SO .. Where is the money - most OO going UNDER

KR drives me nuts on most days, but the one thing that has stuck in my head is you can control your costs more than you can control your income. I’ll freely admit that I’m ignorant of the market right now because I’m not in it, but it does sound like a “shipper’s market” so there’s probably some truth to being able to cut expenses easier than getting more money.

 

I'm learning a lot on this site... So in order to make it out here as a Owner Operator...

Shut the truck off. Sweat balls in the summer, freeze my arse off in the winter...

Avoid all tolls...

Spend $5 a day eating cans of Campbell soup for meals...

All that just so I can say "I'm an Owner Operator"????

What else?

I'd be terrified to see the maintenance on a guys truck who lives on this shoe string budget...

The day it comes to having to do any of that "To Survive" means I wasnt financially prepared when I bought my truck and it's time to sell out and go back where I belong.... In a company truck...

 

I don’t sweat or freeze. I pay tolls. And I eat. I also work with guys who pay for two washes a week while I wash mine myself every other day at the shop. Nobody has to go to extremes, and I agree with you that if they do they have larger problems, but it is easier to watch what’s going out because you can’t always get a rate increase. Especially when there are guys chomping to take that load if you pass it up.

 

A guy does not need to sweat or freeze. I have watched drivers idle for years when it was perfect sleeping weather, and or when they were not even in the truck, and no reason whatsoever for the truck to be running.

 

Its what people do with their money when it pours in that makes or breaks them

 

The best strategy is to do both at the same time, that is, make the most you can and save the most you can. The Millionaire Next Door refers to these as “offense” and “defense.”

 

Little things amount to a lot. For example, I added an electric stove to my in truck accessories and make myself bacon and eggs with home fries instead of paying $15 at TAs and Petros for that, not to mention brewing my own perfect coffee. This at least offsets the prime parking charges, that I use quite a bit.

 

I see your point, but mathematics doesn’t lie. You have recurring expenses whether monthly or annually that are running in the background. One needs to run their numbers and create scenarios with their annual monetary outcomes. Each business is a bit different, so the best course of action will vary.

 

My Truck is down for some overdue issues On the one hand, I’m not missing much, On the other hand, I guess I should be working my regular gig a little harder.I can’t have it both ways. Saving some shop $$$ , costing Me just as much or more, in down time. I prefer the downtime.At least I’m home. Got to see some folks, I hadn’t seen in a while. Very slow progress, Doing Clutch,rear main seal, re sealing rear structure/ Cover. New oil pan gasket and motor mounts.Shocks, batteries. Cant wait to gas on it with confidence.Good God it’s a lot of work.Hats off to the good Mechanics out there, especially BoxCarKidd for advice. He’s made it a lot easier job . It’s a lot harder than Driving. Already lost a few lbs. Lol

 

I don’t exactly do all of that, but I get your point. For me, I see trucking as a way out of this slavery of work that the vast majority of humans are born into. I don’t mind working hard, and yes, smart, if it means I will retire early. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko have changed who I am permanently, and they are the main reason why my financial life is solid.