Doing local runs from the Chicago to Green Bay area

This is interesting,


Im out of Chicago and currently go to Washington east coast then chicago

Would also want to become an owner operator but from what I've heard it's hard to make money just doing short trips like that, there's options where you can do containers more local or go to Texas and back to Chicago but not so much money in lOcal stuff

 

I normally only run the short loads, I say 85% of the time. It fits my needs with my full time job I have 5 years to retire then I will truck again full time and still do short runs. I price by the run, you need to figure weight, distance, load unload times and how much it costs you to move the truck and your wage plus profit. I have regular coustomers that I have obtained over the years because they had problems locating trucks to do short runs. It all depends on your business plan. Example I am older 25 years trucking 0 tickets or accidents = cheeper insurance rates. I own my truck and 3 trailers = no payment. Set money aside for repair repalcement of equipment = cost to move truck. I now have exempt authority so I go out of state some but only 3 states (live in Indiana but close to Oh, Ky,Tn,) fits my needs. Can trip lease if I want to on some runs. It works for me, but it has taken trial and error and profit planning and luck. I like to stay in the 100 air mile radis, I dont use alot of fuel and I am sure to be home for return to real job. And when the DOT auditor asked me whiy I did not just get regular authority as I have the required insurance for it, I told her I thought about what I have hauled over the years and 90% if it fell into the exempt bracket so why not.

 

Day cabs are more expensive than a sleeper truck, a 06 Mack is aprox. 59k. At exit 107 i-43 in Belgium they have sleeping rooms for under 17.00, if you get stuck in a storm or messed up load. Green Bay 2 Chicago house hold scale is 197, to 203 paid miles, hub miles going i-94, then i-90-94 dan ryan to 47 th st. hub miles is aprox 225. There,s intermodal hub group loads, that pay over 3.00 per mile, 42-44 k tho. Not all hub group loads are that heavy. I did the intermodal Wi. to Chicago a couple times, if you leave G.Bay at 17.30-18.00 it,s a piece of cake, going downtown to the southside I could get 600-650 hub miles a night, in a 62mph truck, coops are locked up, no lines after midnight at the fuel island. At night the wind is calmer, temps are lower, less blown tires, easier on your truck too. I,m back pulling a tanker otr now, but in the future I,m buying a truck for intermodal, then maybe in the future my own chassis, etc. Get a low via duct map of Chicago, also I hear some freight in Chicago has a Chicago surcharge- fee for pick ups and delivery, because of the traffic,tolls, it,s chicago haha. We need to start a Wi. drivers organization, to help each other out and take the mega co.s down.

 

You would have to get rid of PTI,CTS,jeez a whole slew right in GB. And don't forget about the real cheap ones to the north.

 

Shoot for 6mpg. Cost per mile 1.60cpm with 45 cpm for driver inluded.
getloaded.com, etc