I have a unique situation and would like to run it by some flatbed brothers.

If your linehaul is $1.50 fsc $.50 to make $2.00 loaded mile a company driver is only going to get 25% of the $1.50 =$.375 loaded mile .... My funny math makes that less than $.40

 

I stick to my statement, even though I have been an O/O on percentage for over 10yrs.
Making blanket statements will always have a downside, and this one is pretty obvious IMHO.
Our company guys start at 40cpm, and go up from there. Add onto that OD, tarp, etc, and they do pretty good. No doubt there are folks making more, and I know for a fact that there are folks making less.
Getting paid on %, as already stated, all depends on how the owners/company breaks down the load. No way they are going to pay the driver a % of fuel surcharge, so all they have to do is bump up the surcharge and lower the line haul. There goes the drivers pay rate huh? Doesn't affect me as an O/O as I get all the F/S, but it would make a difference to a company guy any day of the week.
Plus' and minus' for both, with no clear winner every time.
Martin

 

Yeh, but you should be slapped for hauling $1.50 freight!

But in my example $2/mi is $2/mi, not $1.50. That is funny math.

Linehaul doesn't mean gross.

FSC doesn't matter to the driver.

 

I agree with J.T. The best route there would be to have them put up the money to get it going and you buy them out over a piriod of time. Plus interest or a small part of the profits to them. Otherwise your getting screwed! You would be better off to do a L/P through another company, at least that way your not busting your butt and handing over half or more of the money YOU earned! Think that one through long and hard my friend.....

 

I get 25% of the line haul. The company we pull for pays 50 bucks to tarp which I get free and clear. I pulled a load Friday that was a little over 200 miles. The load paid $1250 plus tarp pay. So I made $362.50 to run a little more than 200 miles. I'll take my percentage over mileage all day long.

 

With the exceptions of legal liabilities, ie: your name becoming part of the company I dont see that you have that much to lose.

Am I missing something here? They take all the financial risks. Truck breaks, you walk a way. Fuel prices go to 10 a gallon you walk away. You dont run hard enough to make the truck payment, you can walk away. Sounds like you can run the way you want. If its all true, and they will take care of the truck, and you trust them enough to take care everything else. Its #### near a win win situation for you.

What am I missing here?

 

I agree with Kansas. What do you have to lose ? People seem to be scared of any unconventional arrangement, but the fact is these guys got money they want to invest. Returns on traditional investments are slim these days, it's hard for them to find a place to stick their money where they get 5% or more so they are taking a chance on you due to your reputation. seems fair.

as far as pay I recently worked for a flatbed carrier which payed O/O's 73% of linehaul if they had their own trailer and 27% to company drivers. The way I see it, that company got 27% (100-73) to book and dispatch loads. You are going to be the one doing the booking and dispatching, so you are entitled to that. you are also entitled to the 27% the company driver recieved, maybe a bit more say 30% since you are an exceptional driver. I say you should get 57-60% of line haul and they get 40-43%. But you wouldn't be a good businessman unless you started a bit high and allowed room for negotiation so I think you should tell them 65/35 split. let them negotiate down to 60/40 if necessary.

 

sounds like a coorperation is being formed so who is who?

who is liable
who files corperate papers
who hold the registration and who makes business decisions
are you compensted before split as a driver or is your part of the company increased for your partisipation.

then my next question is why?

 

25 percent right off the top of the trucks gross you seem to know everything about the loads so gettin cheated shouldnt be a deal but 25 percent seems to be the going rate in my neck of the woods