How do you o/o for ~$1/mile?

Simple Answer.

Truck drivers of today ''live'' in there trucks and have ''no other bills'' OR life outside the truck...The ones that get hurt are the O/O that have a family,wife and want a nice life for there family outside the truck,NOT INSIDE THE TRUCK..!!!!!

I no a guy in New Jersey that lives in the ''Salavation Army'' when he is off the road.Then he goes back on the road for 2 months or more and goes back to the Salvation Army.He is an O/O and works for 1.10 a mile...

Trucking has become a job for the Homeless and Bums.I feel sorry for the ''Family man'' trying to make it out here anymore.They are the ones that get screwed and struggle to provide for there LOVED ONES...

 

I think Rollin operates his own trailer as well so that accounts for some of his increased cost. I will say that .83 is pretty impressive and so is your fuel management

 

That will be a surprise to my non working wife, my dogs, and the cat, all who I am with every weekend and holiday and stop in and see during the week on our 40 acre small farm in Iowa. Even got in a few hours on my New Holland ag tractor this last weekend doing some work getting ready for the spring. Even went over and put a bid on a John Deere square baler and a hay wagon. Didn't get it, but that's ok. I really was not chomping at the bit for it. Only if the price was rock bottom was I going to spend money on it. Oh yeah..... have to get that lumber ordered to build 40' long deck on the south side of the house. No problem paying for that. Already cut the checks for estimated taxes so far this year. Will be fun having company over and sharing a beverage on that deck with that 2013 Freighliner of mine sitting alongside the barn. Before anyone gets too tipsy, maybe we will spend some time on the firing range I have running along the north fence for 300 yards. Man, it is great being a homeless bum.

To be fair, you are correct more than wrong. There are a lot of folks who just plain do not have any aptitude for running a business and they are getting their chops busted. Some folks are not destined to be business owners. I feel sorry for them, but it is a hard world. You either are willing to learn and do what it takes to make it, or face the awful consequences. It is all about choices. Nothing is handed to anyone. They have to reach out and grab it.

 

LOL...I guess Ive been doing it all wrong then. Owe nothing on my truck, my 3 trailers, home and land. I just love being home every day and only running 1000-1500 miles per week to spend time with my grandbabies. Not to mention restoring an old Pete 362 just because. Guess I should just sell it all and start over leased to someone else so someone else can TELL me how to make money and when and where I HAVE to go. Thats funny. It depends on the individual and what they want. Its not ONLY yalls way. TRUST me on that one. I do VERY well MY way. Be safe out there drivers.

 

Not bad on what you stated. I would only take one exception to a comment you make about leased onto someone and them telling how to make money and where to go. That assumes a little too much and seems more like just a dig at those who lease on than based on fact. I have yet to see a lease on situation I have been involved with that I was told where I had to go. I have always made a choice on loads and made it very clear where I would not go... ever. And the carrier might as well not even ask because it just isn't going to happen. When one makes the ground rules all clear in the beginning, then there are no surprises and limited conflicts. I suppose the how to make money comment has a little validity in that the carrier would specify how they are compensating the lease on. But how one makes the net income come out at the other end of the equation is really in their hands and not the carrier's. And the net is the only thing that matters in the broad scheme of things. If one can get the net they are happy with in 1000-1500 miles, cool. Nothing wrong with that. If one gets the net they want running 2500 miles, nothing wrong with that either. That is the beauty in all of this. We don't all have to dance to the same tune. We find where we are comfortable, and make the best of it. If it is leased on to a regular carrier, doing a the semi independent thing with someone like Landstar, or totally out on ones own. It really doesn't matter. No way is better than the other for everyone. But we can all share advice and share ideas.

Sitting back and watching these debates over the years, I have only come to one conclusion..... the on their own independents are not as confident as they claim to be in that they just can't seem to avoid wanting to take jabs at everyone else to try and prove to themselves they are in a higher class than everyone else. The semi-independent, landstar type of O/O somehow suffer from some sort of male protrusion envy and want to try to claim they are independent to make themselves feel better. Many lease on types somehow wish they were independent and want to claim a status outside of what their status really is. There are winners and losers in every category of truck owner. The hard part is finding folks that are comfortable enough with themselves and how they are trucking to not feel the need to throw out diatribes and inflamatory comments that help no one. There is nothing wrong with any business model if it is working in one's favor.

Folks here have explained how they can make in on a $1 a mile base rate, which was the focus early on. Some just can't seem to figure out how that can be done. Does it really matter? Many retail outlets can't figure out how their competition can sell the same products cheaper than they can. It isn't the problem with the store selling the stuff cheaper, it is the store that can't figure out how to manage things so they can sell the same product cheaper and remain competitive. Simple business, folks. Been that way since the first cave man started trading animal hides or trading services. It would be nice if we all had a monopoly on trucking rates and other goodies, but it just isn't how the world works. Some of us figured this out a long, long time ago and have come at this from a different approach and are making things work. Some just stare out the window in wonder.

 

Nobody said it had to be one way or the other. But when someone insults me because I choose too operate leased to a carrier I get irritated. God bless you guys, im glad doing your own authority works for you. I liked it, right up until the economy busted. The point we are trying to make is simple: If you keep your expenses down and keep to a budget being leased can be great. If you have to have that flashy truck with a 2,000+ pmt or you are business ignorant it may not be for you. I run dedicated from Wi to Pa every week. My tolls are paid I get my mileage pay plus an extra 600 a week in stkp pay. Im home once during the week and every weekend. Im looking at Mercer for two reasons, a little better money, and pulling a flat I like it better it keeps me active. But dont knock us because we figured out how to make money leased to a carrier without all the extra headache that I dont miss.

 

My God, this is one of the best Threads I have read in a while! Thank you all for backing up your experiences with factual numbers!

 

It's pretty clear to me. The farm supports your trucking hobby and if you were really successful you'd have a Paccar.

:smt064

 

...Correct Assumption...

 

Guess u didnt quite understand the sarcasm in which the lol in the begining. Also, I did the lease-on thing back in the mid 90's with SNI at 80 cents p/m and did fairly well. I did it for only 1 year just to get my feet wet. The knowledge that I gained during that time helped me build a fleet with my dad and a company out of IL. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the freedom and the challange of doing and dealing with every aspect of this industry on ones own. The only REAL jabs I make are about cheap freight. In which why I thanked your comment, because u only back up the statement of it. How? U showed what u make p/m being leased with a larger carrier and its over a buck p/m. Do u, or anyone else, think that your company booked that load for ONLY a buck p/m? Even these larger companies need to make money to pay execs salaries, dispatchers, sales men and women, and others that work at their terminals, property taxes, electricity, plus paying their drivers and o/o, and the list goes on and on. So, they dont book cheap freight. Its those that want to believe the brokers telling them its the larger companies droping the freight is a load of bull. THATS the jabs that I take, those making "excuses" to why they haul the cheap freight (those with their own auth. of course). As for me and my confidence? Thats funny, because I have never nor will I ever haul cheap freight. So, I dont worry about that. Take it how-ever u wish, But some of us truely enjoy the freedom and challanges of EVERY aspect of my business. Thats one of the greatest things about our country and our freedoms that we have. Doesnt make me better or worse tho. Ill step off the soapbox now. Next... Be safe out there drivers.