Running with JCT

Hi there, HalpinUout. Today happens to be the one year anniversary of my rehire at JCT. In case you haven't thru this entire thread, I started with JCT in 2011 and ran until April last year. I took five months off to explore local work in Las Vegas, (horrible pay!) and decided to come back OTR. I don't have the numbers for my entire year at my fingertips, but in July I put all of my settlements into Excel for the first six months of the year. These were all based on the "old" JCT lease plan in which my truck payment was a flat $663/week whether I ran 3,500 miles or zero. I made right at $26,000, or $1k/week. My mileage was averaging 6.8-7.0 mpg at the time. Since I bought a ScangaugeD in May, my mileage is above 7.2 mpg and my profits are up accordingly.

The new variable lease program has helped out my profit rate considerably. My truck payment is now $120/week plus $.18/mile, so taking time off doesn't affect my pay so adversely. I've been running good lately with good mpg's and miles and have been seeing $1,200-1,500 weekly settlements for the weeks that I stay out and run.

 

Got into Stockton this morning and was unloaded in only 6 hours! This place was like the DMV on steroids! I got a pre-plan this morning too: pick up strawberries in Salinas, and run them to North Platte, NE. That's 130 miles empty, 1,475 loaded. A very nice 1,605 mile trip to start the week! If the planners got this load right, it will be a very light one too.

I'm also thrilled not to be heading back to Texas, but to get to enjoy some nice fall weather up on I-80. For you new guys, we get (under)-paid the same on all miles, loaded and empty including fuel surcharge. The FSC this week stayed the same, btw, at $.45/mile. I know that I complain about the pay here, but it's really this whole industry. I'm making much more per mile at JCT than I did in a company truck. According to Excel, I earned close to $.48/mile this week. That's 3,300+ miles at 7.9 mpg. More realistically, at my average 3,000 mile week and 7.2 mpg I make about $.42/mile. These numbers include the $.02/mile safety bonus, so keep it out of the weeds!

 

I haven't even heard a whisper about going to percentage. JCT pays $.90/mile plus fuel surcharge and $.02/mile quarterly safety bonus. There's also some extra stop pay and occasionally detention pay. My wonderful DM called me today while I was still getting unloaded and said that she would go to bat for me to get some detention.

Some companies that offer percentage pay put extra expenses on you. You may have to pay for lumpers and reefer fuel for instance. The lumpers got $275 from me (paid, of course, by JCT) today! On percentage you're probably not being paid for your deadhead miles. Be sure you're comparing apples to oranges if you're shopping companies.

 

Hmm. . . if I was making 2 bucks/mile, that would be a $.65/mile raise, lol. My profit would be, like, $1.05/mile. With the 145,000 miles that I drove in the last 12 months, I would never fall behind in my Ferrari payments. . .

I've heard some numbers like that in heavy haul and some specialized flatbed, but not in reefer. We run easy miles, never touch freight. When you compare us to the usual L/P companies: Holland, Henderson, Prime, Schneider, etc., I think we come out about as good as anyone. The choice boils down to what is most important to you. For me the average length of haul, consistent miles, and running lanes is most important.