Hypothetical: Profitability Of Trucking As A Side Gig

Right. So, humor me here, but I'm about to embark on what's meant to be purely a mental exercise, which I'm about to ask for y'all's input on. I have a feeling I already know the end result, but I'm still going through the motions to practice for when I ultimately do the real thing.

I got a good thing going with the Army, but let's say I decide I'm not so happy with my E-2 pay anymore. I want to run a bit of a side hustle and make a bit of extra money on the side, doing one of the few things I know how. So I buy a truck. Nothing flashy, mind you, just day cab that happens to be going for the right price. I also purchase a trailer, with the intent to haul under my own authority.

While many of the costs for startup (IFTA, authority, tractor/trailer registration, LLC, permits, tractor/trailer initial acquisition costs etc) are publicly available on the various applicable websites or through inquiries with applicable offices, operational costs (fuel, maintenance, insurance, tires, permits, IFTA, tractor/trailer ongoing payments, etc) that I'm hoping some of you might be willing to help me estimate, or enlighten me to having missed, by sharing some of your own experiences.

The ultimate goal of this exercise is to ascertain if it's possible to turn a profit, much less be able to pay myself, operating on weekends, and given a restriction of 250 miles from base in any direction, as dictated by the installation's leadership (note: this area covers down to Salem in the South, all the way to the coast line in the west, all the way to the Canadian border in the North, and all the way to the Idaho state line in the east, with a few cut corners from the coverage described due to the circular nature of the mileage restriction). Assume maximum hours are run at all times with minimal rest (10 hours off) in between, and that I just sleep in the right hand seat at a truck stop or a rest area if I'm not able to return to my home base by the end of each day instead of springing for a hotel. Also assume that I start each trip with enough food from the commissary for the entire weekend.

How much of an idiot is hypothetical me?

I recognize there's still a lot of pieces missing from this exercise, but that's why it's strictly an exercise at this point. I'd like to explore the idea on a small scale, then slowly work my way up in successive exercises until I can confidently make an informed calculation on a large, full-time scale for when I get out of the service. I humbly ask y'all for your assistance in this endeavor.

Thanks in advance, and God bless

 

I'd have to ask my first line about the technicalities, but as far as I know, I should be fine as long as I don't go beyond that 250 miles. And yes, I have my CDL from prior to the Army... it's a bit of a story in and of itself, but the short version is that my choices at the time were basically Welfare Express, working in a warehouse, or something completely different... I chose something completely different. That being said...

Thats the gist of the plan. I'd like to take this time to start learning and getting in the right mindset for when I eventually do strike out on my own, though. Hence the mental exercise.

Now, if there were a company that was willing to hire me for weekend intrastate runs while I'm in the service, then by all means, I'd apply there in a heartbeat. But I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case, for reasons that rhyme with ramen pence...

 

To think, I started this trying to focus on the numbers aspect... I know how to run my clocks and all that other jazz, and I'm still learning about securing my load using chains and binders courtesy of the Army, but I'll freely admit I know next to nothing about the numbers part of the game...

Boutta go radio silent for a bit, BTW. Got work to do

 

Oh. I'll own that one; I kinda forgot about that. My bad