Just Became Owner Operator and got questions?

[Papa Rick]

This past week I bought a 1985 FLC 120 Day Cab (350 Cummings, Big Cam) 15 Speed Overdrive, and Log Trailer to start my business. I know it is a much older truck, but I will be driving 30% 250 miles round trip, and the rest 100 miles round trip hauling logs out of the woods.

Here are my questions:

1. How much should I set aside for maintenance.

2. Is there a place on the web for me to go to and get some ideas about business start-up and how to figure up cost per mile? (I have read over the past post about the spreadsheet that someone had, on excel, but I don't have excel).

I have been a company driver for the past 8 years and have always had maintenance and everything else took care by the company. I am looking at doing my own pm, oil change, grease etc..., but will have to learn.


Any suggestions and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Mackman]

I think on a LOG truck it would be like a dump truck you dont want to use cost per mile. With that old of a truck and Log work is hard on a truck i would but alot aside for maintenance.

[duck]

Yep - most log and dump guys I know don't go cpm but cost per hour and go frm there. The log guys are paid by the load and not time so they figure differently IIRC.

Dump truck - well he has a 5 axel with a pup and gets around 100 and hour last he told me but he has been doing a lot of disaster stuff so dunno what exactly he is doing now.

[GMAN]

There is a spreadsheet available on the OOIDA website you can copy and use. I believe you can save it as another spreadsheet or just use it from the website. www.ooida.com/