What would you do?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Natural, Jan 2, 2018.

  1. Derailed

    Derailed Road Train Member

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    Came pretty #### close in 17 and barely averaged 4000 miles a month. Took some digging around and talking to the right people to find it. My body aches just think about 4000 miles a week. Maybe 20 years ago, you know that old Bob Seger song like a rock.
     
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  3. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Op, a few things.

    1- yes I know a few who make over $150k net but most are not in this business and those who are in this business own trucks.

    2- you can't do 4K a week consistently, there are too many variables. At 4K a week you will be changing oil every 20 days which means that truck can be tied up for a whole day.

    3- your competition is someone like me, I can take your customers away from you, run at break even just to be mean and not care about the loses. I don't do that but I know a lot of owners who will, so remember this you are not special, you are on very little fish in a very very big ocean and you can get eaten up so fast.
     
  4. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    LOL. Not to be Swift hater is a challenge. I was itching to do similar more than once, never got enough adrenaline injection, though.
     
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  5. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    With Elogs now, there is no way to do coast to coast with less than 12 days per loop, solo. Drop and Hook even.
     
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  6. Old Man

    Old Man Road Train Member

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    At 4000 miles a week I would only have to workj 15 weeks a year to do my 61,000 mile year.
     
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  7. Natural

    Natural Bobtail Member

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    Jan 2, 2018
    Rochester, NY.
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    You guys all make valid points. I'll aim for doing a combination of both short haul and long haul. The reason why I was mostly considering long haul is because the guy I'd go through gets brokers with $2.00 per mile. He doesn't go through any short haul brokers at all. His small company focuses primarily on OTR. What numbers per mile should I expect on average for short haul?

    Yes I am thinking about the money and like I said I see potential in this industry. I'm an Accounting major in college right now and thinking about doing this instead. I will have to bust my ### to make a decent amount, but at least it is not stagnant. I like the idea that the more effort that I put in can and will reward me. It's definitely risky and it is really up to the o/o what they can make in this industry. I like the idea that it is on them if they screw up. Motivates me more in that regard to see what I'm capable of.
     
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  8. Natural

    Natural Bobtail Member

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    Jan 2, 2018
    Rochester, NY.
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    I agree with that. The furthest you'd probably be able to go is to SLC and back from Upstate NY without a reset and that is pushing it. You better hope that you don't run into any issues on the way there. I'm sure pulling 4,000 miles is difficult on a weekly basis. I could always find something a little less so I'm not cutting it close to the reset.
     
  9. HalpinUout

    HalpinUout Road Train Member

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    Dude, follow through with your college career plans. You would be completely crazy to get mixed up in this business. This industry is in the trash big time. Follow through with that Major and eventually it will pay off you won't have to be sitting in a seat of a truck for 70 hours a week with no life. Away from home, loved ones, etc etc.
     
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  10. gokiddogo

    gokiddogo Road Train Member

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    You're in college right now and thinking about over the road trucking?? Go get laid a few times then see how bad you want to live in a moving small metal box by yourself..
     
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  11. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    lol Yeah! Unless he is a drop out or soon to be. Although, my years in college were about starring out the window during lectures. If he is the same, at least he will be staring out the windshield with a purpose.
     
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