Possible to net 80-90k as owner-operator with only an F450? hauling anything

It's possible but you would have to run hard in an area with lots of work. Do the math, driver 50 cent per mile, fuel + truck repair/maintenance 50 cents per mile, insurance $1000 per month, registration, fees, taxes... See how many miles you have to run to net 80-90k.

 

If you’re going to run those kind of miles you better just finance for two years. It will be slap wore out in 3 years and worth nothing.

 

A new Dodge Ram 5500 is around $50,000 at 100,000 miles per year after 2 years the truck has 200k miles will be worth around $25,000 so it would cost 25 cents per mile for just the truck.

 

My good friend has a Dodge ram 3500 Cummins, and he has his own o/o hotshot company. I have seen his numbers he grosses 17-22k a month. But do understand that he has been doing this for a long time, and has lots of customers and barely has to go on DAT/truckstop to get loads. His loads average 1.75-2.25 a mile.

 

Don’t forget a 450 is not designed as an otr truck. It’s not built to run 100+ miles a year. Imo you’re way better off with a class 7 or 8 tractor, something that can take the abuse. You could run a single screw day cab, they are kinda just over grown pick ups anyway.

 

+1 to buying a full size rig if it's financially feasible. I don't see many hotshots that have been around over a year. This isn't because hotshots aren't a viable business, it's because pulling a 48' flat or a 53' step is just way better. More money to the truck and vastly less work to dispatch.

 

I mean you have to be a good truck driver. I'd definitely read Double Yellow's company driver to O/O thread completely. In this context I mean 'good truck driver' exactly the same way the company you work for now does. I mean can run a lot of miles without very many problems largely on time. Even when times are good as they are now newbies have a pretty short lifespan. It's a hard business.