OWNER OPERATOR DUMP TRUCK PAY

We did jobs one at a time, by the job itself. A parking lot with cars for a business might go for 30,000 dollars. As long the stone, blacktop, two dumps, one paver and 4 people working a month does not exceed say.. 20,000 in costs the profit is there to do the parking lot. If we did a lot every month most of a year, then it will be worth it. And it is.

Problems come up when it's raining and individuals who want a new road built into the woods on their bottom land towards the new guest house generate a 1500 dollar gravel overrun when we spend two days filling in ground with a foot of water because they cannot stand to wait for the land to dry... and demand that the job start NOW... why sure. We will start, it's going to cost you more.

We were not highways blacktop where there are groups of dumps running a hundred miles racing to feed a new interstate or something. Those kinds of contracts and work are way above our focus in our work. With money amounts much much higher and more serious than we care to deal with.

I appreciate your input and I hope you can see ours and why we do the contract per job as they happen. Most every time when the dump truck burns a 150 dollars worth of fuel, pays me 150 for the day and hauls about 5 loads of stone at god knows how much per load, it has to cover the payroll of 4 people on our crew. Since there are two dumps running it's easier to give the customer a better rate. But they will pay more than it costs to do business for a profit. Otherwise someone else will have to do it cheaper and it's not going to be possible due to a variety of reasons.

The very best stone work is that feeding ready mix plants. Fixed A to B back and forth front end loader sweeps up after your dump. Quarry loads you in a couple scoops. all day every day all year. At least until winter comes and construction slows and stops.

 

Asphalt plants around here pay by the hour for mix/grinding...and by the ton for material.

 

You have companies like Hulcher and RJ Corman with millions of dollars in rigging equipment and sidewinders who pretty much have that market cornered.

 

Yea the railroads, wreck crews go to god knows how remote to fix the problem on the iron and when they get there, they have to say there sometimes overnight with howling engines laboring by all night at slow order. It's not easy to sleep when a monster spools up and the turbos sing in your ear 6 feet away.

 

Most of the dump work is lease. When I first retired from the Army I interviewed with both company's. They promised $75k a year but I could not see how that figure was reached. Pay was awkward. $18 per hour straight time for yard work than an on call pay of additional $6 or $8 then a overtime pay after 8hrs, plus a 1/2 hour recall window and 24/7 on call. The lead at RJ was reading some formula about how the pay worked and I asked a couple questions that stumped him.

Then asked him about the turn over rate and qualification requirements for advancement. He gave a bs answer and then I asked about how they figure the rigging i.e. formula wise, or use a chart etc...He had me road test and cert on loader and bulldozer. He told me that I ask alot questions and I would not be a good fit.