o/o cost per mile is 75 cnts about right?
 

From other posts, it kinda looks like it costs an o/o about 75 cents per mile to pull a load. I would like to know if this is about right? I have noticed CRST Malone, claims they are paying an average of $1.77/mile.

If this is true, you could make pretty good money as an o/o. Like a $1/mile, even at earnings of 75 cents/mile, that sounds like pretty good pay. Am I missing something?

Yes I'm a newbie and would have to work for a co as an employee, for a while, before becomming an o/o. However, if the reward is there long term. It would be worth it! Just asking if the reward is going to be there long term?

$1.77 loaded maybe, figure closer to $1.20-.30 all miles if not less

i`m over 80 cpm, with no truck payment and currently not putting any in my maintenance account. I could probably shave it down to 70 but theres some things i`m not willing to give up.

$.75 might be a bit on the low side but yeah....close I'd say if you don't have a trailer. I'd say .$85.

I'd like to know how they arrive at the $1.77. Like Mike said, they can make those numbers look good.

Look at the following 5 loads

200 miles at 1.80
200 miles at 1.80
200 miles at 1.80
200 miles at 1.80
3000 miles at .90.

The average rate could be (1.80+1.80+1.80+1.80+1.25)/5=$1.69/mile
The avearge rate could also be [4 x (200 X 1.80) + (3000 x .90)]3800 = $1.09
Or, if you threw in 800 unpaid DH miles it would be [4 x (200 X 1.80) + (3000 x .90)]4600 = $.90/mile for all miles.

Same 5 loads, 3 different averages.

last week I did $1.76 a mile loaded,but after figuring in 22% deadhead it came out to $1.37 a mile

1.15-20 probaly, if that id say.. :roll:

Re: o/o cost per mile is 75 cnts about right?
 

I can't speak to CRST's rates but I can speak to long term reward. You CAN make an honest living owning and operating a truck. On average, you will not become a millionaire.

cheaper carriers
 

I do not know anything about CRST, but I have made an observation throughout my trucking career. I have found that the companies that spend the most money on advertising for drivers, are generally the worse companies to lease onto as an o/o. The challenge is to find the companies that do not advertise. The higher paying companies do not have to advertise because they have a higher driver retention. I have only been with two companies since I became an o/o in 1999. Both companies did not do any advertising for drivers when I leased on. The bigger the add, the worse the company is for the o/o. I am sure this not iron clad, but it is a good rule of thumb.

Good luck!

Re: cheaper carriers
 

So who do you recommend to lease onto? :?: Thanks. :!:

I did fairly well while leased to CRST Malone. The last year I averaged $1.66 on one truck and $1.81? (I am doing this from memory. It is close)on the other truck for ALL miles after CRST got their cut and this includes the fsc. My deadhead ran about 10%. I didn't run their system to do these numbers. To get the best rates running their type of system, you need to be proactive. The same can be said for Landstar or anyone else who is agent based. I have leased to both CRST Malone and Landstar. I didn't do as well with Landstar, but pulled different type of freight and it was also several years earlier and before the fsc was put into place. There are several good companies you could lease on with, depending on where you want to run and what type of trailer you want to pull.

Running for a carrier who pays percentage requires more effort on the part of the owner operator to find the better paying loads. If you only haul what is offered, then you probably won't do as well as if you were proactive. You need to spend the time and effort to find the agents who have the better paying loads. Those who do can earn a decent living. If an owner operator relies on a dispatcher or agent to send them loads, then they may get good loads and other times they may not.

$1.77/mi....probably. In fact so! But you get the joys of chaining and tarping (hard work). I make WELL over $3-4/mi, but its not as easy as bumping docks....its pretty labor intensive (HHG-also hard work).

Supply and demand-
lots of vans = cheap freight
few refers= higher paying
heavy haul- grreat pay!

It all depends on the niche you find, and how much BS you can take making it 8)

It is really hard to get a firm handle on what is going on right now. Driving for Forward Air, whenever I stop for fuel people come up to me and ask me what's it like to drive for Forward Air? How much money am I making, and so forth? Most recently it was a reefer guy claiming he was getting eaten alive by lower rates and lots of product refusals. The day before that I was approached by a guy driving a flat for Arrow telling me he was only getting loads every other day and would go broke if things didn't improve soon.

If you look at the Truckloadrate.com website you find the rates for Van, Reefer AND Flatbed are all going down. It is hard to really see where the best chance for success really is.

I would agree that flat rates are off a little in the last couple of weeks. I spent all week trying to get something over $2 for Monday and finally locked two partials up today.

But the money is still there when they need the stuff moved. Case in point. 4pm Friday afternoon the phone rings. What would you need to deadhead 275 miles for a pickup on Monday or Tuesday next week?

But the truck was booked. Can't drop the partials now.

This is the way I see it-

vans - lots of them and its easier work than the rest of the industry = lowest pay

flats - lots of them, but also u can haul some specialized stuff to increase the rates you will be able to obtain.

heavy haul - lower supply= very good rates, but the down side is the increased tractor and trailer costs will hopefull offset the good paying freight. Also some of these guys sit for days looking for another heavy load!

Also, ALL rates are moving down right now. There is very lil freight moving this part of the year, even though this year it seems rediculously low!

i`m in florida...pretty drunk actually being 4am and all....about to hop in bed with my wife for some lovin....kids are in grandma and grandpas room....freight can stay slow for a while longer....


its all about making the money while its there so you can take off when it slows down

God Bless ya brian. go for it! :lol:

Freight is off in all sectors. Part of it is the time of year. Things will likely not improve much for a few more weeks. I have seen some slight movement upward for some freight this week. Some freight is still very cheap. I know it is difficult to sit when you have bills to pay, but there is also no reason to run if you cannot make a profit. I would suggest that if you want to make a change, to do so in an area that you enjoy. It is never a good idea to make a switch just for the money. If you enjoy what you do, the money will follow.

Amen! Just got home from an 11 day cruise from the Carribbean with my dad (also bedbugger). This is another point I should make in the LTL thread :wink: