How are they doing it???

So basicly what you did was start up your own business and own authority and managed to find some sucker to drive your company's truck for free ... You need to be including a mileage rate, or maybe a fixed amount per month rather than something dependent on the miles driven for the month, however you want to cut it. It has to be at least equal to what someone else would pay you, otherwise what is the point of going through all the headache of your own numbers so you can put less dollars on the dinner table? Cut that factoring crap out also. Have plenty in the bank so you can wait the 30 days to collect. It is very expensive to factor ... in your example, $10,000 per year. Get yourself on the NASTC fuel card, it's the best card out there for small trucking companies.

What is your home base location? How far out are you running? You might find that running certain lanes in a triangle say will pay much better going one way around the triangle than the reverse.

 

Even though it seems like everyone is using brokers - they are not. At least not the successful ones. If you want your own business you need to get your own business for at least part of your runs. If brokers are your only source for loads you are grossing at least 20% less than most everyone else. Think about it - the best loads don't even go to brokers to start with, so you are hauling cheaper loads and then giving up 20% of that. You would probably be better off just leasing to a company.

 

I've been successfully running about 99% brokered freight for the past 3 years. With dry vans you have to be kidding. Most direct dry van freight is really nothing to get all jazzed about rates-wise. If you want to make good money with a dry van you have to learn how to exploit when/where the truck shortages are. I'll put my ledger against anyone dry van or flatbed running independent on 100% direct freight would bet $100 very few of them would average rates better than mine from brokers at my 89% cut.

 

I dont know what area you are usually running but I find it hard to believe you cant find some good rates right now. Even in the northeast rates are better than usual for dry van. Broker loads arent always cheaper loads either. If I get what I feel I should out of a load I dont care how much more they get whether its 10 percent or 200 percent. As long as your not leaving anything on the table for the area your in after you negotiate. Your operating numbers are pretty similar to mine as far as costs plus or minus a few things. Give it some time and it will look better. Its a little terrifying at first.

 

You might be right about dry vans, and after re-reading the post, that is what he was talking about. My bad. I only run reefers and flats. I've seen very few good paying steady runs in my market that didn't eventually go to a good operator. The shipper likes dealing with the same company in most cases and why would the trucker give up 20% or 10% or whatever if he didn't have to?

 

Running off load boards can be hard to make money if your just jumping from one broker to another. Find a lane you want to run, then find a good broker, or a good shipper with regular freight. Call around, get out there and knock on some doors, and find the good paying stuff. Ask the random brokers you find off the load boards if they have regular freight. Good paying loads don't come to you on a load board very often, you have to work hard to find it. If it was easy, everyone would be rich and doing it.

 

You've been doing this for 3 weeks. Reefer rates are going to be about the same for you. You're starting from zero and have to learn. Give it time. I did what you're doing for almost 6 months, aside from a stint doing hopper bottom which was really good, before I found and consistently started getting solid rates. My "cut the dry van loose try another trailer" point was 1 year. But it never came to that. Give it time. Be patient with things.

 

Stop running where you want to run, and start going where nobody else wants to go. You should be slogging through the slush in the northeast right about now. Taking those 2-300 mile short hops for no less than $800 each. Forget about those long runs to warm places with nice weather.

I was able to squeeze $4k / week to the truck out of the load boards on 2000 miles or less per week (all miles, including deadhead) when I worked for an owner that let me book my own loads. That was 2012-2013. Now I'm a company driver for a local / regional outfit.

 

Let me know how you write off Peanut butter on your taxes.. Household expenses are paid with the profit of a one truck operation and are taxed as such.

 

If you're running off of load boards with brokers you need to learn the word NO... If I get quoted anything less than $2 a mile, NO just instantly flies out of my mouth and I counter with an offer. Once those negotiations fall below $2 I tell them if they can come up to my rate they can call me back, but I don't know how long I'll be free to do this load. I'm 100% broker and have been for 2 years. My all mile average is $2.17 a mile. You just have to use the lane information off of those load boards and the hot state indexes to steer yourself.

You should be with CHRobinson, Coyote, BNSF and TQL (as a last resort) at least. Plenty of good paying freight for the operator that will get the job done.