Does earning $90,000 to $100,000 a year, being home every night and making miles instead of waiting sound like a winning combination? That three-for-three is what bimodal transportation specialist Triple Crown says it can offer owner/operators domiciled near one of its 12 terminals.

An affiliate of Norfolk Southern Corp., Triple Crown provides a crucial link between railheads and shippers and receivers — dedicated, regularly scheduled trains help assure on-time delivery and minimize lack of driver control in over-the-road truck transport.

Triple Crown is an owner/operator-only fleet providing linehaul, drayage and related services. It contracts with individuals, teams and fleets. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., it operates in the eastern U.S. and part of Ontario with terminals in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Wayne, Harrisburg, Pa., Jacksonville, Fla., Kansas City, Newark, N.J., St. Louis, Sandusky, Ohio, and Toronto.

Most of its 500 or so contractors live and work within a 150-mile radius of a terminal, so they can expect to return to their home terminals most nights and weekends. "Time away from home will vary depending on the distance between the driver's home and our terminal locations," says Chris Eisenhauer, recruiting manager.

From an O/O's point of view, Triple Crown's most attractive feature is being home virtually every night while still earning good pay. "That is the biggest point we try to promote," says Eisenhauer. "That is what the owner/operators like."

Driver Jeff Smith of Fort Wayne, agrees. With a wife and four children under 10, Smith says being home at night is more than a perk, it's essential. "I didn't want to go over-the-road," says Smith, whose two trucks bring in between $1,800 and $2,500 a week with Triple Crown.

"The work is very predictable. I go to the same places all the time. Most of it is drop-and-hook. I like to get to know the people at the places I go so I can talk to them and joke around. But most of all I like the home time." Smith, who has worked for other companies, says Triple Crown suits his needs.

"There is no perfect company, but overall this company is a decent one to work for. For me it was good enough to put a second truck on. One thing that was important to me is that my family is Seventh-Day Adventist, and we don't work on Saturday," Smith adds. "They honor that and don't give me a hard time."

Loads are nearly 98% touch-free, but enterprising owner/operators like Smith say they take advantage of loading and unloading opportunities for the extra pay it offers. Triple Crown is also well organized and keeps him turning miles. "I've never had a problem with dispatch," he says. "Dispatch runs us in a tight, timely manner. I don't sit around waiting for them to send me out on a load. I usually know ahead. There is not a lot of lag time."

Eisenhauer says the promise of minimal waiting time is a strong selling point. "Our owner/operators are not sitting around waiting for loads or waiting in truckstops spending money. They are either working or they are at home. We don't have all that wasted time."

Eisenhauer says Triple Crown's one-on-one dispatch improves relations with the contractors. "The dispatchers know their owner/operators. Our turnover rate is good — about 30 to 45% — where the industry is in triple digits," Eisenhauer says.

Another secret of Triple Crown's success is its specially designed 53-by-102 Wabash National RoadRailer vans, which can operate both over the highway as air-ride equipped semi-trailers and over the rails in trains. At the railhead, trailers are mounted on rail bogies, using the trailers' air-ride suspensions instead of hoists or cranes to move the vans. As many as 125 units can be pulled at one time by dedicated locomotives. At the destination, the process is reversed and the trailers go back on the road. This process improves efficiency and reduces the chances of freight damage.

Clients include Ford, Chrysler, Kraft General Foods and Whirlpool. Triple Crown has grown about 10% annually for several years and will likely maintain that rate this year.

Triple Crown prides itself on its safety record, which has improved every year for the past five years. It is also proud of its use of technology, which improves efficiency and cuts costs, Eisenhauer says.

Owner/operators must be at least 23 years old with at least a year of experience and have no moving violations and/or accidents within five years. A road test and four-day orientation in Ft. Wayne are required.

For more information, call toll-free (800) 756-7433 or browse the Web site, www.triplecrownsvc.com.