Is this good deal?

The thing about "deals" is; They are only a good deal if YOU think they are. 3000 miles in a 5 day week and home every night is a pretty good job though IMO. The question is; Are you prepared to deal with the FUN of Chicago on a daily basis?

 

Where in Chicago are you going? South Suburbs is whole different than going out west or north from Louisville anyway.

 

I would love to have a job like that!

 

sounds like a good deal to me but i'm not an o/o or do i wish to ever be so i couldn't really tell you.

 

I cannot run my truck for .95 cpm plus fsc. You have to figure your operating expenses first. Is this company providing any of the insurance and base plate and/or permits, road use taxes, etc.

I decided long ago that I would not move my truck for less than $2.00 per loaded mile. Even then that is not a whole lot, except my truck and trailer is paid for.

 

Okay, moneywise, it's about par for the course, not the greatest pay in the world, but within reason for van freight. I assume that they are using a standard rate to pay the FSC, and I would want to check into that, and see that they are, and how frequently they are updating the numbers to ensure that you get the money due to you.

Who pays the toll charges on the trip? 294 is a toll road, and you will hit at least 3 toll booths along the way in each direction, possibly more depending on the exact routing and what exit you use. Plan on at least 24 dollars a night minimum for tolls, more in day time.

Next, what times will you be hitting Chicago? I rarely see much traffic that concerns me on the south end of your journey, but getting in and out of Chicago in a timely manner can be highly dependent on the time of day you get there. Also, there is heavy construction along that route, particularly I-294, and there will be for a good number of years to come. If you can slip in and out of Chicago between 8 pm and 6 am, you can make fairly decent time. if it's a morning or late afternoon time, plan on a lot of extra time in traffic.

What kind of weight are you looking at, and are you loaded in both directions? You have two scales on the Southbound trip, and one on the North run. They can be gotten around, but it adds some miles and takes some time to do.

Drop and hook, or live load? If live, how long does the turnaround take? if it goes too long, you drop valuable time, and you don't have a lot to spare on that route. Then you are facing being over on time or having to stop mere miles from your destination, and screwing up the next days load.

How are you compensated when a trailer tire blows and you have to wait? How are you charged when the truck blows a tire and you are delayed getting to the dock?

These are some questions you need to answer before you can decide if this is a potential good deal or not.

 

Great post Burky, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Another thing to consider, the company you USED to drive for, there's some reason they are your former company, are you sure you want to continue running for 'em?
One note, if you need around the chicago mess, you can always run 294-80-57 to kankakee, and then run thru the woods to I65. Just a thought, if you end up taking the run.
Sounds like a decent deal, you can make more money running elsewhere, but you have to find a balance between money and hometime.