Schneider has some qualities I really like. At least I think I would. The deal breaker for me is the 'shortest' miles or 'HHG' miles they are paying. Besides that ripping into an already low mileage rate, I just get indignant because it's just dishonest.

 

Well...Somehow I make a living..Even this crap that I dealt with thru this dealer...I am not a wealthy man but I'm not poor either. I mean I also have 2 Chevy pickups, an Acura, a streetbike and Civic Si, a roof over my head and food in my belly...Something must be working??

Why are you people so interested in the way I run *MY* business? I appreciate the help and suggestions, but in the end, it is my biz....This all started as a stern warning against a deadbeat dealer..

 

Way I see it they are concern and looking out for you. Take it as a blessing, and be thankful.

You are Lucky to have these things. Yet if you listen you might even do better.

Good luck stay Safe..

 

What you own is not an indication of how your business is doing. The numbers don't lie, and frankly, I don't see how you can make those numbers work for you.

A house of cards may not fall at first, but all it takes is some wind, and the entire thing will topple. The fact that a $5000 repair almost broke you is a good indication of that.

And then you made it about the numbers by starting to post them. There are quite a few people who frequent this message board who have been around the block a few times, and know what they see when someone comes here making an e-claim. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there is something hidden that you aren't disclosing.

When a newbie comes along and sees a post such as yours, they get it in their head that they can pull that off, too. The problem is, things don't always work out in the real world the way they are portrayed to be working out on the message board. When you come here saying that you are earning $0.25 per mile profit per truck from SNI, you are putting false ideas into the heads of the newbie who doesn't realize that you are either handing a line of BS, or are not disclosing your tactics.

I have my theories on how you may be profiting off of this business venture, none of which will be disclosed here, but suffice to say I doubt your claims of how well your business is doing.

 

Ok, Ok..I will agree with everyone here...

NO .25 per mile is not going into my pocket...But not far off of it. It must be working somehow for I do survive and do ok. I do have some other sources of income, though none of these are able to support me alone, like the trucking biz does.

Maybe this works in my specific situation becuase my truck payments are so low, and I have 1 truck which I own clear of payments. I understand many people do not have the option of going out and paying cash for a truck.

Maybe it is becuase I am unmarried, and have no childeren or obligations other than the trucking company and my $100/mo payment on my motorcycle...and of course rent..

I am trying to build this bussiness to a level which I live comfortably before I end up with all those other obligations...

Here is the no BS bottom line..I have nothing to gain by BS'ing you people...I draw a salary for myself every week off the trucks. I pay my people on time, and just survived alot less of a scare than I had initially thought. I know what my numbers look like. I have cash reserves available for a rainy day. I am setting aside money every week to add to the rainy day fund, and to keep PMs done. I do some of my own work on my trucks as well. All to keep costs down.

Would I personally recommend someone to jump into this? Depends on the person and their situation. I noticed alot of the more "negative" reponses to my postings started when I disclosed I was leased to Schneider...I wonder if that is for personal dislike of SNI..There are fleet owners over there with 5-10 trucks doing just fine and have been in business for a long time..

So I will also ask this of the old hands here. Most all carriers pay between .87 and 1.00 per mile + FSC. I do not wish to get my authority..Maybe becuase it is something I don't know enough about....What would work better??

I apologize for sounding slightly on edge in that last post..I'm in biz to make money not to fail of course, and I am open to suggestions from everyone and anyone..

 

It is likely that those other sources of income are keeping your trucking business afloat.

While a low (or no) truck payment is nice, it isn't the make-or-break of the business. Even a $2000 per month truck payment is only $0.16 per mile on a 12,000 mile per month operation.

I doubt it.

It has nothing to do with SNI specifically. It has more to do with the illusion that these carriers (and you, for that matter) create that you can operate profitably off their meager pay. It may work for a while, but once those trucks start wearing out from running the hell out of them, then the house of cards comes tumbling down.

I know of many carriers who pay more than that. And none of them require your own authority to sign on with.

Even running the numbers without the $0.25 per mile in, I still don't see how you are making money.

$0.42 per mile wages
$0.47 per mile fuel
___________________
$0.89 per mile before truck payment, insurance, workman's comp, taxes, FICA, maintanance, repairs, etc.

At the $1.16 per mile that SNI is currently paying, that only leaves $0.27 per mile for all of that.

On a 12,000 mile per month operation, that would be $3240 per month left over for the rest of those expenses. Somehow, I have a feeling that a truck payment, insurance, workman's comp, taxes, FICA, maintanance, and repairs will eat up most of that.

Not to mention that 12,000 miles per month will surely run those trucks into the ground in a few short years.

Are you making money? Maybe. Are you making as much as you claimed? No - and you've already admitted that. I wonder if any of your other numbers are wrong as well (like your operating ratio).

 

Wise man...I went out n got a younger hunie latly and she is bleeding me!

 

Like a stuck pig, huh? :lol: You've got to pay to play, Pepe. If you'll get yourself an older fat girl she'll do everything for you that the younger one will plus you can have her doing your paperwork and paying half the bills. :wink: You know, what's it worth to you to impress all your friends?

 

I hope you guys can come closer together on the numbers and I hope you can do it right here on this thread.

The fact remains, guys do run small fleets with major carriers, somebody somewhere is making money. When I was at ATS there was a fleet operator who had, I don't know, 10's of newer 379 Petes.

By leasing on this way, the fleet owner:

Has freight given to him, doesn't have to sell his fleet to shippers
Partakes of a freight base far larger than he could maintain on his own
Dispatching is done for him
Obviously at Schneider he can use their maintenance facilities
Probably partakes of a million other programs like permitting, insurance, fuel taxes, drivers' facilities...

All the fleet owner has to do is buy trucks, keep them up, stick warm bodies in them and send out Christmas cards every year. Three trucks gets you a fourth, more easily 7 trucks gets you an eighth, 25 the 26th... Granted, recruiting drivers may not be easy. But at least it's got to be easier than it would if you didn't have all the simplification that goes with leasing on to a carrier.

Like I say, I'll follow along and I hope you two can get the numbers together. The fact is, a lot of the small fleets within 'the' fleet exist...somehow.