I'm REALLY Confused About Something

evidently he means the liability insurance for the authority, thats the snag

 

i really think the in-law has lined up his next 15 per cent dispatch victim, lol

 

Everyone seems obsessed with the 15%, but I say who cares ? I'd pay someone 20% to run my truck on $2.75/mile freight over paying someone 10% to run my truck on $2.00/mile freight.

You need to get some more numbers, when he says he grossed $900,000. Does that mean $900,000 gross / five trucks ? Or does that mean each truck grossed $350,000 so he grossed $350,000 x 2 = $700,000 + 15% of the other three = $900,000 ? Because if he's grossing $350,000 per truck that is going to be good no matter how you do the math. If he's saying the 5 trucks made $900,000 that really doesn't make sense since 3 of them aren't his, but whatever, that would be $180,000/truck and if he's running them all over the country that's really not all that impressive and probably not going to make you much money.

The numbers you need is gross/truck and mileage/truck for last year and then you'll have something to figure off of. Lot's of other questions like if a water pump goes out at midnight does the driver call you or your bro-in-law ? Is he going to be doing your billing and compliance, licensing and permits, etc.. for you ? I mean if he's really going to be managing your drivers and trucks as well as dispatching 15% might be pretty fair.

 

The hard part, finding and keeping good drivers, what do you have to offer to keep a driver.

 

I don't do anything out of NE, mostly IL-PA-MASS(northeast) it seems like the only place where you can make any money with a dry van!

 

I bought a truck from Baskin, it had 700 K, I am not mechanic, but I brought a mechanic with me, paid him hotel, and food, and his 2 days, i figured it will cost me less then to buy a piece of crap! So this truck was all I could afford at the time, and I went with it, I guess I gambled! paid 22K for it, another 2000 for brakes,(plus registration, ins, and all other) and I did my first load in a few days!

 

well 15 % is a good percentage compared to what other trucks are running for. you have to consider he will kee p logs and proably file ifta and keep insurance up and alot of things as dpending some days findin loads for these trucks will take most of the day (im picky but ill be all day getting me a load run down for mine) doing book keeping, setting up acoounts amaintaing maintance reports, answer phone 50 times a day, hes not taking to much at 15 % unless there going after thier own frieght and not factoring. not filing ifta ect...

 

Tjats really important to keep in mind. cause honestly that is the worst part for me about o/o , having to deal with repairs. i bought my truck back in may. I really havent had any problems with it(btw, trailer is also mine as well) just basic stuff like air leaks tire or two, just nothing major at all. I hear alot people always loose everything cause they never save a good enough money for any MAJOR repairs that might need to be done. so the week before christmas eve everything starts going wrong. That thursday night, my alternator went out while i was in lyberty,tx (45 miles east of houston) so "L U C K I L Y" (i cant stress that word enough) i actually made it to houston where i park my truck. and here i am running to freightliner @ 11:30pm and loaded btw. so i get it fixed and spent around 3-4 hundred cause i needed a new battery as well. so off i go to odessa, TX and next day get a blowout!!! get that fixed, and while my tires getting fixed i notice weird noise coming from motor. so there a mechanic shop near by that diagnosed the noise as being the big bull gear for crankshaft i belive. so asked the guy if i left it there how long would it be till i saw my truck again. he honstly told me with the holidays around the corner and the way they where booked, it would be about a little over amonth.. so i tell him.im going to houston and he says their a 50% chance i can make it. so i took my chances( complete idiot i know). long story short i broke down about 5 hours left to houston. got towed to houston with the help of a friend. only.paid for his deisel. tow wanted to charge me an estimated 2800 to 3000 big ones just to tow it to houston. so now its here in houston still getting worked on due to the holidays got in the way and plus this guy had a lot of trucks he need to work on too. just in this major repair i will be paying around 3,000 PLUS the three weeks of work im loosing. my truck payment is due the 15th thats gonna be fun. and bills just dont stop cause something BAD happened to me. anyway this is a HUGE set back for me compared to how good i was doing. BUT!!!!!! LUCKILY, i saved enough money to help me through this. SO i get to be lazy and worry free till my truck comes out of the shop which will be in a day or two , hopefully.
So thats a good thing to keep in mind, get a good truck but always make sure you have enough money for major breakdowns. Cause ANY truck is capable of breaking down. especially in your situation cause you dont know how your drivers will treat your truck.
but like i said thats something to keep close in mind. good luck man you can do this!!!