Is trucking that Bad?

A lot of people go into the business under capitalized. When you are in that position you are forced to always make short term decisions. Short term decisions are rarely good decisions and have long term consequences. You really have to have a plan and find a niche that meets your objectives, both financially and personally. It's a tough life, requires a lot of perseverance and mental toughness. If you aren't making any money besides it can drive you crazy

 

You also have to have a plan for running your trucking business, plan for repairs, maintenance, etc, budget for fuel and all other expenses, and set aside money for taxes, just for starters. If you plan on buying a truck, then you better plan on running a business.

 

Sure, let's take the favorite mantra of the ignorant - cheap rates. Most I have talked to have no understanding of how rates are set in the spot market and have zero interest in educating themselves past what they hear at the lunch counter. They live in the world of spot market - nothing wrong with that. But spot market is the swap meet for loads. Companies use this market to find a deal. And when those deals go away because capacity gets tight they move the freight to a contract carrier or a more premium market.

But if you are to believe the masses then you would fall into line that the companies are paying the premium rate in the spot market and the truck is not seeing it because of a combination of broker greed and driver stupidity.

But with a little education you can learn that it is far more complicated than what even I am explaining. But with that education you are better able to spot ways to increase your margins.

 

blowing a bit of smoke are we?lol,the whole 'ITS a biz"is a bit of a smoke and mirrors game in the trucking industry.sure it's a biz anyone that doesn't know that should has an iq of below 70.but the difference from this"biz" and normal businesses is that as an o/o you aren't the only one running it.sure you may think you are,but there are so many more hands in your pot that you don't really run ####.you have the company you run for"in most cases unless you are running off a board"then you have the broker,then you have fuel.all of which are very unstable for you and only you.they are all still making what they want and need to make but you as the "business owner"are the only one that has to stick his neck out to make the money you need to make.the ones at the top know that you will take the hit before they even get close to taking a hit.

as far as company drivers go,they are on a chain from the start.the bad part is most in this biz will lose most of what they have even their families if they stick with it long enough to start making a living at it.sure the schools promote it as if it's great.but most companies have turned into mills and they could care less if you pay the bills or not.then the lease purchase was born.the companies make more off the truck with that,they get to keep most of the money from the loads you pull.most have to bounce around in this biz just to stay afloat.on the up side if you can make it past all of that sure it gets better and you can make a good living.

whining and complaining?lets see someone gives up their life pretty much to go live in a truck and work 24/7.they end up with hardly any life or rest only to make 300 to maybe 700 a week for the first year or 2 maybe 3.sure it looks good on paper.well if I ran 2800 miles a week I can make X amount of dollars.but when they get behind the wheel they find out they will hurry hurry hurry only to wait wait wait... with all the new laws passing almost daily they make it to where you can't move at all without them knowing about it,so they are regulating it even more to make it that mush harder.how the hell do they know when you are tired or not?they don't but that's not the point,the point is to limit you.so 70 hours on the "clock"with another 20 or so off for under 1k a week...and you call those people whiners?wow.sure there are ones that ##### about anything but I for one think it's unjust to have someone work and put there life on the back burner for 500 a week.

sure one could say well if ya don't like it don't do it.but how accurate of a statement can that be when people are lured into a school off the tv claiming all the stuff they claim.then gets hired only to have the company flip their noses at ya saying tough titty you spent all this money to come here now eat it..

sure you could say well they should have researched more.from what?but saying that would mean that the person saying it is a ok with how this whole con game is ran..so.....am I whining about things?nope ,im just telling it like it is so others that may see this have a complete understanding of how it all works...other than just saying all the ones that complain are just wussies.becuase im sure if they got only HALF of what they were told signing up they would be happy...but they don't even get that in most cases.FOR INSTANCE WHEN I STARTED OUT 13 YEARS AGO I RAN FOR 3 MONTHS STR8 WITH NO HOME TIME WITH 3200 AVG MILES A WEEK AND I WAS ONLY GROSSING AROUND 500 A WEEK.SOMETIMES I'D HAVE A 700$ A WEKK PAYCK.BTW THAT WAS RUNNING 15 TO 18 HOURS A DAY.700 + MILE DAYS WERE THE NORM BECAUSE THEY WOULD GIVE JUST ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE THE DROP.SO YEAH YOU WOULD HAVE TO RUN THE HOURS YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING JUST TO MAKE IT.ALL FOR 500 A WEEK LMAO GET REAL.IM SUR EYOU WILL SAY,WELL WHY DID YA DO IT THEN.WELL ANYONE WITH A BRAIN KNOWS THAT ANSWER...

So what im saying is I don't call people names because they are sold a lie and then almost lose everything because they are getting slave wages.back to your business line...well in any other business the employer would be put out of business if they operated like the trucking industry does...put it this way would any other biz be allowed to work you 70+ hours a week for less than min wage?let alone overtime.and the 70 hours is just logged road time that doesn't include the other stuff one has to do..I rest my case.

 

And here we go, i hear Mcds is building a team if this isnt your deal.

 

If that's directed at me,your a day late and a dollar short.Im just fine where im at.never said I needed a job.Im glad to know you are always around tho.to give sound advice on which companies are hiring...you have some worth after all..

 

Wages have not risen significantly in this business in some years. It is easy to blame brokers, carriers or other factors. There is some validity to those claims, but it is the drivers themselves who are mostly to blame. I can still earn a very good living in this business and do. It can be difficult for new drivers to get through the first few weeks or months until they get out of training and start learning how to operate in this business. There are some carriers where new drivers can earn up to $40,000 their first year, but that isn't the norm. If you expect to earn $50,000 your first year, then you will be greatly disappointed. But, you will earn more starting out than most other professions.

The main reason rates and wages are as low as they are is supply and demand. There are still too many drivers and trucks for the available freight, contrary to what you read and hear. Owners don't always look at trucking as a business, especially those with a single truck. It does sound more like a cliche', but this is a business. Too many can go out and buy a truck with little or no experince and no head for business. Just because you can do something, doesn't necessarily mean that you should do it.

I would like to see rates follow fuel prices. If fuel is at $4/gallon, then rates should be $4/mile as a minimum. That isn't going to happen as long as we have an over capacity or drivers and over capacity of trucks. I never had to go to trucking school. They didn't exist back then. We learned on our own or at the hand of an older "mentor." I think that was a much better way to learn how to drive a truck. By the way, there is no such think as "slave wages." Slaves are not paid.

There are inequities in this business. Life isn't always fair. But, regardless of what you consider low wages, you can still earn more as a trucker than in most other professions, especially starting out. Trucking has always been a hard business. It is one industry where "only the tough can survive," is more than a saying. Trucking, as a long term career, does require both mental and physical toughness. It also takes discipline. Talk all you want about the poverty wages in this business. But, I challenge anyone to find any career where you can go to a school for a couple of weeks and train for a career where you can start out at $30,000 or more your first year. You can save your money, buy your own truck and lease to a carrier or get your own authority and build your own fleet. The cost of starting your own business in trucking is very small when you look at most other businesses. While I don't recommend anyone buy a truck without money put aside, the truth is that you can buy a truck with only a small down payment. Some can get into a truck for as little as 10% down. So, for $2,000-5,000 you can buy a good used truck and start your own trucking business. There is an opportunity to earn more money than you would a company driver. Your net will depend on your ability to control expenses and how well you manage your business. Rates also directly affect your ability to earn a higher living. If you constantly run for cheap rates, you are not likely to do well. Remember, running for cheap rates is a choice everyone makes who owns a truck.

Drivers who move around from carrier to carrier are not going to earn as much as those who stick around for a while. There are exprienced drivers who do earn $0.50/mile or more. Most will fall in that $0.35-40/mile. You won't always be able to make it home for ball games or school plays, but that is the nature of this business. Traveling salesmen, some construction workers and military personnel also are among those who may not always be able to be home as often or when they want. These other professions are also not paid for every minute that they are away from home, either. Life isn't always fair. We all set our priorities and make decisions that are best in our particular situation. The government continues to look at this industry as a cash cow that must be controlled at all costs. That can take much of the fun out of the business, but we learn to deal with it and adapt or get out of the business.

There is NO perfect business or career. Life is truly a trade off. You can spend 4-8 years in college and earn a good living. Not everyone wants to go to college. I have met many college grads in this business over the years, many with advanced degrees. They come to this profession for a variety of reasons. It isn't that they can't do something else. They CHOOSE to be in trucking. I have been in this business for many years. I have a good education and many years of solid business experience. I could do something else. I have owned businesses that are not related to this industry. I CHOOSE trucking.

If you are considering a career in trucking, you should spend time talking to those in the business and look at whether this is a career you really want. There is a high turnover, much of which is moving from carrier to carrier. Some come into the business for the wrong reasons. There are some who will find a home. Don't always believe everything you read on these forums. Find a truck stop and talk to currnt drivers. I have no doubt that you will find a variety of opinions, but you will be assured of getting an honest answer to your questions. You will never find a perfect career. You find one that best meets your needs and live with those things that you don't like.

 

40k a year?? i must be overpaying my drivers! i own 2 trucks and have 6 leased O/O but my drivers make 60k+ a year .....but maybe because I mainly do long haul so my guys 2 weeks on the road and then 1 week home and then so on. But you are right about over capacity of trucks that is why I am not looking to expand my business any further instead maybe downsizing a bit because lately it seems like every customer gives an intermodal rate yet they want over the road service.

 

You want to know the secret to making money at trucking?

Do the things that nobody else will do.

That really is it.

 

What I find really comical here is that all the guys who pretend to know what they are talkin about seem to have a serious problem thinking outside the box. The last poster has it dead on. Why does everyone think highway freight is the only freight there is?? My income is 20k + every month after ALL expenses and I put on less than 5000 miles a month. The sky is the limit to profitability out here...just gotta be creative and have a better look around...