RV company plans new factory in northern Indiana

Keep in mind that the cost of the payment is not the only cost to incur. You will have to get a commercial policy that the RV companies require as well as 26,000 lb plate. I suspect the cost of the insurance will be in the area of 250.00 per month.

The going rate for in US is around 1.34 per mile outbound. Contrary to RV companies, back hauls are not as plentiful as they make you think. Many of the loads do not go where the back haul is and the dead head to a lower paying freight must be reviewed.

My operating cost is currently at .45 per every mile driven on the truck. This includes:

Payment
Insurance
Maintenance
Repairs
License fees
Fuel
Tolls not reimbursed

In addition there are miscellaneous costs.
Motels
Showers

I operate in the Canada shipping due to the rates it pays. These units can pay as high as 1.57 per mile. You can only control the cost of the fuel which is the price and how it is used. Want to be poor? Run high speed.

I drive a 5.9 Dodge with 741,000 miles on it. It has had 3 sets of injectors. Factory and two replacements at 2300.00 each.

On the third transmission, it was 3800.00 last May. Not even close to the ones in the newer Dodges.

I also have 10% of the entire load payment retained in my maintenance fund. It usually keeps money available when needed.


As RickG pointed out, my wife works. It is not a large salary and I could live quite well on my earnings without sharing the expenses.


With 1300 cost right out of the gate, you will be working behind the 8 ball. Your dead head cost from Tyler to Elkhart is in the area of 1,000 miles. Mine is only 270 miles.

 

You can take Roadmedics words as gospel.

I did this for a bit over 1 year, I quit because I hated the lifestyle. But I drove a lot of miles, averaging 6k load, so 12k a month.

After paying for fuel, insurance, hotels, truck, and maintenance I was clearing 5k a month before taxes.

In November I started using a sleeper berth and was clearing another $700, nearly 6k a month.

I was driving for JET, on dedicated status. No company pays more than JET, period. THey do not pay tolls, but that doesn't matter since you will be getting paid .15/mile more then anyone else pays, plus they have a nice bonus program. 6k miles per month = 900 bonus, and it goes up from there.

There are quite a few tricks you will need to learn and use to maximize profits, which I'm not getting into here.

If I had to drive again I would, I could make enough money to live. I just didn't like the lifestyle, and construction has finally gotten busy for me.

 

No there is no "new truck fund" in those numbers, only what i have stated.

Rick I have explained this before. Those numbers are before taxes. The bottom line is JET pays more, and then pays a bonus. The toll reimbursement that other companies pay is insignificant compared to the extra money per mile. So I'm grossing more. Every good driver from Jet I have spoken with is making the same money. the guys that hit 7k miles per month get a bonus of 0.18/mile. so they start at a bonus of $1,200.

I don't know what else to tell you.

 

I want to add that I did drive for other companies that paid around the same as everyone talks about, and I would agree making 6k a month with them is impossible, so I see your point.

 

What difference does this make?

Many truck companies do not provide health insurance.

Many truck companies do not pay any holidays or sick time off.

Many truck companies treat drivers as 1099.

Retirement plans can be set up other than 401K and would not be part of the operating cost of the truck.

 

More than you think.

Most of the ones providing the coverage, is at the drivers cost.

But then again, you are basing it on the company you work for.

Before long, you will be degrading all owner operators. They do not have 401K, health insurance, paid time off, sick days etc.

 

Does any I/C get any benefits in any industry? none that Im aware of in trucking or construction. Now company employees are different, but they are paid less in wages.