What's a decent wage?

My initial plan was to set up as a carrier company. Take on 2 O/O paying $1.45 a mile, preferably a team...so two drivers. We'd probably get 18,000 miles this way per truck a month. I'd be using load link to find loads to and from the US. I know loads from the US pay more. We'd be looking for on average loads paying around $2.30 a mile from US and around $2.00 paying from Canada. Overheads, we're looking at about $10,000 including my salary as i'll be the dispatcher and plates, permits and insurance and few other items. We'd also supply a van or reefer....i know reefers cost alot....here i've gotten a quote for $1400 a month plus 0.04cents a mile. We'd be putting away around $7k a month in the company bank account.....hope i didn't screw up these calculations! lol

 

I don't know refer work so I may not be providing the best of advice but what you will need to factor in is a lot of deadhead miles especially if you are doing it load board. As a Canadian Carrier you can not do point to point US work. You can haul a product in, then haul one out. If they happen to be close together that is great but if you need to travel it will all be deadhead. A US carrier is allowed one reposition load in Canada but its not the same for us.

The other thing I am confused about is are you planning on just dispatching trucks and providing trailers and insurance or are you going to be the truck owner as well and looking for drivers. If the latter it is hard to find team drivers, so you need to expect times when they won't be hitting the high miles while you are looking for someone to fill the second seat.

 

you mean 4 cents or $0.04

 

Hey Calspring, thanks for the advice. I took dead head miles into consideration. On average...and rule of thumb...how much should i account for deadhead miles? Just so i can factor this in to my business plan and financials.

We'll be dispatching trucks to begin with, so taking on a couple of o/o's. So we won't be finding the drivers.

 

I did reefer job 11-12 years ago, the price of diesel was 1.30-1.50/gal; I made $ from April to August when produce loads are paid better, all loads back to Canada used to paid in USD,@ 1.4-1.5 exchange rate! today you'll get about same rate and some fsc ,if you are lucky to find honest brokers. But i blew up 2 motors in Utah and 3-4 radiators and pulling heavy reefer loads out of west coast across the mountains. Last month I was in Chicago BNSF rail yard switching trailers going in and out of west coast; I've seen 20-30 canadian reefers loaded with cooling units running; Trans-West, H&R and many other companies. If the big ones taking well paid contracts are using the railroad this days, you have slim chances to make money.

 

So do you reckon i should just stick with dry van? What would be the average rate per mile from Canada to US and rates from US back to Canada?

 

I know it's an older post, but you're spending 500 a week on groceries??? That's insane. I spend about 150/wk average for a family of 4. That's including fruits/vegetable/fresh meat. You need to stop shopping at iga or metro only. Maxi/super c/giant tiger are good.

 

I didnt read through all of the pages but I guess I'm out to lunch on my pay. I haul tri axle aggregates in Northern ON and take home 820 and some odd cents a week(55 hour work week). That is 1100 gross($20 per hour). That money for what I do is quite high around here. Most guys in tri axle dumps are lucky to be making $17+ around here.

 

s os
It is good the only thing is that is what you could get in the late 80s
Sad but true.

WAGES are good to drivers who are young and do'nt remember better times.

Do you know who Johny Carson is ?

$ 20.00 plus was real in the late 80s.

Times have changed.

But costs have been on a up world high..

Pay me for my time. Hourly with overtime.
Good luck.