New guy - wants to buy truck, split profits with driver

Welcome to the forum, Anytime Freight. Here, u need to do some serious research about this industry. A lot of the vets on this forum knows what there talking about. So it looks like ur in So Cal. So where do you want to run? So Cal to PHX, SLC, SFO, OAK, POR, SEA? 11 western or 48? Insurance, plates, taxes, maintenance? Those topics plus many more are on this forum. Search those topics and your questions will be answered. Welcome to forum.

 

Since you are going to own the truck and trailer, and I'm guessing you will be running on your own authority. This you will be paying for plates, permits, and most importantly, insurance. Rates should range between $3-$4 a mile in this case, but it also depends on where you are going and the area the freight originates from. Loads to Salt Lake pay very well, but that is because there are not many loads coming out. Same goes with loads going into FL, ND, ID and the upper east coast. The loads in may pay $3 a mile, but the loads coming back out will generally be $1 a mile cheaper.

If you really want to help your friend out, just buy him the truck and trailer and be done with it. He will be able to make a good living with it and you will not have all the headaches. You honestly will not make much, of any money by running a single truck with a driver. Even splitting the $ 50/50 you friend will probably go broke as after all the costs he would only be seeing maybe $250 each load. So he may clear $700 a week and u still have to take out his taxes and pay his workers comp too.

Best of luck to you, but I don't see it working out for either of you.

 

The rate is exactly that amount of money the broker will pay and the carrier will accept for the load. There isn't a set number anyone can give you. Without a lot of variance, it costs between $1.40 and 1.75 to move a truck and pay minimal driver wages. The Conways of the world know exactly what this number is, and will only pay enough to move the load with a carrier that they deem low enough risk to move it intact and on time. Maybe less than that if the penalties or damages are low enough to just load the first sucker that comes along loading for fuel money.

 

This may sound arrogant to but is the cold hard truth. If you don't know the answers to these questions you are setting yourself up for failure in a hurry. If it were that easy don't you think everyone would do it? I have 16 years of owner operator experience running team. It is very tough! Worst of all you are going to be bringing a partner into the equation.

Here is my advice of which you will not want to hear or do. Go and drive company for a year at the very minimum. Pretend you are an owner operator and see how you do. Make all your costly mistakes on their dime. I think after a year you will find it more worth it being a company driver than an owner operator.

Also, I don't know what your home situation is but as an O.O living in the truck is pretty much a requirement. Home time is null and void if you want to make any kind of money.

Also let me know who is paying $7000-$9000 for a load from LA to SLC. If that is true I'm going to buy a couple hundred trucks tomorrow.

 

As arrogant as JoshC. sounds he 100% right on the money when it comes down to it!

There is no difference in buying a plane not knowing what you are doing then a tractor trailer!

 

La to SLC about 700 miles, flatbed $3 a mile $2100,

CH Robinson, CRST, Mercer, LS, ATS, Universal AM-Can and a lot of western flatbed companies will quote you $3 to $3.50 all day long.

If you would like to move some loads from LA to SLC for 7 - 9K, PM me, I can arrange trucks right now.


http://www.chrobinson.com/en/us/

http://www.crstmalone.com/