[englishman]

you got your truck, you have signed on to haul for .... "whoever truck lines"..........
Would $3K be enough to run with, until the first check arrives?
Sure, I know if I had 3 tire failures, and a A/C go, it wouldn't be enough.....
But come on guys, realistic answers...
Best guess wins a top prize! :lol:
Prizes donate and given at englishmen's discretion!! :sad:

[Dejanh]

I go by the formula of not running without at least 10K of YOUROWN money lined up in the bank although i know some guys that run FedEX and started out with ABSOLUTELLY nothing to having couple of trucks 3 years down the road. It all depends on you and what kind of a situation are you in, bills and so forth and what kind of a truck do you have(high milage for ex.). I would not wanna work from check to check expecially when first starting out.


good luck..

[Rev.Vassago]

The correct answer is:


It depends upon how long the first settlement is going to take.


What do I win?

[englishman]

you win, with that answer........

Two weeks, flights included.....Hotels, meals (do you like sheeps eyes?) spending money to the total of 200 Iraq whatever they are.....Even your very own camel, complete with driver....

No body armour included in this offer....Yep, two whole weeks avioding bombs and bullets in Iraq...... Please beaware, if you loose your head, we do not take any complaints.........

Seriously, figure it does depend on when the first check gets in, I'm guessing it follows the week after you start?

[sidman82]

It's usually around 3 weeks. Though they will give you fuel advance most likely.

[GMAN]

Depending on the number of miles you run and the current price of fuel, you could easily spend that much on fuel in 2 weeks, provided you have no breakdowns or other expenses. If you lease to a carrier, they will usually give you an advance on the loads you carry, but it is always best to run on your own money, when possible. You will realize more profit and feel you are making more money. Most carriers charge a fee for advances. Landstar charges $1.75, I believe. CRST Malone charges $4. It will vary from one carrier to another. These costs sound small, but with one or two advances per week and you will spend a considerable sum by the end of the year.

[sup]

Factor your loads, you'll get your money within days, not weeks

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by sup

Factor your loads, you'll get your money within days, not weeks

Please tell me you are kidding. If not, I bet you like ATM fees as well, because they are "deductible". :lol:

This is a tough question to answer because you don't give us enough info.

When is your first settlement? I've worked for companies that pay twice a week, to my current company that only pays once a month (I won't see my first "paycheck" for 2 mos because you start out 1 pay period behind)

Your fuel costs? Does your company offer you a fuel card to use or do you pay out of pocket?

Truck payment, do you have one? Again, this depends on how long you have to wait and if it is due before your first settlement. Insurance could fall into this as well.

Personally when I started running I took out a 60k loan, spent 43k on my first truck and put the rest in the bank for expenses/ect.

So 3k until the first settlement? Can't tell ya without more facts. I personally could do it even at my current company with that 2 month wait., but my expenses (living and business) are different than yours.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by englishman

you got your truck, you have signed on to haul for .... "whoever truck lines"..........
Would $3K be enough to run with, until the first check arrives?
Sure, I know if I had 3 tire failures, and a A/C go, it wouldn't be enough.....
But come on guys, realistic answers...
Best guess wins a top prize! :lol:
Prizes donate and given at englishmen's discretion!! :sad:

The answer is......maybe. If you lease to a carrier, you can usually get an advance with each load to cover most of your fuel costs. Whether you lease to a carrier or hire on as a company driver, you will likely need to attend orientation. It seems that most of the larger carrier's have an orientation of about 3-4 days. You will probably get your first load on the truck on the last day of orientation. Most companies send their drug tests off and it can take about 2-3 days to get the results back. They will not sign a contract with you until they get the final results of the test. It will take about 1-2 weeks for the first check to get to you once you put the first load on the truck. There are more things that can happen on the road than a blown tire, such as engine problems, rear ends, transmission, etc., Any of those would likely expend the $3,000 and then some. That is the reason we usually recommend having more money in reserve. You never know when a breakdown will occur. I believe I mentioned in a previous post about one of my trucks needing $6,000 of engine work. I have a bad lifter. This on a truck with less than 200M on a rebuild. Buying a new truck is no different. They can all break. If things go smoothly, you will probably be all right. If they don't you could be in trouble.

You also need to know whether the company you lease to furnishes base plates and permits or you do. Some will pay for them and take a percentage out of your weekly settlements. You will need to have comprehensive insurance and either workers comp or an accident policy, with most carriers. These are usually not that expensive, but it is a cost you need to consider.