Why is it so hard to make money as a independent?

Farm2Fleet for some people !!! ######

 

apparently then by your own criteria in post #99 you aren't very smart

 

you don't even know who on this thread doesnt even drive anymore.

you don't even know who in this thread has more than one driver.


you should know that before ya comment.

you seem to have a problem with me for some reason, but that's ok. its how small minded folks work





but you proved your point and even stated it , you aren't capable of even attempting to hire a driver. you should try it before you yap to much about it.

 

When you see someone constantly blame others for their failures or difficulties in life, they are usually unsuccessful. If you expect to be successful in any endeavor of life, you need to accept responsibility for your actions, learn from your mistakes and make adjustments accordingly. Some of the most successful people have failed and even gone bankrupt several times. J C Penney comes to mine. He went bankrupt several times and yet he eventually built one of the largest retailers in the nation. When you own multiple trucks and have drivers, they can impact your success. A bad driver or two can bankrupt you, if you allow it. There are dishonest drivers who will steal from their employers. The most common theft is probably fuel. There are also other ways in which drivers can steal from owners. Unless you stay on top of your expenses and drivers you could easily lose your shirt. I think one reason some companies seem to not respect drivers is due to some having experienced those bad drivers. The carriers expect drivers to steal from them until proven otherwise. It is unfortunate, but a fact of this business. It makes it difficult for the good drivers who are honest and do their jobs to the best of their abilities. Drivers can find ways in which to justify their behavior, but theft is theft. Once you start adding trucks and drivers you expose yourself to the bad ones along with those who are good. Theft impacts your business and driver pay. Adding equipment and employees results in thinner profit margins. Once you reach a certain point you will also need to add office personnel, such as a dispatcher, unless you want to assume that job yourself. That adds additional costs. Carriers do generate a lot of revenue and you can still make a good living, but margins are not as great as some might think. Drivers rarely consider costs of operations. They only look at their pay. They usually don't even consider the cost of providing them benefits, such as insurance. I would also expect that most drivers have no idea that their company pays half their social security tax. Then there is workers compensation. It all adds up and drivers have no idea unless they have owned trucks and had drivers working for them.

The dynamics of your business change when you go from a truck that you own and drive yourself to having multiple trucks and employees. Just as some people make good drivers but not good owner operators, there are those who can successfully run a single truck that they own, but not do well when they start adding additional trucks. Not everyone is a good manager and not everyone is a good people person. When you have employees you need to be good at both. When you own a business you wear a lot of hats. Not everyone is comfortable doing more than one thing. Nearly every driver that I have met thinks that they want to be an owner operator at some point. Not all of them should buy a truck. Some want to start their own fleet and not all should do that either. We all have a comfort level based upon our personal experiences and personalities.

When you own multiple trucks you will get calls in the middle of the night because a driver has broken down on the side of the road. It could be a tire or something more serious. He will look to you to "fix it." He wants you to find someone to come and change his tire or tow him to a repair shop. You will need to get on the phone and find someone to get him rolling again. You will also need to be prepared to pay for the repairs remotely once they have been completed. He could even be shut down in a weigh station due to something that he failed to check on his pre trip. That will not only impact your checkbook, but your CSA scores and could directly impact your ability to find the better paying loads. In fact, some brokers and shippers will check your safety score prior to doing business with you. Unless you are the driver, you have NO control over what happens on the road or to your equipment once it leaves your possession. If a driver gets into an accident and someone is seriously injured or killed, it could ruin your business and might result in your losing everything you own.

So, drivers can impact your success or failure. I am not saying that the only reason an owner will fail is drivers, but they can literally make or break your business. I have mentioned some of the negatives. Good drivers can help you to achieve your goals. The challenge is in finding good drivers who will stay with you and share your vision. Most people won't care about your vision. Remember, it is YOUR dream, not theirs. I have made and lost money with drivers. I have had some good ones and those who were very bad. No matter how well you check drivers background, some will slip through the cracks. Anyone who has owned trucks has experienced the same thing.

 

amen brother. you nailed it. when you hire a guy they talk a good ballgame, but in reality not many play the game well.

 

I worry about every detail of my business. I always imagine the worst case scenario, and have a plan just in case. This is with one truck and me as the driver. I can not imagine the stress of trying to run more than one truck. I like my life as stress free as possible.

 

I have owned 3 trucks over the years. Bought the last one in February 2014 and sold it in March 2014. Nice truck but my wife wanted to change plans after I purchased it. I regret selling it as it was paid for and it was the exact truck I wanted. [2000 W-900 with 500 Detroit and a 13 speed]. However, I made money when I sold it and I never pulled a load with it. I've been doing the company gig since 2006 and have had a ton of jobs. The attitudes of some of these companies is unreal. I just quit my last job due to junk equipment and the inability to get me home like they had said they would. I was leased to Landstar with my previous 2 trucks and I have to say that I made money with them. I didn't run illegal and I made the decisions. These guys are right, you have to have a head for business or you will fail. If you're a steering wheel holder, then stay with a company. As an O/O you will be doing the small stuff that a company pays a mechanic to do now. I did all the PM's on my trucks and brakes, u-joints, belts, hoses and the like. You have to save money where you can. If you have the right mind set, and you make good decisions and have some good luck, you'll be just fine. Thinking about buying another one myself but will not get anything newer than a 2003 and will only have a Detroit engine.

 

I don't have a problem with you, I just just merely disagree with some of what you say. Doesn't mean I dislike you.
I understand I am not very smart and for that reason, I spend more time driving and less time doing other things. Had I been smarter, it would have been the other way around.

 

When you see someone constantly blame others for their failures or difficulties in life, they are usually unsuccessful. If you expect to be successful in any endeavor of life, you need to accept responsibility for your actions, learn from your mistakes and make adjustments accordingly.

Exactly my point! Failure is acceptable but blaming others is less than desirable.

 

I think this falls into the category of take care of the pennies and the dollars will be ok. Each load has a certain amount of revenue and a certain amount of expense. I personally worry about the profit margin on each load and do very well. Im with skinny on this one, why haul money around. Now I agree that if I find a really good deal on fuel like I did Tuesday (buffalo tx 3.39) then I will take advantage of that but typically I buy my fuel in accordance with the load.