Called schneider 4 o/o info

you said it

you might as well be a company driver

 

ditto..........

 

Right now many of the mileage guys (company drivers and IC) are getting around 2000-2500 miles a week. This is from what I hear. Wether its the truth I don't know. I'm not defending Schneider only paying $1.14 a mile, heck I won't even look at those loads on their load board. I am a firm believer in not running off of mileage pay and running for percentage. I do know that since I leased on with them last Septmeber I have been able to cut my expenses down to .89 a mile (based off of actual miles driven). I could cut that a couple of cents more by using their shops and buying parts and tires through them, but I perfer to support my local businesses. Schneider isn't accepting applications right now for the Choice program, but when they do start I suggest looking into it. The rates on this program are pretty good and I end up averaging aroung $1.40-1.42 a mile (actaul miles including deadhead).

 

Whats wrong with getting the crap ran out of you? LOL but seriously more miles more pay....!!

 

I have talked to some of the mileage guys and...well...how do I put this nicely...some of the guys are just plain idiots and shouldn't be IC's so I wouldn't listen to carefully to them. The biggest problem right now is the lack of communication between the IC and DBL (driver business leader or what ever the dispatcher wants to be called this week), customer service, and the trip planner if there is one involved. Many of the mileage guys are sort of happy with the miles they are getting right now, but you need a DBL that will understand how and where you like to run. A DBL that understands not to send you to places like Laredo where you have a real good chance to sit for 2 days (or more).

I save money from buying fuel at their yards and with the discounts I get at the truckstops. Also I buy a few parts through their shops that give me a little bit of a price break. Where I save the big money is in tolls. Since Schneider pays for all tolls except Ohio, Indiana, and Florida (they will pay for any of these if the load is high value or time critical). Running the northeast I would normally have about $400 or more just in tolls at the end of the month. Now the amount is $0. Another place I save is by doing my laundry and getting showers at their terminals. This may not sound like a lot of money savings, but at the end of the year it adds up. A IC doesn't really need any extra stuff to lease on. Things like load bars, straps, and other things are provided and you collect them along the way to have a healthy supply. When I pulled my flatbed all the cost was on me.

The fuel surchage is what caught my eye. When I was leased to my previous carrier (4 trucks in the fleet) it was hard to get a fuel surchage or get the rates up quick enough to cover the rising cost. Now at Schneider since some of the customers are figured weekly or monthly I get a steady fuel surcharge. As for the paying myself. I don't figure any certain set dollar amount for a week. I figured $0.30 a mile for driver pay, add that to the $0.89 and you get $1.19. I figured anything above that amount is pure profit. I look for loads in the $1.30+ range, but will take a lower one (no less than $1.19).

 

work smarter, not harder




Nothing wrong with $1.14mi when they pay for everything except fuel. You can't make money at $1.14 minus fuel?? you won't be rolling in Bently's but you can do okay