When driving for a company that put on tours in different locations: please help!!!

I don't know what a good bid would be but with all that time off better bid big.

 

What does the route look like? i.e how often and for how long will you be "home"?

Is it new equipment? Will you be responsible for arranging any repairs and correcting any breakdown issues? or hopefully they're leasing the power equipment through a nationwide reputable company?

How long (how many nights) will you remain in any one city?

Be sure to also factor in your health insurance and as a truck driver, you will be paying substantial "high-risk occupation" rates.

These are some things (and I'm sure there are many others) I'd have to have answers to before I could begin making conclusions or considering the job.

When you say all expenses, are the inferring they will pay to put you in hotel? meals? or simply talking about fuel and other truck operational costs?

 

Might be a worthwhile gig, but I'd present a very detailed contract to them spelling out what you're rate will be, what you will be financially and professionally responsible for, and what the company is to be responsible for and don't skimp on the details. Make sure the company pays directly for day-to-day costs incurred, (don't put yourself in a position where they are to "reimburse" you for out-of-pocket expenses they are responsible for but want you to pay for initially). The only thing the company should be paying you for (1099'g) is your labor and services as a professional truck driver to operate the vehicle in a safe, legal manner. Nothing more nothing less.

What if they request you to have the equipment moved 900 miles in 24 hours? One driver can not legally accomplish this. Be careful. these sorts of opportunities can be great but similar opportunities have ruined drivers who got involved under poorly written requirements and expectations, on both sides.

 

I'd bid $1.50

 

seems like an easy answer to me...50k per year is a 37500 bid. 60k per year is a 45000 bid. 8 month gig, where you can essentially do nothing else? wouldnt go less than 37500.

 

If the driving part could be done legal that's the easy part. It's the load in load out that could be a deciding factor. In another life I was a roady. That was extreme work at times.

 

The big thing is the amount they will report on your 1099, if it's $100k because they reported a lot of other crap such as hotels and stuff that they paid on your behalf, but they keep the receipts as expense write-offs for them ... you've got a serious tax liability coming your way if you have practically nothing in the way of verifiable expense receipts to reduce your taxable income.

I fully understand they claim they will "pay all expenses"; but I know enough to know that if a bad or incompetent CPA, or a crooked or mis-informed or inexperienced company is behind this, the little guy (you) will be the one to get screwed and the IRS is not very understanding. What they see on the 1099 it's all that is important to them, and it is incumbent on you to prove that all the amount was NOT "professional fees".

Especially with things coming down the pike, you have to be very careful the way you pay yourself and the amount you pay yourself because this reported "income" can affect you down the road, mostly negatively insofar as tax liability and qualification for insurance, etc.