Reply With QuoteDont stop know keep the info coming.
Rich
Rio makes the most sense out of all of this. The guy has been there. I own a business that is not specifically trucking, but I own three heavy haulers to move heavy equipment. I also have my class 1 with doubles, tankers and hazardous endorsements. I drove truck way, way back in the 80's, cross country with an outfit that has since gone out of business. I don't have a ton of experience, but enough to have learned this:
If it fly, floats, f*cks or rolls........rent it!!!! :crossx:
Of course, I never listen to my own advice! LOL
Dont stop know keep the info coming.
Rich
Welll , lets just start out by saying after years of going with dad when i was a kid , polishing the dam alum wheels and washing , greasing , and brake adj. on weekends I had enough of trucking when i was 18 y/o . He offered me his peterbuilt when i graduated -- AHMMMM NO THANKS Dad !!! lol I became a butcher for albertsons for a few years , Then Ended up in trucking again ??? There is Money to be made ! Buuuuuutt It's not easy money - Trucking takes a very sharp indivdule - with good people skills , net working abilities , mech. abilitys , and someone very good with a Pencil ! The average truck working for a Company will make $120,000--- 160,000 per year ! You will have to pay your own fuel , taxes , maintence , lic and permits - bit inspections - and drug programs - Workmens comp if the company requires it. ( most do for liablity reasons , even though it's not required by law for a o/o ) You Better put money away for a rainey day / (truck maintence days when the truck isn't making rev) If you have a family ,your wise to finds some health care coverage ! now with this BRIEF summery -- YOu will NET about 33%- 50 % depending on your equipment - I.e -new truck less maitence, older truck more maintence ! YOu will Work 70 plus hours a week - and the Bears seem to have personal vedetta's agaist trucks -- fines across the us have been driven up as an attempt to control Saftey ! unfortunaly every goverment official inturprets the law slightly differnet and there is alot of room to write tickets - to generate rev. for the state, gov.
Now If your willing to Be truly independent and run your OWN Bussiness you should have very new and dependable equipment - good contacts , some capitol - and that truck to be loaded as much as possiable - at least a 80% loaded /20% emty senerio - YOU Will work on that truck when your not driving - You will write off your tool, office, phones , personal company vech leased to you ( I would lease new trucks every 3 - 4 years ) You Can hire your underage kid to grease the truck and give him/ her a 1500. tax credit ( yes! You can do this !
( this has to happen , but doesn't( customers are the key ) )Your customers will pay you every two weeks - You will pay your fuel card off monthly - Your customers will compensate you for fuel - You will bill your customers as your waiting to get unloaded off of your lap top and keep accurate records of transactions - You will have your shit together and you will make money -- $200,000-- to 260,000- but it is not an easy deal and YOU HAVE TO BE SMART / LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!! You will have married that truck and your family will have to be a loving part of your company because you will not have the time you once did - ps This is true in both senerio's
Working for a company like the one i work for is great for someone that doesn't have knowedge / contacts in/ of the business -- We do Everything for you - and charge you for it ( very resonable ) You will have all your taxes items prepared for you to hand to your tax guy at the end of the year , you will have some one to lend you money when you need it - you will have some one to process your billing for you , You will have someone to take care of your fueling needs for you , you will have money in your hand every two weeks , you will have freight every day - You will MAKE A LIVING !
We will pay for your insurance ( liability / cargo ) which can run an average of 10,000 a year YOu will have to supply bob tail and comprehensive ! You will have to be resonsiable for your equipment and make it reliable ! You will have to have a profesional attitude and be courtious to customers ( you can tell your dispatcher to fock off , we're use to it !! lol ) YOU will learn about the trucking industry!!!!
If you crunch # and you do so honestly you will see that every trucking company on the road is paying about the same thing ! They just sell it a lil differnent !!!!! bottom line -- If you know what your doing - you would not be asking these questions - if you don't you should start by working for a company for a lil while to get a feel for things and see if it's right for you ! Don't expect to get rich ,but you will make a living !!!
my opinion a truck with 600,000 miles will have a shelf live of 1-2 years before your odds of mech repairs become inevitable - ( shop rates run $90. to 100.00 an hour and they just don't jump on your truck anymore It will sit for a day or two !!!!! this is what kills you unless your prepared for it !!!
It Could be a decent starting truck , but look ahead ! go threw it with a fine tooth comb -- We have lease purchase programs ( like every tom dick and harry trucking company - lol) we have been selling our units 2002 - 2004 with 150,000 miles to 500,000 miles for a thousand a month vs- term of agreed price of unit with payments taken out bi monthly and a maintence accountfor engine maintence , tires , brakes ( major repairs only )
so find what make you happy as you will be in charge of your own destiney look for traffic lanes so you can visit your house -- Truckers are always good about telling your there negitve experieces - so listen to everyone and form your own oppinion ! chris
Jucky, what company are you with?
Jucky, what company are you with?
www.osterkampgrp.com
Just thought Id ad my .02 Cents........First off a 45 foot flat is way way out of date. If you were only going to haul machinery then maybe, but you are so limited.
I have driven for a company for about ten years as a company driver. For me it works out great. Im home every day. Are work is very steady. We have flats, vans, 100ft stretch trailers, drop decks, and low boys. So I get a huge selection of frieght. For me its been great.
I have been thinking of buying a truck. I would do exactly what I have done for 10 years only with my own truck. After reading this im not sure....lol :2purples: :2purples: :2purples:
IMO, the only thing you could do with that equipment would be local work. The engine is underpowered and the trailer is too small for OTR stuff.
As far as owning a truck, a lot of people laugh when I tell them not to buy one unless you have the equivalent of 3-4 months expenses capital behind you. After all, nothing THAT bad culd happen, could it? WRONG. I lost an engine in my truck, costing me $6000 to rebuild and two weeks of downtime. The guy did a horrible job and the truck went back in the shop for another week at another place to the tune of $3400. I was on the road 317 miles(I will never forget it!) when my transmission started eating itself up. Another 4 days and $5000 later I was back on the road, only to discover they left a washer in the gearbox which promptly found its way through the 5/10 gearset. The rebuild was free, but I lost another 3 days. All tolled, I lost about $15,000 in revenue and spent almost $15000 in repairs in 6 weeks.
This is the worst case scenario, but if it happened to me it could happen to you too.
I think one of the keys to O/O is the truck purchase. the truck im looking at is a 99 Frieghtliner with 396,000 miles and driven since new by a guy who is a Fanatic (sp)? I mean oil changes every 10,000 miles, warms the truck up for 30 minutes before moving it. Drives 60 mph all the time. It has a 435 Cat.
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