Help - can't find my niche as an owner operator

Could be many things I do not know where to begin!

 

You cannot compete with the Eastern Europeans running their junk trucks and paying their illegal drivers pennies. Most have stolen plates and no insurance, so if you are running legal, you don't have a snowballs chance in hell!

 

I happen to know many Lithuanian, Armenian, Polish and a few other European guys who are based out of Chicago,.. hell the guy I am leased on with is Lithuanian,.. and based in Chicago,.. so when I say your statement is most likely based on BS that you have heard from other drivers and not based on facts that you know,.. for a fact,.. I think you shouldnt talk out of that thing you sit on. And no,.. I am not European. I'm a modest redneck O/O based out of Florida.

Also,.. what does that have to do with this guy trying to make an honest living? For all you know, he could be Polish and trying to do the right thing.

Sigh,..

Hurst

 

To the OP.

Need more info before I could give any advice that might help.

Too many variables to try to guess what is or could be a problem.

Hurst

 

do you not liek the work or not like the pay?

My first step to improve your operation is to know your numbers. On a monthly basis you need to know gross revenue/mile. Fuel cost, maintenance cost insurance cost and other cost all per mile. Next figure out your net PERMILE.

Now that you know your business numbers you can make logical desistions. Knowing your gross will help you relize if your making enough at the company you work for. Knowing your fuel and maintenance cost will show you opertoonities to save money and thus keep more net. You need to know these numbers os you can decide if what another company could offer would be better for you.

If however you dont like the work, switch industries. You could pulls vans, cars, OD, tanker....the sky is the limit. its your business, so do something that you love.

 

sounds like the op is unhappy with the pay. must be leased to a company making .98 cpm plus what ever the fuel surcharge is. can't make money at those rates.. so it might come to it. that the op may need to make the next step. and get own authority and trailer. then bartering for the pay need to cover everything and put food on the table may come.

 

Thats what I'm thinking. That or he's into a lease purchase contract with not enough research and/or start up $capitol$ before he signed the contract and now experiencing buyers remorse.

 

He doesn't need to get his own authority to make more money. I make over 2 bucks and i'm leased to a carrier.

 

There is no reason in Chicago that you cannot make good money you must be getting hooked up with bottom of barrel companies

I see you posting on another trucking site sometimes You really think u are sometin dontcha?