Seems like 'The Hunger Games' for Owner Operators

I'm aware of that as well. Had my eyes and hands on a 99 freightliner FLD daycab, but wasn't ready at that moment to do anything.

 

Negative, wasn’t directed to you directly, as a matter of fact, I wasn’t aware you had any intentions of becoming an O/O, I probably missed that post. Anyways, like mentioned, some have their minds made up cause they have a plan. So be it, if it works out, it’s all good. I myself when I started out as an O/O in 1984(been driving since late 1979), I didn’t have a plan, I just didn’t want to do regional anymore, my license wasn’t all that great(to many LowRider citations, “Hydraulics”) So I opt to buy a day cab cash, leased on to a company running local drayage freight, let me add, insurance was cheap back then, ($1500 a year), fuel was $0.80 a gallon, bottom line, I made a decent living. AND, I did struggle down the road a couple times due to economic times but survive. Again, back then, you could make it WITHOUT a plan, TODAY, you need more than a plan to survive. Goodluck to you.

 

Slot machine gamblers must have gotten bored and dedicated they'd rather lose all the money getting a truck and hauling cheap freight instead.

More action for their losses

That's got to be it

 

I think that's because you meet a better class of people at truckstops.

 

Oh don't worry, I won't take all the cheap freight from you. I'll leave the crumbs

 

Pretty soon it'll be owner operators walking around the the truck stops asking for change and knocking on my door asking if I want a fun night

 

The problem is those rates were once in a lifetime. Brokers seem to make money all the time -trucks, not so much.

Even when it flips back around, how much more are the trucks really making?

I don't know about anybody else but I see a lot of trucks go out of business and I see a lot of Brokers with giant colossal huge buildings on many many acres of ground.

I like when people tell me that Brokers don't really make that much money and you don't understand because they actually lose money sometimes..

The truth is working for a broker is like gambling at the casino. The house may occasionally lose, but everything everything is set up that they win.

And everything is set up that they win OVER THE LONG TERM.

 

Yep

in the late 80s early 90s I paid $14k for a truck and leased on with a company got $1.25 a mile to haul their trailers regionally .
Fuel was right at a dollar .
I had no problem clearing $1000 a week after all expenses without having to work that hard .

 

Then I guess the question would be why does everyone jump into trucking when everyone knows the easy way to get rich is to start a brokerage?

How much money do you think was lost when spot rates were $5 and contract rates were $3 or less? Yes the smaller guys probably went and asked for an increase but those with the large contracts didn’t go back for a new contract because most don’t want to get burned and have to negotiate again once the market flips back.

It’s like I said to TallJoe once, during the Covid high if the company I’m leased to had to cover one of our loads they would’ve had to come out of pocket to do it. They would’ve been laughed at if they offered what it pays. But now everyone would be tickled pink to haul one and get our rate for it.

When companies have long term contracts neither party wants to negotiate price at every turn because both parties know it goes both ways. Sometimes it favors the shipper, sometimes the transport company be it a trucking company or a broker.

 

My first job I had was doing dishes, .50 cents an hour. My first trucking job? .22 cents a mile. Gotta start somewhere.