So you want to "own " your own company

Reefers are an excellent area to start as mentioned before, they are versatile. Now if you want to go at it as an O/O (I will catch some flack here) try a Lease Op first. It will give you a chance to operate and handle the expenses your self, the best training for what or what not to do with little risk on your part unless you are just spending it like it is going out of style. I offer leases ops as well as company positions (sorry, nothing open at this moment) but let me tell you, my company drivers bring home a more consistent paychech than my O/O's BUT at the end of the year, my O/Os make more. Allot more. The biggest area I see drivers struggle in an O/O scenario is their fuel. Slow down, it isnt a race, the faster you run the less you make at the end of the week. I had a driver insist that his truck got as good mileage at 70 as it did at 65 and was always complaigning that he wasn't making enough at the endo of the week. Last time his truck was in the shop, I had its wings clipped to 68. His paycheck grew on average almost 500 a week for that 2 miles an hour. I am trying to convince him to slow it down more and he will pocket more at the end of the week. I am paying him the same all the way through, only difference is his fuel bills are not as much if he slows down. You can be king of the roadin your own truck and trailer, run it like a business and you will do well, run it like you are the "Billy Big Rigger" and you will starve. In the end there are some companies that look to profit off of their lease op deals, we do not. Dont mistake that we dont make something for the deal of fronting all of the monies up front to secure and rig the equipment but I look to make my money off of the freight. There are some companies that focus 100% on making all lease ops with no realistic buyouts at the end. These are the ones to steer clear of or run and cut your teeth, education has its cost and it will better prepare you for your personal financial plunge when you put your name on a truck.

 

Check out the United States Treasury fund Quarterly info as to how much on average Flat,Van and Reefer pay.

Info states average pay,increase's and show's a graph to explain when( for the previous year)
the rates were the lowest, highest.

You can also check out the International Monetary Fund (also updated quarterly) for the United States for the same info.

I don't have the link to gain access to this, every time I check this info( say, every 3 months)
I have to do an Internet search to locate this info.

Use this as a guide only, this is compiled from past data from the United States.

As for rates, Flat and Reefer usually are the highest...with dry van freight almost always coming in the lowest.
But in reality, demographic area is the deciding factor...the above info I mentioned will not break down the US in demographic areas.

Remember that freight is a commodity, commodity rates( the dollar amount) to move that particular commodity change throughout the year.

crusin

 

There is a good thread on O/O about Loadboards, some old stuff from 2007, but still you can get the idea of who and how to get loads.

 

I was kind of thinking that if a guy could save up six months salary, he might as well just keep what he's doing, cause I don't even have a weeks wages put away. I've been scaping by, working every day. I'm new to driving cause my way of making a living before is gone due to the economy. I always wanted to get my class A, drive a truck, so here I am. I know there must be a way to make more money in this business, I just haven't found it yet. But I'm looking, my eyes and ears are open.

 

I have about 3 months salary put away and thats just in one of my savings accounts. Its not hard but in your position driverkc I can see how it would be difficult. You lost your old job and used your savings and all that when you lost your job.

Making more money can be as simple as what kind of freight you pull. If you want great money as a company driver and like FB work go do over size for one of the larger companies out there. Not sure how they are like ATS and KEEN and them but I have seen that the specialized guys at those companies do make great money, at least in there ads they say this. Me, I make great money and I am home every weekend. Some times you get home late on Saturday some times early on Friday. I work a 5 or 6 day work week and make on avg. take home of 750-1000 a week and that is with health insurance and a 401K taken out.

Just search around and search and search and research companies out there. There is money to be made as a company driver and as an O/O, just depends on what you want to do. I see your new to the site and all I can say is there is a lot of great information about different companies and everything on here.

 

all though respect, you're exaggerating on that 2mph slow-down.
it's only probably 100 bux or so

 

The slow down was more than 2 mph. I had the trucks set at 70 on cruise and 75 on the pedal. He was running around at 75 all the time. Now it is set at 68 on cruise and 70 on the pedal. Enough to pass but not enough to hold it to the floor. A 7 mph slow down in a 379 Pete netted him on average 500 a week take-home.

 

As for my other post on here...I have now started hauling frac sand. If you new guys can get in to this right its paying well. Don't believe the 10k a week like they will tell ya but working at a good pace you can make around $950-$1100 a day pretty easy. Average miles between load and frac unit 150. it breaks down like this. 0-50 miles $350 51-100 miles $425 101 + miles $4.00 a mile Dead after 100 miles $1.00 a mile Demurrage $65.00/hour You give them first 2 hrs loading and unloading. I get a fuel surcharge. I lease the trailer for way too much $2500.00 a month. I am making more now than I did hauling cars. You can get into this if your a new driver and there are better contracts out there but hey with just under 2 yrs. exp. its better than some. Most of the guys here are making 5 days=$5000.00 7 days=$8000.00
Vertex is a good company in East Texas...not real sure about PA and North Dakota. There is plenty of work if you have a BLOWER INSTALLED. I have struggled for almost 2 yrs. hauling cars but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel....I'll get back to ya if the light turns out to be a train!

 

Sounds like good money but make sure you are keeping A LOT aside for repairs. Everybody that I have spoke with says they beat the truck up.

But if you have a good w900 or similar and get it set-up as your repair the suspension you should be able to run pretty good.

Best of luch and keep us updated.

 

I started driving for Watkins Shepard a month ago. You are doing what I wanted to do when I made the jump into this profession, running during the week, home on the weekend. Question, How? Haven't seen my wife and kids in 24 days and I'm over 2000 miles from home, with no sight of getting there soon..