A good opportunity for the right o/o?

They are to willing to get eyeball in dept without knowing how to do business..
Ya just dont go out whip out a stack of cash,buy the truck and go make a fortune..
Why not.drive a company truck and clear all personal dept and set aside 10-20 grand to cover their butt when they make the mistake with lease buys and bs..
Why not ue all just spend $250 bucks and buy a tool to teach them before they make mistakes..
Go to letstruck.com..Search for a product called "stop holding your steering wheel and start driveing your business"

 

Like i said before,its not always how much you make per mi...Its how good and efficient you run per mile..
You can get $3.00 per mile and run a classic style truck at 75 mph and make less than a fella make $2.00 a mile running 60-62 mph on a areo truck..

 

I agree with this, to a point. The rate can get so low no matter how thrifty you are you can't make a decent profit.

 

Besides unrealistic expectations of the work involved in operating a business. because that is what your doing, regardless of the method you take to have control of a truck.
It is amazing that most of the people I meet doing this have no clue as to what their actual numbers are.

 

Well as an o/o its your choice what you take and what lane,where you buy your fuel ect ect..If you dont know what it costs you to run per mile,your not payin attention to the #'s..If you dont know the #'s how do you know what and how much the load costs or makes you..

 

Thank you for putting effort to answer so thoroughly. Your guess was quite accurate. Me and the other guy working for me are making around 3k miles per week, maybe even a bit more, and averaging between 6k and 7,5k $ in gross weekly. I used to take oversize loads but not any more since the permits are time consuming, also the daylight limitation especially in winter time. From time to time I manage to take a partial load but I can never know how much space do I have left before I get loaded and usually, at that time, it is too late to find suitable load.

 

My personal experience says that there is enough money IF you are prepared for:

1) not enough sleep;
2) "dry" unhealthy food and
3) irregularity in taking showers.

Of course, it all depends on personal ambitions of each single person i.e. of their expectations. My philosophy is higher weekly gross despite less favorable average of $ per mile. Paying for the fuel 200$ more per week doesn't effect your earnings too much if you are grossing over 6k$ weekly.

 

I'd rather have a lower weekly gross,and bigger net per week. I'd rather have a zero gross in a week as to make someone else's wages. When I see guys focused on what they gross in a given week I see guys working like slaves. #### that. Have fun with it.

 

You will always make someone else's wages. Unless you retire. You have always made someone else's wages unless you were unemployed. To you they are working like slaves. Just because what they do doesn't meet with your approval, it doesn't mean it's wrong. You speak of them in a way that belittles them. Is that your intention? What I have noticed is most prevalent on trucking forums is a bunch of folks (doomsayers, naysayers) with a distaste for anyone who doesn't conform to what your ilk considers "the right way" (your way) of doing things.

Well it's time to wake up, and realize that almost everything evolves, the exception being some peoples attitudes and outlook. The trucking industry is evolving. More folks are in a position to purchase trucks and their own authority. A lot of them will fail. A lot of businesses fail in every industry. The savvy and sometimes the lucky succeed.

According to your own argument, getting your CDL and becoming a company driver for any number of years is "Slaving" for the Mega Carriers. I'd rather "slave" for the benefit of me. Also, not everyone who forgoes slaving for a carrier fails, or is stupid, or is making a big mistake. Some folks think being a company driver is slavery. Others think lease operators are slaves, and paying for a carriers' trucks. So, to avoid being a slave, should one go into business for themselves? According to you, no. What then should one do. What is the road map to avoiding slavery and earning a living driving a truck?

There seems to be no pleasing everyone. That's called life and human nature. Therefore, people are trending toward pleasing themselves.

Sure some folks are taking cheap loads and running borderline, or downright illegal tractors and trailers. News flash........

There is cheating in every industry. Let that sink in. Trucking forums are rife with elitist, demeaning,
insulting, rude and obnoxious people. I stay on the boards because there are others whom will offer sage advice, even an argument against an idea or business plan. But they do it with someone else's best interest in mind. Not their own biases.

Here is my favorite, "You're just a steering wheel holder". All of you are. If you have a CDL, and are driving a truck, you "hold" a steering wheel. You following this? Elitism. Johnson & Johnson would make a killing here, with all the soap boxes (mine included) being used here.

The trucking industry is evolving. Get over it. And the best way to do that is to get over yourselves.

Disclaimer:
I'm sure some will be offended. That is an unfortunate truth. I sincerely do not wish it to be so, however, exposure to reality can sting. I wan't to thank the Drivers here whom genuinely believe in others, and try to help, reach out to and turn folks away from real pitfalls. A fool is a fool. Some can't be helped, however, others can learn from them. A Man or Woman is not a fool for trying something new, or different. It's they way they go about it that defines them.

Give your fellow and future steering wheel holders a chance. We may surprise you, not ourselves.

Steve

 

That lack of sleep and showering every blue moon is nothin but bs...There is zero reason why you can shower atleast every 2nd day..Ya gotta fuel anyways so a shower can be had..Food well you gotta stop to make a sandwhich or buy one..Make up a meal in your truck thats better quality in about the same time..Sleep.....Well thats simple,find a place and go to bed,let the body wake up when its finished sleeping..Through out the day your less tired and more efficient with your day..
Its all about being smart with your time and some fore thought....Doin 75 mph and stoppin for a coffee and flirt with the waitress or gettin lot lizzards burns or stoppin for a nap cause you couldnt get you 8+ hrs in wastes your day...
I personally 95% of the time dont use an alarm clock....Fridge is full of food and so is the cooler on my jump seat..Takes an extra 10 min when you get up to have your meal ready to cook,you had your 8hrs sleep and a shower..Now your day is all set to make your time on the road..