Operating Costs

That's where the category "marketing" comes in.... it's ALL irrational...

Numbers are necessary to make the right choices. Long lasting tires, caps or low rolling resistance? Well, if you're running quarry loads, and you lose one a week to rock punctures, the answer is entirely different than for a team operation running coast to coast. But you still need the numbers to make that decision.

The Assyrians were doing numbers in cuneiform script 4,000 years ago. Yellow pads work just as well to run comparisons. There's no need for a fancy spreadsheet. CPM and $ per day are ultimately irrelevant. They CAN be tools, metrics to compare two choices. Too often people focus on improving the metric they use (again, CPM or $ per day), rather than the only one that counts, which is total revenue - total expenses, i.e. net profit. That's the only number that really matters. And easily calculated with nothing more than a yellow pad, a number 2 pencil and a stout eraser.

 

So, I understand that you are not counting fuel or your salary in the .42? 42 cents is strictly your fixed cost of truck operation?

That includes

HVUT
TAG
INSURANCES, Bobtail, trailer interchange, general liability, cargo, etc.
IRP
TRUCK DEPRECIATION/REPLACEMENT
TRAILER DEPRECIATION/REPLACEMENT
MAINTENANCE OFFSET

Hopefully, I don't come across as antagonistic, just skeptical.

I would like to know if you've figured out your fuel cost per mile, as you said that your FSC covers 100% of fuel. (Actually not a bad business strategy)

I appreciate the dialogue.

 

@Scoot 1971 , you own your truck! Nobody has the right to criticize the way you got it. I own 2 trucks myself. If we don't run this month, they'll both be sitting out there rusting very quietly, but they'll still be there next month
It's a good feeling.

 

7800 miles last month
Gross Income - $17,846
All Expenses including Insurance, Equipment Payments, Fuel, DEF, Tags, Scales, Mthly Service, ELD, Communication Costs, Dispatch Service, Drug Testing, IFTA account, UCR, Form 2290, Parking, etc- $7,895

MY Operating Cost per mile was $1.01

Taxable Income - $9951
Deposit to Maintenance Fund - $1,000
Deposit to Tax Liability Account - $1,785

Money for me (REAL NET) - $7,166

Mind you, I usually have too much in my tax account at year end due to other non trucking deductions and I roll that into my ROTH. My Maintenance Fund of $1,000 is on top of $718 I spent last month in oil, filters, brake pads done at home. All PM work done at home.

I think I am not one of those trucking millionaires you see on Youtube but it keeps food on the family table. As for .42cpm quoted earlier by OP - mmm!