Will pull in at least $15k per month. This is based off of 6 months of loads from my dispatcher, it's not including any loads I'd pull in from a load board somewhere else. Right now I'm getting paid $4-4.5k a month and to get me off the ground I'm fine with only paying myself slightly more til we get going and get some more money in the bank. With the company I'm driving for I'm usually out 6-7 days and home for 2, sometimes 3. So I'm not running super hard either so I'm sure that's not in line with what a company driver can make normally.
What would you put away monthly for maintenance, tires, and so on?
Questions for my first truck (Volvo)
Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by simonsocm, Aug 17, 2019.
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FlaSwampRat Thanks this.
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Definitely do not buy a deleted truck. Just about no one will work on it.
If you're buying an older Volvo, I'd stay away from the I-shift. They are $14k to replace.
Truthfully, if you want a Volvo, I'd buy a brand new one. You'll get about three years of mostly nothing more than oil changes. It'll cost you about $3k a month with insurance. You can easily burn up $3k or more a month on an older one just in repair costs, especially with emissions stuff. Or you can plan to be wrenching on the truck every time you come home. Me, I like to park mine in the yard and do other stuff. I did the older truck thing for a while and it wore me out working on it.Newto Trucking, Tropsnart, Opendeckin and 4 others Thank this. -
Ideally if you buy a healthy truck you should figure in at least 10 cents per mile. IMO.
If your monthly settlements (after fuel of course) are 15k that’s darned good considering the current climate. Your personal income is decent also. It’s just your monthly expenses are crazy high..FlaSwampRat, Dino soar and lilillill Thank this. -
Truck payment 1200
Insurance 700
Saving for maintenance 1000 (at my current driving rate this is about right, based on your $0.10 a mile)
Fuel Costs 4100 (again at my current driving rate)
Right there its 7100
I was looking at the business plan that we made up when we spoke with a small business bureau ran by my home state and he also had a couple things in there that I don't even get why he added them into monthly expenses like depreciation for instance (for taxes I assume?). Looks like he was also way over expecting how much I use in fuel normally. It's still only $1k off though from what I said originally.Cabinover101 Thanks this. -
Volvo truck repairs require special Volvo tools I hear. So you probably won't fit to many things yourself. That why only Volvo dealers work is on them. Volvo truck are heavy. I had 2000 Volvo the the 670 pulling dry van I could only scale 43,000. It did have duel 150 tanks and dual exhaust and S60 Detroit Diesel. That heavy engine, they had the fuel tanks way in the back on frame rails because Volvo are heavy on steer axle
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I had assumed that your expenses didn’t include fuel. In other words, your weekly settlements after your Carrier deducts your fuel expenses. Just guessing you’d be using their fuel card. -
You're correct in that I'd be using their fuel card. All my fuel costs were based off the national avg for diesel currently and at around 7 MPG. I'm sure there would be a little wiggle room for the fuel costs to possibly be lower based on my miles. I'd have to look at what they normally get for discounts though. Obviously my fuel cost doesn't take into account searching for cheaper fuel either.Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
Cabinover101 Thanks this. -
Once we have to start taking from our personal income to support the truck it becomes the beginning of the end..
Personally, I’m not going down with my ship.. First time I don’t get paid my salary I will pull the plug and go back to being a company driver.FlaSwampRat Thanks this. -
As an example, I’m at a Petro right now in Alabama and the pump price is $2.859
With the NASTC card I pay $2.426
That’s an incredible savings.. Don’t just settle on what your company offers you because every penny per gallon you save will help your bottom line. On top of that, using the TA/Petro rewards card gives you another 4 cents per gallon and it adds up quick.
Unlike the other rewards cards TA/ Petro rewards points can be used on anything except fuel. Anything, from the service shop to beer and cigarettes
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