Brand new team O/o weekly rates prediction

Realistically? You will pocket more money going to work for Estes, (or some other similar local company) then you will running a truck for $2.15 a mile, and have benifits/pto to boot

 

Rates are touch and go meaning one week you might run some good loads for 800 miles for $2.80 cpm but less by 40% on the reload ($1.68 cpm). Lately, rates have been 5% up on last months average. However unless you have a direct contract its not a guarantee. Its an extreme volatile industry especially with what's occurring economical now days. I remember getting a good paying reload back home a few weeks ago and 5 miles to the destination the customer canceled it the broker told me. Of course I demanded a cancelation fee but $150 is peanuts compared to the TL load that was paying $2300. Down another day until I found a LTL partial load for $750 for 600 miles. Team or not the truck has to keep rolling and if the freight isn't there you're eating up what ever reserves you have left. In business and life it self, consistent cash flow is needed. Whether your down a couple days, week etc.. it adds up and catching up becomes almost impossible unless those freight rates double consistently for eg. $3.83 to $7.66 cpm in order of making up the difference. And believe me, a consistent $7.66 cpm for weeks as of late is unheard of for Dry van freight.

 

Yeah, 2.15pm is very realistic, should be way more.
Just remember buying a used Cascadia with 500k miles might bankrupt you even if you get $3 per mile.

For a team you gotta have a brand new truck and maintain it perfectly. This way it will last you a very long time

 

Are you looking to do OTR or regional? That is a big part of the equation. If you take a good outbound load to the west coast you will struggle for $1.60 per mile reload, florida is also almost a no reload state if delivering to.

 

Good team company jobs pay right at $1 or more per mile plus $30,000+ In benefits and you don’t have the hassle of owning a truck that you are putting 300,000 miles a year on. Unless you find something specialized IE Explosives or something similar with a much higher rate per mile your $2.15 a mile freight plan will not net you close to what good company team jobs will pay you. I love being an owner op and have been one for 12 of the last 38 years of my trucking career. I wouldn’t move the truck for $2.15 a mile because that is not profitable for my income requirements. UPS is top in team pay generally with Old Dominion in the top of the LTL Team world and Estes and others coming in slightly behind. Owning a rig can be a great thing, but not for cheap rates. Supposedly Cryogenic Team driver pay is close to UPS.

 

just because the truck is moving does not mean you are making money…. In fact, some of my best paying work, has been more sitting than driving