Question about hotshot trucking

First off, salary of 800 a week to just drive a truck?

Not an employee? 1099? Not legal.

Second, It is hard for a truck to maintain the steady income needed to justify such a salary.

The going rate for RV's is about 1.12 per mile. It takes 714 miles loaded to just pay the driver. Not to mention the fuel. My truck gets 10 loaded and 18 empty most of the time. To make a steady take home of 800 it takes about 1600 loaded and 1600 empty miles. It would take more for a bigger truck.

I also do not idle my truck.

 

When I am running hard, I sometimes do not check the internet. Especially when in Canada. Might be easier to send a pm.

I have been doing this since fall 2003 with two short periods away to big trucks when freight gets slow.

There are many things you can do to control costs.

Eat from the truck.
Slow the truck down.
Do not Idle.
Watch routing to see if paying tolls is more profitable than going around them. Example I-80 over to I39 is 58 miles longer and tolls are only 16.35.

Consider short routing versus the quicker route. Have to watch the states where Permits come into play as well.

 

it's illegal to 1099 someone driving your truck because the owner has controlling interest, not the driver. he;s only doing that to get out of paying his share in taxes, but those taxes still get paid. guess who does that? the self employment tax is sustantially higher to the driver. odds of getting audited pry arent great, but if they do, the boss is in trouble.

 

The 1099 thing is illegal and if the IRS finds out, the company will likely go out of business trying to pay the back taxes.

 

It is illegal because the driver is nothing more that a person that does as they are told. They do not own the truck, nor are they at risk as an owner. They do not have the right to go where they want, when they want and etc. The owner is in control and the reason to do 1099 is to avoid employee status which leads to 1/2 social security and to workmen's compensation insurance.

As far as the haulers, yes it is possible. Some weeks I make 1500. About a month ago in 10 days out I grossed 5200 and after fuel was well in the area of 2900.

The problem here is that there is no guarantee the freight will always be going to the long advantage. You might get stuck with a bunch of short runs and be lucky to make 700 in the week or less.

I run basically dedicated to the Canada area. It pays the highest and they do not have a great deal of people wanting to go up there.