitations to come back. I left Horizon in July of 2008. It was getting rough then I think they were down to 800 drivers and lots of them were really upset. While they were all sitting in the Wakarusa yard waiting on loads I pulled Reloads all over the country and didnt set foot in the Wakarusa yard for a long time. I already had my truck when I started for Horizon so I didnt have no 700.00 a month truck payment. And when i was in Wakarusa I never had a problem getting a load either. They had the TAC system going and I would be setting right there refreshing that screen on that computer constantly and when the loads hit I would get whatever I wanted. Most drivers would not pull them 40ft fifth wheels I would jump right on them.
I left Horizon because it was getting hard to make money in the middle of 2008. They kept lowering the driver pay and fuel kept going higher. I had been there for 3 years and I could run hard for awhile then go home for awhile, but in 2008 it changed I had to stay out there. I still ran and there was still loads, but the profit went way down. I had a wife and two kids and another one on the way, and it was just hard to be away. Horizon management were lowering the pay to the drivers trying to keep the loads coming in. Im sitting here right now wishing I was working for Horizon Again there pay is better now and the fuel is still high but some money could be made. I had some other reasons that I left Horizon also that had to do with my health. I dont have any hard fellings toward Horizon at all. I would go back right now if it were not for my kids. They treated me good we had our quarrels dont get me wrong, but they never did me wrong not one time. If you are a driver that never has issues. I was never late on one single load. I never got a ticket. My log books were always good. I had a good reputation. Then when I did run into problems they always backed me. I had a wheel come off a trailer and caused some problems had several blowouts on tires on multuiple trailers and I never had a problem with them not supporting me. I had to do work on units to get them road worthy I was paid for my time and expenses.
People can make money at Horizon, but its not for whiners. You dont have to have a high dollar truck, but it needs to be a dually and you need all the extras. You need to know how to fix things. I was running with another driver one time and he had a blowout on a Fema trailer. I told him to take the wheel off the trailer. We limped the trailer on three wheels to the nearest wal mart. He bought a tire and I mounted it on the rim in the parking lot and shot some air to it and put it back on and away we went. He kept the recieipts Horizon Reimbursed. I put a new water pump on my dodge in the parking lot of the Flying J in Lodi, California. Ive had to run wires from the back of my truck around the the trailer and tape tailights onto the bumper. You have to be able to handle situations like that. You will deal with flat tires in knee deep snow. You will deal with problems in 105 degree heat. Ive laid in the snow at 2 am in a parking lot working on tail lights. As you can tell I loved working for Horizon that kind of stuff didnt bother me it was just part of the Job. I would go back right now If not for my kids and its tempting to go back anyhow. Im broke I miss clearing 300 a day. Most I ever cleared was 4200 in one week. It was during the fema runs after Hurricane Katrina. I didnt even have an extended cab my dually was just a regular cab. It was rough If i did it again I would want an extended cab with a DOT approved sleeper. That would make it alot easier.

RV Transport jobs – Sad but true story Tow - away Division
I am writing this blog because in the past year something has really been bothering me. In May of 2011, I was introduced to the RV transport business by a driver from a company in Indiana. I will not mention names of the two companies but one of them is in Wakarusa, the other in Goshen.
As I investigated the thought of being an RV transport contractor I tried to look at all the aspects of the job, like operating cost, initial investment and so on. So I ventured into the business. The companies out there paint a pretty picture of so much money to be made. They even tell you that some of their drivers average over $100, 000 per year and say “you can make a nice living here”. I had an older truck that one of the companies would not take on because it was one year older than what they required- “One year” that was all. I just made my last truck payment – the truck was a 1999 Ford F350 diesel 7.3 real nice truck. So I signed on with the “other” company in Goshen because they had a less restriction policy. Great company, nice people – but had NO reloads what so ever. That outbound load that paid $1.30 per mile turned into $.65 per mile on the return trip “empty – deadhead”. So in two months I found a nice a late model truck diesel one ton dually that the “other “company would sign on. The company in Wakarusa was very nice during the orientation and I thought they were up front with all the things they were saying. They even had “reloads” that would help out in getting around the country and work your way back to Indiana to get another outbound load. So after careful consideration I deleased from the one, and signed on with the other – Now let me get to the point so I don’t lose your interest in my blog
In August of 2011 I signed on with a company that I thought I could make money with. My truck payment after trading in my paid off truck (big mistake) was $400.00 per month. After the big speech of how much I could make, three days in orientation, and about $2000.00 on my credit card to set my truck to their standards, I was on my first trip. THIS IS THE TRUTH – I really worked hard, drove many, many miles, slept in the truck several nights and ate cheap for about four months. I did get a motel on an average every other or third night to get a good night sleep and a nice shower, other times was in a Flying J parking lot and washed up in the men’s room to save money. Below are some numbers to review and really look at this and THINK about the money and cost.
Get paid about $1.28-$1.35 per mile (not counting on reloads) – turns into $.62 per mile
1000 trip = $1300 after fuel, paying your wage, wear and tear and other misc. cost you might get about 35 percent what you could say is profit (around $455.00) after expenses. Now from that you need to put money aside for maintenance, oil changes, and the big thing TRUCK REPLACEMENT LATER. So after driving 2000 miles – 1000 out and 1000 back to the terminal you get about $455.00, NOT a lot of money. Average was about $100-150 per day – still not enough money. Some days I didn’t even make a minimum wage, now that’s sad.
Bottom line numbers.
FUEL - 10 MPG loaded @ $4.00 per gallon = $.40 per mile cost to drive the truck $.35 per mile for driver(poverty level) $.45 per mile for truck replacement cost
Total so far is $1.20 per mile NOT counting on any minor repairs (GOD forbid) you have a major repair – then you are “Out of business”
Here is the big Problem – THE MONEY ALL THE RV TRANSPORT COMPANIES PAY IS JUST NOT ENOUGH TO COVER THE COST OF OPERATING. This is a Sad but True story. The other sad part is these companies have a very high turnover. If they paid so great why are drivers leaving? They have orientations almost every week. We really DON”T know how many contractors leave but I can imagine it is a high amount since new contractors come all the time.
Why can’t they pay a fair wage to keep their drivers? They know the cost of operating. If the money to be made was so GREAT why don’t they have their own trucks hauling the campers and pay a driver a decent wage? Because THEY KNOW how much it cost and pass the cost the newly hired contractor who thinks he or she can make it work. The figures don’t lie; there is NOT ENOUGH in the pay per mile to make it work. Drivers come, and drivers go ALL the time, that’s how it is. This is very sad but it happens.
If any of you out there think this is wrong let me know and come up with the numbers and tell me what I did wrong. In January 2012 after doing my taxes and figuring out all my cost and looked at what my 1099 was I was in shock to see what I really made. I will NOT say what I made because it will embarrass me. IT WAS NOT GOOD. I am not bad mouthing ANY RV companies out there, just a shame the way it is. I blame the manufactures for the “cheap” amount of money they want to pay, why don’t they pass on the cost to the customer and pay these companies and contractors a decent wage so we can ALL make a profit. The RV company is not going to lose, the loss is passed on to the contractor who is new and just “Really don’t know”
So if any of you out there are thinking of getting into the RV Transport business, BEWAERE – it’s an expensive hobby. Know the cost before you even walk out your front door. Stay home and get a local job, save your truck wear and tear, it’s not worth the trip. You can see the country (at a blur) and the money keep s going out of pocket and not too much going in. If you do venture into this business, GOOD LUCK.

I am sorry, that someone told these drivers that they could make a lot and lots of money. You can only make what you put into it. This is a way life, just like big truck driving, BUT IT IS NOT BIG TRUCK DRIVING. Most of you come into thinking that this type of work is easy, well it is. ... go where you want to go... It does not mean taking that load that 500 miles from where you would like to go, but you could look at it as a place you have not been. But anyway this is a retirement job. See the U>S>A> and Canada FREE.
I was with Horizon for 6 years (March 2006 thur March 2012 ) there are too many people in office ( over 30 ) the dispatchers ( Mary, Mat ) lie to you all the time, they hold load off the load borad. I left Horizon March 2012 and sign on with another company the same day. I like Horizon and I would still be there if it was NOT for the lies. I am VERY HAPPY with the company that i am with now.
Jerry

Here is my perspective of this. I have been with Horizon Transport for 3 years now. Yes, it has been very lucrative for the most part.
However, the last three months has been very slow. I have had 5 trips on a little over 60 days. When I talk to upper management of this, they inform me that I need to be in the yard to be able to accept loads. Yes, in the yard, and wait for a load that may come in 4 or 5 days and you are blessed to have this load that goes...125 to 250 miles. Yes, INDEED. However, Marion continues to HIRE more drivers. During this slow time, he had a "Class" of 40 NEW hires. According to his assistant, he did this to replace a few drivers that de-leased. So, we are suppose to wait it out...in the yard... to pick up a load AFTER the new hires receive theirs. As I have said, I have been with them for 3 years and this is NOT the way to treat your veteran drivers. The assistant has a rebuttal for everything and doesn't make a lick of sense. Beware the latter part of 2013. This is NOT right at all!

I have worked for Horizon in towaway for several years and I will tell you one thing to keep in mind:THE COMPANY IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND THE DRIVER HAS NO RECOURSE. They control all the transactions and money, if there is a problem with delivery papers even though it is THEIR fault, you don't get paid until YOU are able to get it straightened out. Marion Schrock is not like his honest father, he has lost several big accounts on his own trying to be slick and who does that hurt, the drivers. Most of the people that work there are really quite nice and helpful, especially some of the dispatchers and the gals downstairs. If you are respectful when dealing with these people, they will try to help you, If you have an attitude, you will get nowhere.THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT HORIZON IS THAT THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD DOWN, THAT IS MARION!. He claims to be available if you have a problem but you will NEVER get past his secretary who does all the fronting for him. You won't make much money working for THIS company, there are others that get high ratings, SYNERGY is the most realistic and Bennet gives a nice year end bonus. If you do towaway, buy a good used truck $, not a new $$$$ one and save a % of each run for the unexpected such as withholding your pay for their screwup.

I am terminating my contract with Horizon today...not because I think they are a bad company but rather because fuel is over $419 per gal now, to carry a 26k plate runs me $400, and insurance for trucking is $42 per month. On top of all these expenses, figure in new tires yearly, at least 6 oil changes yearly, and other maintenance issues that come up because of all the wear and tear on my truck and the average load only pays $1.35 per loaded mile. It just does not add up. I actually really liked working for Horizon, they always did what they said they would do. If the pay would go up about .50 or .60 cents per mile I would make a go with it. They pay has never went up anytime the fuel prices do so it just hurts the drivers. It truly isn't worth the pay unless you do it for fun and don't need the money.

Horizon is a HORRIBLE company to work with and the guy running the drive away division is the lowest. Also, all of the money you make goes straight back into the fuel or food costs. Our savings and everything was nearly depleted within the few months we worked for them. My husband(a Class A driver who wanted to try out something new) and I were dispatched the wrong RV's, but we were talked into keeping them. It wasn't anything horrible. However, it took several days before our trip advances were loaded onto our Comdata cards(I don't know if it was them or Comdata, but we needed to make sure we were being paid for this), so we were stuck in the campers for several days, waiting on the money during the worst heat wave of 2013. We notified them, updating them on the situation so they knew what was happening and they kept saying everything was fine. No sooner the money was on the cards, we delivered the loads and the drive-away manager just up and "fired" us with no hint of a warning at all(they can do this by the way, because you're a "contractor" so they don't have to worry about certain rules like other companies with normal employees-- I've seen Walmart treat their employees better). We would have been stranded several states away if we didn't have our tow vehicle with us. Then, several weeks later, the division manager tried to say there was a problem with a camper and charge us for it? Thank God for their adamant tips of using your cell phone for pictures because I have the proof they were in good shape when we delivered! TAKE PICTURES!
If my experience with Horizon did any good for me, it was that I got to see the country side and reconnect with what I really wanted out of life(travelling, not being chained to my home/city), and I'm now driving a Semi and actually having a decent driving career. The old saying is true, that your mistakes/experiences are your best teachers. Seriously, skip this horrible excuse of a company(and others of the like-- these SCAMS are everywhere in that area!); the only pocket that gets lined from your hard work is theirs. And if you still want to drive, get your CDL and make sure the company you go with is reputable.

now horizon pays around 1.5 per mile always divide by 2 U need to come back- wouldn't count for reloads .
so its 75 cents per mile loaded 12 miles 3.7$ gallon it's 30 cents operate one mile when You coming back empty 20 mpg going 62mph. its 20 cents. so average fuel is 25 cents operating cost then oil change, new tires, truck payment, loss value because of mileage other repairs. U sleep in truck to save money. u make 25 cents a mile round trip. with speed 62 mph its 15$ an hour for sleeping in truck like dog on back seat?
drivers should have unions or something and we don't drive for less than 1.8 $ per mile.
when U see drivers not only horizon everybody all retired already doing sightseeing. can't do leaving of it.
don't mention reloads drivers are so desperate to take them so fifth wheel trailer 12 pounds on way back pays 70 cents per mile!

Have NEVER read ANY reviews Lower than the ones for Horizon Transport . WOW! And that Sucks because im just a few weeks from my orientation date with them in there Flat Bed Division. Can anyone Tell me the TRUTH about that Part of that company ? Have a New 1 ton & 40ft dove tail flatbed. Thanks !

Horizon is great! I have worked for them 2yrs. Pays all of our bills plus a lot more. I have a master's degree in counseling and am making more money doing this. Great company! Family and employee oriented. Don't let the disgruntled and ignorant dissuade you. Honest people who put the effort in will prosper. This is a GREAT life!

I'm a single woman trying to make it in this world. I do what's asked of me and am 100% incident free with Horizon. I now sit in a hotel room eating away at any profit I've made waiting for a run while the "favored shuttle crew" reaps the benefits. There's one gal and her crew that get the high paying runs. I think Horizon needs to rethink this pattern. I've heard the horror stories where Horizon has their hands in the driver's till, a fee for this and a fee for that, taking their $1, 500 for items discovered AFTER the dealer spends hours inspecting a unit, signs off with No Driver Damage, then comes back later and BAM their $1, 500 is gone. This hasn't happened to me, but I know a few drivers that it has. I'm pretty sure there's a legal issue in there somewhere but I've also heard that if you mention the word "lawyer" you are terminated. Horizon's done me pretty good so far, but now I'm worrying that I need to find another company because I'm sitting around, while the favored are keeping busy.

Transport or Transportation is the movement of people, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles and operations. Transport is important because it enables trade between persons, which is essential for the development of civilizations

I was considering going to horizon to get out of the hotshot business but sounds like they are the same type of crooks that are running all the RV drive away and camper hauling businesses. I can make money in the hotshot business but sounds like I wouldn't doing driveways. I know I couldn't in hauling RVs, been there and tried that. If you try hotshot make sure you are ready to go about 3-4 years to get a customer base built up. And STAY AWAY FROM U SHIP. They are there to rip you off also and not offer ANY support. If you are wondering why I want out of hotshot if I'm making money it's the same as hauling RVs, lots of miles on my own truck and the wife can't ride in it very long. I'll keep doing hotshot after reading the reviews on here. I know I can net around 1500 a week, ( remember, be ready for 3-4 years to build that customer base) if it wasn't for them I'd be broke. You will need the good ole DOT numbers and MC numbers, run logs, keep records, cross scales and be ready for inspections on the road and at home. Oh yah, they WILL audit you. I try to keep my deadhead short which is usually under a hundred miles and most time within 50 miles. I don't work hard and don't need to as I have a retirement coming in and less than a year from now social security.
I am currently considering selling the business with truck, trailer, company name which has a terrific reputation from the east out to Colorado and up in Minnesota so I can spend more time at home with family and grandson and do some actual camping since I bought a camper this year.
If anyone has any questions about hotshot or interested in buying the business, and I will include help in getting you rolling and switched over with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, plus switch over my email address and phone contact and with all the contacts I have shoot me an e mail: shadowhaulingandtransport@rocketmail.com or shadowj2011@yahoo.com

I'm Timothy Bard, I'm coming out of retirement. Off and on for 33 years I was a over the road trucker, lm looking forward to a new line of work, I'm trying to start Driving R V S anywhere in the USA. My home is in East Berlin Pennsylvania. I well run new York city! The new England starts. Or anty city's you need a R V divlerd to. I'm 59 years old . run 48 stats I'm reliable on time . I'm a hard worker not a cry babby I go to where I have too go, I don't have to be home every week. I liveed on the road for years. My Driving. License are good to go! My # is [protected] Pennsylvania. I know longer hold a class A. Indorsmen. I have my own medical ins if you're looking for a top driver in your man ! Thanks my phone member is [protected]. Call me Day or night. I'm looking forward to going to work for you!

I would like to talk with you. Please fell free to call me miss or Sr. Anty time. Again thanks for a possible to work for t a top of the line operations. Thanks TimothyBard.

I just go my new 2yr DOT physical=just wear glasses. And, renewed my Class A with every endorsement except HazMat. Wanting to return after 4 years off from driving. I am foot loose and free to live anywhere. So, I want outbound single units (anything I can tow my little new Versa with). Tractors; Motor Homes; School Buses; and etc. DriveAway units towing my car mostly east and west I-40 and below please. I will go to Elkhart IN for motorhomes. Then pick up Bluebirds school buses at Fort Valley, GA and go to Tulsa to pick up School buses going to Elkhart IN. This is just an example. Is this example possible? I will be moving out of New Mexico to be where the most outbound singles are located. I hope 77 is not too old for their insurance companies. [protected] for Erwin.Vasily@gmail.com Thanks!