My numbers as an O/O leased to Crete

These will be the final numbers I will post as I have sold my truck and will become a company driver at Poly-Trucking.

I drove a total of 10,613 miles this month and grossed $14,787.
Total variable costs: $6,754
Total fixed costs: $763 (what a difference no trk payment makes)
Net income before taxes: $7,270

I could have chosen to continue to operate the truck, which was my plan at least through the end of the year. But since the opportunity to sell & a very good job offer happened at the same time; I felt God was trying to tell me something. The truck has 784,000 miles and had plenty of life left in it, due to my maintenance schedule.

My overall experience at Crete as an O/O was positive. The biggest problem was lack of home time, for which I will not fault them as I knew before leasing to them this would be the case. The next problem was short trips with to much time to pick up/deliver causing unproductive weeks. Anything less than 2800 miles in a week I deemed unproductive because I needed to bank the extra miles over 2200 in-order to afford time off at home. *Businessman first, truck driver second*.

Crete's O/O pay and discounts are among the best, if not the best, in the industry. That being said, it's still .10 per mile lower than what it needs to be given the increased cost of equipment and maintenance. This is the main reason I decided to sell. I figure if I can't afford a new piece of equipment every 5 years, whether I buy it or not, then it is not a good time to be an O/O.

For those who live in the Midwest and are hauling on a percentage basis, the above is probably not applicable. But the reality of freight rates leaving the South Texas area make hauling on percentage not feasible. The only exception is reefer freight during produce season which lasts 3 maybe 4 months of the year.