RV Transport Companies

Based on the numbers I actually get, you are way off the mark. I'll assume 500 miles a day as you did. My average pay per mile is $1.31 so my contract would be for $1310. My fuel cost is $495 (based on national avg. of $3.96/gallon and 16 mpg). Pull out fee of $27. Maintenance account $131. $100 for expenses for 4 days (I eat out of my cooler and sleep in the truck). $196 for taxes (15% is my actual cost).

$1310 credit for a 4 day run (out and back). Total expense of $949. Profit of $361. I spend less on food than what the govt. allows for per diem (added profit). Assume I used 40 hours to make this run. If I have 280 hours a month to make this run, I can make it 7 times. My insurance cost is $200/month. That's $2327 profit per month or $28k per year, assuming I can only average 500 miles per day.

 

GearWarrant,

Yes you are close to the mark. I have a 2013 Ram 3500 and I love my truck. I am short enough to streatch out in the back seat so I do not get leg cramps. I eat out of my truck 75%-90% of the time. I liked the 2 companies that I hauled for. The last company did no Canada and no washes, they also just raised their per mile rate by a dime. For the mega cab you will need to get a slider 5th wheel. If I had lived in the Elkhart/Goshen area I would probably still be doing it.

 

This is great! I appreciate the real numbers you have put out. Are you a full time driver? Have you all ready paid off your original investment in your equipment? I stand by my original set of post. This is not a full tie job! In my situation over the past 3-4 years, (I’m taking this year off - new grandchild), I would not recommend this as a full time profession. I will go back next year and I will sleep in the units as often as I can. It’s reticules to expect any driver not to based on the current rates.

I will only run for the spring months and de-list in June. I’m the norm in this industry. The percent of full time drivers is very small, less than 5%. It’s not set up to be a year round job for everyone who is delivering RV’s. Thats just the way it is.

 

Are you still with CWRV? I don't see a lot of "air cover" on them yet, so it must be working out for now.

 

No, I lived to far away for me to make it profitable. I did like TransFloing my paper work though.

 

Yes, I'm a full time driver. I paid cash for my equipment. I got the money for my initial equipment investment by ignoring the naysayers and investing in precious metals. I had a 243% return on that investment. I'm now doing a job that I love and have increased my take home pay by 179%. Once again I will ignore the naysayers and continue making a great return on my investment. I love the guys that say I can't make any money on this job or do it full time while I'm out here doing it.

 

RVTransporter - You understand you are the exception. In tarpointternet’s last post he is no longer doing it because it’s not profitable. It will not take you long t find several similar comments on the web. That is more the norm. This would explain the extreme high turnover. The reality is that the RV delivery industry is not, by any measure set up as a successful career path. The industry knows this and instead of addressing that problem relays more on a churn and burn type model. This is more akin to migrant farm workers type of model. As long as that model holds firm with the addition of new drivers, it will continue.

If you read and review what the concerns are for this industry in the press it’s the lack of drivers — not the retention of the current drivers! Same concern that regular trucking has as well.Think about that for a few moments. The industry is so short handed that as 2-3 leave the industry only one is coming in the door.


I’m not going to debate the few who are “making a living” at this. I’m sure that they are. The overall concerns rest on what the industry AND drivers will need to come up with to address the current and future situations the current model has created.

 

Very well said. As I've stated before I don't haul Rv's but I'm in the transport business. The "numbers" that I see some posting on here as far as profit and loss are not great imo. When some say there making a living that's all a matter of opinion. It's time these RV brokers pay a fair/decent price to get these units where they need to go. Stop hauling for free and then dead heading back to Indiana just to do it all over again.

 

After you stop complaining about the RV industry, let me know.

I know food tankers that ship from Champaign IL to Fort Worth and only pay the driver one way for 300.00 round trip. I can give you some others to go after.

 

I understand that you think I'm the exception. It seems that the norm on the internet is for people to complain about things, this forum is no exception. I know plenty of people in the real world that do this job and are making a living at it. They aren't coming on this forum and bragging about it, they're just doing it.

It's no surprise to me that most people fail to make money in this business. It's a well known fact that over 90% of all new businesses fail in the first year. As an O/O that's what these drivers are. Maybe they fail because of bad luck or maybe it's because they have no business sense, I don't know but I suspect it's the latter. As for the business being seasonal, I agree with you but, I manage to stay busy from January to Thanksgiving. In that time frame, I'm only sitting if I choose to be. In the "off season" I still haul loads, just not as many.

The numbers in my previous post about how much profit can be earned are based on your assumption of 500 miles per day. I drive closer to 600 miles when loaded and further than that when empty. I can assure you that I profit more than $28k a year.