Closing up shop or thinking about it? The latest…

Opposite here. Simply because now that I have becoming owner operator I Am My Own Boss. I had a good job for 10 and a half years and saved up paid cash for a truck 3 years ago can't see going back

 

Nobody ever really does until it happens. I did the same thing 14 years ago and was always cash in on everything. It was a waste of time and effort. The profits are low and the headaches are many. I didn't have health insurance never mind a retirement plan. Sold myself short on those things and said I didn't need it. If you don't have those things you'll come to regret it one day.

 

I’ve been thinking about closing shop. Everything I own is paid off, truck, trailer, 3 cars, 2 homes(residential and get away). I’ve been O/O since 1984. I’ve been thinking about signing up with a local Fuel hauling company near me. I’m 62, just getting burn out I guess and been thinking about future retirement benefits. The only thing left in being O/O is the freedom, however, with the feds adding more and more regulations, that’s going to be gone also. The Contractor I hauled for has slow down in the infrastructure industry, there’s work but not as much, and that doesn’t hurt my pocket book either.

 

Still kicking in the reefer world. Operating margins hovering around 8%, it's been around there since April 2023. Compared that to 15% margins in 2022. My few regulars haven't cut their rate but if they do I wouldn't be shocked and I will probably still haul it. Everyone knows my search for a new truck, so if I'm able to replace my 389 with another fuel efficient truck that will be a nice tailwind to my margins.

These days we are trying to work smarter and not harder and deadheading a lot more. A few weeks ago we deadheaded 550 miles to pick-up a regular load. Also we will try to pick-up small, straight-thru, trips that will add $500 of revenue for the week. Every little bit helps. Plus I've started including dry van loads in my searches. In a lot of areas it pays just as good as reefer. Calling and asking if they will load a reefer never hurts and works about 50% of the time.

Our insurance renews in January so I'm interested to see what our premiums do. I find myself more sensitive to the price increases for monthly services like our ELD and Blue Beacon. Nothing annoys me more than Keeptrucking jacking up their subscription by 15% for no reason other because they can. It's death by a 1,000 paper cuts.

I was on record saying I thought we'd start the recovery this quarter and that's obviously not going to happen, so I literally have no clue when it's going to recover. I do think capacity has bleed from the market but the consumer is sick and purchasing less. Things though could get interesting if the UAW strike is resolved in the next few weeks and it's right in the middle of the holiday push. Granted it would be temporary but I think we have to take these bubble events when we can.

 

Many more calls to connect my main haul. Takes more effort and a bit more deadhead than before. I believe fuel will hit $5 very soon. That should help put some guys out that are working on tight margins and taking the cheap hauls. I’m kinda with @Midwest Trucker. I think the 3rd quarter next year will be better. Glad I deal with lumpers and grocery warehouses to keep things somewhat stable.

 

You can keep them for now. Ha Ha I sure hate dealing with those slow people.

 

I ask to do my own lumping when I can. It’s definitely work. Separating ice cream. It’s easier to kick back in the sleeper, but when I offload myself I know my trailer won’t get damaged nor the product.

 

No doubt, On a load a couple weeks back that had 8 stops I unloaded all of them myself to make time. They had no problems letting me do all the work. Ha Ha But it was pretty easy stuff so no big deal.

 

I tried off loading water with a pallet jack. The lumpers laughed at me as I pulled and pulled. Couldn’t get it up and off the ramp. Morale was killed. Ego, same. Sometimes you need an attitude check, I reckon.

 

Will be 11 years in March being an owner operator. This “slow time” is definitely different than any slow period I’ve ever experienced. Not to mention the absolute lowest life forms and trash driving these trucks, who wouldn’t want to quit. I guess guys that won’t quit are like me, love the trucks, love the freedom, makes me sick thinking about clocking in some where. Won’t lie have I thought about brining all my junk to an auction yard and walking away. Sure have, probably once a week, not because of money, or low freight. Mainly from other drivers, not 4 wheelers, so called truck drivers. And I will definitely 100% stick with my guns on this as usual, no matter how little or how much freight is available nobody in their right mind should be running a truck for some of these numbers I see, and no what some are working for. It’s absolutely sad. So yes desperate loser owner operators are to blame, mid size fleets, broke dicks leased on barely getting by. Etc etc. I’ve stuck to my guns my trucks been parked at least a 1/4 of this year. I’m not saying every load should be $7 a mile. Cmon though, if you are going to sit back and claim these are just regular times you are the problem. If you hate trucking or trucks I’m sorry I can’t relate to you. If you think there is a problem with a truck taking a load to actually make a good profit, I’m sorry we have nothing in common. As of now plan on roughing it out as usual. Trucking runs deep in me, more then money, I’m also not going to go trucking without making a good profit. Being a 1 truck, no debt operation helps. I also started with nothing though and always had old trucks and never wanted to make it big time from trucking. We are truly not in normal times, guess everyone forgot when people were kissing truckers ##### with all the ######## propaganda couple years ago, and of course I didn’t fall for it 1 bit. If a trucker wants a fair profitable rate on a load it shouldn’t be a issue, it shouldn’t be the trucker/owner operator that is the issue, it should be the jack ### wanting to pay nothing for his goods to get from point A to B that he is going to sell for a profit as well. Ok sorry crazy rambling from a middle aged trucker stuck in the past with a different view on things. Go ahead and tear me apart now.