Three years of own authority costs combined.

Truck Repairs: $34,367.69
Tires: $8,930.24 (both truck and trailer)
PM: $6,236.36
Truck Wash: $1,617.38
Additives: $1,454.77
Accessories: $1,295.31
Parts: $358.65 (only proves that I don't do much work myself)
Trl parts: $48.08

Maintenance includes both Truck and Trailer. Trailer was purchased brand new and so far there was no mechanical work done on it other than tires and greasing.
Yes, doing the work yourself will save you a lot. I am limited to my parking spot and capability of DIY, regretfully. I can do some minor electrical work or fix some air or small coolant leaks but anything major requiring power tools, I take it to the shop. I cannot, per lease agreement, perform any major- dirty-work onsite either. The shops I go to charge $75 per hour. It is not like I watch them with a clock on my hand either... Sometimes I feel ripped off by them, sometimes I feel that they saved my life.

 

First of all mindset and then the right work space. Living in the south helps quite a bit. I am also of an opinion the the real- classic sense - full blooded - owner operator should know about the mechanical staff; including how to rebuilt his own engine and be ready to do it. Someone like that YouTube guy by the name of Rawze...I can't go too far and say that anything else falls in the category of wanna be's but ever since the trucking was born, every driver should know the basic mechanical staff, not too mention owner operators. Can't just turn 4 ways on and put the triangles behind.

 

The part times are not that demanding...I am not seeing myself driving for a company either even if the money is equal.
I still kinda hope someone will pop in here and say he made 1 million of revenue on 300 000 miles in the last three years. Inspire and encourage. The costs as mine are more common than not. The point is: I am not finding enough revenue which only proves that getting own MC# and working load boards is not enough. The new motto is go beyond load boards.
I am short $100K of revenue for this current model to make some sense.

 

I give myself one last year of my own authority with a dry van. I can survive one more mediocre year but if 2020 turns out to be as bad for me as 2019, I'll have had it.

I'll give up the dry van and do something else. At that point, I'll consider an upgrade of the equipment to do more specialized hauls, if not giving up my authority completely and lease on to another carrier.

The trailer loan will be almost paid off by then and I can use it as a down payment for a reefer/flatbed or cash it out completely. At this work intensity - 90K - 100K miles a year, anything short of clearing 80K or even 90K is not going to convince me to stay at this for 2021.