Owner Operator

If I buy a box truck tomorrow, and lease onto your company, what can you guarantee in writing for pay? If you don't want to talk about it in public, I can shoot you my email and we can discuss.

most of them run hard then take some few months of vacation to go to their countries...

Then no one is actually grossing $250,000 or netting $100,000? These are theoretically possible, but no one is actually doing it?

Is that much freight even available at that rate? If I bought a truck today, signed on with you, and said I would run 50 weeks next year could I expect 2,500 paid miles per week at an average of $2 per mile?

Yes you can expect that...... if you dont make money then we dont make money.... our goal is to keep you as busy as possible.... but remember we only do box

most of them run hard then take some few months of vacation to go to their countries...

Then no one is actually grossing $250,000 or netting $100,000? These are theoretically possible, but no one is actually doing it?

Is that much freight even available at that rate? If I bought a truck today, signed on with you, and said I would run 50 weeks next year could I expect 2,500 paid miles per week at an average of $2 per mile?

Do so

If I buy a box truck tomorrow, and lease onto your company, what can you guarantee in writing for pay? If you don't want to talk about it in public, I can shoot you my email and we can discuss.

We want our o/o to make a minimum of $4500 per week because we get 13% of that ..... a lot of production companies use box to meet their production deadlines because boxes do not face the same restrictions as 18 wheelers

Yesterday at a pickup I had an owner op parked next to me. He came over and started asking questions about my employer and asked what they pay us. I told him and he started laughing, claiming he makes 70-90 per hour for ALL his time in the truck, including sleeping. In the very next sentence he started talking about how he hasn't gone home since labor day (its now new years eve, in case this is read later). Apparently his wife has been begging him to take hometime but he needs money because he needs to put his truck in the shop. I wasnt going to get into an arguement with him so I just laughed and told him i needed the restroom and to stay safe. If this guy is making 70-90 an hour 24 hours a day hes making nearly $1700 PER DAY on the low end. Man I love hearing some of the crap many O/O come up with. He "makes" such great money but hasn't been home because he needs to pay the upcoming repair bill on the truck.

He was feeding you a line of BS. There are few guys out here making that kind of money, even the expediters are not doing that right now, no matter what is said here. There is money to be made out here, but it is not easy to come by, especially in this market. Then we have the expenses, which are going through the roof. Let's start with Insurance, it is going up, and I mean UP. Fleets are in the process of shutting their doors, quite a few have closed up shop in the past few weeks due to the rate hikes. I recently turned off, or parked my authority, due to this sudden rise in insurance costs and the miserable rates out here.

Then we have the equipment, most guys are not going to run out and buy a new truck, they are going to buy used. These are not the trucks I started with 30 some years ago, these are Government EPA trucks, and they come with a laundry list of very expensive needs to keep on the road.

I ran into a kid that went and bought himself a Lone Mountain truck. I think a 2016 Pete if memory serves me right. He called me from Indiana where he just arrived with the truck to put on with FedEx. He literally drove this truck from the dealer to orientation. He was late for orientation as the truck was having issues. Turns out it was a mess, only 350,000 miles on her. I told him to take it home to Atlanta and go see my buddy, the Cummins expert... Long story, the truck has major issues from extended oil changes, carbon packed, cam chewed up, lower end in need of new rod and main bearings, the list goes on and on... There was a warranty, and he did take it to the Pete dealer there in Atlanta, they installed a new turbo and EGR Cooler, both were fine, but they replaced anyways. That cam? They would not touch it, but they threw on $6000 in unneeded parts. Sad thing, that new turbo pukes oil like no tomorrow, typical Cummins reman unit. I think he has put around $10,000 in repairs in the truck, and he is doing the majority of the work himself as he cannot afford to take it to a shop. These trucks are now throw aways, 500,000 miles and that is it, if they even make it that far, most don't and are sold into the unwitting arms of the wannabe owner operator.

Me, I'm parking my truck, living in this thing for months on end to make little to no monies after expenses is not worth it to me. I am going to go back to being a company driver, already am going through the approval process to onboard. It is just not worth it out here as a single owner operator when everything is added up and accounted for.

One of the really big issues I have had, are these inflexible HOS , they have severely cut into my bottom line. I'm not some pill popping cowboy as many here I am sure would accuse me of. No, I'm an adult that owns and operates a piece of equipment and have driven it safely for many years. No accidents, no tickets, squeaky clean. I like to drive at around 64 mph, take my time, rest when I want, nap when I want, eat when I want, park when I want, outrun a snow storm when I want, etc. Well, I can no longer do that. I now answer to a clock on my dash. I figure it has cost me 30% of my income, real numbers.

I now drive faster, and my fuel costs are now approaching 45%. And I am not pushed, no one is barking at me to do this or that, but I still need to be productive with my time, and fight for parking. And that is the issue, the time is no longer mine. So, this old fart is hanging it up. Getting too crazy out here, and the job is now a job. There are brief moments of fun, but they are now getting very rare.

Truck is paid for, paid cash for her in 2013. I just in framed the motor in the driveway, and she is running like a raped ape. Just really getting her broke in too. 600hp ISX, 18 speed, full gauge package, custom tuning and a slew of new parts, too many to list. This truck is in tip top shape and can reliably go anywhere there is a road. It kills me to park, but it is just to expensive to run this business and make any real profits. Heck, just a truck service, you are looking at $300 to $500 easy. Truck and trailer wash, another $80 to $100... I remember when a complete service was $99 and you got a free steak dinner, shower and coffee, truck and trailer wash, $40. Fuel was under a $1 too...

Yep, I am reminiscing... But here is the kick in the shorts, the rates are still the same, if not lower than when I started in 1989.

My advice, stay a company driver if this is your passion.