Finally got my own truck

I got a Webasto engine heater and bunk heater, works well when in cold weather I don't have to run the engine. Set me back $2500.

Think I've done 4 or 5 pms this year roughly $400 each, plus a couple small things, and a steer tire. And an alignment.
Maybe $3000 - $3500 in mntc/repair. Not looking at my laptop right now but that's a rough estimate.

 

I haven't updated in a while. I'll update tomorrow night when I get situated for my 34.
Promise. Unless I die in a fiery crash or something.

 

Whoops. Did nothing but sleep and watch The 100 on Netflix.

In PA. Hate PA. 3 miles from customer and appt isn't until 6pm. But I got good money on the load. For once. October was a bust for me.
Kinda just putzed around. Taking it easy. Covering costs and trying to save miles on the truck in case I get a team driver. And I got depressed again, mostly from seasonal affective disorder. Lost all my drive and motivation for a bit.

Gonna go home next week for Thanksgiving and then back out for 3 more weeks until ELog mandate hits then I'll stay home and watch the circus from the sidelines. I'll run my numbers and get taxes ready etc.

 

Thanks.

I went home that last weekend of September when I went through the UP. Delivered that Monday and took my week off. Next Monday I got up and felt like complete crap. Ended up staying in bed almost that whole week. Installed my ELog that Thursday and tried to go out but was still sick so boss said to rest.

So I took 2 weeks off. The next Monday I took a load of pickles from mid Michigan to Atlanta for $2650, delivered that Tuesday evening, sat in ATL Wednesday and I deadheaded past Tupelo, Wednesday was crap so I deadheaded again up to Jackson TN to hang out with my best friend.

Went out for a beer and watched baseball. I'm a Verlander fan, he's a Yankee fan. Ended up staying that whole weekend and Saturday I made a real nice dinner for him and his wife for sweetest day. Just to say thank you for being great friends. And then we watched, to his dismay, the Astros winning the pennant over his beloved Bronx Bombers. Sunday we worked on his house.

Monday was nothing in there so Tuesday I ran empty to St Louis area and sat there until Thursday then I was about over my depression so I went up toward Chicago to try and hit money and failed. So all in all in 4 weeks I took one load. Boss took me out for steak that Sunday. Thank you. He got me a little hammered and I told him about the crack in the roof of the trailer where a forklift hit it, that my dad and I repaired better than any shop could have and cost me $10. Saved my boss $300 and a bigger headache. So he was fine with that. He knows I'm interested in his success and he mine.

So next week I did two loads for $4800, Chicago to Sioux City and Sioux Falls to Louisiana. Ran empty to half hour south of Memphis and sat all weekend. Lol. Cleaned truck and went grocery shopping. Then last week I did Memphis to Chicago for $1100, sat Tuesday, did $1200 Chicago to ft Dodge IA on a load of floor loaded empty plastic and metal barrels that I helped with on and off, was one of the quickest load and unloading this year, and could have been the opposite. From there I ran empty to quad cities and Friday I hit $3800 to Harrisburg PA area. Unloaded this evening at 6pm and then ran empty to x29 on I80, Barkeyville. Always seems to be parking at this Kwik Stop. Full service fuel station.

So in 6 weeks I've done $13,550 on right about 4350 loaded miles and a bunch of empty and sitting. I'm guessing I've ran just over 2,000 empty miles in this time frame. I'm tired. Tires of cheap freight so I refuse to haul it. I guess I made enough to be satisfied with and now I'm just being stingy. I really don't see the point in killing myself over making someone else a bigger profit margin. I have my own idea of good paying freight and alot of that has to do with time management. This ELog isn't easy. Part of the reason for my depression and sitting. When your clock is ticking, makes it an easier decision to just stay put and not take the crap. Back in spring I was like omgomg I gotta take something. Now it's like "oh well." Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich. I still have costs to cover. But I'm really starting to see the merits of the operating style of people like @rollin coal and yeah it makes it easier when you pull a reefer but dry van is tight too.

I've noticed on this forum start seeing more people come out of the woodwork getting their own trucks. Do I want more competition? No. But I can't stop that from happening. But for God's sake, you better be careful. You got to learn the markets and not drive down rates. Know when to kill yourself out here to make the big bucks when it's busy, if you know how, it doesn't just come to you on a silver platter, and when to take it easy. Don't haul cheap freight.

And yeah I'm seriously considering hiring a team driver. But it's going to be hard to find that someone. They'd have to live relatively close to me (within an hour) and they'd have to have at least 3 years recent experience with a clean record. And we'd have to have similar interests to some degree.

Anyways time for bed. There's your update.
No fiery crashes but I don't have to remind myself why I detest PA.

Omg. That J in Carlisle, the IdleAir Nazi came out and woke me up Sunday wanting me to turn around and nose in park. Along with everyone else. The crap doesn't even function. And it's dangerous to nose in park. I sent PFJ a message on their FB and politely complained.

Who uses IdleAir anymore?? They need to take their crap out and scrap it. They'd get more from the scrap than they're making on trying to sell drivers moldy and mildewy saturated air.

Goodnight.