To those that work for low rates...

I don't base my numbers off CPM seeing as lots of my trucking is sitting.

I have to base it off the 12 hours a driver can work and what I want to make during that 12 hour period after all expenses are paid. I prefer to NET $1000 / 12 hour period after all my categories have taken their cut of the profit.

 

NET is to the company, I pay myself a salary regardless.

I try not to drive as much as possible. My drivers either get $1/ mile when doing OTR or get paid hourly when sticking to my local work.

 

Who is this opposition we are against

 

Details please. Indulge me. I once quadrupled a business in one day. When I was 10 yrs oid, my neighbor and I put together 7 or 8 bicycles from junk we had sitting around, and parts found in the allies and trash. We sold one or two the first day, the rest the next day, to a neighbor who had 6 kids. O operating cost, 100% profit. My friend went on to open an Insurance Franchise. We often laugh at our early Entrepreneurial days. Lol. Too bad we wasted the next 10 yrs partying and goofing off. No telling what could have been achieved with a little better guidance. We were pretty much on our own though. At the same time, it’s the reason we were so hungry to make money. We cleaned Snow, cut grass, painted porches and garages, cleaned gutters, cleaned trash from parking lots, had paper routes, Anything to make a buck. No one gave us anything at home. Not even $1.00 per week allowance for chores. Lol. How’d we ever survive? Had to, no other choice. Nothing’s changed. Only the numbers.

 

I too prefer to net $1000 per day. Break it down, let’s see some details, real numbers. I’m sure you have detailed spread sheets with Charges, costs etc. Show is how it’s done. Always willing to learn, from those more experienced.

 

It's funny to me when I see these threads. I've had numerous discussions with o/o that can tell their fuel costs to the ¹/1000 of a penny, tires down to how much rubber they leave on the road per foot, McDonald's/mi expenses for every happy meal, etc....

Every one of them is looking to lower their expenses, so they can bid cheaper. Trying to compete with megas on the megas' playing field, then end up crying over low rates. Makes no sense to me.

My cost per mile today is not the same as it was yesterday, or last week, or 6 months ago. Hell, back in 2020 I was buying fuel for $0.95/g, running for $2/mi. Last week fuel was over $6/g, this week it's around $4.5. Fuel, tires, breakdowns... all can fluctuate wildly. All you can do is prepare the best you can, plan for the worst and hope for the best.

The other thing that gets me, is when people put their fixed costs in their so called "cost per mile". It doesn't matter if that truck turns 1 mile or 50k, truck payments, insurance, plates.... those costs are the same.

And when you say it's about hard work, yep, you nailed it. That's the real common denominator in every successful o/o I've ever met, hard work. It's not all physical or driving work, some is figuring and planning and strategizing. The fact is though, if you don't get out there and do the work, regardless of anything else, you will fail.

 

I don’t know, anyone will do. Who isn’t important, as long as the blame goes to someone else. Personal Responsibility is so last Century. Everyone’s lot in life today is a result of others actions not their own. Much more comfortable that way. Lol.

 

Brokers I think. I mean, we all know how those evil little suckers are sitting around in their underwear collecting $M while we're out here scrounging for pennies.

 

That's pretty good.