James Hardie, Pulaski, VA - DIRT CHEAP TARPED LOADS.

Honestly I don't think my numbers are impressive at all: I need to get out there and hustle. I was lazy this year; no two ways about it. Hopefully with the recent upturn in the economy it will be easier to profile new clientele. And hopefully the request I mentioned in the other thread comes at least halfway to fruition so I can put some guys on and cover more loads and build capacity that way.

 

Not trying to get into a pissing contest over who makes more. It just gets annoying when a guy starts ragging on other drivers who are running profitable loads and maximizing their loaded miles by a hypocrite who runs a decent paying load, but then like a dog that finally catches the car he doesn't know what to do with it so he bounces back for another good paying load. At the end of the day, he's pretty much running his truck for what the load he turned down as "too cheap" would have paid per mile. I'm just pointing out that he could work 1/2 as hard and bring home more if he was loaded both ways instead of chasing the car all of the time.

You did a little better than me...I ran 75K miles last year. If I had to run 150K/year and sleep in a truck more often than my own bed, I'd be looking for something else to do. 2-3 days per week and home every night suits me just fine.

 

I put in about 100k on miles and around 340 gross. I have fairly high deadhead though. Prob close to 40%. But you've got good numbers.

 

Hey if your happy, go for it. That's all that matters.

 

You fellas put me to shame on the miles.
I didn't quite hit 50,000 for the year.
But that doesn't include all the seat time in tractors and combines. I get a few thousand in that way too....

 

Heck, I don't wanna put in what I do. But you make hay while the sun shines

 

My dh is well over 60% of the miles I run. Not ideal. But without a better option for reloads (in terms of $) I'll deal with it.
Realistically I want more customers that pay even higher rates, string a bunch of that together back to back n I'd be good.

Honestly, I've been a lazy bum: I could easily string together some pretty profitable turns; I've been slacking on calling people for work, my primary reload outfit I did 40% in 2016 of what I did in 2015. Now, some of that was because my service area started including a lot more Boston area vs primarily NYC that I did in 2015; and reload options around Boston that fit my schedule like @Pnwtrucker was giving examples of.
In years past I had a good setup coming back out of the Boston area right back down to NYC area, but I broke that bridge when I thought the customer was stiffing a buddy for $ on a load.

I'd like to see more high dollar round trip customers that I can schedule so that return loads work: so long as they pay enough to justify the time.

I shoot for overall rates based on time: all hours worked needs to come out to $125 an hour or better. That's all the hours working, whether driving chaining tarping or waiting.
Sometimes loads themselves break out to less than that: otoh sometimes they are much higher and even out overall.


I'm over sharing here about rates and business structure. I'm hoping some folks read this and learn something worthwhile.

My plan ain't the only one that works: to each their own.

 

Hell 55,000 miles up there is like a hundred down here!!

 

I rather run NYC all day than "open highway" I tried that; it ain't for me. I need constant stimulation :/

 

I use to deliver to Home Depots delivering plants in the spring. I made good money, but earned every penny. I suppose it's like any city, once you learn your way around and how everything operates it ain't so bad.