Are You Profitable?

I think probably 99% of OO's have or will experience some hard times at some point. I know there are a few that came right out the gate doing well and never looked back, but the percentage is probably not that high. I know I have had some pretty gloomy times.

 

Company driver. If theres no profit in the days forecast of huckin rocks, i tell'm to go pound sand. Im here boss, that risk free pittance of a wage i get begins accrual... Now.

 

I had 2 break downs with 1 tow earlier this year and that had me in a little panic . Told mama daddy was gonna be gone for a while to fund my break down account and get back up . It's been a long year for me so far but I'm getting by and I'm staying positive. Yes , profitable.

 

I'm only commenting because company driver was an option. I find myself to be extremely profitable, I spend about $20/week in gas driving to and from work and get a $1800ish check lol.

 

My old stuff has long been paid for, so being profitable does not require near as much work.
This new iron would scare me, just to much expensive stuff to go wrong. My international that I drove myself well over a million miles and was never towed, still runs good and it has been 19 years since I have pulled a load with it. I had it in the shop when I had it inframed and on lt two or three times besides my own shop. I am thinking I probably spent less on maintenance total excluding tires, that what I hear some guys talk about yearly.
My w9 has just over a million, which is a lot for haul road miles, but has not been on a hook for at least the last 650,000, and never in an outside shop until last month to get some ac work.
My T800 saw more outside shops than anything I have owned, and it was on a hook 3 times, one ecm, one steer axle wheel bearing, and a clutch. I also had an outside shop put a head gasket on it, those four times and one more fore the air conditioner was the only times it ever was in outside shops.

If I had to get one of these new trucks and the payment to go along with it, I would have to think long and hard about it.

 

It all depends on the definition of profitability in the accounting sense. By some, driver pay may be included or not. If it is , how much? For those with paid for equipment, is there a replacement fund on the cost side? The same goes for IRAs, occupational insurance, health insurance...
One thing for sure, a solo owner operator will not run while being unprofitable for too long.

Dry van:
August was not a bad month for me, as a matter of fact this one is the best of them all so far in 2019, at least revenue - wise. By this Sunday, I will have grossed 19860 K on 10 500 all miles - about 1.90 c per mile average.
After fuel and tolls, I will be at 13-14K of...let's call it the gross profit. I am clinging to the same lanes and brokers.
Still, it is too much effort for too little return to my liking, also considering much less of a home time, I don't think I could sustain this intensity level for too long at this point of my life. I do hope for better times and grossing this much at 7-8 K miles per month.

 

I'll be honest. I was out for 2 months straight, kinda was running all over the place left and right and sitting and waiting. Yea, I made some money, but then I dropped alot of it in repairing the truck and paying taxes etc, which I did the work myself but still it's not enough money for the work and time put in.

 

War of attrition = survival of the fittest