Need tips on buying tractor and general O/O stuff

justa_driver · Apr 28, 2014

TortuousAugur said: ↑

Please bear with me, this is being typed from my phone.

A little back story for anyone interested (feel free to skip this):

After putting in my 1 year at Covenant, I found out I'm not getting paid what I want for being away from home as much as I was.
While team is great if you can find a partner, I had the worst luck with partners that could pull their own weight compared to what I was doing, so I went with their solo, only to find out it was actually worse for me in the pay department (being the only driver in the tractor was FANTASTIC!!).
I quit and started looking for other companies to drive for, and while a couple of them fell through, it turned out in my favor: a family friend has a spare tractor that he needed a driver for. So after only a year of experience, I'm somewhat of an O/O (I would have thought it would take me longer).

Now I'm giving serious thought to getting my own tractor, but I'm not sure how old or new I want. The most of the drivers I talk to say Peterbilt or Kenworth are generally the best they have drove overall, which suits me, because I'm really liking the look of Peterbilt's aerodynamic, or either make's classic.
A very large portion of the drivers I talked to warn against any kind of regen or DEF equipped models due to it killing your GPM rate, but what in reading online is that they actually improve fuel economy? I'm confused on this...
I'm not looking for constantly trading in for the new shiny. I want to be able to hack and customize to my heart's content. Just yesterday I talked to someone who bought his Pete brand new twenty-six years ago, and it looked very nice compared to some later year models I've seen, including the 2005 Freightliner Century I'm currently in (but that is to be expected as a difference of someone caring for their baby as opposed to a company driver who doesn't much care what happens, it's not their own property).
I never thought to calculate what the 2011-2012 Cascadia's GPM was, but the Century tells me I get anywhere between 4.5 and 4.9 MPG. I think that's a little below average, but I've also only been in here for a month, so results are inconclusive?

My current driving deal is I take 50% of profits after fuel and tolls are paid, and the company I'm leased to takes 13% off the top before any of that. I don't pay for any tractor upkeep or scaling. I find and book my own loads (with some help from the owner) from a website (that my usage is paid for by the owner as well). I'm told from my father-in-law that loads over $1.70/mile are decent, but after lurking around on these forums, I know to try and keep my average more like $2.50/mile, which more limits how fast I can get loads, but for obvious reasons pays of better.
I stick with East coast for my loads.

I'm very happy where I'm at, but would like input on how good or bad of an employment I currently have?

For clarity, I haul with an air ride 53 dry van.

I'm interested in switching to flatbed loads from my current situation. I already know it's more work, but I think it could be worth it, and I could use the exercise...

Here's the main questions:

Can anyone give a little more information regarding whether DEF is a setback or if it evens out in the end?

Can I also get some pointers on some good ways to calculate deadhead miles? So far I've just been adding them to the estimated loaded miles...

Please feel free to address anything I've talked about. I'm very willing to learn anything more.
Click to expand...

Who pays the tractor upkeep and scaling? The friend? Or does it come out of the truck revenue?

TortuousAugur · Apr 28, 2014

justa_driver said: ↑

Who pays the tractor upkeep and scaling? The friend? Or does it come out of the truck revenue?
Click to expand...

The tractor's owner reimburses me.

TortuousAugur · Apr 28, 2014

double yellow said: ↑

If you don't do California, you could put a glider on the top of the reliability list
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I don't know the term. What is a glider? Or is this a comical post, referring to a hang glider?

justa_driver · Apr 28, 2014

TortuousAugur said: ↑

I'm sorry, I don't know the term. What is a glider? Or is this a comical post, referring to a hang glider?
Click to expand...

A Glider is a new truck that you buy but it doesn't have the engine, trans and drive train. (you basically build the truck yourself)

justa_driver · Apr 28, 2014

TortuousAugur said: ↑

The tractor's owner reimburses me.
Click to expand...

Boy that is a friend. And he gets nothing from the truck?

Chinatown · Apr 28, 2014

Study the OOIDA website. It's a business website for the 0/0 and small fleet owner.

TortuousAugur · Apr 28, 2014

justa_driver said: ↑

Boy that is a friend. And he gets nothing from the truck?
Click to expand...

You might have missed or misread something. After company takes 13%, fuel and tolls are paid, I take 50% of leftover profits. He gets the other half, after reimbursing me any upkeep and scales and the like that I paid out of pocket.

TortuousAugur · Apr 28, 2014

justa_driver said: ↑

A Glider is a new truck that you buy but it doesn't have the engine, trans and drive train. (you basically build the truck yourself)
Click to expand...

I take it I would need a garage for that to work for me, of which I know none. Don't know if I would be able to do that at this time due to lack of funds to outright buy all that.

justa_driver · Apr 28, 2014

TortuousAugur said: ↑

You might have missed or misread something. After company takes 13%, fuel and tolls are paid, I take 50% of leftover profits. He gets the other half, after reimbursing me any upkeep and scales and the like that I paid out of pocket.
Click to expand...

Yea ok I missed that part, wasn't sure where the other 50% was going. Was trying to do you up a little example since you wanted to know how you were going to do on this job. Hang on a sec.

justa_driver · Apr 28, 2014

ok. if you run 2500 miles a week and get 2.00 per mile that will be $5000 a week to the truck. The company would get $650 (13%). Based on your figures for fuel mileage fuel would cost you about $2192 if you don't get any discounts from the company on it. Subtract the 2192 and the 650 from the 5000 and that will leave you 2158 to split with the truck owner so youd wind up with about 1079 for the week. (of course that is before tax income)

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