How owner operators can be profitable

fair enough, I was trying to gauge credibility. Since folks like myself and MNDriver are actually doing it, and you have not, perhaps you should be listening and asking instead of advising. But I'll shut up and listen now, I may learn something really important.

One thing you would find if you ever did actually start a trucking business, you become a "hard sell" very quickly. There's so many products that "pay for themselves over time", but if I bought them all I'd still be bankrupt today. There's so many services that "allow me to do what I do best" or "help me succeed", but again if I subscribed to them all I'd be bankrupt today. Maybe your program is just the ticket for certain individuals, just what they need to reach their goals, who knows ?

 

This is my theory also. I can feel the extra effort of the equipment when it is over 25K lbs. I will take a cheaper load if it is light, over a 44K lb one that pays a little more. Fuel alone is a big factor. but so is the extra time to move the weight and wear and tear. I think idling is the same. It costs a lot to idle, but not just fuel, it is hard on the engine too. I have a gas generator and a room AC unit in the top bunk to save money when I am stopped.
What is your method for sticking to lighter loads?

 

areelius,

You can start focusing on industry specific type cargo, I don't know if I am making sense? E.g you could focus on just hauling aircon (office units) on a specific route and return with electronic products as rates are based on volume or deck space than dollars per mile. These are light loads by cargo type. Thats the most principaled appraoch that I see alot of cariers do when they in essence want to prolong equipement life and your theory is sound.

So if you are willing to do the hard work from beginning and start identifying cargo with those characteristcs where is more deck space or volume type pricing provided your total cost is covered with profit than you should be fine with your approach. It's nothing new just a different approach adapting your way of doing things but still applying principals of transport. I do not know If I make sense?

 

Of course the principle makes sense. How to put it into action is the part I am struggling with. I am new to the industry and have my own authority, so I need to follow my instincts from a life of self employment as a remodeling contractor. I havent found load boards to be the answer to getting stuck somewhere. Even though I have a private dispatcher, he couldnt get me a load out of Salt Lake for 3 days last week. I am hoping to find another source for loads that is more dependable. I think the load boards are just the leftovers, the good loads don t even make it to the loadboards. It is a steep learning curve, but I like the challenge of something new, and have spent my life working as an independent.

 

load boards such as ITS and get loaded have always just been the left overs. the only time you will find quality loads posted there is when they simply couldn't been booked with an established carrier. as an independent with your own authority, you must have direct freight. if you can't get direct freight you would be better off passed to a good carrier

 

You're wrong about this. Very good money to be made off ITS spot freight, excellent contacts to be found. No, not overnight and many cant figure it out. You're right the good ones don't always post, doesn't mean an independent or small carrier didn't get the call. How do you think they got to that point? It's called networking.

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networking, basically what I was meaning by established carriers. carriers that have already built a good working relationship with a broker, Has a reputation of being dependable with said broker.
I think we are saying the same thing, just in different ways.
the high paying good loads don't go to any random Joe on ITS. the broker calls the carriers he has done business with previously that got his loads picked up and delivered on time, with no damage, and we're pleasant to work with. and then only, after exhausting his list of preferred carriers, does that load hit the internet load boards

 

The last 15 loads I've booked, I have grossed $17,768.28 (5646 loaded miles, 1547 deadhead). those are odometer miles, not PCmiler. That's roughly $2.50 all miles. Every one of these loads was from ITS or Member's Edge. Every one of these loads was from a broker I had never worked with before.

Again, I've had offers for contract freight in the $2.50/mile range, but by the time I factor in out of route miles, deadheading and occasionally hauling cheaper than I would like to get back to my contract loads I would be looking at an average well under $2/mile.

So to say that you must have contract loads is incorrect. Oh, I did have two loads in there that were booked direct, come to think of it. They were the worst two of the bunch, we hauled a couple loads for Menard's just to get my trucks moved from Minneapolis to Oshkosh on a Saturday.

I'm sure if the right opportunity presents itself I will be doing contract work at some point, we always have our eyes and ears open for all possibilities. But to say you must have contract freight or you must build up relationships with brokers to get good loads just hasn't been my experience.