How much profit do companies make per truck?

This is highly debatable. Any truck '04 or newer this has to be taken with a grain of salt. EGR systems reduce fuel economy AND increase maintenance costs. '08 introduces DPF systems on top of EGR, which is more of the same story. '10 puts DEF on top of the other two, which in my experience has actually been the least problematic. Many of these emission control equipped trucks are nightmares on wheels that spend more time in the shop than rolling down the road! This will put you out of business quicker than anything. You can buy an old 2000 model year truck for 15k, have it blow up tomorrow and spend 20k on an inframe, and still end up with a more reliable and fuel efficient truck for less money than most of the emission equipped trucks offered at that total price and higher.

 

Profits are slim, and measured in pennies per mile.

 

You can't operate a business on the assumption you are always going to operate "cheap, wore out trucks" with no note. In fact if you can't run a trucking business with the financial model to replace trucks with cash and a little in trade-in value every 500-600k miles, you're not doing it right. Leave the old wore out trucks to the local gigs, farms, and the the Mexicans and Costa Rican's

If you're setting you're acceptable freight rate based on no note and no depreciation you're leaving a lot of money on the table and are a big part of the problem with cheap rates that aren't realistic in the long term. The federal government and many states have set the tone that new engine technology that is replaced every 4-6 years is practically mandatory, so set your rates accordingly. If you're a mechanical wizard and can keep a truck running past a million miles, haul cheap freight, and pay the savings out in alimony and child support, fine but don't come complaining to me in 5 years that you need a new truck but can't stomach the costs because you're financial forecasts and budgets were all wrong.

 

Net? It is one of those things that unless they are a publicly traded company, you won't get an answer. However their profit margin maybe about 6 to 8% depending on the company.

To sum up the answer in one word - NO you won't unless you know how to manage the trucks, the money and know what companies to use. Making money isn't hard, keeping it flowing is. Right now I am doing a zero income on my company - meaning I don't draw a dime off of it because I want to expand so I am frugal with my money (not cheap). Even though all the trucks are paid for and they are making money, the reinvestment will payoff in the long run. However, people don't have the patients I have, they only look at the short term, making the "tons of $$$" without getting what they could do with control and cash flow within their company.

I don't know where anyone would say that unless this was 2001, I too have a few successful online business' but my operating costs are in marketing and not infrastructure. But comparing these two different businesses, you can't always use the experience from one to apply to the other.

 

Patches, I'm depending on you son, then the mega fleets landed and took all the freight away, But I drove on. Monster Mega fleets are killing us off, one by one. That fuel bonus card is a joke. It tracks your movements. They fight each other to keep us. Bigger. Better. It's marketing. Zero on the mark aimed at us marketing. 100 gallons per truck every 18 minutes X 7 pumps X 24 hours a day @ 35% markup. Do the math drivers.

 

the trucks of yesteryear are boasting of better rates then they are now. and considering fuel was 500 % cheaper yesteryear. i'm thinking profit margins were AWAY ahead of 1.5 %

 

Mexicans...child support...really dude?

OK ideally someone who has their eyes open and isn't leaving money on the table who wants to spend a bunch of money on a truck would buy a glider (For those who don't know, a brand new truck with no powertrain, that you would spec as you wish with a per-EGR engine that has been remanufactured by the OEM.) This setup WILL net you a more reliable AND more fuel efficient truck FOR LESS money, labor included, than buying a new truck off the lot. Freightliner, Kenworth, and Peterbilt models are currently available as gliders. Anyone driving a truck equipped with EGR and/or a DPF is leaving money on the table.