Not sure how your arriving at your figures but I'm grossing over $3,500 per week and taking home at least $1,200 every week and that's my worst weeks. I've done many $5,000 weeks. You can split hairs all you want and talk about college funds and other crap I don't care about but since I started I seem to be doing just fine.

I am not sure where you came up with those operating costs of running your own authority, but I spend $3,955 per truck for cargo and liability insurance. About $1,200/yr. for a business telephone. And I spend $720/yr on load boards. The insurance and telephone are the only other expenses I have that I didn't have when I was leased to my last carrier. I still subscribed to the load boards. If someone has limited experience, they would likely pay more for their insurance than I do, but other than that I don't see a huge cost in out of pocket expenses. When I leased to a carrier, I paid my own IFTA or fuel tax, base plates and permits. If you lease to a carrier who pays mileage you may have those costs paid by the carrier, but only make $0.90/mile. From that point to having your own authority is a huge gap in earnings potential. Whether you earn more with your own authority has more to do with your management skills as driving a truck. If you are not a good manager or prefer someone else to do your planning, you may be more successful leasing to a carrier who dispatches and/or plans for you.

Rank, I do agree, I was not putting it into use, but I was referencing to state, it can be done, and done only.

I use any tools i can get. THat was just one. I was using national averge which has Van over Flats right now. least last week it did. Was it going to the good area? Yes, I'm no spring Greenhorn going into Trucking for the very first time. Unlike a Company Driver and most Leased on Drivers is forced dispatch, I am planning to run where I can reload and move. Reason for the little paper runss to see where good and where is not good. And I did not use DryVan as the sole of this test, really did not use Dry Van. I used Reefer, and FLATBED. But what I found, any of them dry van, reefer, or flatbed can be done with low deadhead percentage. But you have to search not just say well I'll have to deadhead 100 milesbefore you get aload. Look ahead before you call for a load what the chances of a load out of there first. Do not go blindly.

But by listening to everyone here, it sounds like their is no loads coming out of Florida. That what it sounds like. Rates maybe lower and be Cheap frieght but there a ton of loads. But the Cheap rates, I have not left anything there so I do not need to go. So Avoid FLorida, No biggy, Not in the route I want to go. Would I go to NEw England? No, so your example will not be applied. I lived there and Still burned out on the North East from when I was Driving for a Company. I still can go up I-85/I-95 Blindfolded and not miss a turn.(No I would not do that).

Rank, just remember I am doing what I can to learn with what I have. Heck I do not have a map of the USA with me, I having to use these maps on the computer. I am not out there driving again yet, Just research and Learning again. But when I do post its from what I have either learned here on this or one of the other few Sites I visit, or from when I was Driving. I am trying to learn via Internet right now, Heck I'm not going to dare try to drive here. My nerves not of Steal and when one of these trikes full of little kids pulls out in front of some of these Trucks, my scare factor jumps up 10 nutches. Pepe can vouch for how people drive where I am at.

I am beginning to regret to posing of my doings, for I did only to prove a point it can be done, not that it would be easy, just it can be done with prior planning. But the critize for doing what a person can do at the given moment in my sitution I am in is kinda hard to take. Not taking offence cause I know you all do not know the complate story behind me. WHat I am doing on paper and what in reality I know will be different. I know I may have to deadhead more than I like, but I also not a inexperensed Greenhorn just coming off the street.

Pepe, back to your thread here, Once you empty out in Florida, before you deadhead all the way back to Atlanta, check out Southern Georgia. South Georgia been having alot of Calif Loads. In fact most of what I been seeing from Georgia are from Southern Ga. Can not give you the rates of then though. Will not hurt to check them out before you pass by there.could cut your deadhead down some, who knows.

A glorified co. driver that owns a truck. Funny how you like to leave that out. Yes it's a disadvantage when it breaks down but if you know what you're doing mechanically it's no big deal.

That makes no sense.

That's not mentioning what I have in the bank, dummy. My maintenence escrow wont be touched. It's going to be used to pay this truck off early. How much do you have saved?

So you know for sure I'm going to need an overhaul before I trade my truck in and you know nothing about my truck? Wow you're special.

Wow if that were true no o/o's would exist for the co. I pull for. I did my homework and have a gameplan, do you? Have you even been an o/o? I guess I shouldn't even ask because anyone can lie on here :roll:

Wow! Where all this agression comes from!? Guilty conshens? :lol:

And Coastie, i made most of my money, operating in the area you are planning to avoid.
Just make sure, that you are getting pay enough, going in that area.
This week I've made a 530 hub miles run, my % cut was $1,460, dry box, leased! :wink:

Great spelling!! :lol: go back to 2nd grade

Solo, I did say it can be done, but it harder to do with the lower pay of the loads, but not impossible. I've gotten burned out going Northeast, and Florida hard to get a good paying load out. Calif, very restrictive, and getting worst.

Going back and forth to NJ twice a week, burns you out alot faster than going west. I would average 3000 miles a week on be burned out going to NJ and back and be so tired I would sleep most of the weekend. Took a load out to Colorado, and ended up in North Dakota. When I got back I had driven 4200 miles and I was ready to go again. That leaving out on Saterday and getting back the following Sunday, so 8 days driving time (Ready to go again)vrs 5 day (Burned out).

Solo isn't know for his spelling, but his advice is pretty sound! He might do the eye roll smiley icon too much but its all good. He makes money, so he's doing something right 8)

I was referring mainly to startup costs when you first get your authority with limited experience. Insurance can be around 10-12k a year and then you have the trailer purchase and maintenance,which can be another 10-15k.

SO you would have to dip into your bank account to cover an overhaul? The profit you make while rolling down the road is supposed to cover it. BTW,I have been an O/O for ten years. No one can predict when you will need an overhaul,but there is always the risk of having numerous unexpected breakdowns and they can easily add up on a used truck.