Stevens Transport aviary

How to control fuel expenses>?
First of all, buy right. As an example, if I'm heading into California, I fill up in Utah, OR or AZ before entering the state. I can save more than 0.50 cents per gallon that way.
When I can, I fill up in OR before leaving the state. They don't charge the road tax at the pump and so far, Stevens just eats it. That saves about 0.42 per gallon.
Purchase in cheaper areas. If I'm running from Ontario, OR to Cedar Falls, for example, I fill in Ontario and that will get me to Cheyenne if I'm careful. Cheyenne is about 12 cents a gallon cheaper than Utah or Idaho.
There are plenty of other examples, but it all adds up.
In additon, run this like a business. If running slower improves fuel mileage, then why not?
Other controlable costs include tires. Keep them properly inflated and you don't have to purchase them as often. I have more than 240,000 miles on these tires so far and there's a lot of life left in them.
Plan your trip for it's most efficiency. OOR miles cost you. Keep them down.
I don't agree with you that Stevens is nickling and diming the L/Os. There is a cost to everything. They give you your choice, then itemize it.
You don't have to have an APU. You don't have to have Prepass.
These are your choices. And they itemize them for your benefit.
I don't find their costs for trucks unreasonable. I use to own 14 of them. I think they are pretty fair.
People that have never dealt with capital equipment just have a hard time understanding the numbers.
But in the end, it's the check we take home that counts.
And for me, that's a darn sight more than a company driver gets.

 

An Alliance driver averaging 2500-3000 miles a week who knows what he is doing will always make more money 'net''net' than a company driver driving the same miles. The argument that you are better off at 26c as a company driver doesn't hold water.

 

By the way, for anyone who says that I am saying company drivers are BETTER than lease-purchase drivers need to re-read what I said. First, I said, based on people saying that most lease-purchase drivers would make $0.33 cents per mile is, IN ESSENCE, the same as a COMPANY DRIVER, but making a few cents more.

As for @Emulsified I never said Stevens was nickeling and diming, I was clearly saying that all of the expenses everyone is saying they has as a L/O through Stevens was off-the-wall. I wasn't aware that things could be itemized which gives more weight to L/O over company drivers knowing that expenses can be minimized by itemizing what expenses the L/O incurs.

None the less, good information in this thread in either situation. Be safe out there to all the drivers, I know the weather likely sucks in some parts of the country.

 

WOW..... I wonder if they (Stevens) realize how much they are losing doing that. That is a big plus for a Contractor because pump price in OR. is cheaper. Do they pay you a west coast FSC bump also when you run out there?? If so you are in the money running out there, no tolls make it even better

Now if they could just flatten I-5 out and put truck only lanes around L.A. it would be all good.

 

FSC is the same no matter where you run.
Yes, Stevens knows they are swallowing the tax in OR. They choose to do that since we run so few miles there in comparison to other regions, and ORs tax filing system is so complicated and labor intensive.
For what they give up, they save in labor.
It's just a loophole that I and others take advantage.

 

Drop went well, sitting outside Albuquerque .....waiting,waiting. Weather is nasty here, just at freazing and doing this odd snow rain mix jig. Called safety to see if anyone in the area was shut down, nope....weather looks fine around you on the screen.....ok.....screen fail? Hope I get a load soon, tires are feeling neglected...lol. Be safe. Shifty.

 

There is much much more to controlling your fuel cost. Tire pressure, load distribution, maintenance, in gear coasting, etc.... As for the charges and expenses, well it costs to do business and it takes money to make money. There are many successful lease operators here. They will tell you they don't feel ripped off. I never felt ripped off. Its one thing to speculate and another to be doing it. There's good weeks and bad weeks just as on the company side. I was among the first handful to maintain above 8.0 MPG, and at that rate I barely paying for fuel and even made money on the surcharge at times. Nothing is free man. Everything has an associated cost.

 

Also, for those that may not know.... Loves only charges $10 per wheel to do rotation where as T/A petro charges $20. Just FYI...

 

How often should you rotate?