General Lease Information for
Prospective Owner Operators: Flatbed Operation
Thank you for considering Mitchell Bros. Truck Line, Inc. Mitchell Bros. is a premier flatbed company based out of Vancouver, WA (just across the river from Portland, Oregon). We represent a fleet of Owner-Operators that we believe are the finest in the industry today. Mitchell Bros. is a flatbed carrier that consistently provides profitable work. Our Owner-Operator compensation program is among the best in the industry.
If you want to be associated with the best, we encourage you to fill out our pre-qualification paperwork and submit back to Mitchell Bros. at your earliest convenience. As you will see, Mitchell Bros. is providing you with complete information to help you make an informed decision. We want to be up front and honest with you right at our front door. We don't want you to experience any surprises on your settlement check after you sign on with us. Our goal is to work hard to keep you as a long term contractor.
- 100% Owner Operator Fleet
- We Offer a Percentage Lease
- You Share in the Profits of Each Load
- Owner-Operator gets 100% of what we collect for Fuel Surcharges. Historically, Mitchell Bros. successfully receives 98% of fuel surcharges that we bill our customers.
- Customized Dispatches
- Freight Where You Want To Go
- We Will Get You Home
Mitchell Bros. pays you the following
- 75% of Gross Revenue pulling OUR trailer.
Note: Must have 4-axle tractor assigned to our local Heavy Haul Fleet to pull our trailer. If you
have a 3-axle tractor assigned to our Over The Road Fleet you will be expected to provide your
own trailer.
- 85% of Gross Revenue pulling YOUR trailer.
Ask company representative for most recent revenue amounts.
You Pay the Following Expenses
- Liability Insurance $440.00 per month.
- Cargo Insurance $50.00 per month.
- Bobtail Liability Insurance $45 per month. (Optional: You can secure this coverage from your own insurance agency our opt to be on Mitchell Bros.’ policy)
- Physical Damage (Collision) Insurance Approximately 4% of value of equipment is Annual Premium. (Optional: You can secure this coverage from your own insurance agency or opt to be on Mitchell Bros.' Policy.)
- Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (2290 tax). $550.00 per year.
- Fuel You can purchase fuel using Mitchell Bros.' fuel card. There is no added charge to use the fuel card except the standard transaction fee of $0.00 to $0.50 depending on the fuel location. Note: You can also benefit by purchasing fuel from our tanker when in Vancouver, WA. There is a $.05 per gallon mark up from our bulk fuel price - which will still allow you considerable savings from normal truck stop fuel prices.
- Licensing Mitchell Bros. will obtain your apportioned license plates and other operating credentials. $250.00 per settlement is deducted from licensing until paid in full. Then $200.00 per settlement is deducted in pre-payment for next year licensing.
- State Fuel, Mileage, Road Taxes Mitchell Bros. sets up $.03 per mile for fuel and road- use (mileage) taxes. A statement of the total amount due and total amount deducted will be issued one month after the calendar quarter ends.
- Federal Annual Vehicle Inspection No charge for first inspection. Subsequent years shall be charged $65 fee for tractor, $32.50 fee for trailer.
- Accident or Claim Deductible Amounts Property/Liability: $1,000.00 deductible. Cargo: $1,000.00 deductible. If pulling our trailer/chassis: $1,000.00 deductible. If you have Tractor Physical Damage coverage through Mitchell Bros.' the deductible is $1,000.00.
- On occasion, our Mitchell Bros.' local fleet can load trailers and deliver loaded trailers to help get better utilization for your equipment. Any trailers loaded or delivered to customers by Mitchell Bros. company trucks on behalf of the Independent-Contractor can be subject to a $50-$75 charge, depending on the length of time it takes to either load or deliver the load. This program works great for team operators that want to drop their loaded trailers and keep running, especially on weekends.
- Direct Deposit Fees Currently only $1.25 per settlement period.
- Administrative Fee $100 per month. Represents cost associated with administrative procedures.
Mitchell Bros. provides the following services
- Investigates and processes accident and freight claims.
- Conducts marketing efforts and assumes all responsibility for billing and collections (except for Collect on Delivery Shipments).
- Provides the necessary operating authority. (Mitchell Bros. has 48 State & Canada authority).
- Provides a passenger"rider" waiver policy. Passenger must be at least 18 years of age or older.
- Occupational accident and loss income plan available for the Owner-Operator only. (Not for hired driver of fleet owners.) Approximately $148 per month.
- Free $10 per week phone allowance to contact customer(s). Any balance left over can be used for personal use such as calling home to family members.
- Satellite System When you sign on at Mitchell Bros. we will provide you with free installation and use of the Qualcomm Satellite System. Qualcomm is the "state of the art" communication technology designed to help enhance productivity. The satellite system also has e-mail capabilities so that you can stay in touch with family and friends at home.
- National Tire Discounts You can purchase tires on Mitchell Bros.' account and get our national price discount.
- AFLAC is available.
Vehicle Requirements
- Tractor: Tractor must be clean, presentable, safe, and meet all DOT requirements. Tractor can be either 3-axle or 4-axle.
- Payload for 3-axle Tractor with 2-axle Trailer: When hooked to a 48 foot flatbed trailer, tractor should be able to haul a minimum payload of 48,000 lb. Area of operation for our over-the-road fleet can be from 3 states to 48 states. It's up to you.
- Payload for 4-axle Tractor with Multi-axle Trailer: When hooked to 53 foot flatbed trailer in our heavy haul division your tractor should be able to haul a minimum payload of 65,000 pounds. Area of operation for our Heavy Haul Fleet includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.
- Cab Guard: All tractors pulling flatbed trailers are expected to have a cab guard.
- Tie Down Gear: Mitchell Bros. expects all our Owner-Operators to be fully equipped with all the chains, binders, straps and tarps. If you are not sure if you have all the gear, please request a copy of our “truck inventory” list. If necessary, Mitchell Bros. can make tie down gear and tarps available on a “rent to own” basis. Ask company representative for more details.
- Trailer: If you have your own trailer it must be 45 feet or longer and be center (inside) frame design. Trailer must be air-ride suspension in order to meet the requirements of many of our customers.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Escrow Fund Requirement
An escrow deposit of $2500.00 is required by Mitchell Bros. A minimum cash deposit of $500.00 will be expected from the operator before Mitchell Bros. will initiate the licensing and registration of the tractor.
The balance of the fund can be achieved through $200 deductions per settlement check. Talk to company representative if you are unable to make the minimum cash deposit to see if an exception can be made.
$500 SIGN ON BONUS! Sign up now to take advantage of this limited time offer. Mitchell Bros. will credit your escrow fund $500 after 90 days of performance. You only apply $2000.00 to your escrow fund account. Note: To be eligible for SIGN ON bonus, this must be first time to lease equipment to Mitchell Bros.
Cash Advances
All cash advances or purchase orders are charged 5% Your EFS card issued by Mitchell Bros. will allow you to take a cash advance in the amount of $200.00 each week. There is a small transaction fee of approximately $1.25 each time you use your EFS card for a cash advance. Any additional cash advances must be approved by an authorized Mitchell Bros. representative.
Special Weekly Advances
If you need money sent home while you are working on the road then this program is meant for you. For a nominal fee of $40 per month Mitchell Bros. will issue you a cash advance of $100 for every 500 miles of work performed. This advance amount will be calculated on a weekly basis and a check will be mailed to your home address. To qualify for this program, owner-operators must turn in trip paperwork on a timely basis and other accounts must be in good order.
Maintenance Fund
Owner-operators can set up an interest earning maintenance fund. Ask company representative for more details.
Pay Days
Mitchell Bros. issues settlement checks on the 15th and the last day of the month. If the scheduled "pay day" falls on a Sunday or Monday is a national holiday then the settlement check shall be issued the following business day. Typically, loads hauled between the 1st and the 15th are paid on the last day of the month. Loads hauled between the 16th and the last day of the month are paid onthe 15th of the following month. A calendar showing "cut off" dates will be issued to you at orientation.
Health Care Coverage is Available
Ask company representative for a referral to an outside agent for premium quote(s) and information packets.
Direct Deposit Available
Simply supply us with a voided copy of your bank deposit slip at the time of orientation and you can have your settlement checks sent directly to your bank. With direct deposit a settlement statement will still be mailed to your home or place of business.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
If you hire an employee to operate your tractor you must supply proof of workers' compensation coverage.
Referral Bonus Pay
You can earn extra money if you refer a company driver or owner-operator (excluding lease purchase operator) that we sign on. For complete details, ask company representative.
We will provide the experience and support for you to become a successful independent-contractor.
The information, policies, and benefits described here are subject to change.
Owner-Operator Applications
If you would like to submit your application for review, either fill out the online form using the link below or you may print out an application using the PDF link below and fax or mail it. You may also come into our office and fill out one in person.
