Best time to get a truck huh?

If you are talking your own dot #’s then insurance is gonna run $1,800-$2,500 a month for the 1st year Depending on your record and experience.

My insurance was more than double the truck payment. I will say that much

Your maintenance looks light to me....hope you end up with the holy grail of dependable bullet proof trucks


Crap now i need some popcorn

 

You will be keen on it. Lease through Freightliner leasing company. Same as buying it, you own it at the end, no balloon, you can pay off early no penalty, every payment is 100% counted as an expense. Any dealer will have this option. You said you have good credit, so it should not be a problem. There are other nice financial perks that go along with it as well. Do the same with the trailer.

 

No- Never Assume 2500 miles per week- NEVER! (1800-2200) on 45-50 weeks per year

Your gonna only work 45-50 weeks per year (vacation-maintenance-family obligations or you'll just need time to recover)

Im going to be 100% honest with you- Your first 5 years are going to anger you because your going to have so much seat time-Yet see little in your Bank account(Bottom line) Which is why your doing this in the first place

If you stay with it-And your not a "spender"...Work Hard-Put your money away- You'll do Fine once you learn the "Other" parts of running a truck (Booking loads that keep you out of the red etc)...

This is NOT an easy Business-But,When you Crest over the top, You'll Be Happy you did..

Expect to Work 60-70 hours per week- If You Do not want to work on your own truck- You BEST find someone close to you that isn't charging $125 per hour-Or You'll be Done in under a year.

Theres so much more I need to say-But for now,Digest What I say here,Any Questions Fire Away,There are many of us on here with 20 plus years of success that will Lead you the right way.

 

Owning your truck is a lot different than driving part time.
You seem to understand the numbers, that's a good.
The income you estimate, is that enough to cover your personal expenses? Or will they drain your savings?
I suggest you drive for somebody else, for a complete year, to see if driving is your cup of tea.
Good luck with your choice

 

Working for less than someone else is willing to pay you to drive their truck while assuming all the risks of owning your own is just plain stupid. What happens if you are unable to drive for whatever reason? Do you think you will find someone to take over your .40 a mile job when someone else is offering .55? And at that point you will be running a business for....the sake of running a business...?? You need to make healthy profit otherwise what is the point.

And forget all this 2500 miles and 50 weeks a year horse ####. Try to do it on less miles and 40 weeks per year. Once you master that just keep cutting it back it's what I do lol....

 

This industry can be very lucrative. It can also you alive. 2017 has been a very good year so far, but coming into the winter things tend to slow, and rates fall accordingly. There have been times early 2016 about first 4 months for me absolutely sucked. Rates at half of normal. Can you afford to sit or can you figure out another way to skin a cat? At the present moment you can pretty much fall out of your truck onto a good rate. It will not last. This industry is cyclical. Wait til capacity catches up to demand and then demand slows then there will be excess capacity and drive rates down again. The over extended and ill prepared will fail and reduce capacity once again. How do you manage through these times? Build good relationships. Get a customer or 2 of your own. Stand your ground. It is easier said than done.

 

I started in 1989........Going mileage pay for non union otr drivers was between .19-.24 cents per mile-

Freight itself pays approx. 20% more today than in 1989- (close estimate) Freight rates never followed inflation due to deregulation

Average mileage per week varies as it does today- I Never drove over 3000 miles in a week- Back then Guys were pumped up crushing 4k a week with little sleep to keep customers happy- Different time back then-Doesn't happen that much any longer

So lets talk "NOW"....Its not about miles- GET THAT OUTTA YOUR HEAD RIGHT NOW- Smart drivers work Less miles- DO NOT use a mileage table to predict your earnings as a potential truck owner.....

Your Key to success is the Least amount of miles and Hours to achieve your weekly/monthly financial goal