How much money do you make? How green is your grass?

Too the op...it’s all about the lifestyle!! This January I was sitting at a small expat bar in Makati/Philippines talking with a younger German guy who is has been in se Asia for quite a while as an engineer for Siemens. I shot my mouth off that we usually gross 20-25k a month. His response: “yeah but the problem is..you have to drive it!”

You get used to living in your truck after about 3 months give or take-quicker if you don’t have any tie-downs like a family. Flat out the lifestyle is for the birds, but as you get used to it the weeks and months will fly by, while your bank acct. grows (hopefully). I just left freight after 6mo running off of the dat load board for 90% w/Mag carriers because I couldn’t consistently make 2$ a mile and I felt like I was constantly living on the road chasing freight rates. I’m now leased back onto a national tanker (chemical) company where all of my past 7yrs of experience has been.

I can’t live on the road for 10mo out of the yr. but if you can..more money for you! I’m trying get out of this lifestyle.

 

Have to agree on that multi stop area , pulled in 1800$ wkly as a company driver in 4 days a wk
Massive hrs each day probably 14hrs but then along with this also worked an xtra day on a line haul that worked out to 30hrly if looked at it that way so 2100 all told. Best part is not the cash but the workout from all the fingerprinting required Never slept so well and looked good too

 

I see. So for a new truck, 30 cents a mile covers all expense on the equipment and will buy another truck when the time comes. I remember seeing a nice Excel spreadsheet a year back for wanabe owner ops when I was researching into getting a truck. Gotta look for it.

 

Slow and steady wins the race whether company or o/o. Leave the get rich quick schemes to Ralph Cramden.

 

Lol I have built a fleet and am currently still building it , I am doing well now but work 24/7 . I have heard of linehaul guys making 100k with benefits vacation and retirement I think I would have been ahead if I would have spent the last 17 years doing that. But as has been stayed before not all of us are wired well to work for the man lol

 

You really have to look at ALL the options.

I recently didn’t over the road stuff and barely broke even and I can definitely say I will never do that again unless I’m moving the truck around to get to other jobs.

I came from the Canadian oilfield ( yes I know it’s dead right now ) but certain months if I would the full 30 days I would gross $65,000 and net $55,250 ( after paying out my 15% to my boss ) - about $5500 in fuel leaving me $50,250 in my bank.
Granted those days are gone but now that I’m in the USA I have a feeling I will still make some good money down here just need to secure the right contracts.


BTW, I’m currently doing dirt work right now until oil peaks back up. It’s okay but it’s hard work.
$120/hr - 15% and fuel is HARD because I’m pulling 125,000lbs 550 miles a day. I make money but it’s eaten up by all that fuel.

 

Honestly I make about the same as a company van driver but I'm home every 7 to 10 days and than take 4 to 5 days off . Sometimes I run 3 to 4 days off 2 , the freedom I cant put a price on .

 

Ding ding! Winner here we got a winner. LOL

Exactly, they are constantly undermining and suppressing rates. It’s why so many of us get so frustrated by people running on the cheap and making it harder for the rest of us.

Many are running profitably that have been doing it a while, it’s the constant influx and turnover of new people that help keep the rates down. The barrier of entry to trucking is low, so there is a never ending supply of new operators with absolutely no clue what they are doing.