Saying "No"

An exercise in understanding profit for your situation:

Situation 1:
1x600 mile run
Hours used: 10.5 drive 1.5 on duty =12/70
Revenue=$630
Expenses= fuel -$250, maintenance/insurance/other -$200, taxes -$50
Profit= ~$130

Situation 2:
4x100 mile runs
Hours used: 8 drive 2 on duty =10/70
Revenue= $680
Expenses= fuel -$180, maintenance/insurance/other -$200, taxes -$90
Profit= ~$210

Situation 1 vs situation 2:
Situation 2 profits $80 more a day, $480 more a week, $6,240 more a quarter, around $20000 more a year even compensating for extended breaks.

Disclaimer: all figures are approximations based on real world data. Your mileage, expenses, and profits may vary. The writer of this educational material strongly suggests you take the time during this 34 hour reset to run your own numbers and come up with a better business plan than "work hard, go broke, and make Werner rich".

 

I really just wrote this to help you out with thinking business, don't take it harsh.

 

If i read it the right way,you allready turned down a load to Chicago because you don't like to go there?

 

Sure you can turn down loads. Sure they can retaliate by giving you just enough revenue to slowly cause you to go belly up.
Operations holds ALL of the cards. They can run you well enough you will need another 53 foot trailer to put all the extra cash in. Or bankrupt as fast or slow as you accept.
There is no easy answer. After 40 years as an owner operator, 15 with my current company, I put the onus on them. I tell operations:
"I have a specific revenue target in mind for this whole month. Run me anyway you want, if the Rev per mile is within the target we are good. If not we have to make an adjustment. You have all the info and power, you can make it happen."
If it doesn't you have to go elsewhere.
"

 

Just REMEMBER, you are paid on a 1099, as a CONTRACTOR, it is illegal for a company to dictate your schedule; your loads are your schedule | and it's illegal for a company to tell you HOW to do your job; your work is trucking, according to the loads you want to run... anything besides the way you want run is illegal in IRS law [which is a big deal]

Big companies have been getting caught up lately in forced to semi forced dispatch operations, take FedEx for example: court ruled their owner operators were actually employees


SOOO: don't explain yourself to these people [dispatch], just tell them I don't think so, or no, not interested. It's his problem not yours OR he's looking at legal problems if you pursued it. [yes saying no can be an art]

If your worried about being left out on next loads then negotiate with him. "Sure I'll take the shag load but I need a pre plan first going 500mi -700mi"

Quit explaining/exposing yourself and your business to them. You give them the advantage at that point: look at old westerns and old school truckers in general, not much talking going on... this is my price... "why driver"... because it is

My opinion

 

I've had this discussion with another company back when I was an L/O.

It's very difficult to run profitably for a mega. Your responsibility is to your company. Your LLC or whatever. NOT to them. If you have the right of load refusal you can use it. Yes, there may be some push back. But, in the end remember this: YOU WON'T PAY ANYONE TO HAUL THEIR FREIGHT. You are in business to do business. Not charity.