Buying a truck and hiring a driver

Build a good old school truck stop.

 

Sorry but I looked into the BS government paying companies to train crap and it turns out to be ... crap.

Unless you are talking about taking a loss while training, there isn't any one program or set of programs that are setup to train anyone specific in this industry, and counting the WIA is not the same.

 

There is up here and I bet you're the same but they don't often advertise. After a certain amount of time out of work and after you've maxed out your time on the dole the out of work individual can apply to be retrained and not only does the govt pay for the training they continue the dole

 

That's not the same thing as the government providing funding for people in mass to get trained. That's the WIA and unemployment thing you mentioned that has been around for years and you still qualify for it. When people say the government pays for it, it sounds like they have a program just to train truckers which they don't. Swift and others don't make money off the training but the body it provides, even though if you drop out, you owe them a crap load of money. If the state foots the bill to a training company, that's on a case by case deal and the mega like swift can't gain anything other than a quick body to put into a seat when or if they are hired.

 

I'm saying i think the megas are in with the schools

 

I think it can be done if:
1. You have all your expenses figured out, and these estimates have to be accurate - both fixed costs like truck/trailer payment, insurance, plates, IRS 2290, parking, etc., and variable - fuel, repair, maintenance, driver pay, tolls.
2. You can find a good and reliable driver. Someone who won't abandon your truck with your load that had to be delivered. Luckily it won't be temperature controlled or you'd have a big insurance claim on top of that. Driver who will fuel where you tell him to fuel because $.20/gallon can save you $200-300/month. My buddy's last 2 drivers (both didn't last very long) were more interested in getting their Pilot points. Driver who won't destroy your equipment, and could drive around tolls if it makes sense.
Also consider if and when driver leaves how long truck will be sitting while you have to make payments.
Driver who can stay on the road. I wouldn't want a driver who needs to be home 2 days a week. That would decrease your profitability.
3. Your equipment is reliable and you have a good mechanic. Doing service at a dealer with $120/hour labor rate might not be the best idea. Consider time it takes for repairs, and as they say "If the wheels aren't turning you aren't earning".
4. Who will do dispatch and billing. If you have full time jobs you probably can't do it yourself, so you would need a dispatcher who knows the business, and can book loads for you. You need to know the lanes and what each pays. That $2.00/mile load to Boston might look good but then you're only getting $1.00 to get out. From what I hear you'd have to pay your dispatcher around 10% of the gross.
Basically you need to know your gross and expenses. If you do everything right you might have $300-500/week in profit. That's on paper.

 

I hear human trafficking, drugs and guns are pretty hot right now. Then and only then, would I recommend buying a truck