New Hours Of Service

Thanks!........I know you didn't have to do that......

 

so you say you grossed 236k last year as a owner operator. right snowman? so let's break that number down to profit. you had about 150k in fuel, about 10k in repairs, another 30k in taxes. plus you don't strike me as the one who is good with money. so another 15 to about 18k was spend on personal expenses,toys and other miscellaneous b/s. and even though you added in the fuel surcharge and fuel discount. and after the five finger discount that the other businesses you do business with got you for. so fuel surcharge and discounts at the pump along with retention fees are kind of a loss. and i will tell every one why. you can't depend on it. it's like getting a tax check at the end of the year. it might be nice. but you don't live on it. so to make a good solid clear point. you probably only profited about 24k last year in your pocket. when you wake up and realize that you can make the same thing working a regular construction or warehouse job. suddenly running a one or 2 truck trucking company just isn't worth it. so to break it all down to how the hos are designed and enforced. a few dollars extra in the pocket is not worth any ones life. and when you get caught making more money then a single truck trucking company should be making. and they do know how much in a year one truck makes. so a high dollar gross can be a cause to get investigated over the next few years.

 

Mr Matt--post too long to repost--so I will just ask? What on earth are you basing those figures on? Do you know the mans expenses? What he ran? How do you break down 236k to 212k in expenses?
Do you have any idea how many O/O ran a very good profitable business? After all the years I have been in this business--and all the knowledge I have--I wouldn't even venture a guess on what another man's operating expenses are--unless I knew him very well. Although I can walk out to my backporch and point at farms in both directions--that have very fine looking chickentrucks--and both of whom I worked with for years--who both grossed over 250k last year--and neither one ran over 100k--and never more than about 20days a month....
Just sayin

 

Are you suggesting messing with someone else truck is OK? Selling their company's truck fuel is OK? Well... maybe not. But I sure don't. I don't try to be any "perfect" employee, any "do-gooder" and don't think being one would get me up any chain as that is not my concern at all.... I just do what I think is right and best for me.

 

BHAHAHA.......that was funny. i'm sure MANY other owner ops on here would agree.....how could you possibly even attempt to know my figures? Do you even know what I haul? lol. wow....but since you asked , I will give you brief rundown of my figures....I strike you as someone not good with money, lol...OK...

I haul propane. my runs are round trip by the way. I have a 05' fontain drop deck I no longer pull ,except for side jobs for my neighbor when he needs a little help, and a 06 kenworth t600. they are both mine and paid for, but according to you, i'm not good with money I guess....I pull my company's propane bottle. I get 70 percent of the gross......that includes trailer, cargo, ifta, ect....

as far as expenses, my fuel bill was, $61524.83....was less than half of what you pulled out of thin air....that was 16363 gallons diesel fuel. 88360 miles.That includes idling too. I also took 2 months off. I rebuilt my transmission,took a vacation, and yes I do my own work, put a clutch in had drive line rebuilt and balanced. spent 3300 on all that. spent 5000 on tires, another 12,000 on misc. repair expenses......1600 for plates. 550 for heavy highway tax. there are many more figures to my story, but I don't time to go into all that.

my bottom line for the year......my overall take home.....after my tax and CPA's bill, all expenses......all it would do is upset you if I told you. It was still close to 6 figures though. Hey, i'm not trying to be a prick, but just because I like to work hard......why is that a bad thing to be successful as a young ma? far too many of my generation are worthless. I make it extra important to do well for myself for that very reason and enjoy life.

another thing you don't know. I am married, I have NO kids.

 

Last year the DOT put an ad in my local paper asking for drivers to attend a two day discussion about ideas for changing HOS rules. It was 6 hours a day with a free lunch each day.

It turned out to be two days of number pushers who never seen the inside of truck who said they worked with what they called major trucking companies, none of which they would name, to calculate formulas that they couldn't clearly explain to anyone in the room.

You where not allowed to ask questions and if you tried and believe me some people even owners of trucking companies tried, If you didn't pipe down they asked to leave and they every had armed security guards there to escort you out. The first day when we went to lunch I seen one of the guys security escorted out of the room in the lobby with security and two local cops who escorted him out of the convention center.

Most people just left after the first lunch.

The 2nd day there were even less people who showed up, half of which left the 2nd lunch. Leaving a half dozen die hard reporters, a dozen or so drivers & company owners, and about 2 dozen of the speakers that appeared over the course of weekend.

They also handed out Frisbees and a 200 sheet booklet with all the information and power point slides from the weekend. I have a BAS in Business Operations and I'm current studying part time for MBA on-line and I couldn't understand half of the report and all the labeling of the charts from the power points had been removed before printing making them useless.

 

Is this post serious.?..You are kidding,correct.?..Wow,another ''uneducated'' truck driver that lacks the business mentality..

 

He'd make a good comedian......got a good chuckle outta that guy there....

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. If you work more hours you make more money. Sadly the drive to make more money. Causes bad decision making skills. So that is why there are industry standards and you are fined for going over those standards. To make up some inflated number of how much money you GROSS logging illegal and pulling hazmat doesn't give you street cred, but scares the crap out of people. So what's your primary running area. So We can watch out for drowsy drivers who think they are above the rules.

Also since some are powered by the dollar and not safety. What else are you doing illegal for more cash. Hauling illegal aliens, Drugs, stealing fuel, cargo.

Ya ya let me go buy a truck so I can pay to drive on these crappy roads that tear up my truck. Deal with all the crazy laws that come out. Deal with the up and down of fuel prices, Deal with the low paying freight. Deal with insurance company when you go into truck stop and come back and half your hood is gone, and (nobody) seen what happen.

No thank you. I love driving somebody else truck. Like now my truck is in the shop and it was in the shop last Wednesday and Thursday. It only have 390,00 miles on it, and normally runs good. I put all the miles on it and soon will be getting another new truck. 30 bucks a week for family health care, paid for breakdown time, paid hotels when broke down. I'm sitting at the house getting breakdown pay. I don't have to worry when some broker doesn't want to pay for a load. I don't worry when fuel prices go up. I don't have to worry about quarterly tax payments, truck notes, or maintenance bills. Company driver over 15 years and don't plan on doing anything else.

So please forgive my broke owner operator comment. If that's what you like to do. Enjoy the headache. I'm holding the wheel. Guess I'll go ride the motorcycle to the peterbilt dealer and see if I'll be staying another day at the house or if I can pack my stuff and get this load delivered to GA. Well sorry for so long and please don't let the love of money get you into trouble. Have a good day.

 

I just worked 3.5 days on a turn.I have about 40 hours invested in the turn.I was off for 5 days prior and know i am off again for as long as i want..I cleared to the dinner table $2,900 for 40 hours of work...Life's good..