Truck Driving Jobs

LOAD IT · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 614

just like to drive wrote: the miles make sense, 1000 miles a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year = 240,000 miles

from what i read, the idea is to slip seat the run so you have two drivers completing the run, not one guy trying to run 1000 miles a day....so that makes sense.

been working out the numbers here and they add up. Going with advertised rates of 1.30 mile (FSC included) this guy's run would make money. We can talk of the unknowns and emergencies, but those are to be expected and are factored into any successful business plan.

i'm not telling anyone their business but its simple, miles = revenue - expenses = profit. In any scenario, the above plan makes profit, a healthy profit, by my standards at least.

it would be beneficial if we could hear from those people who lost their proverbial shirt, i'd be interested in knowing what went wrong, that would be valuable information. My cousin's friend's uncle stories are no more credible than CB talk.

I lost my shirt a few years ago. Had 6 brand spanking new 387s with 53 Great Danes reefers each financed separately. Payment on each tractor trailer $2900 per month, all insurances $1000 per rig. Thats $3900 per month that must be paid whether the trucks moved or not. 6 different drivers, 6 different personalities, 6 different work ethics. These trucks ran plastics from Indiana to CA, TX, FL and brought back produce to IL, OH, PA, or into other produce areas. As long as the drivers stayed out, things were good to great. If you couldnt drag a driver out of the house, your revenue drops each day his butt is not in the saddle and the left door stays shut. My point is this: Slip seating will not work and yield you the numbers listed because that is for an ideal situation. Trucking is always a real situation. The only driver that you can really count on to run a truck is YOU, besides that, you are at the mercy of the driver. Keeping seats filled not just with quality drivers, but just a breathing, wheel holder is probably the hardest part of running a trucking company. If you think your idea will work you can go into business for about $325 to get started. Keep us updated and good luck. You have to love this to stay in it.

GMAN · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 9671 Location: Tennessee

You may want to keep in mind that if you are using figures to include today's fsc, that can change weekly. Some may change monthly. What I am saying is that it is money that you cannot necessarily count on when you are running your numbers.

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

That was good advice mr Load It.

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

Yes, thank you "LOAD IT", that is extremely good information and i do appreciate it. That is the kind of information that is first hand and a good barometer for determining whether or not to break into this volatile industry. Thanks again.

carolina trucker · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Raleigh, NC

Longsnowsm wrote: Gman, are you trying really hard not to use the R word? A lot of data is coming in that indicates manufacturing and retail is very slow. Long bond yeilds are falling like a rock and the federal funds rate is inverted heavily right now... A lot of indications that we are going into a R.... I can't say it! :shock: :lol:

Your just adding another piece to the puzzle.

Longsnowsm

You forgot to mention the trade deficit! lol

Actually, the economy looks pretty good right now. Interest rates are low, so is unemployment, corporate profits are coming in at the high end of expectations and it looks like interest rates are going to come down some more pretty soon.

Even if we do head into a recession, people have to eat, buy clothes, fill up their 4-wheelers with gas and so forth. <shrugs>

Predicting recessions never put a nickel in my pocket before. In fact, if you're just going into the trucking business, going into it just as a recession begins might be a good idea.

JMHO, as always.

-- c t

LOAD IT · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 614

just like to drive wrote: Yes, thank you "LOAD IT", that is extremely good information and i do appreciate it. That is the kind of information that is first hand and a good barometer for determining whether or not to break into this volatile industry. Thanks again.

I think you should go for it!! I learned so many lessons with those trucks, I could write a set of books. However, I'm still trucking and am always trying not to fall into the same pits that I fell into before. Always remember that you have to make a profit. It may not be anywhere close to the numbers your buddy is leading you to believe, but I know you can be successful, have a good plan even if the plan is simply make money everyday. Stick to the plan and dont prostitute your trucks just to keep the wheels turning.

driverboy · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 72

Good advice coming in now from experience, keep it coming.

I find the notion that it is next to impossible to find quality drivers hard to digest. I mean if the theory held true that the only trustworthy person to hire is yourself in any business the potential is limited of that business.

If Bill Gates thought the same..........

Talked with my slip seat mentor last night for 3 hours and he has slip seated an 18 hour day flawlessly for 18 months without an issue. The guy has NEVER taken a day off (his driver for 9 hours of the day) in a year and a half. That I find a little odd and maybe this guy truly lucked out on his driver choice, heck even I like a day off a year or so.

Regardless with 1 truck grossing 325,000 in a year there is certainly some left over at the end of the year!

solo379 · Joined: 14 Feb 2004 Posts: 3149

[quote=" but its simple, miles = revenue - expenses = profit. [/quote]

It's even simpler than that! :D

Revenue-expenses=profit(or loss). It's not that simple tho, with the miles, cause miles, not just = revenue, miles also= expenses!

RostyC · Joined: 21 Oct 2005 Posts: 1179 Location: Maryland

Quote: I find the notion that it is next to impossible to find quality drivers hard to digest. I mean if the theory held true that the only trustworthy person to hire is yourself in any business the potential is limited of that business.

I?m mainly here to research and learn the trucking business, but I?d like to give an opinion here if nobody minds. Right now I?m in the construction business, but let me tell you, the hardest part about running and trying to grow a business, any business, is finding and keeping GOOD employees or even pieceworkers (1099 workers). I think this transcends to most businesses. You?re in for a rude awakening concerning finding, hiring, and keeping, employees. Not that it?s not worth it but it?s not easy. I?m friends with an architect, known him since school, it took him 2 years to find the right person to hire and keep.

I ran an ad in the Baltimore paper once, when I grew to the point of needing help. Anybody that?s tried this approach knows where I?m going with this. I was na?ve; I thought it would be easy. Wrong! You will get everyone else?s trash coming to see you.
I had two guys show up drunk and whining that they haven?t worked in weeks. I had one guy (with rotten teeth from crack) tell me that ?I?ll work all week but no weekend?s because I spend my weekends in the Bar.? There were other winners but those two stick out in my mind.
My best help has come from word of mouth, friends of friends so to speak. I get them green and train them, and just when I feel comfortable to leave them alone on a project they?ll leave to get a ?gravy? job. The process starts all over. ARRRGGG! I realize you probably won?t be able to hire newbies for insurance reasons, but hopefully you can take something from my experiences.

Bottom line is a lot employees don?t care about your business the way you do and this will aggravate you. You?ll probably go through a few before you find the right one. Just getting a ?warm body? approach doesn?t work.

I?m not trying to discourage you at all, I love running my own business and wouldn?t trade it for anything (well almost), but it?s not easy, none of it is, and it?s not for everyone. 8)

solo379 · Joined: 14 Feb 2004 Posts: 3149

Rosty, it's not just an opinion, it's a statement of facts! :sad:
Keep in mind, it's even more complicated in trucking, due to the nature, of this business!

LOAD IT · Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Posts: 614

Driverboy,

IMO, RostyC's last post is why your slipseat idea wont work. You are not going to find the drivers who want to share a truck. Also your comparison to Bill Gates doesnt fly in trucking. Bill would be broke and posting on this site with us if he were a trucker. If you want to make a million dollars in trucking, start out with 2 million. :wink: :wink: :wink:

TCLika · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 26

Driverboy,

I have thought about doing what you are thinking. I am in a complete different industry, but have a background in business. I think I would be able to operate a truck without being in it, but not sure if I want to make that big of a risk. A lot of money can be lost if you put it in the hands of others. Currently I am trying to staff my small company and it is hard to find someone that wants to work, and work sober. I am still kicking around buying a truck and hiring a driver, but what scares me is getting the call at 3AM from the police 7 states over asking me to come pick up my truck from the impound lot.

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