MY EXPERIENCE AS A Mercer FLATBED DRIVER

The recruiter I was talking to told me I "should do about $1.68 per mile". When I asked what the fleet average was for miles & revenue per mile & added that I would consider mean & median numbers a lot more useful, I got a reply back saying that Mercer O/O's don't work for mileage, they get paid a percentage of the revenue, I gave up. I just don't negotiate well with dumb people.


I'm still attracted to Mercer & think you guys have a good thing going, I just think I'm better off where I am, at least for now.

 

around 2500 depending on me, the weather and such with some weeks being better and some worst which i thought was a fair, i think thats about normal for any big company

 

You guys do alot better than me. I think I only average around 1700 miles per week.

 

I know I am only a wannabe but I spend a lot of time researching something before I leap and the only way to make any decent money in this business is NOT as a company driver. Therefore I have been looking into Mercer, Landstar and others including own authority so that once I have my one year of experience, I can make the move over to O/O.

Here is what I have learned: Breaking it down to the basics, if you don't calculate your expenses at at least $1.25/mile regardless of what the actual numbers are, then you are hurting yourself. So... if your loads are averaging $1.68/mile then you are only getting $0.43/mile as income. For that money.... I might as well be a company driver and not deal with all the issues of O/O !!!!

In fact... if you can't make $2.00/mile average as an O/O... it really isn't worth it.

Now... I have read in other areas that Mercer has been proving overall to be a place that you can average $2.00/mile. That tells me that there are those there making much more than $2.00 mile average and those that are doing less. I intend to be among those making more. If this is a real figure.... So please... those who are with Mercer or Landstar....

Chime in! Tell us what you are making average per mile each month and what you have learned the "COMPANY AVERAGE" is.

Thank you in advance.

 

I am new to this forum, (today) I have had my cdl for about 4 years and started with my own authority, I have an 06 Pete 387 thats paid for and a car hauler trailer, I typically run 3 weeks out and 2 weeks off, atleast thats my average this year, so far YTD all miles I am at $2 and after all expenses it's around $1.20 to the bank, started out with a lowboy hotshot set up so I have about 6 months exp with that and most of the chains and tarps etc

I have been in contact with Mercer and it appears I have the requirements to lease on, question is, am I better off or the same doing the car thing or can I do better leasing on with Mercer

also, is this time of year a bad time to sign on? if I decide to, should I wait until spring?

Thanks in advance for any info

 

Let me just make sure I got this.. You have your own authority and your break even is .80 a mile?......... As for time of year I would wait. Nothing against Mercer I know things slow down this time and maybe it is just me but I have not been real impressed with things lately (Rates, freight volume and it seems like every load is going to the middle of no where)..Just my 2 cents as I sit here taking a 3 day vacation in a TS cuz the only good load I could find does not load until monday....

 

Thats sort of it, I keep everything very well maintained and therefore the $40 spent now saves me $400 down the road, so my repairs are low but still run about 7% used for repairs, everything is paid for so basically the $0.80 a mile is overhead but I do also keep some other funds for a new truck down the road or major repairs, I figure my overhead at $1 a mile which gives me cusion, I figure fuel at 5.2 mpg and at $4.20 gal which also is higher than reality
I also end up sitting in certain zipcodes and thats partly why I am even looking at flatbed, I have met several guys at TS that say once you get in and figure it out then you can do great numbers
long story short, I am 47 and have never had a job, not that I haven't worked but never for anyone but myself so I feel I am well versed in how a business runs and won't work just so I can eat at BK, but at the same time I would like to find a way to push my average up, now that $2 mile is for every single mile put on my truck from Jan 1 to now

A lot of great info here and exactly what I need if I am going in to new waters

Thanks for the info

 

Ok, who's the troll? lol

 

What!
Why am I a troll?
I would put a pic of my truck so you could see what the troll drives but no idea how, tried the cut paste thig woldn't let me

Shadowed
the slow down is apparently not just freight, when Oct hit the cars stopped or almost, partly due to just Oct.and mostly( per dealers) due to the election, I am on vaca but have seen the boards start to roll again

 

Using your numbers for fuel that comes out to $0.80/mile already. Do you not buy any insurance for your cargo, truck, trailer and liability?
How about plates and permits? I'm not saying you don't own a truck but really doubt your numbers and whether you have your own authority.