O/O Question

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

I wanted to get some advice to make sure I'm on the right track. My husband and I own a dump truck but we are not making the money we would like to be making. We hope to be more successful as O/O's. Here's the plan: we both go to the 9 week 320 hour school (it starts August 22nd) and graduate with our class A cdl's. Then I get hired on by a company and get the crappy pay for 6 months to a year, but get the experience. He stays at home driving the dump truck. After my 6 months or so of experience, we buy our own tractor, start driving together and I teach him the ropes. We don't really want to drive as a "team", as we don't think we can sleep while the other is driving, but we would be on the road together to help each other out and keep each other company, but only driving a total of 14-16 hours a day. And hopefully be making a lot more money then the dump truck.

An addendum question: The dump truck is making us about $1,100 in a good week if we work 5 days. This is after broker fee and diesel, but before maintenance/tires etc. Any O/O's out there making more then this? What should we expect to make?

Thanks!

[flood]

1st i run team with my wife and we are making that in a BAD week most of the time it 2x-3x that

2nd this is a bad plan, if YOU only have 6 months driving you will never make it

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

2nd this is a bad plan, if YOU only have 6 months driving you will never make it

Why do you say that? Won't I be able to teach my husband all I've learned?

[GMAN]

I wanted to get some advice to make sure I'm on the right track. My husband and I own a dump truck but we are not making the money we would like to be making. We hope to be more successful as O/O's. Here's the plan: we both go to the 9 week 320 hour school (it starts August 22nd) and graduate with our class A cdl's. Then I get hired on by a company and get the crappy pay for 6 months to a year, but get the experience. He stays at home driving the dump truck. After my 6 months or so of experience, we buy our own tractor, start driving together and I teach him the ropes. We don't really want to drive as a "team", as we don't think we can sleep while the other is driving, but we would be on the road together to help each other out and keep each other company, but only driving a total of 14-16 hours a day. And hopefully be making a lot more money then the dump truck.

An addendum question: The dump truck is making us about $1,100 in a good week if we work 5 days. This is after broker fee and diesel, but before maintenance/tires etc. Any O/O's out there making more then this? What should we expect to make?

Thanks!

Your husband will probably need to get some driving experience before a carrier will lease you on with your own truck. You could get your own authority, but until you both get more experience it is not a good idea. It will also cost much more to get your authority with the added insurance, etc., than it would leasing to another carrier.

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

Thanks Gman, I was hoping you would respond. That makes sense. We might just leave it as me driving the truck while he stays with the dump truck. Still in the planning stages we aren't sure what we are going to do yet.

[Orangetxguy]

I wanted to get some advice to make sure I'm on the right track. My husband and I own a dump truck but we are not making the money we would like to be making. We hope to be more successful as O/O's. Here's the plan: we both go to the 9 week 320 hour school (it starts August 22nd) and graduate with our class A cdl's. Then I get hired on by a company and get the crappy pay for 6 months to a year, but get the experience. He stays at home driving the dump truck. After my 6 months or so of experience, we buy our own tractor, start driving together and I teach him the ropes. We don't really want to drive as a "team", as we don't think we can sleep while the other is driving, but we would be on the road together to help each other out and keep each other company, but only driving a total of 14-16 hours a day. And hopefully be making a lot more money then the dump truck.

An addendum question: The dump truck is making us about $1,100 in a good week if we work 5 days. This is after broker fee and diesel, but before maintenance/tires etc. Any O/O's out there making more then this? What should we expect to make?

Thanks!

You don't specify what size dump truck you are operating. If it is a regular, three axle configuration......I would think you are not making anywhere near what that size truck should make. BUT.....I am a tanker yanker. Mackman and a couple others are much better suited to advise on dump truck rates. All in all...it still seems like $1,100 a week is awfully low income for a dump, even in Florida.

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

Yes it's a tri-axle, we can haul around 20-21 tons. And yes that is very low, but it doesn't get any better here in Florida. Right now we are working at night on I-75 off of exits 191-195, they are finishing off the expansion from 2 lane to 3 lane and only have a couple of bridges to complete. Anyway, we get $50/hour for that (they call it site work) but then the broker gets his 10% so we only get $45/hour. Most nights we do not get 8 hours, it's usually only 7.5 or less. Pretty crappy pay for a piece of heavy equipment in my opinion. We ventured on up to Alabama to look at a couple of projects, and we also went to take a look around New Orleans where there is still a lot of work on the levees, but the projects in Alabama didn't pay THAT much more to warrant us moving all the way up there, and it rains too much in New Orleans (they said that in June they only worked 10 days the whole month). Thus our decision to go into the truck driving biz, which we kinda figured we would have to do a while ago.

[Orangetxguy]

Yes it's a tri-axle, we can haul around 20-21 tons. And yes that is very low, but it doesn't get any better here in Florida. Right now we are working at night on I-75 off of exits 191-195, they are finishing off the expansion from 2 lane to 3 lane and only have a couple of bridges to complete. Anyway, we get $50/hour for that (they call it site work) but then the broker gets his 10% so we only get $45/hour. Most nights we do not get 8 hours, it's usually only 7.5 or less. Pretty crappy pay for a piece of heavy equipment in my opinion. We ventured on up to Alabama to look at a couple of projects, and we also went to take a look around New Orleans where there is still a lot of work on the levees, but the projects in Alabama didn't pay THAT much more to warrant us moving all the way up there, and it rains too much in New Orleans (they said that in June they only worked 10 days the whole month). Thus our decision to go into the truck driving biz, which we kinda figured we would have to do a while ago.

I don't know enough about how to get work for dumps....but MZ S.........It seems like you should not be working through a broker. Seem's to me, that you should be working directly for the Contractor. But I could be wrong. Dumps working on I-10 here in Orange are getting $85 an hour for site work, plus "So much a yard" according to a friend that has 2 trucks working out there. BUT....I don't see his checks....so....who knows. LOL....I know he lives better than I do. Rayl say's he works directly for the Contractor.

[Mackman]

Yes it's a tri-axle, we can haul around 20-21 tons. And yes that is very low, but it doesn't get any better here in Florida. Right now we are working at night on I-75 off of exits 191-195, they are finishing off the expansion from 2 lane to 3 lane and only have a couple of bridges to complete. Anyway, we get $50/hour for that (they call it site work) but then the broker gets his 10% so we only get $45/hour. Most nights we do not get 8 hours, it's usually only 7.5 or less. Pretty crappy pay for a piece of heavy equipment in my opinion. We ventured on up to Alabama to look at a couple of projects, and we also went to take a look around New Orleans where there is still a lot of work on the levees, but the projects in Alabama didn't pay THAT much more to warrant us moving all the way up there, and it rains too much in New Orleans (they said that in June they only worked 10 days the whole month). Thus our decision to go into the truck driving biz, which we kinda figured we would have to do a while ago.

Im sorry to hear this. New Orleans is a joke. Dont even think about it. I run a 2006 mack tri/axle dump truck and avg. about 3-4k a week. Here is a link to a thread with my paystub posted and what not. How do one day runs tend to work out for O/Os?

Dumps are hard to make a living with. I was lucky my oldman had a dump for over 35 years. Im the 4th gen. driver in my family and we all came from dumps. So we have the hook-ups. We always work for the contractor. Brokers are a joke. We try to work for the contractors as much as we can. But on days where we dont have work then he haul out of the local quarry to fill in the gaps.

I just got a phone call to work on the PA Turnpike at night hauling hot rock. I might do it im not sure yet. The rate is only 75/hr with no travel time. I always try to get 80/hr with a 1/2hr travel. The black-top plant we would haul out of is only 7 miles from my house so the travel time aint that big a deal.

If thats all the money you are making i would sell that dump fast. You are losing money with every load you haul. Come on up to PA i can hook you up with work and you can give me 10% lol.

[GMAN]

Thanks Gman, I was hoping you would respond. That makes sense. We might just leave it as me driving the truck while he stays with the dump truck. Still in the planning stages we aren't sure what we are going to do yet.

It sounds like you are in a tough spot. I know a couple who have worked out a similar situation. They have a brokerage and he stays home. She owns an 18 wheeler and brokers and drives the truck. She has it leased to a carrier and does well with it. I am not sure how much freight they actually broker these days. His health is not very good. All in all they seem to make it work. You are not making that much with the dump, but at least you are making something until you can get something else going. If you could borrow a trailer, your husband might be able to test out to get his class A license. I believe all they require is that it is a combination vehicle with air brakes. If he did decide to go after an otr job, it would give him a little bit of a heads up since he already has his class a license. He would probably still need to go through a training period, but it could speed up the process.

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

Thanks Mackman, I would love to be making the money you are making. I'm not sure why the pay here is so low. Someone told me it's because Florida is a 'right to work' state, which means we can't have unions? Anyway, I have no idea how to work directly with the contractors, they only work through the brokers.

I see that you can only work 7-8 months a year, I can work year-round the only thing that stops us is if it rains, but it dries very fast here so we would only be out a day or so with the rain. Do you think my pay would be the same as yours if you factor in those months you can't work?

[td5952]

Let me break down what my truck makes on average and cost and let you do your own thinking. First figures will be from this weeks run ending this afternoon, which unloaded first load on Tuesday because memorial day.
Tuesday unload in Midlothian TX from Dodge City KS (540 miles, took longer route bc phone service and bad weather), paid $1,177
Wednesday AM unload in Kansas City KS from Ennis TX (573 miles, includes DH to get load), paid $1,200
Wednesday PM grabbed load from Atchison KS hauling back Kansas KS, did 2 loads (so 232 miles total by time got back to KC), paid $500 total ($250 each)
Thursday PM unload Cimarron KS from KC, KS (353 miles), paid $750
DH to Dodge City KS, 19 miles
Friday afternoon unload in Wichita KS (158 miles), pays $600
DH back to Dodge City KS (my shop there, 158 miles)
This week I didn't like, the little Atchison to KCKS were waste of time but told guy I would do for him.
So in total week will GROSS $4,227 on 2033 miles. I pay my driver $0.33 cpm for all miles, so he will be at $670.89, plus I'll make up a lil to him for the pissy, short loads. Fuel in this truck runs me about $0.767/mile ($3.95/gallon, 5.15 mpg). So with driver and fuel the week will cost me $1.097/mile totaling $2,230.20 which leaves $1,996.80 to the truck for maintenance and profit, and that's with me have hired driver.

Now let me break down a normal week for me, not as detailed but understandable)
Ill start by unloading Monday AM in Midlothian TX from Dodge City Kansas and end week with load needing kicked off Saturday or Monday. Miles have me running From TX to Kansas City area back to west Kansas. A lot of times I'll get loads coming straight back out here so miles are signicantly less. Anyhow average gross has been $5,800 on 2,870 miles (most time 2400-2500 miles, same gross). With fuel and driver that leaves $2,651.61 for maintenance and profit. If I get miles down to 2,500 which is more average with me (but same gross bc lanes are better) net will jump to $2,742.50/week and my driver gets 1-2 days at home every week.

Insurance cost me approx. $5,000/year, thats full coverage, $20k on truck and $10k on trailer. I paid 25% down and rest in 9 installments. Getting my own authority was best thing I did. However! I am lucky, I haul crushed cars to Texas and I get paid on this immediately with comcheck or bankwire with any quickpay fees so that helps me keeps operating money while waiting on brokers to pay on other loads. If you're solely relying on brokers either you will have hard time keeping money flowing for first few months or you pay quickpay fees or factoring company.

Keep in mind I am a flatbedder in Midwest/southwest region.

[Orangetxguy]

Let me break down what my truck makes on average and cost and let you do your own thinking. First figures will be from this weeks run ending this afternoon, which unloaded first load on Tuesday because memorial day.
Tuesday unload in Midlothian TX from Dodge City KS (540 miles, took longer route bc phone service and bad weather), paid $1,177
Wednesday AM unload in Kansas City KS from Ennis TX (573 miles, includes DH to get load), paid $1,200
Wednesday PM grabbed load from Atchison KS hauling back Kansas KS, did 2 loads (so 232 miles total by time got back to KC), paid $500 total ($250 each)
Thursday PM unload Cimarron KS from KC, KS (353 miles), paid $750
DH to Dodge City KS, 19 miles
Friday afternoon unload in Wichita KS (158 miles), pays $600
DH back to Dodge City KS (my shop there, 158 miles)
This week I didn't like, the little Atchison to KCKS were waste of time but told guy I would do for him.
So in total week will GROSS $4,227 on 2033 miles. I pay my driver $0.33 cpm for all miles, so he will be at $670.89, plus I'll make up a lil to him for the pissy, short loads. Fuel in this truck runs me about $0.767/mile ($3.95/gallon, 5.15 mpg). So with driver and fuel the week will cost me $1.097/mile totaling $2,230.20 which leaves $1,996.80 to the truck for maintenance and profit, and that's with me have hired driver.

Now let me break down a normal week for me, not as detailed but understandable)
Ill start by unloading Monday AM in Midlothian TX from Dodge City Kansas and end week with load needing kicked off Saturday or Monday. Miles have me running From TX to Kansas City area back to west Kansas. A lot of times I'll get loads coming straight back out here so miles are signicantly less. Anyhow average gross has been $5,800 on 2,870 miles (most time 2400-2500 miles, same gross). With fuel and driver that leaves $2,651.61 for maintenance and profit. If I get miles down to 2,500 which is more average with me (but same gross bc lanes are better) net will jump to $2,742.50/week and my driver gets 1-2 days at home every week.

Insurance cost me approx. $5,000/year, thats full coverage, $20k on truck and $10k on trailer. I paid 25% down and rest in 9 installments. Getting my own authority was best thing I did. However! I am lucky, I haul crushed cars to Texas and I get paid on this immediately with comcheck or bankwire with any quickpay fees so that helps me keeps operating money while waiting on brokers to pay on other loads. If you're solely relying on brokers either you will have hard time keeping money flowing for first few months or you pay quickpay fees or factoring company.

Keep in mind I am a flatbedder in Midwest/southwest region.

If that is only one truck running, then you are doing okay. Not great. Just okay. Maybe I look at it wrong. And it looks like you service direct bill customers, NOT brokers....but..I could be wrong. IF you are working with a broker, then you are doing exceptional.

[td5952]

Crushed cars from Kansas to Texas are direct billing, everything else is brokers. I just purchased another truck to put on road but not going yet. Figures were for one truck. I do love my lanes tremendously.

[One]

Like the others I'm dismissing the tractor-trailer idea, especially if you guys would not run as a team but each solo- you would never see eachother. Fix what u got. I also agree that using brokers isnt a good status quo...they are just leeches and i bet the one getting you on the i75 not only is getting your fee, but he is also getting a lil extra on the side...Having worked in construction myself i must recommend you get in touch with whoever has the projects, network, post ads, etc. even a yard sign will get you business. anything but the vampires (brokers) Whenever a developer tells you he runs through a broker,u can bet they have a lil deal going on...

[Orangetxguy]

Crushed cars from Kansas to Texas are direct billing, everything else is brokers. I just purchased another truck to put on road but not going yet. Figures were for one truck. I do love my lanes tremendously.

When you said you were hauling into Midlothian, I figured you were hauling crushed 4-wheelers down. I'm assuming that you are hauling into Nucor there. Since you are doing that.....Have you talked with Nucor traffic management about getting steel beams back to the area, or roofing joists?? I'm pretty sure that if you run 2 or more trucks, they will set you up for direct bill hauling. They used to, back in 03-04.

Nucor Building Systems Terrell Texas plant contacts.

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Just a thought.

[strawberryrhubarbpie]

Like the others I'm dismissing the tractor-trailer idea, especially if you guys would not run as a team but each solo- you would never see eachother. Fix what u got. I also agree that using brokers isnt a good status quo...they are just leeches and i bet the one getting you on the i75 not only is getting your fee, but he is also getting a lil extra on the side...Having worked in construction myself i must recommend you get in touch with whoever has the projects, network, post ads, etc. even a yard sign will get you business. anything but the vampires (brokers) Whenever a developer tells you he runs through a broker,u can bet they have a lil deal going on...

Yes I'm certain that the broker keeps part of the hourly amount PLUS takes an additional 10% out of my fee, but claims he is only getting the 10%. I'm very much aware that brokers are liars. But here in Florida, all the projects go through the broker. I had heard that I might be able to haul colored sand for the fancy shmancy golf courses, but there are enough out-of-work dump trucks here that they all told me they didn't need my services.

[GPC]

Our dumps are making $500 to over $800 a day here and thats on a asphalt haul 35mi one way.

[Mackman]

Our dumps are making $500 to over $800 a day here and thats on a asphalt haul 35mi one way.

You tonnage or hourly?? You work for the plant or for the contractor. Thanks

[Orangetxguy]

Our dumps are making $500 to over $800 a day here and thats on a asphalt haul 35mi one way.

There's that euphemistic "HERE" again!!