hauling prime inc trailers $

First place would be the $20k per year by getting out from under that rental payment.

And you won't see me passing you. I'm never in a hurry. Don't need to be with less than 90K total miles this year.

 

There are other things that compensate for the lease payment... that payment is a deduction on your taxes in and of itself. Then there is the warranty that covers most everything on the vehicle that makes it go for the life of the lease.

I know the argument for and against having a lease payment. However, buying an old, cheap truck also has its downsides as well... one of them being the threat of a business-killing maintenance event.

 

Tax deductions don't put money in the bank. They just mean you're spending too much. I'd much rather pay taxes on profit than take tax deductions.

Warranties are only as good as the company willing to honor them and warranty work that is honored can just as easily put someone under due to the lost income from downtime. Aftermarket warranties are only good for wiping your rear end with, for the most part.

Agreed on your comments about older trucks. No risk, no reward.

 

I know about being one maintenance incident from being out of business.

Can you get a loaner from Prime if you need something major and time consuming?

 

Agreed. Just part of the plan.

Warranty is through the manufacturer, and backed by the carrier. So far both have lived up to the contract. But yeah, I agree - it depends on the good will of both of those parties to honor the warranty. Its also in the carriers interest to ensure that the warranty is lived up to, since they make their money off of moving freight - unlike some outfits who prefer to be in the broken-down truck resale (and resale, and resale...) business.

Actually, yes - but you need to be near one of the terminals in order to pick it up. Breakdown out in the boondocks (when else is that going to happen? LOL!) and you have to arrange something else.

 

I'm taking home about $2,800 a week on 3,200 miles with a fuel expense at 40%...are you doing better than that?

If you are maybe I'll swallow my pride and pull a reefer again.

 

And you are doing what to get that?

Personally, I'm not in some kind of juvenile "mine is bigger than yours argument" here. What I'm doing works for me... if it didn't, I'd be long gone.

 

I'm legally hauling glass from KC to Edmomton Alberta in 5 days round trip, 1583 book miles loaded and empty coming back.

I'm really not trying to get into a piz zing contest but if the money at Prime is really that good I might move my truck...can they beat what I'm making now?;Is their deal really that good?

 

My post that you took out of context was made in response to someone who has never worked for or pulled a Prime trailer, perpetuating the outright lie that Prime Inc. starves and steals from its independent contractors. You can certainly run yourself into the ground, but any businessman in any industry can do that singlehandedly without the help of anyone else.

Is it really "that" good? I doubt it. Is it good enough to meet my financial needs - yes. And it is the kind of income that I generated in another professional career that was decimated by the Bush recession after 9-11.

 

Ahhh, we had 5-years of stupid growth after 9-11.