Get paid .92cpm or a percentage?

If you have any mechanical ability, I would suggest the older used truck. Current emission issues are giving us, and our ind cont fits. I have one contractor that had his truck in the shop every other week this summer (aprox 5 times), and no one could figure out what was wrong. Just kept throwing parts and money at it. He probably spent $8K out of pocket. He has an 08 Pete with a Cat. Our 05 & 06 trucks had Mercedes engines which turned out to be junk...so I would stay away from them as well.

You will not be forced to park your truck unless you run to California...no telling what those crazy socialists will do. Emission laws are about as strict as they can get, since the air coming out of the exhaust has to be cleaner than what went in. Even if they did impose new laws, I would not expect them to require retrofits.

Buy the old truck, save your money, and reevaluate the situation in a couple years. Is freight good? Can Ind Cont make any money? Are new trucks worth buying?

 

While I don't believe that running for 1.15 is a good idea, I do think it is possible (I would not say likely) to stay afloat and slowly get ahead if you do things right. I advocate ind cont having 2 account the truck (business) account and their personal account. You should pay yourself a wage from the truck account to the personal account. If you do your job well money will accumulate in the truck account. This increases the value of your business, generating a return on investment.

Wages .40
Fuel (2.75, 7.0) .35
Tires .04
PM .02
Other Maint .04
Payment .20
Total 1.05

I am not sure how taxes would be figured in. This could easily eat up the remaining .10. If that is the case, it would seem one is better of to stay a company driver and avoid the risk. The only change would be if the payment is done before the useful life of the truck allowing the L/O to save money toward the payment on a new truck.

You are basically operating on a string using the same profit margin as Swift. By the way, Swift has been in & out of financial difficulty for the last 5+ years. I am not sure I would follow their model. One problem, and your business is done. There is no good reason to take on the additional risk of being a L/O or Ind Cont for the money you are talking about. Sooner or later you will have an accident or claim or breakdown. It will happen, and with razor thin margins it will put you out of business.

 

Oh my goodness, I'm a poo! TTR is full of poo's!!

If you knew, you could make a couple million bucks

One solution, seriously, is to abandon CA. I'm working on it myself. If Republicans take back the house and Senate come November, I think we'll be OK as long as we stay out of Commiefornia. They are just as crooked as Dems, but at least, they have enough sense not tighten emission laws in the midst of ailing economy. But then again, CARB and EPA seem to be able to do whatever the hell they want to do with no oversight.

Assuming Gooberment decides to do just that, you also have an option of buying a truck with EPA '04 engine (typically found in trucks of model year '05~'07), and add a DPF when the law takes effect. As far as I know, that's the main difference between '04 and '07 emission standards. Note when they say "2007 trucks", they really mean trucks with EPA '07 engine, which didn't come in too many '07 model year trucks.

I noted that in my very first post in this thread, and I noted my opinion regarding your original question. I figured you didn't read it, dismissing it as another "Swift hate". Guess I was right.

Because you are incapable of taking slightest criticism/suggestion/disagreement without barking back.

If you are so #### sure that you're doing the right thing for yourself, why not just shrugg "########" off?

O/O, L/O, POO, whatever the hell you wanna call it, you will be in the business for yourself, and how you conduct yourself to the customers/clients is taken as a reflection of your operation. Are you going to get into pissing match, just like you are doing now, whenever you have some disagreements with your customer? You need to grow thicker skin.

And trust me - I know how young guys think, I was one of them not too long ago. You always have to have the last word, gotta impress everybody.

You wanna impress me? Shut your big mouth, complete the lease, pay off the truck, come back to this thread and thumb your nose at every "Swift haters".

P.S. You are correct on one thing. Women think I am cute.

 

Alot less for a truck. Well atleast the smart ones...lol. But there are HUGE differences between the two and if you've been down both roads you should know that.

First off, no one is hating on Swift, thats just in your feeble little mind thinking we are. We are just trying make you understand that there are other ways to achieve you goals without getting ripped off by some L/P scam, your just to stupid to understand that!

Secondly, you've already set yourself up to fail! With the statement you made a few pages back about, and this won't be word for word and 100% correct but you'll get the point, "if I don't like the deal or it doesn't work I'll just give the truck back with no lose to me", it was something to that effect. You've already got you way out. Your not dedicated to this! You're nothing more than a little boy in a mans world when you made that statement. Man up or go home!

As for the true or real O/O..... If your names on the title, your a real O/O regardless of wither or not there is a lien on the truck or not. The difference between you(L/P) and a O/O is the fact that we can take our toys anywhere and play as where you can't! Real O/O's have something to lose if they fail, you don't. I know, your gonna think you're smarter than O/O's cause you have nothing to lose, right? Just keep thinking that...

Another difference is, O/O's are real and for the most part dedicated to what they do. Not some half-wit with an escape plan!

Edit*** The reason everyone keeps repeating themselves, me included, is the fact that you not getting it the first time around.

But you obviously know more than me so have at it superstar...LOL

Now thats just funny right there!

I figure I'll get the boot so nice knowing you all!

Sorry but I just get tired of these idiots who've been in the industry a couple of years and know it all.

 

I can't stay away from California is the problem, I live there. That's why I was asking about the emissions. But for every problem there is often a solution, thinking out loud I can buy the cheapo 05 or 06 and drive it til they say I can't in Cali, then hire a driver to work it in every other state while I take the money I saved by not leasing and purchase another California emission friendly truck to run myself if it comes to that. Anyway this all months away from now before I can put my plan to action but I do appreciate the insight and advice from all of you Master Poo's lol.

Master Poo: "when you can take the pebble from my hand, you will be an O/O"