Is it possible to make good money hauling containers (intermodal)?

Hub Group is one of the biggest, with depots in several cities in the south.

Others, like Jamac Logistics, are much smaller.

 

Based on that, you can be assured the rates are pathetically low. But, someone has to haul the crap.

I guess I'll never understand why people do these loads so cheap. Must be either desperate to go broke or cant figure out how to create a soreadsheet. But, one man's smoldering, festering pile of crap is, well, another man's pot of human waste...I mean gold.

 

I dont think their rates are any worse than these carriers advertising $1.08 plus fsc. I got $1.25 plus fsc at Pacer.

Both are terrible compared to over $2.00 a mile, like one gets pulling decent frieght.

 

You got that right! I don't know how anyone can haul for $1.40 or $1.50 a mile LOADED and then $0.80 or $0.90 unloaded. They make you sit at a dock, your lucky to get ANY detention...maybe $25 hr after 2. When you figure it out, your detention pay is actually LESS than minimum wage! And, honestly, if that is all you ever did, sit at docks and wait, $25 hr (after 2 or 3 hours) doesn't begin to cover all the expenses of owning your own rig.

Even $2 a mi is kind of low, when fuel is $3.45 a gal.

I don't haul long distance like I used to, I go maybe 450 mi a day, home every night, I try to keep my rate above $3 in a DRY van. Flatbed, different story, that is more like $4 and on real short runs, like 100 mi up to Milwaukee, $6-$8 mi and on the way back, can get even more!

Your out there, away from your family, taking on HUGE financial risks every day...you should get well compensated for it, not some bool shiht $1.35 mi average, by the time your done with your expenses at that kind of rate, you would be money ahead driving someone else's truck, getting benefits and insurance.

 

If you dont go out a buy a brand new truck you can make money at 1.40 a mile.

 

That depends on the truck...you have more repairs with an older truck, and, if you are not putting money away for future repairs, you will be screwed when you need a new motor, trans, clutch, radiator, turbo, rear ends, brakes, tires, AC system...etc etc etc...Every one of these repairs I just mentioned START at $3-5K and go up from there.

So, sure, you can make money at $1.40 a mile, but, when the going rate is over $2 or $3 a mi, why would you ever be so short sighted as to run for a $1.40? Are you that desperate? Or just gullible?

You can make money at $1.10 a mile too...but, how much??? You'd make more money flipping burgers at McD's than $1.10 a mi.

You'd make more money driving someone else's truck than driving your own rig at $1.40. Right now, with the way fuel costs are, insurance, etc, putting something away for future repairs, putting something away for replacing that old truck when it is just too worn out, paying both halves of social security, paying for health care, paying for workers comp insurance or even just a work accident policy in case you get hurt on the job, at a $1.40 a mi your net is less than $0.40 a mi. As driver with 2 years or more experience you can get any number of jobs with starting pay at $0.50 and, if you are a true highway veteran, I know guys that get paid $1 a mi driving SOMEONE ELSES TRUCK...or, get paid by the hour, $25-$40 hr. I also know PLENTY of company drivers who earn over $100K a year...well over. Heck, WalMart is advertising RIGHT now that their starting pay FOR ROOKIE DRIVERS is $80K a year.

So, not trying to be a smart-### Mr. YoungTrucker, but, do you want to please provide a quick pro-forma statement showing how you think driving for $1.40 a mile is "making money"??? And, with all these alternative out there to make more in your own truck or in someone else's, why would you run that cheap? Ever hear the saying "Just say no to cheap freight!"? YOU are who we are referring to!!!

I suppose if by "making money" you mean, netting $25K a year, well, sure, your definitely "making money". But, most of us don't roll out of bed if we are making under $100K, that is, what we take home AFTER all those expenses up there I mentioned. Personally, I like to be closer to $180K. That was my last salary as an executive before I entered the trucking business full time 23 years ago. I have been in transportation for 40 years.

When you stop and consider the risks you take, putting a truck on the highway, the number of lives at stake, the cost of damaged property, lost revenue, law suits, the fact that you invested maybe $50k or maybe $200K to buy 1 rig, The fact that you need to have another $20-$40K liquid so you can cash-flow your business and have an emergency fund to fix your rig if something big breaks...the fact that you need to have another $10k-$20K liquid so that, God-forbid you blow your knee out and you can't work for 3,4, 5 months or injure your back slipping on a piece of ice in the parking lot of the truck stop walking to your rig. What are you going to do if you have a stroke or a heart attack and the DOT won't LET you go back to work for 12 months? Do you have a disability insurance policy that is going to pay your bills? What if you get killed in a wreck? Is your widow going to be able to pay off your final expenses and put you in the ground?

You see, again, not picking on young people, but, short-sighted behavior like saying "Well, as long as I drive an old truck, I can run for peanuts and I'll be just fine" is exactly what puts people into the poor house...after they are there, they then tell people stuff like "you can't make any money driving your own truck", then they scratch their head and wonder what the heck just happened. Clueless.

Don't be one. Peace!!!

 

so do you have your own company? because you sound like a guy that really knows how to make a buck the smart way. company guys making over 100k? i knew there was opportunity out there just gotta look i just hate the garbage chassis we deal with. do you add your own drivers by the way? owner op too?

 

Good luck finding that 100k company job.

 

Im sure you can up until some point, but I never understood the mentality of just making enough to get by in this industry. The amount of responsibility of running a business, maintaining equipment, liability and just the general bs that goes along with it is still the same whether its in a new truck or old. I don't care if you live in a 1 bedroom apartment, ride a Schwinn when your off duty and have next to no bills you should still make it worth your while.

 

Y
That brand new truck can break down like an older one. Plus when you start up before you ever do you should set aside money for repairs even with a new truck since not all repairs are under warrenty and alot of stuff isnt covered when it should be. Plus, if you have knowlegde of working on them helps to. One thing my dad told me is if im going get my own company to know every part of it not just driving and stay up to date as much as you can.