Have not worked in two years and 2022 only kept my part time guys working a day or two per month working mainly on these trucks under their old brand before new company swallowed them up. Owner had a gag order and could not even tell his top executives was entertaining an offer to buy them out. Two weeks before company changed hands my guys lettered two new reefers and two new tractors. Week of sale logistics manager ordered decal sets for two more tractors and reefers on Monday to be put on schedule to be lettered the next week. Friday I sent text and he said one rig would be on property Tuesday and other on Wednesday.
This was happening in late February/early March. Monday at 9:00 am got a text said to not letter trucks and could we remark every truck, trailer, sign on property with new name removing the graphics had used for 37 years.
Called my part timers and asked if they wanted two to three days per week most weeks to start but first three weeks would be four to five days each as had to get all the road tractors DOT compliant in allotted time frame. Both said yes and told them to send logos and info for me to send renderings for approval. Got renderings done and approved by following Monday but when they asked cost said "have no idea" if want bids will have to pad everything in case takes more time/materials than guess better to say go and would track time, materials and bill them for actual materials used (said twelve reefers, twelve tractors and twelve dry box trailers would send invoice and if didn't like it to fire us) but remember they had twenty year old trucks still on road with original graphics looking better than the paint under them and retired trailers they removed axles to use for storage I marked 37 years ago and graphics still looked good though paint had faded till could see more raw aluminum than white paint.
Logistics manager took new owner on lot and showed him work done 30 to 37 years earlier using for dry storage, some box trucks I was able to send invoice where they were done 18 years earlier and looked like no more than a few years old plus some other vehicles he knew were over twenty years old and still looked nice. Showed him two trucks where they tried another vendor five years ago and graphics were so faded we're almost unreadable. They turned us loose on 32 reefers and 24 dry box trailers with tractors, fleet of box trucks, vans, pickups, farm trucks like spreaders, landscaping, etc plus all signs from main sign at road to biohazard and visitor parking.
Kept emailing graphics files as each different item was approved, when guys had been going for a month solid removing old graphics and installing new on road tractors along with two reefers and two dry box they said let it rip as were used to northern union shop prices. We are not cheap, not overpriced but fair. Did have to amend some prices on decal removals on trucks that took longer and advised them to send the wrap trucks we didn't mark to their paint shop who uses brush torches to burn graphics off then repaints them. About 1/4 to 1/3 trailers were sent for repaint as once graphics were.removed from some twenty plus year old trailers the paint didn't look good enough for us to install new graphics.
Total ended up 36 reefers as they bought four more reefers and tractors to pull them, 24 dry box, over three dozen other vehicles from pickups to box trucks, all signs at egg farm, pullet farm, etc. Kept two men busy from March till today but got text today from my guys who said entire job was completed. If count the tractors and reefers we lettered in January and February with old brand and then all stripped and remarked plus property signs (still have water tower but not going to start that till spring when I can be on site) one job kept two men busy ten full months as fast as they could go. All I did was about two days graphics work then passed all the production and installation off. Charged fair prices on all and made enough money am in a bind how to spend a good bit before December 31. Since we have an indoor range and do ballistic barriers had company buy $3,000 in test ammo, having my 1993 Dakota restored, paid some bills like insurance through end of term in May 2024, topped off another 1,000 gallon propane tank, a few spare gasoline tanks and way my billing works and their payment processing won't get check for last two months of work till probably second week of January 2024 which will cover most of 2024 overhead.
Everytime burglar alarm pops at work (dang squirrel manages to get into shop from attic once or twice per year setting off a motion sensor) LEOs won't enter my building till I arrive to make initial entry and sweep though there is one ex USMC deputy who fought in Fallujah who will come in on my six with his left hand on my right shoulder using me for cover and back me up with his duty pistol. Have so many partially finished rifles, safe full of finished, room I store bulk of my armor that I resell they want no part of a dark concrete building full of AR 15s, AR 10s, FN FALs from pile of parts separated for planned build, some partially to almost finished to just needing upper and lower snapped together. Because I let cops and firefighters use my range, my guns and my ammo plus drink my coffee they know have ammo in piles, military grade overt rifle armor and helmets in piles they let me turn key on door and start the sweep as I know every doorway, blind spot, light switch but always come in parking lot totally kitted up to a PVS-14 on my helmet, suppressed SBR in hand and select fire M11a1 in drop leg rig with twenty round mag and opposite side have drop leg mag pouch with three fifty round mags for the M11a1.
Have been saving and trying to not overbuy ammo in order to purchase a pair of Gen 3 dual tube stereo goggles and looking at company checkbook the money is there to buy my new NOGs easily so sent email to CPA to see if thinks IRS would disallow them as a write-off if audited. Been audited over a dozen times buy multiple agencies and never had anything found wrong. Usually they find a few things we didn't deduct as questionable they say are allowed and get a check from IRS so audits don't happen much anymore. CPA thinks to use for securing the premises and with my security work (have primary business, security business, my publishing business and another all under same corporate veil) thinks they will be fine to write off but going to have assistant do some research then consult with partner on Friday before saying yes for sure. After filing a $4,000 loss on 2022 to turn a profit sitting at home or laying in hospitals most of 2023 again to have a fairly profitable year off a single job done by my part time guys stepping up is a blessing from God.
Picture below of reefers (more were still loading) ready for drivers to start pulling out at midnight tonight is less than half their units. All 36 reefers will cover the S.E. with eggs all day Thursday and Friday then they get loaded over the weekend and leave out again Sunday midnight to deliver eggs all day Monday and Tuesday. This does not count the companies like Walmart that send trucks to pick up their eggs instead of paying for delivery. Have one client that asked a favor for one of my part timers to do next week and then don't plan to take another job this year. Called work today and when logged into voicemail machine telling me there were 46 messages (1 in 3 will be asking for work, most will be spam) I punched out and going to ignore and keep up with only responding to text messages from clients don't want upset. Most work the guys can't do without me there but this job was a fluke me being able to handle from the bed.
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