new to trucking

Wow, you really like to put your head in the lions mouth.
There are too many variables with the questions you are asking. Two things stand out first. Should I buy new or used?
And how to I find a good productive and dependable driver.
You are going to get a plethora of answers on both these topics on top of all the other stuff. Expenses are dependent on number of miles you do per month and of course will vary as to what type of truck you buy....new/used.
If it were me and the massive problems I had starting out as an O/O, knowing what I know now, I would buy NEW all day long. Buying used is a massive gamble. It's nothing like buying a used car. One large repair could put you out of business in a heartbeat. Trying to find a good driver is all down to a bit of luck and doing your due diligence. You will probably go through a lot of drivers before you find one that fits your needs. I would also get a good accountant who knows the trucking business inside out. There is nothing cheap about running a trucking company. It's going to take time, and patience to figure it all out. You also have to figure out how you will get consistent loads and good revenue. Hauling freight with good rates can be a big challenge in itself. Im in the chemical/hazmat/tanker business and rates are good in this arena. I'm leased onto a co so I have little knowledge of load brokers and dealing direct with shippers. You may want to start out being leased onto a co. Something to consider is approaching a co and converting one of their co drivers to an O/O in order to drive your truck. Let the co do the driver search and screening. You can move onto your own authority later. Good luck with your endeavors. It's a very cash intensive business.

 

I sense the link of DY thread being posted here shortly ))

 

It won't do any good. Will still get five of these posts a week. maybe I'm just a cranky ol man, but I'm starting to develop a new philosophy, if people don't care enough to do a simple search, I won't care enough to offer them any basic respect.

All these type of people make me think if that scene in the book turned movie the green mile, where percy says "nobody told me I was supposed to put water on the sponge" and the warden yells something about how many years did he wipe his butt before someone told him what the paper is for

 

Your source is Google and the search feature. Educate yourself some, then come back and ask your questions. Right now you don't even know what to ask.

 

I don't charge on mileage.

Buy a truck and trailer, hire a driver, figure the rest out as you go.

Trial by fire burns out the impurities.

lol how much are tolls. Well that depends on where you go and if they toll you doesn't it?
Driver pay-how much can you afford to pay? And will buying a cheaper employee cost you more in fuel and maintenance? How "safe" is your driver? That'll have a significant impact on your insurance costs.

 

I think making beer is an interesting business: how much does it cost to make per bottle? What should I pay for hops? How much can I expect to make?

See how wildly open those questions are?

Beer on the shelf can go for $0.50 per unit up to $3+ per unit. It's all beer tho. Doesn't mean the people making $3 beer are ahead of the cheap stuff tho.