Can New Owner Operators get loads?

some will, some won't.


Some need to have a 10 fleet minimum as well. You need to find the ones that will work with you and develop a rapor with them.

 

oh really?I did'nt know how that worked.

 

You'll do fine if you know the lane or lanes you will run....

Your goal is to get to a Break Even Point or BEP....The BEP is getting a rate that pays for the fuel and all of the "incidentals" like your insurance....Tires....maintenance..permits....So on....

And...That also includes paying yourself a salary....

So many company drivers making the transition to O/O say will look at load from LA to NYC and see the rate is $2000...Thinking that's a "Great Rate"....
But do the math...LA to NYC is 2790 miles according to Google maps....That means that "Great Rate" is actually paying .$71/m......Not so great when you factor in fuel costs and tolls....

A load like that should pay at least $6975 or $2.50/m.....

I know brokers will tell you that asking for a rate like that is "greedy"....But think about it....They're making 10% or better just for a phone call or two....You as the carrier have all of the responsibilities to ensure that load arrives safe and on time......
You should be compensated for that......


Now you being new....You have to prove yourself....

Brokers Like CHR may not pay you well until you prove yourself as safe and reliable to them....

That is not to say you should take cheap loads....
Know what a run will cost you first and then negotiate the rate.....Don't allow the broker to set your rate....Negotiate....if they won't come up...Then thank them and move on...Many times...I have turned down loads I know that the broker was holding out and they called me back offering to pay what I asked for in the first place.....

Sometimes in order to make your BEP for the week....You may have to do a Three point turnaround....Sometimes you may have to sit for a couple of days before the loads pan out....

Don't "Turn the key to the right unless the rate is right"....

Eventually you will find a lane or lanes that work best for you....

 

In the end, it's about covering all your fixed costs and the variable costs to get to that point.

After that, the rest of the year is yours and the money over and above the variable costs are pure profit to you.

You can do that with lots of miles on cheap freight or lots of revenue on low miles.

 

I have a list of brokers that will work with me and some that won't.

Some of them that won't are in two lists.

Couple wants 6 months, one wants 12 months and I have one who is a strange one wants a minimum 10 fleet company.

CH Robinson will take about anyone who has authority. We have hauled for them as well for the company I work for and they seem like a decent enough outfit to work with.

 

With the fuel cost I wonder how much of a profit do theyreally make.What I don't understand is why the broker does'nt tell them how much the load pays in it's entirety,they just tell them how much a mile they receive.Or do they know how much it pays in full?

 

They will.....They have freight sitting on the ground that needs to be moved from point "A" to point "B"......

If you as a company driver had at least 5 years of OTR experience....You had been through just about everything you could run into (pardon the pun) on the road.....

Now as an O/O....You have to wear several hats......
Anyone can drive....But as an O/O....You have to be a business person first and foremost....

 

I still run into things on the road that are new to me each week.

They are less shocking and a surprise to me, but they are still there.

 

I always thought some companies prefer so much exp.,i've been driving since 2003 as a company driver.Without help no way no how would I be an O/O alone.I'm not smart enough to manage the books.

 

...there's an app for that