Owning a truck, Hiring a driver

**BoyWander** · 07.29.2012

Depends on how good you are at getting good rates, how knowledgeable you are on different lanes, how well your drivers do, whether or not you have your own direct freight, etc

If you have more than 1 truck, then someone else has to drive one, you can't drive both. And then you'd have to spend time keeping that other truck rolling while you keep your own rolling.

Best thing, I think, is to have your wife or husband, whoever is at home, booking the freight for both trucks, doing the billing and payroll, etc. I think once you have 3 or 4 trucks, you can stay home and book the freight yourself, if you have saved up enough of personal income to live off of for a bit
in case things get scary.

**VisionLogistics** · 07.29.2012

Also remember that these days almost all of the driver incentive packages offered by carriers include health, vision, and sometimes dental benefits. If Obama care is upheld you won't have a choice anyways. Most carriers also offer vacation packages. To attract quality driver(s) you're going to need to offer these things.

**Go Getta Trucking** · 07.29.2012

The truck is currently parked becuz i am type 2 diabetic along with high blood pressure, this is the reason y im asking these questions. I had a contract pulling live haul chickens @ 1.92 a mile (local)

**aiwiron** · 07.29.2012

Originally Posted by gravdigr

out of curiousity, how many trucks would you need to make it worth it at a minimum? 3? 5?

I had three, it was good money but did not go the new route and built each one for my needs. No payments and no in the red months.

**NavigatorWife** · 07.30.2012

Originally Posted by Go Getta Trucking

The truck is currently parked becuz i am type 2 diabetic along with high blood pressure, this is the reason y im asking these questions. I had a contract pulling live haul chickens @ 1.92 a mile (local)

Have you been able to control your diabetes better; it does have an effect on the blood pressure. If you had it stabilized have you been restricted from driving because of the diabeties.

If you are hauling local, do you have set hours where you are able to eat and get out for some exercise when not driving.

**bigdad7** · 07.30.2012

had a similar situation in december .....and when i did the math and factored in risk i actually made more parking my truck and collecting food stamps until i got my exemption then trying to run 1 truck with a driver in it ....you should be able to get type 2 sugars in line fairly quickly would cost more to set up everything for a company driver than to just relax ride it out and make it up later in a month or two when healthy again

**Go Getta Trucking** · 07.31.2012

Thanks for the comments guys!

**Go Getta Trucking** · 07.31.2012

I found out today, the company i was pulling for said if i hired a driver under me that i would have to pay employer 25% off top of the check..? I did some math today this is what i figured up, $1.92 a mile locally averaging 300 miles 3 loads a day, $576 a day x 5 days aweek...$2880 gross total. Driver gets $720 off top, fuel lets just a $1000 whole week leaving me with $1160 after paying fuel and driver...So im asking can some of yall survive off that...

**LittleMissCabover** · 07.31.2012

Your first post said that you 'owned' your truck. Is it paid off ? If not; truck payment, repair fund, truck insurance, personal property tax, HVUT form 2290, matching social security and medicare taxes, workers compensation/disability insurance, any business loan payments including business credit card debt. I don't know how much of this applies to you but, think of any expense that applies to your situation. BEST OF LUCK !