Truck Load Rates Halt 8 Week Slide 2.0

I signed up for this three times today already. I'm already in trucking of course but I just can't figure out how to spend all this money I make as an owner operator.

 

Mo money Mo money Mo money!!! That’s what I’m talking about baby!! Where do I sign up. I like that math. Even though it doesn’t add up. I still like it!! Easy money!!

 

And shortly after writing that his mom hollered down the stairs, dinners ready!!

 

Did you get your referral bonus? I signed up 48 times today myself.

 

Still waiting. I got a message saying my requests were being vetted by the office in Ethiopia.

I'm sure it's on the way.

 

If they ask for a "filing and administrative fee" please send in enough for the rest of us.

 

Got home today for some time off while it snows up north, been out since Jan 24th. I did one restart in Jerome ID and one in Phoenix. Ran 12832 miles and so far I’m at 2.235 per mile to my truck after lease and trailer. Can’t complain about that a whole lot given current market conditions. After the snow I’m heading back out again for a while because I have plans to take a couple weeks off in March.

 

The random stuff that shows up in my inbox after selling a truck on Truckpaper.

 

How's the spot market?
March is right behind the corner... rates when you look at them are pain in the butt as compared to what they used to pay still at this time a year ago.
Thursday 2/16 - Friday 2/24, I grossed $6925 and added 3090 miles to the odometer (IL - MN $1100, MN - VA $3200, Pa - WI $1905 WI - IL $720): $2.24 average income per mile. The loop I am currently on appears to be slightly better: IL-MN $1400, MN-PA: $3650, PA-IL: $1500 - predicting 2700 miles and $2.45 average income per mile. I have the cheapest version of DAT, so I don't even know what the 15 days averages say anymore. I don't think it matters that much because those initially posted rates give me some idea.
My YTD cost per mile - excluding my own payroll expenses - is $1.21 but when including payroll (my own pay + FICA taxes) they raise to $1.67. Not a great profit I'd get from this sort of running, if hired a driver and paid them 65c per mile. Therefore, I run solo and I don't add trucks.
I can live with that, given the relatively low overhead costs, but I must say this does not feel like a quick path to lucrativeness. Not much else to do about it but wait for another gravy train - maybe August - September of 2024. That's what the spot market is all about: jump and ride on those gravy trains every now and then, if you miss one, well, then you lose in this game.

 

Worse for me this week but I needed to stay close to home for family reasons so I didn't look at anything over a few hundred miles. By Wednesday I was sick of shopping for lousy loads and headed to the house.

Bad market, truck problems, rainy day or whatever it is, I've learned that after a few months I get sick of it and need to take some time off. Maybe that's all this was. I've got a $3/pm run scheduled for Monday. Hoping for a better week.