How many miles do you guys get?

My old truck is a 2002 and has 745,000 on it. The one I have this week is a 2012 and has just under 300,000 on it.

 

Maybe. Maybe less. I don't think in "miles," I think in "loads" or "jobs". See, we view TIME as most important. Regardless of the miles, I want to be paid for my time on the load or on the job.

"What job are you talking about, Six?"

Some times, we see some project that may require weeks or months or even years to complete. If I am going to be away from the house for weeks or months on end, there is a certain amount of money I want to see. Regardless of miles. If I am waiting on a job, whether I drive or whether I sit, I need to see money. A certain amount of money.

"So Six, if you had a job that would possibly go for a full year...."

$350000 flat rate guaranteed to me. Rock bottom price. That's me and my truck. Regardless of miles and the weather. If I am going to be tied up for an entire year on a project, that's what I require.

"That's a lot of money, Six."

It's a bargain. My guys don't need their hands held. You get a more efficient machine, less office personnel needed, less problems, less claims, and no phone calls to you, and no crybabies. Hire an A Game driver, give him the contact number of a site rep, or truck push or shipper and receiver, and you can go relax.

 

Think postive, you never know

 

Six is right, in heavy haul you want to get paid by the job, not the mile.

If I'm asked to quote a job, I figure the job by the hour, and add a good buffer in for them screwing around on the load/unload. It's not all that unusual for a 100 mile haul to take all your log book hours for the day.

You've got to plan on a lot of empty miles also. Especially on local hauls, 9 times out of 10 half your miles will be empty.

 

"It's just driving right? All you have to do is read a permit and drive, so what's the big deal?"

When I read the opening post, I was thinking that this was another person who is trying to figure out how to put a dollar amount on heavyhaul. After all, he does have a post in the Owner Operators section asking about stretch trucks and refer hauling. I gave him the rock bottom big year long job rate for my time. Permits and escorts extra charge. $100-150k more than what many owner ops see. Why so much?

There was 5 of us that pulled big stretch loads. 3 didn't have the securement needed to secure big crates. 2 of them ripped the air lines out the trailer. 1 didn't read his permit and went off route. 1 didn't monitor the weather. 3 of them high centered, one of them in the entrance gate of the receiver. Service trucks +wreckers+fines+delays+pissed of customers=Big Losses. It's cheaper to pay for talent.

In other forums, you see people crying about sleep patterns and whatnot. I got up at night to run the load into a city before curfew. I was parked next to another stretch. Told him the plan, but he wanted to sleep in. "There's no rush, Six." Guess he doesn't know about the blizzard coming in late morning. I got to the receiver, got unloaded and was leaving out when the plant manager asked me if I could help another driver that high centered in the entrance gate. Sure, NP.
.

 

I average about 60k miles per year, with approx 30% empty.
BUT like @TripleSix and @m16ty said and they nailed it, It's your time invested you need to be paid for.
What might look like a decent 300mi run can easily eat up 3 days.
You need to look at the big picture and charge accordingly. It takes time and experience. It's a sharp learning curve.

 

I actually read this in 2 different voices.

Six, you have satans voice that chuckles after every question asked by the guy from all the safety videos.

You bite one of his fingers off at the end in my version tho.