Good paying Loads. Availability and How to catch them.

Hello Owner - Operators !!!
My name is Oleg. I started driving a truck 4 years ago. Moved containers here in Chicago bought my first truck after year of experience and got interested in long hauls, particularly Dry Vans.
A year after owning a truck, learning some curves and going thru some hoops I went ahead and got my authority.
It was back in June 2014. Not knowing which direction is paying what I just started negotiating for 2 dollars per mile in any direction. Things weren't working out the way I thought they would but first month gave me the greatest amount of information and lessons. Along first couple of weeks I met a broker who I became good friends with, and that is where things changed a little bit.
We started working together, he was helping me with loads and I didn't even have to open up the Load board. 3 month later things went so good I bought my second truck. I was focused on Freightliner Columbia with Detroit 60 series as these trucks are cheaper to buy and fix, and plus I already knew a dealer so it was pretty quick and safe deal. Hired my friend, who by the way didn't have any experience, and put him in my first truck and myself in new one(I just bought).
Long story short, I bought couple more trucks and hired couple more guys.
Market changed.. It was harder and harder to find good drivers. Every single company is looking for one and you have to be creative to advertise in places where nobody else is advertising. Salary for drivers here in Chicago went up to 50 cents per mile, avg gross per mile was $1.5-1.65. So you are left of with $1 to maintain the vehicle, trailer, pay all fees, permits and live of the rest. Not good.
I started selling trucks to my drivers and leasing them on to me for 90% of Load Gross Pay. Starts with my first truck and quick enough my other drivers asked me for the same deal. So I sold all of my trucks to my drivers and made all of them O/Os leased on to me. Now I have more time to look for loads for them and I even got some local shippers that I contact once in a while to do a load for.
I strongly believe that era of buying trucks, maintaining them, paying all expenses and paying drivers and living on whats left IS Gone. One day you are going to hit the wall. You either need to have good banker that can help you with a loan and you gonna need huge loans or you are going to struggle and it will consume a lot of your time.
I am currently looking for more O/Os and I am expending my dispatch services to those who have their authority as well.
You guys stay safe on the road, we need O/Os. Those are the most hard working induviduals and the highest value providers on my opinion.
Best Regards, Oleg.
Say NO to Cheap freight !!!!!!

 

Drivers pay is 50 cents per mile here in Chicago. O/Os don't have that expense

 

I remember driving a truck and paying attention to everything. You care about your equipment more then your drivers. Therefore maintenance is going to be less expensive. It just make more sense to me to deal with O/Os. Plus Owners are far more experienced then drivers(not always but mostly)

 

Go ahead and figure it out on your own.I am saying that 50 cents per mile is too much and paying less then that will leave you without driver. Drivers are constantly looking for better opportunities to make more. I am just talking from my experience.

 

And that is true. There is always a reason why one load stands out from the others