How are O/O making a living at $1.00 a mile

There is no secret

 

Ok first of all I wasn't being facetious at your remark I was being quite genuine. I have been doing this for many years but I do not know everything and I am willing to listen to anybody who knows more than I do.
I have been leased to 6 different carriers. Big and small. They take a percentage and that is a negative. The way it is got around is to run short runs that pay high by the mile. Unfortunately that will usually end up with much time being eaten up sitting in docks. Longer runs yield much less per mile but will give you a bigger lumpsum and you spend your time driving not goofing around in a dock trying to sleep while the trailer is rocking.
I cannot comment on your situation because I just don't know your circumstances but for me I need a gross of $5,000 per week. That is a base so I can give someone 18%. That is doable. However that isn't what happens.
It is purely governed by the loadboards. They are governed by the brokers and the brokers are governed by what a shipper (or receiver) will pay. That is governed by the number of available trucks out there.
Then there is the old being in the right place at the right time stuff.
ALL of this can be circumnavigated by one simple thing.
The carrier has an established relationship with a shipper(s) that he deals with directly.
No brokers and working around competition.
I do not know another way.
I suspect that you are getting the high rates because you are doing short runs. If I am wrong then I apologize and bow to your superior knowledge. Not being sarcastic either, I mean it.

 

I figure it costs me about 85 cents to run per mile. That does not include paying me or maintenance. If I ran 60mph for 1 hour (60X.15) I would of made $9.00hr. Would never happen. Fuel was 42cents of that

 

That is a very good analysis that I can relate to. So I have no mortgage or rent. No electricity or water bill. No debt. So I can make it work BUT all it is is a living. Pure survival. Just waiting for the next $1000 tire bill.

 

This is gonna come off a lot worse than its meant. Please keep that in mind.

If 2.30 a mile sounds like a high rate to you it just means you have been getting screwed over for so long that you have accepted sub par rates as normal.

2.30 is definately respectable, especially for a guy that's relatively new. but its not out of the ordinary.

 

Spyder I have had $4 a mile.....................on short runs !
Harrisburg PA to Portland OR will never get that kind of money ever I challenge you to show me..

 

Maybe not. but Youngstown to Dallas will.

Couple weeks back i got 4.01 on 1350+miles.

Two loads later i got 2.90+ on over 1k miles.

Right now I'm well over 2 bucks a mile on a 3100 roundtrip load.

Good paying freight is out there, that was all i was saying.

 

Well 2014 I grossed 124k over 58k miles. Lease to private carrier. My tractor their trailer, and their insurance, It was 75% to truck with there customer, 85% if it was my customer. Slept in my bed all but 3 nights that year. It was a good year. I have not had one since. But it can be done.

 

Well I have no idea where you are finding freight that pays those rates. I have never seen a long load with that kind of money on it. I can't get $1.50 a mile. Broker will just hang up on me. It is why I am ditching my current lease on. Super nice people but I can't afford them. They are working the DAT board and 123 are established and in Mississippi which isn't bad for freight.
We NEVER get that kind of money. I do not make enough to share it so I am bringing my authority back to life. If I fail I might as well fail on my own.
If you have some secret I sure would like to know what it is lol.

 

WOW! Never seen anything like that in my life