Was there ever a big money ($150K to $250K/yr) era for truckers?

That is true in almost every business.

 

One of the drivers that I work with dad cleared 100k back in the 1970s so with inflation that would be a pretty awesome amount. He hauled furniture for United Van lines but where he made the big money was hauling electronic equipment for conventions such as in Las Vegas. Once unloaded he would get a hotel room and wait for the show to end then load up and go to the next show getting paid on the clock the time he was in the hotel.

 

Deregulation has been the biggest contributor to poor rates. I got my authority in 03 and it was MC 468xxx. From the inception of Motor Carrier Authority until 03, there were 468,xxx filings. A decade later, that number has almost doubled. The new filings are in the mid 8's. This new blood survived on $1.50 a mile while doing a L/P program, so $2 is high cotton for them. We are own worst enemy.

 

I could see those numbers as gross revenue even today.

Will they come back? I'm gonna say YES they will.

The question is, when we get back to numbers like that will milk be $20 a gallon, postage stamps $5 each, and minimum wage $35/hr?

 

It will not happen overnight.

The demand for oil is down, yet we export much and they constantly keep raising the price. Look at the profits generated. I see no end to the cycle.

 

If your a really really good bedbugger, you can do that kind of money, but you have to run your tail off and the economy has to pick up drastically first. There used to be an AVL O/O in my area who ran April thru Oct. then took Nov., Dec. off and did conventions Jan., Feb., Mar.. He would spend most of Nov. and Dec. on a beach in Mexico.

 

2008. We were running loads to the oil refineries in Alberta. The money was obscene. If you did 2 trips a week, motel on the weekends, after fuel, you had $8000 a week hit the bank account. Every week. Fuel prices were high and fuel surcharge hit over $1/mile. The money was unbelievable.

I ran into one of those super truckers at the J in Edmonton,AB. I'm trying to fuel up and this guy walks over wanting to strike up a conversation (you can always tell super truckers because in the first 5 minutes of your knowing this person, he will volunteer his employment history to wow you...guess I am immune to the wow factor)

Supertrucker: Yea, it gets rough up here. Been doing this run for a year and a half....Ummm, what's the rush, driver?

Six: Sorry hand, gotta run. Gotta go get my 2nd load.

Supertrucker: 2nd load? You can't do two loads a week...you'll run out of hours!

Six: You've only been doing one load a week? Everyone else does two.

Needless to say, ol Supertrucker called in on me. He was right, you would tap out your 70 right around Fargo,ND. but according to the regs, we could PC ourselves back to our home terminal, AND that travel time off duty counted towards a 34 restart. All you had to do was to make sure you were not under dispatch or any responsibility for another load. Easy enough.

it is true, drivers ARE their own worst enemy. So many drivers have the crab mentality. They don't want to push hard to make money and they feel that anyone that does is an outlaw. Yes, you can still make money, yes, you can still do over $250grand a year by following the regs and state laws. Your opposition will come from other drivers. Tell anyone you make money and they will tell you that you must be doing things illegal and that you're dangerous. Fine, I will be dangerous as long as it pays.

Funny thing about being "dangerous"...everyone says that new drivers should expect to make $30-40k year one. You cry about wages. A driver chimes in about making $65-75grand his first year, and you ignore him. Interesting.

Has anyone ever noticed that your bottom feeder flatbed companies are light years better than your bottom feeder van companies? I see Maverick and TMC being recommended for new drivers all the time. They're the entry level companies. Decent trucks, decent wage, decent home time...be home on the weekend and make almost twice as much a week as the bottom end van companies. I'm not advocating flatbedding, but you don't see a rookie flatbedder crying about working all week and making a $400 check. A brand new rookie bullhauler will make anywheres from $1200-1600 a week. "Yea, but they have to run hard and their trailer stinks!" That's the smell of money, friend. That's twice the money than the average rookie makes. Quit trying to be cute and go get the money.

 

Very well stated Triple Six...

 

Well some idiot state rep in PA suggested we tie in minimum wage with COLA increases. (?!?)

I don't think your getting the whole picture,,,,

 

Bought my first truck and got my authority in June of 1988. There were three of us in the partnership. One of the partners and I ran team for the first 7 months. We logged over 110,000 paid miles in that first 7 months and netted more than $200,000 after expenses. Then we bought a second truck and each drove solo (the third partner wasn't a driver). We both logged over 115,000 miles in the remaining 11 months of 1989. Between the two trucks we netted more than $460,000. (and split three ways).
Eventually we ended up with 13 trucks and made very good money until 2003 when we started seeing seriously erroding markets and rates. What was killing us the most was the growth of small independent brokers.
In 2002, we bought one minor partner out due to his wife's illness (and subsequent death) and in 2005 my partner died. (no small part I blame on the pressures of this business). I sold out and retired and have never looked back.
I did come back and drive for another carrier for a few short years and it was very pleasurable not worrying about taxes, receivables, payables. CARB, AQMD (we were California based). I'm still in the business, but not on the road anymore.
So yes...there was a time when you could make serious money in this business, especially if you had your own small fleet.