Profile For Chris L.

Glad you're doing well friend. You seem happy! Keep the shiny side up!

I run down to one of the Ports in Oakland a few times a month lately. If you see this truck down your way my CB is always on. I scan channels 17 and 19.

It's been a while, hope your doing good.

Oldschool,

That's good advice in your last post and I appreciate that. I will take it to heart.

Thank you.

Gtown,

You are misunderstanding that part you quoted. That was in response to Oldschool saying he nets more than me. In which he thought I was claiming that as my net. I always said it was after fuel, insurance, ect but still had taxes and truck expenses to come out yet.

I do realize I will probably make less in the next 6 months due to weather and holidays.

I'm hoping I can let this be for now as I'm not trying to get banned here. I enjoy the site.

I never claimed to make 140,000 per year net. I gave my numbers for the last six months and clearly stated that I would need to pay taxes and truck expenses out of that amount.

As far as taxes go I used a professional when I was a Box Truck Owner and will go to them again at the end of the year with all my paperwork.

I understand that there will be many deductions or write offs to get my adjusted income to pay taxes on. I been through that for nine years I don't do it myself so I depend on them telling me where I stand and then I will have a game plan for next year. Then I will know how I compare to where I was as a company driver.

I'm only six months in and should have waited to talk about it as all you want is taxable income.

My personal experience so far for me is on top of my living expenses I've managed to pay 15k in debt and put 12k in the bank all in 6 months. Something I couldn't do as a company driver. That means something even if you don't agree.

To be continued in April.

Not trying to mislead here. I didn't talk about my gross before fuel and everything else. That could be misleading for sure.

I'm just showing my experience nothing more.

As far as my change from box trucks. I was burned out on all day city driving, I wanted the open road. Plus I always wanted to drive a big rig.

Let me try one more thing.

My average month was 11,776.25 Take out 1400 truck note, 250 pm service, 500 misc for tire blow out or something. That leaves 9626.25. Of course taxes come out too.

Wouldn't that represent my net for the last 6 months? What's left after my tax rate. Which is still to be determined.

I'm not trying to but heads here but more trying to understand where we differ.

I'm not delusional and think I'm netting double or anything near, but I do feel I'm doing better than I was. By how much I don't know yet.

I probably should have waited to post after tax time. I just been excited how it's going. Anyway $70,657.55 is the exact number that hit my bank account in 26 weeks. I can prove it with my weekly settlements.

Expenses have already been payed as far as fuel, insurance, ect. Only thing left is taxes and the truck itself (maintenance, repairs, truck note).

I can only provide my numbers I have so far. I'll post new information as it comes such as my year end results.

Not saying I'm getting rich just giving real experience. As far as everyone doing it, According to what I've heard on talk radio most people live paycheck to paycheck and couldn't afford a $1000 emergency.

Taxes are figured on adjusted income after write offs and such. I'm not a tax expert but I was a Box Truck Owner Operator for 9 years.

Truck payment is 1400 a month with 3 years left. Will pay off in half the time or better though.

I'm not saying go buy a truck today I'm just showing my experience witch is new to me and am excited about, that's all.

If my engine explodes today far from home, I'll talk about that too.

I've deposited over $70,000 in six months. As a company driver I would maybe gross that in a year. You say you net more than 70k in six months?

As for my investment my truck was $40k. My main focus to this point was to pay some credit card debt and put away an emergency fund. I've paid off 15k that I couldn't do as a company driver and have 12k cash set aside so far. For the short time I've been doing it. As for my truck needing replacement my plan is to pay off my current truck as a next goal and have cash in hand for my next one well before it's end of life.

I'm also funding a retirement account through Fidelity.

If you're making $140k a year I say that is a rare deal for an company driver and is not the norm. Also I'm home most weekends and some weeks daily.

I'm showing my personal experience as an Owner Operator. I understand that 6 months in and posting a couple weeks worth of pay doesn't mean success.

I just want to show real numbers so far.

My lowest week pay and my highest week.

My low week was a 1200 mile week all local deliveries. A 5 day week in witch I was off work around 1300-1500 every day and starting around 0600.

My highest week was a 7 day week where I spent the whole week on the road and was 4100 miles.

I figured out my average weekly pay to be $2717.60 for the six months.

The net pay is what I deposited into my bank. It is after fuel, insurance's, plate fees, fuel tax, ect. I have to pay quarterly tax estimates, maintenance and repairs, and my truck payment out of the net.

I do a PM service about every 6 weeks usually at a TA for about $250. I've purchased 4 drive tires over the 6 months at around $300 per tire. Two were unrepairable flats and 2 were worn out. Fixed a couple air leaks myself parts were around $20 for the minor air leaks. Just replaced the batteries myself for $540.

So far nothing to bad but I do have a good emergency fund in place.

I know Owner Operator is a bad word around here so I tried my best to only state facts and real numbers that I can attest to.

Only time will tell if I made the right choice but I'm happy so far.

I run Intermodal out of Portland Oregon, all the JB Hunt containers I see are 53'. I've pulled 20, 40, 45, and 53 foot cans.

I've noticed 53's are mostly run out of the railyards and the shorter are out of the ports.

53's are just like pulling dry van.

The first time I go to a new railyard or port that I've never been to its a bit confusing and easy to get lost. Especially some of the big Ports. But after one time through you pretty much know the routine for next time.

I like Intermodal so far, never been a shortage of work for the short time that I've been doing it.

Also first time backing a short trailer is crazy how fast it turns.

I used a George Forman grill a lot when I was otr. Not to bad for clean up.

There's a bridge marked 13' 4" in Vancouver Washington and first time I came up to it I stopped got out and looked then proceeded super slow and made it without touching. This was in the middle of the night when I was doing food service delivery.

Either my trailer wasn't tall as it says, or the bridge measurement isn't exact.