starting

We were all rookies at one time. But nobody gave it to us. We went to work and learned it from the inside out on someone who knew what they were doing's dime. We didn't go out and buy equipment and then and e-beg for information we should have known before we got started.

You do yourself a disservice when you don't even know where to look for the information you need...if you're looking for someone who can turn 3500 miles a week, never miss a pick-up or delivery time, doesn't wreck equipment, hasn't had a log book violation or failed a roadside since they started slicing bead, and can one-time a blindside dock in the Chicago cold storage district...then you need a real trucker.

If you want to run a profitable trucking operation whether it's 1 truck or more, you need to well versed in transportation with good business sense.

 

You have to determine what your going to haul, and what its going to cost you to do it.

Your actual cost including your wages as if your paying somone else. This should come out to around 85 to 90 cpm. Simple business model to show a profit in any business is 3.5 times to cover maintenance and overhead. $ 3.00 bucks per mile, but our industry has been running on promises so long that you have to go specialized freight to get this.

This model takes into account deadheading out of bad areas, blowouts, replacing equipment. You can look at the rigs running down the highway and tell who use a business plan, and who jumps at every load. You dont have to haul cheep freight you have to plan your business. If your depending on a broker you did not plan very well, you dedicated accounts and it takes consistant hardwork to get and keep them.

I normally stay away from these types of post, because well nobody likes the truth.

 

Instead of bashing the guy why not mention the Double Yellow Threads and pointing him to links that could help educate him, trolling a rookie into self-doubt to me is totally negative and un-called for Welcome to the world of internet trolls... The negative naysayer's IGNORE THEM, though they have a point there is more constructive ways about saying it....

Here are 2 links that I think can better give you an idea of what you are venturing into...

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/infographics/cost-of-trucking/

This was a thread that was suggested to me when I started asking people for guidance here on TTR >>>

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...owner-operator/260374-road-less-traveled.html

Do remember it's not all about just throwing money at this and becoming successful that's a recipe for disaster, you do need to learn the ins & outs of the industry before just making the leap. Good luck, and do your research..

 

Rookie, do you already have the truck/trailer? If you do, it's too late for these questions. If not, all these drivers telling you to get some miles before jumping in - all true. I don't know, maybe you have a bottomless pit full of dollars, but even so, the learning curve is always steepest at the beginning. You need to give us more information if you expect anyone here to say anything specific. There are about a million of these posts on the forum, if you look you can just get your information there.

 

I think what the guys are trying to say to you is that you really should have done some research before putting the cart in front of the horse.

This is a business. As such you need to have a business plan. You need to know how much its going to cost you to run that truck down the road. Mile per mile. Fuel, insurance, permits, wear and tear, repairs, driver salary, inspections. Then you need to know how much your time and your truck are worth to you.

I hate to sound like I'm bashing you, but to me it sounds like you just threw what you could together and playing the rest by ear as you go along. How on earth do you expect to be successful with that kind of business model? Thats like opening a restaurant and not knowing how much to charge per meal. You need to know your bottom line.

The sad thing is that there are so many guys like you out there who are making it difficult for guys who know their numbers and are trying to get paid accordingly. We are having a hard time because too many guys are taking what ever brokers throw at them because they either dont know they are getting ripped off, or just dont understand where to draw the line between sustaining profitability and going broke.

So when you come here with what I am sure is a very legitimate question for you, but these guys look at you and think,.. WTF? Who ties your shoe laces for you?

I cant tell you how many guys go buy a truck, get all their DOT and Authority done,.. then come here and ask "How do I find work?" Thats the question that should have been asked before ever investing or spending the first dime. How do you go into business and not have any idea how to get paid or what kind of money to expect? I share the frustration these guys see with posts like this.

Its not that we dont want to help. It just boggles my mind that someone didnt think far enough ahead to understand the business side of trucking.

Hurst

 

I'm starting to realize site is useless for any advice in making money smh.

 

The time to learn about a business is BEFORE starting that business. Not after.

Hurst

 

The time to learn about a business is BEFORE starting that business. Not after. Sort of the same idea as when taking up PARACHUTE jumping

 

Years ago before I ever bought a truck I learned a LOT on this forum from the o/o here just by reading. Found it to be a valuable resource and still view it that way.