avg miles?? per month???
 

would some of you folks please post up avg. miles worked in a month and if you run with a company leased or get loads from load boards?

I am trying to compare and see if running with a company and leasing a truck to them if you make more or if you run your self and get loads from the net if you can stay busy. NOW i know i can stay busy for cheap rates but im looking at 1.50 per mile to keep me doing 10k miles a month.
is this common and possible or am i having a pipe dream???

Its a dream if you aren't aggressively pushing for more. I do well over $1.50/mi leased as an o/o. Guys like Stevebooth will do a flatebed load for $1.40 under his authority.

Load boards aren't where the good paying fright is, 99% of the time. You'll need to secure your own shippers for high rates. Leasing is easier and more secure.

Answer this- how much experience do you have, and in what commodity (hhg, tanker, flatbend, container........)

10,000 miles a month is doable in almost any kind of niche. However, you seem like you wanna be one of the guys that run miles, when you should be doing awsome paying shorthauls, running 1/2 the miles, and making twice as much.

Rephrase your question so that you are asking how to hit a certain amount of revenue, at the LEAST amount of miles. Maybe I'm just lazy because I'd rather run less and make the same as the hard runners :wink:

i worked very little otr for gordon and did local two years for a company here in poor land aka portland and also did local container work with my own truck last year under a broker. needless to say that was a freaking waste of time and i wouldn't recommend to any one to pull containers.
why?

your right.
what i wanna do is a 15 a month before expenses. and i figure that if i run for a minimum of 1.50 a mile for 10k miles i will do that. now if i get lucky i will get something for 1.80+ and be able to run less that month. my goal is a minim of 1.50 and 10k miles in a month. @ 6mpg + taxes, insurance, plates, truck payment, trailer, road expense for me, and 750-1k a month in service need or not i will put it aside, i should be ok. or at least make a living till i secure a decent lane.

The only way you can make at least $1.50 or more leasing to a carrier is to find one that pays percentage and runs for decent rates. If you only want to run for $1.50, you can find loads in that range from the load boards. You can find loads on the boards for less and more than that amount. It depends on where you run, what you haul, and how good you are at negotiating. Rates in the Northwest tend to be lower than some other areas of the country, however if you want to stay West, then you could probably do better than running coast to coast. I know of some who offer rates around $2/mile running in the western U.S. Those rates are for flat bed, so if you plan on pulling a van, then rates could be lower. I haven't kept up with most of the van rates, lately. I know of some who primarily run I-5 and do very well. Most trucks want to head East when they hit the left coast, so most rates are lower. If you want the higher rates, and live in the Northwest, you will want to stay West of Denver. Remember, it isn't about how many miles you run as it is about the rate. When you run your own authority, you have the flexibility to find your own shippers or look for those brokers who have the better paying loads. There are many who run their authority who primarily run off of the load boards. Rates can be all over the place. It is up to you to find the best rates.

GMAN and Bandit have given you very sound advice. Gcal you have to stop thinking like a driver and think like a business man. What I mean is dont worry about amassing miles, worry about amassing revenue $$. Set a per day revenue goal for your truck(s) then work towards that everyday Monday thru Friday. I commend you for asking the questions and I can see you are planning for 2007. Good job and always remember that the man who fails to plan, plans to fail. Stay on your own authority and control your own destiny. You can do it if you hustle and keep your daily goal in front of you everyday.

over a years time a Average of 2,500 miles a week and that includes time off and slow times

One truck does about 2,000/wk (Kingston ON-Philly-Toronto-Kingston 2X per week). The other does less....a couple of Kingston - Rochesters.

Backhauls usually take us from Philly, Baltimore, NYC into Toronto. I've been getting rates ranging from $2 - $3/mile. These are steps and double drops with some OD loads in there too. Don't expect those rates from a van...or even a skateboard. I'd say if you're going to live off a loadboard, you've gotta have a lightweight 53' step deck, tarps, load levelers, wide load lights and a 10' spread to even have a chance. Oh, and it helps to have somebody watching the boards for you too.

...actually I saw a really cool trailer a few months ago. A double drop combo by Manac. Throw some load levelers in there and that would be a pretty versatile trailer too.