Blindside backing

[Hawkjr]

And ill laugh at you as you pass me, cause you seem to put the most emphysis on the need to 'be somebody' by trying to look like something more than your typical 'hobby trucker'. And when i go O/O, i'll still drive 62-64 while you feel the need to drive 70 because you think you're better than everyone else on the road because "i got a new pete". Not to mention i will spend less on my fuel bill than you, which puts more spendable cash in my back pocket (or in my maintence account).

And again, the need to have 80% of ones truck covered in chrome just shows me a driver in desperate need for attention. Why? because his was forced to live with one of his divorced parents, and that parent didnt give him the attention he needed when he attended junior high.

have fun with that new pete, hobby trucker

The Kev is something special boy... He's going to be Swifty O/O running 2000-2300 miles a week.. OMG.. Where is Big D when you need him, this is to good!!

Yes running 2000 to 2500 (i gave you the benefit of the doubt) you better be creeping up the road.. in matter of fact, you might want to go a little bit slower than 62.. lol..

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Kev everyone.. The Kev

[Kevin0915]

every O/O i've spoken to over the past few months, seem to be getting 2800-3000mi, and the team o/o that went to the same academy as me, are getting 5000-6000.

I've already shown my DM that i run miles. not that it means anything, but i was 100% ontime pickups and drops for the month of April....yes, even the day i got those tickets, i still picked up on time.

And seriously, why do you care so much about my paycheck? when i go O/O and make twice what i'm making now, might be what you are 'use to', but i say again, you have more financial responsibliities than me. that make you better than me? LOL....hardly.

[Double R]

every O/O i've spoken to over the past few months, seem to be getting 2800-3000mi, and the team o/o that went to the same academy as me, are getting 5000-6000.

when i go O/O and make twice what i'm making now, .

Thank you for the laugh

[matcat]

Gave me quite a laugh too.

BTW That doesn't make you an owner op, makes you a fleace op, how nice of you to pay for all the expenses of the truck so Swift doesn't have too.

[Kevin0915]

there is a difference in my eyes. there is a lease with no purchase option, then there is the lease to purchase. You can call it what you want, and i know i'm not the only one to say "O/O" and be incorrect in using that term. 75% of the drivers out there who say their O/O arent really O/Os, but L/Os. So what. they're making more than they would as a company driver (cpm wise). Now how they spend that extra money is up to them.

but why such an interest in how much my paycheck is? are you living off it?? Give it a rest already, cause you're opinion of me or what i make really doesnt bother me.

[SickRick]

there is a difference in my eyes. there is a lease with no purchase option, then there is the lease to purchase. You can call it what you want, and i know i'm not the only one to say "O/O" and be incorrect in using that term. 75% of the drivers out there who say their O/O arent really O/Os, but L/Os. So what. they're making more than they would as a company driver (cpm wise). Now how they spend that extra money is up to them.

but why such an interest in how much my paycheck is? are you living off it?? Give it a rest already, cause you're opinion of me or what i make really doesnt bother me.

Unless the title of the truck has YOUR NAME ON IT (ie: it gets TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR NAME) - you do NOT OWN THE TRUCK...

We can mince words ALL YOU LIKE - but there's NO GREY AREA THERE.

When I get a year or two under my belt and have a good idea of what the BACK OFFICE end of this business looks like - I may in fact go to a friend that OWNS A LEASING COMPANY and get him to finance a purchase for me. Not a true lease (in the classic sense of the term) as I WILL BE HE OWNER - and they will be the LIENHOLDER.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I EVER ALLOW a company I drive for (or a wholly owned subsidiary of that company) hold TITLE OR SWAY over the future of MY TRUCK. If I decide to "lease on" to a company for loads - I can ALWAYS LEAVE and my TRUCK COMES WITH ME. If a plick dispatcher tries to starve me out - I can take MY TRUCK and go play in someone else's sandbox.

Rick

[Hawkjr]

And seriously, why do you care so much about my paycheck? when i go O/O and make twice what i'm making now, might be what you are 'use to', but i say again, you have more financial responsibliities than me. that make you better than me? LOL....hardly.

I can care less how much you make.. seriously.. but yes you will be making much more than you are making now, but what about expenses?? big time expenses?? hell kev, you will be making triple what your making now.. but i guess you just don't see the big picture..

Seriously how much more do you think your going to be making?? i mean if an extra few thousand is worth the stress then go for it, but you will quickly see and come back in this forum with your head tucked between your legs bitchin and moaning how swift is doing you dirty....

and also, stop with this Financial Responsibilities bull.. I'm 21 living with Moms, with a Truck Payment of 405, Insurance of 132, Cell Phone and Wireless Internet 150, Loan Payment for School 130, and various Credit Card Payments that combine don't go over 100 a month..

A check and a half would pay all those bills off and leave me with well over 1100 a month to go crazy with..

I probably have the less amount of financial so called "responsibilities" amongst everyone on this board... and my pay isn't that bad even tho i stay out 6 days straight, so please stop with this Finance Bull!!

'

[Syncrosonix]

damn, hawk, you're 21? i thought you were a little older. i can call somebody junior!

[matcat]

Lets see how these numbers stack up shall we?

All numbers based on 3000 miles a week, when I was at swift L/O's got $.90cpm

Truck Payment : $ 500
Fuel : $1000
Maintence Escrow (.02cpm) : $ 60
Insurance : $ 150 (Guestemate)
Misc Expenses : $ 100

Total: $1810

3000 miles = $2700 earned
$2700 - $1810 = $890 (A whopping .29cpm all for you!)

And that is with my numbers being rather low!

[sportster65]

Kev,

You may want to go over to:

primedrivers.net - Index

and look at the L/O section of the forum. There are a big number of drivers who are seriously hurting for miles and therefore cash. A number or them have been starved out, and others just flat out droped for some minor infractions. I think very few are keeping their heads above water.

Some of them are former SNI drivers who I knew from pumpkindriver.com who thought they were going to do better as a L/O, and are now regreting it. Not to be judgemental, but just something for you to seriously look at right now. I know the consus here is run far away from the L/O, and I would agree. There have been a couple who I know of who made a pretty good go of it, but as fuel went up, profits went down. Just as the were beginning to recover, freight became scarce and now many are once again beginning to suffer. There seems to be only feast or famine, most suffering the latter. Those who made a good go at it are now running teams or training students to make up the losses. I feel bad for them, in a way, some I know/knew personally, others just by the pumpkin forum. Even when freight is good and fuel is low, only the most dedicated, organized, and savvy drivers were able to turn a profit. As you may have guessed that is a very small minority of drivers. Something you may want to think about.

[Hawkjr]

damn, hawk, you're 21? i thought you were a little older. i can call somebody junior!

feel free bud.. feel free...

It's crazy, cause everyone at Truck Stops call me Young Man.. One guy at a Shipper thought i was the drivers son or something..

[Syncrosonix]

feel free bud.. feel free...

It's crazy, cause everyone at Truck Stops call me Young Man.. One guy at a Shipper thought i was the drivers son or something..

that's happened to me more than a dozen times.

[SickRick]

OTOH (and to be fair - to PRIME, not Kev)...

I have spoken with a couple of Prime L/O's recently - who have told me their miles have been pretty consistent and have been NETTING about $1K a week.

That's not BAD $$, but for all the headaches and responsibility of being RESPONSIBLE for a truck - I'd STILL rather be in more control of the FINANCIAL FUTURE of a vehicle that I'm COMPLETELY ON THE HOOK FOR FINANCIALLY.

A vehicle lease FROM a Trucking Company (or a front company they control) is NEVER GOING TO BE in the DRIVERS FAVOR. Like, NEVER. Which is why most folks are VEHEMENTLY AGAINST IT.

While a lot of us have no "warm and cuddly" feelings for Kev - I STILL wouldn't want to see any fellow driver (even Kev) get butt-raped by a trucking company ( OK - MAYBE Kev). We're being taken advantage of bad enough by the companies, DOT, FMCSA - why ASK FOR IT?

Rick

[sportster65]

You're right not bad money, and some of the L/O's are doing that and more. A company driver with a "good paying" company could get that when the miles are there. Running teams with SNI, I had some weeks when I brought home $800, and no worries about cost of fuel, buying the wiper blades & ETC. Check the prime drivers forum, and look up Dr Zebra, one of the "success stories", his story is a very good example of how a L/O can work out for the RIGHT person. I would say he is the exception and not the rule.

[matcat]

You're right not bad money, and some of the L/O's are doing that and more. A company driver with a "good paying" company could get that when the miles are there. Running teams with SNI, I had some weeks when I brought home $800, and no worries about cost of fuel, buying the wiper blades & ETC. Check the prime drivers forum, and look up Dr Zebra, one of the "success stories", his story is a very good example of how a L/O can work out for the RIGHT person. I would say he is the exception and not the rule.

Very very rare exception

[avc]

The other day I saw an Incorporated trucking company out of Troy, AL pulling Wiley Sanders trailers, Sanders HQ is in the same city, so you can make deals with trucking companies if you outright own your own rigs like these guys are saying.

It is a much better way to go with few strings attached.

If you own your own tractors you can pull for Trailer Transport or a lot of other brokers too !

[Orangetxguy]

The Kev is something special boy... He's going to be Swifty O/O running 2000-2300 miles a week.. OMG.. Where is Big D when you need him, this is to good!!

Yes running 2000 to 2500 (i gave you the benefit of the doubt) you better be creeping up the road.. in matter of fact, you might want to go a little bit slower than 62.. lol..

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Kev everyone.. The Kev

He is "here". I am not certain which one he is.....but HE is here!

[Orangetxguy]

feel free bud.. feel free...

It's crazy, cause everyone at Truck Stops call me Young Man.. One guy at a Shipper thought i was the drivers son or something..

And we won't stop either!

[Syncrosonix]

You're right not bad money, and some of the L/O's are doing that and more. A company driver with a "good paying" company could get that when the miles are there. Running teams with SNI, I had some weeks when I brought home $800, and no worries about cost of fuel, buying the wiper blades & ETC. Check the prime drivers forum, and look up Dr Zebra, one of the "success stories", his story is a very good example of how a L/O can work out for the RIGHT person. I would say he is the exception and not the rule.

i know of a couple of rare exceptions to that rule at swift. one of the more prominent is a fellow who actually owns the truck. he's still getting the miles to afford all the do-hickies and what not. if you run around in the south: i-10, i-40, and around memphis, it'll only be a matter of time before you see him. he's the fellow with the blue 2007 t-2000 that is waxed on a weekly basis, custom rims that are also super shiny, street-glo, straight pipes, and he's based out of memphis. he won some award at a trucking contest. he was awarded second place for one of the categories. i don't remember which.

[sportster65]

i know of a couple of rare exceptions to that rule at swift. one of the more prominent is a fellow who actually owns the truck. he's still getting the miles to afford all the do-hickies and what not. if you run around in the south: i-10, i-40, and around memphis, it'll only be a matter of time before you see him. he's the fellow with the blue 2007 t-2000 that is waxed on a weekly basis, custom rims that are also super shiny, street-glo, straight pipes, and he's based out of memphis. he won some award at a trucking contest. he was awarded second place for one of the categories. i don't remember which.

We used to spend a lot of time going through West Memphis, that was the home terminal for SNI teams. I loved running the I-40, especially through Tennessee, what a beautiful place in the spring.

I think it take a special breed of person to make a L/O work, there is no margin for error, you must be on top of your business 100% of the time. That is why most fail, not many can dedicate themselves the way that is needed to stay afloat. I think you have to be more of a businessman than a driver, and willing to push yourself to stay out when others are going home, and be willing to sacrifice everything else to make it work. Even with that when diesel is up and freight is low, no amount of smarts is going to help you then.