Being an O/O under a Carrier's Authority

Copy that, it just seems wrong that you have to take all the risk, do the work, and at the end of the week realize that you may or may not have operated at a loss. Not too many industries out there that you can put in a 70 hr week and come away with less money then when you started.

 

How did you arrive at $0.925 breakeven? That is what the truck costs with payment/insurances? What about fixed costs at home and variables like fuel and maintenance, retirement and petty cash?

 

Yeah don't do anything rash or go hopping. Its soft right now and these guys don't have a magic wand to save you or themselves from the prevailing market forces. The truck payment hurts a little but if you're making it you're making it. Personally I'm not buying a truck until I can pay cash for a decent starter. If the crap hits the fan and it ends up in the parking lot broken I can just go back to driving one of the bosses company jobs until I have the money to fix it. But at least the bank won't be after me for it.

 

You don't need these guys if the best they have you averaging is a $1.34 all miles. You could beat that without hardly trying by at least 30 cents a mile booking your own loads all from brokers, even in a down overall market like now. You wouldn't even sweat needing a 34 hr reset or running out of hours. It's crazy how these companies out here take advantage of guys. If they had any real skin in the game there is no way their trucks would be averaging so poorly. I know you say it is above your breakeven but realistically that's about all it is. You can't retire running 3,000 miles a week on rates like that. You can't afford over priced Obama care. Can't pay for new equipment periodically. It just isn't enough I don't care who you are or what you say your expenses are. In 1986 it was high cotton. In 2016 it is just dirt cheap.

 

Well Said , How about I get Trump's status quo initiative..And Get You sitting on a higher seat?

Smart, Well Spoken folks like yourself are needed in this business to assist in the basic "American Dream" that these fellow truckers should have their sights set on,Without fail.

 

It will be a long time before you have "a nice chuck of cash" with those rates. We are not trying to bash you in anyway, but we are trying to help you in pointing out that they are taking advantage of you. They are making "a nice chunk of cash" everytime they send you out. We are not saying quit your job tomorrow, but it's not crazy to think that you could easily have a much better company in your corner by next month. The guys you are with now are the problem with this down market, they are not the solution.

 

Misesian you just started as a O/O. How long did you drive as a company driver?