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Some numbers for new O/O

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by DUNE-T, Aug 23, 2018.

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Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

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Why was your old posts HokieBlueBalls, now they are LucasTookis and now your HokieBlueBalls again? I’m confused.

Midwest Trucker, Mar 15, 2022

#1261

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88 Alpha Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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Midwest Trucker said: ↑

Why was your old posts HokieBlueBalls, now they are LucasTookis and now your HokieBlueBalls again? I’m confused.
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Good question. Patiently awaiting his response. My guess is it won't end well.

88 Alpha, Mar 16, 2022

#1262

Bean Jr. Thanks this.
88 Alpha Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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88 Alpha said: ↑

Good question. Patiently awaiting his response. My guess is it won't end well.
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This has been resolved. You shouldn’t be seeing any further comments from HokieBlueBalls and the only previous comments you should see are quotes. His original comments are now under LucasTookis.

88 Alpha, Mar 17, 2022

#1263

Bean Jr., dwells40 and REO6205 Thank this.
rollin coal Road Train Member

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Lucastookis said: ↑

I agree with that. That's good stuff. Some tips that will help new drivers. Strike it why the iron is hot!. Meaning, if you find a rate that is high in one area, the odds are it will be high in that area the next week. So, instead of being home every weekend, considered being home 4 days every 2 weekends. Something this simple can DRAMATICALLY effect your gross. For example, if you live in Georgia. In order to be home every weekend, you just limited yourself to no more than 1/2 of the United States. You just limited yourself to going no further west than Kansas and only the Northeast because you have to be home every weekend. What if you did 4 days off in a row every two weekends? See the difference? You can now make the trip to California or Washington from Atlanta, and score the the weekend rate for the big load on the way back to Atlanta or wherever in the Southeast. Something seemingly this simple could put Thousands of money in your pocket by the end of the year. Instead of making that 120 K, it may turn into 140 or 150 K. Or, make a compromise where you will be home every weekend for 2 weeks in a row, then you are gone for the next 2 weeks, and then take 4 days off. If you can just stay out for 2 weeks at a time ONE time per month, you are going to add money to your pocket in the long run. I guarantee you! It's also about quality time. My wife and I literally plan our time together down to the hour before I am home, from dinner to the beach to movies to theater to sporting games, etc, and it's incredibly valuable and works out, and after I have spent 4 days with full time with her, it feels like we have done a ton of stuff that we would likely normally do if I were home everyday.

Another tip for new drivers. Yes, use brokers for the first 6 months as that is the only way you will get loads anyway, but after that 6 months, start to look directly at the shippers and skip the brokers. By doing this, you add another 5% gross at least by years end. Another thing, factor your own shi#! Yes, Factor for the first year to build up a cash reserve for catastrophy, or do quick pay option, but once you have 50K stored away for catastrophy, STOP factoring for God's sake and you save another 3 and up to 5% gross. The biggest single factor outside of maintenance issues that really hurts truckers is the inability to have the option to go in 50 states. Think of it like a football play. Ever here the announcers get upset or question the play when the QB gets the snap on a pass and roles to one side of the field on a pass play? Sure, he may complete the pass or get a big completion, but that play is called, basically one half of the field is removed/not an option for the QB to throw to. Same kind of analogy with trucking. Try to do whatever you gain to not limit yourself to one half of the playing field when starting out. Have the entire "field" as an option to execute the play. I see this especially in the Southeast with my friends. The Southeast traditionally just simply doesn't have the rates like the rest of the country, especially the upper midwest, mountain west, west coast, and so many guys from the Southeast do the regional thing or the I-95 or I-77, I-85 corridor thing and many who have established lanes do well, but as a whole, if you could take all of them in one scoop, if they were to run more in the upper midwest/west, they would put a whole lot more in their pockets.
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You're wasting your time trying to figure out 48 states imo. That's always been a ridiculous prospect for a small operator. I dont know about other regions of the country, and don't really care or need to, but for most one truck guys (or small operations) living in the midwest, southeast and northeast you can make a good living focusing your efforts on a half dozen states or less.

And you can figure out the triangles and loops fairly quickly in a couple or 3 years. Maybe a little more time or maybe less for different people. And some off years there are times when you can take a lot of the #### you think you know about trucking rates and toss it out the window because you will see the exact opposite out here if you do it long enough.

rollin coal, Mar 30, 2022

#1264

Jed2009, 86scotty, westcoastie and 9 others Thank this.
Pete 389 Bobtail Member

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I want a peterbilt 379 when the time comes to buy a truck, I know they aren’t the most reliable ofc lol but there are my favorite and the best looking trucks in my opinion. My dad owns a 389 and pulls someone’s flatbed and I’m thinking of doing flatbed too cuz I mean that’s what my dad has teached me. But I want to be mostly local, what do you
Guys think

Pete 389, Apr 6, 2022

#1265
Bean Jr. Road Train Member

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Pete 389 said: ↑

I want a peterbilt 379 when the time comes to buy a truck, I know they aren’t the most reliable ofc lol but there are my favorite and the best looking trucks in my opinion. My dad owns a 389 and pulls someone’s flatbed and I’m thinking of doing flatbed too cuz I mean that’s what my dad has teached me. But I want to be mostly local, what do you
Guys think
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Who said 379s aren't the most reliable?

Bean Jr., Apr 6, 2022

#1266
Pete 389 Bobtail Member

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Bean Jr. said: ↑

Who said 379s aren't the most reliable?
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Idk everyone on here so far. I tell em they my favorite trucks and they just come at me wit how crappy they are but I love em

Pete 389, Apr 6, 2022

#1267
Oscar the KW Going Tarpless

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Bean Jr. said: ↑

Who said 379s aren't the most reliable?
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I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone here say that, but they aren’t the most economical option. But if you’re buying it for you, who cares, get what you like. It sucks driving something you don’t like.

Oscar the KW, Apr 6, 2022

#1268

W923 and Bean Jr. Thank this.
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If you’re going to work on it yourself you will love that big hood even more. Nothing worse than trying to work on the back half of an engine in small hood trucks especially if it’s a 14 liter or bigger

W923, Apr 6, 2022

#1269

Bean Jr. and Pete 389 Thank this.
Pete 389 Bobtail Member

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W923 said: ↑

If you’re going to work on it yourself you will love that big hood even more. Nothing worse than trying to work on the back half of an engine in small hood trucks especially if it’s a 14 liter or bigger
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Thanks and yeah I do plan on working on it. You think I should buy a new peterbilt or old one?

Pete 389, Apr 7, 2022

#1270

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