I was making nice profit every year I was Independent. I sold my truck by the end of 2011 and in 2012 as a company driver I made roughly 50% of what I was making as a O/O. Why then I quit?
Several reasons. First I was tired of being push by DOT. Driving through Montana/Wyoming/Utah/Oregon/Washington was like unpleasant lottery. "Driver, park your truck, bring your papers inside... " And my company had an excellent record, however my truck looked "independent". I had 13 inspections in last 3 years as an O/O. Only 13, because several times I told officers that I had recently another inspection and they just look in my logbook, medical card and DL and let me go without any paperwork. And I had prepass - most of the time bypassing weigh stations. Without it I would have probably few more.
In 2012 I was driving for US Xpress. I had zero inspections. Even if everybody had to pull into a checkpoint, I was always waived by. Officers where to busy checking all those independent operators to look into US Xpress, Scheiders or Swift trucks. CSA 2010 supposed to change it, but that's BS. Cops don't look into computers, they look at the trucks and choose what they want. And they want O/O.
Second reason I quit - I have 12 years to my retirement age. Working as independent O/O I was always showing minimal income on "driver side" - most profits were shown on "company side" - for tax purposes. So my SS checks would be very small. As a company driver my employer pays half of my SS taxes, plus matches 50% of my 401K, so my years in the future looks much brighter.
Third - my truck was 6 years old, with 850K miles. As a truck owner I always trade my trucks every 4 years. I had one in 1986, 1990, 1994, 98, 02 and 06. Now I wasn't ready to take this commitment again. I didn't want to drive old truck, which can break down in the middle of nowhere any time and I wasn't ready for next 4 years with $3000 monthly payments.
Forth - to run a company takes at least two people. I was driving, but my wife was helping with office duties, doing book keeping, billing customers, looking for a loads, paying taxes etc. However she has her own job, she is a nurse, she can work as many extra hours as she wants, for 50 $/hr. So why spend all the time running trucking company if she can make more money working in hospital? Doing what she really loves?
Now I'm home every night working for Harris Teeter. Great company, great people. I need three years to be paid as much as the "old guys", but even now I'm making about 80% of what I was making as an O/O after all expenses. Guys who work for HT several years gross 70-80 K/year and have health insurance, uniforms, paid vacations, no headaches, no worries, they don't care if fuel prices go way up, and broker takes all the fuel surcharge money - fuel is free for company drivers.
Those 20 years as an lease operator and 5 years as an independent O/O where fantastic and I have no regrets. I made money every year I was in business. However I'm very happy now as a company driver. I took me several months to adjust - but I know now I would never come back to what I left.
Times changed - and just because the reason number one alone on the list above I wouldn't do it again.
Why oh why are you drivers taking this cheap freight????
Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by codyschmidt, Nov 26, 2012.
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jardel Thanks this.
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Got empty in NJ near the GWB last Thursday. Passed on the usual cheap freight for the rest of Thursday and all day Friday. Saturday around 10am a broker calls with two loads that needed to move before she went home. I ended up negotiating one of them up to $2/mile from central PA to Atlanta, and ran empty 150 miles to get it. Most everyone else that was picking up spot market freight out of my area was doing good to get $1.20/mile. When I made my empty call this morning, she thanked me for getting her out of a jam, and told me that I got $700 more than they normally pay on that load. -
Gee , your boss didn't mention that in his post last night..... HeHe......
losttrucker and windsmith Thank this. -
Working Class Patriot Thanks this.
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I wonder if I am missing something here. Did you get a real good rate going to NJ? -
Reloaded in Atlanta with a $2/mile 3 stopper (22000 lbs) to Pittsburgh, Greencastle and ending in Jessup, MD.
Remember that I'm still picking loads almost exclusively off the load boards. Things will improve once I get the lanes figured out and some relationships built up. Patience, grasshoppa.BoyWander Thanks this. -
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Wow another LS thread!!!
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