Truck Driving Jobs

driverboy · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 72

Hey All, been lurking around this site for a year or so reading up on the threads gathering up the information to make the plunge into ownership of a truck.

Difference I have with most is I have a full time job as a company driver at what I feel is one of the most lucrative jobs around pay wise, benefits, pension, vacation time, etc. For that reason my plan is to continue with the company job, buy a truck and put in some quality drivers that I gained experience with and have no loyalty to the company jobs they drive for as they have not had the fortunate luck I have had with my division that has not hired in years.

Wondering if any owner/operators are in the same position and just fill in driving their own truck on occasion and not run the truck full time?

Take care, some interesting characters on this site and pick up tons of valuable information on the industry. I am convinced there is serious money to be made out there with a common sense approach to the industry, much like any business. Having real estate business experience in rental properties the big difference I see is the dang truck depreciates to nothing while a building does the opposite when you are done with it, ouch. Have to run 'er hard to overcome that little obstacle!

Keep her between the rhubarb.

GMAN · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 9291 Location: Tennessee

If you want to buy a truck, I suggest you drive it yourself. It is very difficult to find good drivers, especially for a single truck. Why would you not drive it yourself? How long have you been driving and have you ever owned a truck before?

classicxl · Joined: 08 Nov 2004 Posts: 1195 Location: Rosemount MN

yea i dont understand that one either. If your going to buy a truck why would you put drivers in that are not happy with the company just because theya re ina different division. Do you think because they are driving your truck they will be happier?

driverboy · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 72

thanks for the replies guys,

Several lifelong friends are just cruising along at various carriers with no loyalty to them and would be willing to jump over to slipseat a long 18 hour run into 2 runs for 2 drivers, running the truck relatively hard, one guy days, one guy nights, repeat the next day.

They do not work at my company, would love to but they have not hired in over 6 years and I can not toss out the wage I am paid nor being halfway to a company pension with them.

I would jump in around my dedicated company run as needed to give someone a day off as needed but would mainly run the business end of running the 1 truck hard while keeping my company driver job is the plan.

Getting bored of the daycab daily routine and would like to try owning a truck, being in the position to fund the operation of the truck out of pocket from my company lane if needed until things are rolling, pun intended!

duck · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:44 pm Post subject:

New a truck mechanic once - he did that and made it work. Don't know how but good luck.

LOAD IT · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 614

driverboy wrote: thanks for the replies guys,

Several lifelong friends are just cruising along at various carriers with no loyalty to them and would be willing to jump over to slipseat a long 18 hour run into 2 runs for 2 drivers, running the truck relatively hard, one guy days, one guy nights, repeat the next day.

They do not work at my company, would love to but they have not hired in over 6 years and I can not toss out the wage I am paid nor being halfway to a company pension with them.

I would jump in around my dedicated company run as needed to give someone a day off as needed but would mainly run the business end of running the 1 truck hard while keeping my company driver job is the plan.

Getting bored of the daycab daily routine and would like to try owning a truck, being in the position to fund the operation of the truck out of pocket from my company lane if needed until things are rolling, pun intended!

Go for it!! Either you swim or you sink, but you will never know if you dont try it.

Sonny Pruitt · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 449 Location: Mahwah,NJ

3 am
knock knock knock
"yes, who is it?"
"It's Joe your driver"
you open the door
Joe is holding a large steering wheel in his hand
"er....here's your truck back.................."

driverboy · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 72

haha Sonny, that would be the nightmare come true, ouch, maybe Joe would have salvaged a crate of tomatoes off the wagon so I could make some sandwiches at least!

While I appreciate the nice packages that I see daily, I feel, like most businesses, their is a limit to what one person can take on, in this case miles. At some point you have to turn the workload, whatever it may be, in this case miles, over to those that you trust. Multiply that story many times over and the serious money starts to flow. To each his own, but as a business if I see the shiny rims of the rig in the driveway it means the fixed costs are still being paid on a piece of equipment that is not producing income. Doesn't mean the things run 24/7, but a 1000 mile day into 2 10 hour workdays for 2 drivers I think would be a nice annual of about 250K a year, that would work the numbers nicely!

solo379 · Joined: 14 Feb 2004 Posts: 3132

driverboy wrote: but a 1000 mile day into 2 10 hour workdays for 2 drivers I think would be a nice annual of about 250K a year, that would work the numbers nicely!

I don't know, but those numbers;-"1,000 miles a day", and "250K annual", looks like a recipe for disaster to me! :roll:

Cause, if it's "gross", it wouldn't enough, even cover expenses, for that kind of mileage. :sad:
And if it's projected "net".... well, i'd suggest, you look on your numbers again! :roll:

driverboy · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 72

ahhhhhhh, the 250K was miles per year, at around 1.30 or so is the going rate for brokered miles, more like $325K gross in income for a well driven truck.

.40 cents to the driver(s) is around a $100K, and I have worked out around $175K in expenses leaving $50K net profit per truck, those sound remotely ballparkish to reality?????????????

solo379 · Joined: 14 Feb 2004 Posts: 3132

driverboy wrote: .40 cents to the driver(s) is around a $100K, and I have worked out around $175K in expenses leaving $50K net profit per truck, those sound remotely ballparkish to reality?????????????

In a "perfect world"? Yes! :D

But that's the "beauty" of trucking;-Everything, is not what it seems on a "paper", and Murphy law rules! :P

In a "real world", you'd be lucky, to brake even, with above mentioned numbers.
I've recently, asked, our company operation, how much, does it cost them, to run a company truck?
$1.61 a mile! :shock:

Your projected gross, i assume, and hope, you did mean loaded, and empty, is $1.30 a mile... :roll:
Even, if you could shave those $0.31 a mile, from your costs, i didn't see much, if any, room, for profit! :?

Sonny Pruitt · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 449 Location: Mahwah,NJ

good advice once again

Try it
you will either sink
or swim
you will either make a few thousand dollars
or
lose your house.

when you try one of these deals you have to realize that even if its your best friend , if there is a major accident you will fry. even if you are incorporated.

just like to drive · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

i guess i'm just as confused about the numbers as driverboy. People always say you can't make money but yet the number of trucks on the road increases every year, so there has to be money to be made.

i too have explored the idea of owner op, the numbers add up and equal a profit, but yet i continue to read there's no money in it and that i'm crazy.

aside from simply saying there's no money in it, can someone tell me what i'm missing?

Mackman · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 2245 Location: Concordville PA

duck wrote: New a truck mechanic once - he did that and made it work. Don't know how but good luck.

I knew a mechanic also that had 2 older trucks with reefers . Onlky in it about 3 years lost his ass now need less to say he is still an old mechanic.

brian · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 996 Location: over here

who said you can`t make money? I dont work for free :lol:

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