Any help greatly appreciated!

Why do you have your heart set on running for a company like Schneider?

 

If you have $30K saved now, and will soon make a move once you have $50K saved, I'd keep doing whatever you're doing, lol.

 

Well, a pay cut should be easy to accomplish in truck driving. As for regaining your sanity ... good luck ...

 

I love the positive attitude, thats exactly what people need when trying to make the choice to become a driver.

 

I second that!

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-adventures-continue-dfo-gets-truck-hops.html Try Reading This. It will give you an idea on how schneider runs.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...choice-program-west-coast-company-driver.html Also this one and many more. Good Luck !

 

You'd be nuts to lease onto a large carrier IMO. I've pulled for large carriers, small carriers, etc. Been around the block a time or two money was always better with the little guys...even though the last go around it was a little more of a fight to get my check.

You can do whatever you please but you should understand if you think this is going to be a rosey world you're badly mistaken. I can think of a lot better ways to spend 50k personally.

To answer your questions
$1.05 or so +FSC/mile (I hate milage pay for a few reasons)

Pay is usually weekly starting a week behind they supply a fuel card 99% of the time

Plates vary depending on the base jurisdiction figure between $1400-1800/year. Ins. Will run you about $500/month give or take depending on record Bob tail will probably run you $100/month depending on values


Yea there's slow times and times when you'll run your #### in the dirt just depends on the time of year.

As for your background if you're going to lease to a big carrier your milage is WAY off. You'll want 2800 minimum closer to 3000-3200 running short works sometimes but not often unless its a dedicated customer with a set minimum that pays well. Wouldn't take less than $1000/day on short haul work.

As I said do whatever your heart desires but you need to rethink a little bit on what your doing...I've got a number I can give you might be a place to look into moneys good and you can run as hard as you want might make it on 2300/week but it'd still be tough if you ask me depending on your bills at home.

Keep in kind what these trucks cost to operate its not cheap and when things hit the fan bills can pile up real quick. Andits nothing for what you tthought would cost about $2500 in the shop to turn into #### near $25000 been there done that. And getting out of that hole takes some time as well. Just know what you're getting yourself into it sounds negative because well its a hard dime to turn. You'll have ups and downs and I guarantee you first time that truck goes down for a big repair you'll want to quit sell out and go do something else. Been there a time or 2 as well. Lost more sleep than I care to talk about and in the past 3 years I've taken 20 off my life just in the cigarette butts I've flicked out the window.

Staring out a window and getting paid to see the country isn't all its cracked up to be. Sit in a 120 degree truck when the A/C goes out down in TX, run 900 miles hanging your head out the window every 100 miles to puke, or run through the blinding snow and ice for 200 miles because there isn't a safe place to get off the road and get stopped for the night. There's a lot better things I could've done with my life looking back. and trucking is going to get a hell of a lot worse for it gets any better least from what I'm predicting. Guess well see and find out.

Good luck

 

I wouldn't lease to a large carrier for it. Not worth it. Yeah you got a lotta loads but their all cheap. They don't pay anything to run a 1,000 mile load and make money. 1.05 a mile ain't enough to keep this truck moving it'll profit me to sell it at that rate.

I will say this a fuel card is a large plus. Because when you don't get paid for 90 days but you gotta buy fuel on spot it's bad. Depending on how hard I'm running it takes $600-1,000 to keep fuel in these tanks. I have to foot that fuel bill by myself. I don't get to wait I gotta pay for fuel, if you can stand to have it in your truck carry cash, buys fuel cheaper. I carry American Express. My boss buys my fuel then we add up my tickets and I pay him the balance. It works out that way for me.

DONT figure what it'll take to make that truck profit down to the penny. You'll worry yourself to death. I know pulling a flatbed I gotta have $2.30 a mile to make it work with my trailer and me go home with some money too. I see guys who know it takes say $.93 cents a mile to make it work that's all fine and good but what happens say you got a load that pays $1,000 you burn $600 in fuel to get it there you got $400 left okay say you got a driver who makes 25% well he takes $250 now your down to $150 that you made now figure your maitnence and stuff in what did you really make if anything? Not much.

Also if your gonna buy a truck out it in an LLC that way if that truck goes broke nothing happens to you they can't come after you for payments. Also you need to pay YOURSELF off the top. If you can't make money paying yourself then you don't need to be in the trucking business, I pay myself 25% off the top. Like said example I'd make $250 to run 400 and some miles. Also if you don't get FSC your screwing yourself out of a lot of money. You Definetly need your FSC I can't remember what it is at this moment but you still can make it with out it but your just making it unneededly harder for no reason.

That's all I can think of for now.