I am on my third year of dry van OTR. I actually make $.39 per mile, rounded it up by a cent, sorry. Started out at .30, then got my first raise to .33 after 10 months, then they gave everyone in dry van a .05 raise at some point about a year ago. One more .01 raise, and I'm at .39.
There seems to be a lot of freight these days, and almost the only times I get stuck waiting or hauling ####ty short loads is when I am being routed home. Since I only take hometime like once every two or three months, I keep myself in the "general circulation" and get consistent 3200 - 3500 miles a week (admittedly, 3500 is on the higher end, 3300 is probably average). Always running on recaps. I'm down with any load, I don't mind going up to Canada or poking into the northeast once in a while, so they keep feeding me decent loads. It might slow down for a couple of months now during the late winter slow times, we'll see.
Going owner op with Werner
Discussion in 'Werner' started by PermanentTourist, Dec 30, 2016.
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I drive an automatic right now, at first I didn't like it - it just sort of bored me and I found it very jerky at slow speeds before I learned to modulate the gas pedal. But now I'm kind of used to it, and it's pretty relaxing in slow traffic. So personal preference wise, I'd be ok either way. -
You sound like you got your #### together and you're probably at the very top of your fleet manager's board. I've always wanted to do that with a brand new truck but have put little thought into the finances behind it.
scottlav46 Thanks this. -
So I don't think that I get good miles because of some sort of favoritism or anything like that. However, I do have a good on time record and I don't get lost or bother the dispatchers with little problems I can solve myself by calling the customer or whatever, so maybe that helps somehow. First year I mostly ran around boring Midwest on shortish runs and almost never got to recaps, always had excess hours. But second year I started to get the fun cross country runs and started actually using up all my hours - so maybe they do give better stuff to more experienced drivers. Or maybe it's just a coincidence or market fluctuations. -
PermanentTourist Thanks this.
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I will make this simple as I can.
Unless you have the title with them listed as the lein holder......you are a company driver. PERIOD! I dont care what they tell you (or anyone else for this matter).
You have absolutely no rights to the truck. You are paying for nothing. You are paying off nothing. Its really that simple. Please do not get "shiny truck syndrome" and get suckered into a fleece purchase.jinxutoo001 Thanks this. -
Unless you can take your so called "business" where you want you own NOTHING! Heck you dont even have any rights to the truck at all. It belongs to them. Please dont give me the "I am paying it off." If thats the case get the title with them as a lienholder. Wont happen lol. Sounds like you went to the Werner Medicine show and bit lol.
My 16yo neighbor can get an LLC and an IRS number. Big deal.jinxutoo001 Thanks this. -
The thing you have to worry about is the trucks that are set up with absolutely garbage equipment. Like Gordon has entire dealerships fulls of trucks they cant sell. Despite having cummins engines, the interiors are garbage and they have long frames. Which makes the trucks horrendous to drive in parking lots.
But some of the other fleets actually have decent trucks. I would have already bought a Werner truck but they are borderline impossible to find for some reason outside the company program. I guess people like that baby blue. Very rare color to find on dealer lots. -
Leases are a nightmare, and actually cost more than buying. Never lease. NEVER.
The Werner program isnt bad for trainers or teams, you can pay a truck off in a year or two. Like actually pay it off and have the title in hand. So its definitely not CR England or Prime. -
Shoot lad id go for it. From your initial post you talked about being nervous, etc...and it IS hella nerve wracking. Just follow your plan and trust your gut. You're not some six month wonder kid, you have good experience. And from the sounds of things you have your poop in a group with Werner. You gotta do what's right for you man. I think runnin for Werner, at least til your truck is paid off like you wanna do, would do TONS about alleviating that nervousness. Go for it, and dadgum it keep us in the loop!
Short Fuse EOD Thanks this.
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