Getting sprinter van after otr for $1.00 a mile pay?

different strokes for different folks

If I were to run a business I think I could make more money doing something else honestly

 

I'm sacrificing all the headaches.

 

Three year projected: expected life 300,000 miles. over three years.
Breakdown
Mercedes Sprinter $50,000 purchase.
Hotels would not even be an option, so you'll need a sleeper, generator, AC custom built. $18,000
Maximum run life loaded down, 300,000
$1 per mile equals $300,000 in revenue.
Fuels costs running loaded. $103,000
Expected maintenance, throw in a few solid repairs, $18,000 over $300,000 mile hopeful life
Licensing, insurance, permits, tolls, etc. $5,800
On road, food costs, tolls, etc. $17,200

Revenue at $1 per miles: $300,000 over three years.
Minus above costs of $212,000
Net Income for THREE years: $88,000 Thats is less than $30,000 a year to be out on the road at least 5 full days per week.
And that is if you are busy, stay loaded, booked and everything goes according to plan!

No thanks! I'll drive for a company. The term spinning your wheels comes to mind in the above scenario.

 

Well thanks for the reminder of why I do what I do

I don't run heat or a/c, paid $3800 for my Sprinter and expect at least 800,000 miles out of it.

Matter of fact, I'm sleeping with the freight on an 8 year old camping mat under 2 sleeping bags right now. 10 F and toasty

Edit: sorry, $2900 US for the sprinter. I've been told already tonight you guys don't get our monopoly money

 

70k is on the low end of good paying jobs, plus you would give up all the benefits of being an employee. Health insurance, matching 401k, workmans comp, paid vacation, etc etc. All those things have a monetary value. As a contractor you need to earn enough to offset that, and as i said, since you can make over 70k rather easy with a decent job it just doesn't seem like a good trade off.

 

In other words you operated illegally for several months with no operating authority or insurance and "got pretty good money" because you didn't have the expenses involved in operating legally. Let us know how good the money is after you've been running a legit operation for a while.

 

Not sure what OTR stands for but I know a lot of sprinter van drivers and they never drive stable at $1. Usually its 70-95 cents a mile.

 

Can I say something? $1 a mile isn't good, and you're either bottom feeding on a load board or someone is making a lot of money off you.

Guaranteed whoever you got the freight from is charging $1.70 and up

That being said, one run on my last pay turned out to be $1.06 a mile, rates are down.

I'm looking for alternatives. $1 a mile won't replace my sprinter at $50k

Might as well buy an ancient straight truck and take 10 locals at $75 each, call it a day, and sleep in my own bed