The process of getting manufactured recreational vehicles from the factories to consumers is not a simple task. Given the height of some of the RVs, loading them on the back of a semitrailer is problematic given the height of overpasses and other logistic challenges.
For many companies, the solution comes from hiring independent contractors to drive or haul each unit to its destination. Some companies hire drivers to move RVs from many different manufacturers to different dealers throughout the country. But one company has an exclusive. It hauls travel trailers exclusively for Camping World and Gander Outdoors stores. That company is CWRV Transport, LLC located in Elkhart.
“We are a service provider to Camping World and Gander Outdoors stores, and deliver RV trailers to 157 active stores in 37 states,” said Brad Walthour, vice president of recruiting for CWRV. “We contract with independent truck owners who either own or finance their own three-quarter-ton and one-ton pickup trucks; they pick up 5th wheel trailers and travel trailers from RV manufacturers.”
While the majority of the travel trailers CWRV delivers originate in Elkhart, the transportation company also services manufacturers in Idaho, Oregon and Southern California. According to statistics provided on the company’s home page, 52,000 units are moved per year to retail locations.
Relatively new to the RV transport scene, the company was designed and structured in 2013 specifically at the request of Camping World, Walthour told The Buzz.
“Their concept was to have only one RV transport company pick up all of their RV trailers from various manufacturers located in the United States, and deliver them to their stores,” he explained. “This would classify CWRV Transport LLC as a DPU (Dealer Pick Up) company for Camping World.”
In order to keep RVs on the road and in route to Camping World’s stores, the company is always looking for drivers. Finding enough qualified drivers has been a concern for several RV transport companies, as reported in a newspaper article published in 2014 in the South Bend Tribune. At the time, it was estimated that 25,000 – 30,000 RVs were parked in storage lots in southern Michigan and northern Indiana awaiting transporters. Recreational Vehicle Industry Association officials told the newspaper that 2,000 more drivers were needed to deliver the RVs.
CWRV driver pulling into a Camping World dealership. [Photo/CWRV Transport]
For CWRV, recruiting drivers is an ongoing task. The company reaches out to women, holding recruiting seminars to attract this underserved demographic. About 10 percent of contractors are women, according to the company’s website.
Walthour said “CWRV wants to attract the ‘best of the best’. These candidates must meet stringent qualifications to even be considered for an independent contractor position.”
The first step is the successful completion of the online application. Candidates are then reviewed by the Recruiting Department, to verify the information provided. This information includes Driver License Information, Accidents and Convictions, Vehicle Information, Driving Experience, and Work History. The company also verifies the identity of its contractors who are required to submit valid copies of their driver license, Social Security card, Medical Examiner’s Certificate, and truck registration.
“CWRV Transport LLC will obtain, at our expense, an applicant’s seven-year driving record, a 36 month PSP Detailed Report (a federal driver report card) listing the results from roadside DOT inspections, and finally a criminal background check, Walthour noted. “Applicants must also pass a federal mandated drug test at one of our 16,000 approved facilities before our Safety Department performs a final review of their application and documents; conditional approval is based on the results of the drug test.”
Applicants then attend a 1-1/2 day orientation held at the CWRV Transport’s corporate office, typically conducted every week. Before a contract can be signed during orientation by applicants and CWRV Transport LLC, they must also provide a legible copy of a $1 million unladen commercial insurance policy that covers third party liability claims while drivers are bobtailing (no trailer attached).
Under federal guidelines, RV transport drivers are exempt from obtaining a CDL license. The exemption was approved in 2015 to allow legally licensed drivers to transport the vehicles quickly and efficiently. The exemption applies only to vehicles that weigh under 26,000 pounds.
“They are legally required and responsible for adhering to the FMCSR (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations), maintaining an electronic driver daily log, performing daily inspections on their truck and/or trailer, executing professional skills to the motoring public, and abiding by the laws of each state they travel to or through” said Walthour. By law, it is required that all independent contractors stop at all open state weigh stations or scale facilities for equipment and document inspections as well.
CWRV Transport LLC is a fully insured motor carrier with DOT authority to engage in interstate transportation. “We must adhere to the FMCSR as a motor carrier, just as a contractor must adhere to the regulations as a driver,” Walthour said.
Transporters have flexibility in terms of when, where and how much they choose to work. All contractors are required to complete one delivery every 30 days. They also have the ability to view and accept assignments on the company app.
“Independent contractors are financially responsible to pay their own truck fuel, road expenses, truck repairs and maintenance, truck insurance, and other related business expenses,” added Walthour. CWRV Transport LLC pays independent contractors a one-way mileage base rate when they are towing an RV trailer, and reimburses them for tolls and permits while in tow mode.
For Camping World, which claims distinction as the largest retailer of RVs, controlling the shipment of their RV stock through CWRV Transport makes sense.
“Though it is not industry standard, Camping World corporate elected to remove the authority from the RV manufacturers of routing any RV shipments to Camping World or Gander Outdoors stores, thereby saving thousands of dollars on ‘handling charges’ assessed by the RV
manufacturers on each RV shipped,” Walthour explained. “This affords Camping World corporate the ability to manage and monitor their own RV inventory that may either be in-transit or in staging facilities off site from the manufacturer’s grounds.”