Some advise bout leasing on & $$

your statement about new vs used makes me think you are putting the cart before the horse. Figure out what you are going to do with the truck, and then find a truck that fits that.

 

I am using just load boards and I believe I'm making more than leasing to a company.

 

Gross sure. But net? Even in today's depressed market, a guy leased to a landstar or Mercer type outfit should be averaging just under two a mile. More if running east to cover the extra expenses involved going east. On average, the spot market load board freight us quite lower than that. when you factor in that insurance for a guy leased is just a very small fraction of a guy with his own numbers, plus the big savings on fuel. Not to mention things like the savings on tires, parts, service, etc.

Keep in mind, I've ran my own numbers, and I'm currently leased to Mercer. so I have first hand knowledge of what's involved, and what the market is like. And know quite a few guys currently working the load boards. Rollin coal is probably the best I've met at working the spot market, and even he will tell you that for every 3 dollar a mile load, he gets called on, there was a hundred not paying half that, so he sits more than he runs.

So if one of the best can only get one or two good paying loads a week, how are the vast majority of guys doing? I'd wager 95 percent don't net enough over, what a guy like me leased to a good carrier does, to make it worth it. And most net less.

Besides all that, the biggest factor is, the op has a fairly nice job. One he has no plans of leaving. How in the heck is he going to have the available time it takes to work the spot market under his own numbers, on a truck he won't be driving?

 

You kinda contradicted yourself in the above statement with a oxymoron. There is no "minimal"risk in owning a truck. If you want minimal risk buy a Lincoln town car and hook up with a car service in the nearest major city where you live. Yea you won't make much by having somebody pay you to use it but that's your minimal risk. Now if you want to go for the gusto and take a huge risk which has a huge reward, then you gotta be all in, not partial. Now for a solution to your situation if you don't plan on leaving your current job then you should use that money to buy a decent house you could rent out and rinse and repeat. My cousin has 5 houses he rents out and he don't even drive trucks. He asked me about if he should buy a truck to put a driver in and I told him to buy another house vs getting into a unknown. People think tend to think its a endless amount of money to be made in trucking and it is. But the problem is they just like you don't know where to get it. Lucky for you, you came on here to bounce around your idea so you could get advice. Now imagine the guy in your position who went ahead and bought the truck to run for 1.00+fsc. He'll tell everybody he knew that it ain't no money in trucking like half the people on this forum says when it comes to owning. Good luck

 

I think what the cat meant was 'minimizing' risk. You're spot on that there's no such thing as minimal risk in trucking. But looking at ANY business venture, from a lemonade stand to building a skyscraper starts with doing exactly what OP is doin, and seeking to minimize the risk involved. Once all the facts are in you then decide if the risk is worth the reward. Good work OP.

 

True indeed but we all know building a skyscraper and opening a lemonade stand of the two which one would be needing a hands on approach vs hiring somebody to operate.

 

Lol amen brother. That's be sweet if the skyscraper was one big lemonade stand

 

Amen