Most McMega carriers all pay van O/O's .85cpm or in that range. And if you can operate a truck on those rates you're a better man than I am. The orange pumpkin has a new system that you can pick your own loads off a website and you can pick where and when you want to go,but I have seen the loads and I think about the best you could do is $1.20 a mile w/deadhead including FSC.

Now if you get into specialized like tankers which I do,then you can do $1.60+ but even at that if there is nothing to haul it does no good. Things are pretty weak right now and from all estimates I have seen don't look for any type of recovery in the next 12 months. Plan ahead save money for a year with the intention of buying a truck when the economy picks up in 2010(hopefully).

Have you ever heard of the Great Depression?

We have entered the Very Great Depression.

I like to think of it as the "Totally Awesome Depression".

Better buckle up.
The ride will be like none you've ever had.

BTW, I didn't coin the phrase.
I copied it.

I googled it, and the first result was a conspiracy theory nutjob left wing website.

I found this definition on line.



Question: What is a Depression?

Answer: A depression is a severe economic downturn that lasts several years. Fortunately, the U.S. economy has not experienced a depression since The Great Depression of 1929, which lasted ten years. The GDP growth rates were of a magnitude not seen since:

1. 1930 -8.6%
2. 1931 -6.4%
3. 1932 -13%
4. 1933 -1.3%.

During the Depression, unemployment was 25% and wages (for those who still had jobs) fell 42%. Total U.S. economic output fell from $103 to $55 billion and world trade plummeted 65% as measured in dollars. The Depression was aggravated by poor monetary policy. Instead of pumping money into the economy, and increasing the money supply, the Fed allowed the money supply to fall 30%. The "New Deal" created many government programs to end the Depression, but government programs alone could not end it. Unemployment remained in the double-digits until 1941, when the U.S. entry into World War II created defense-related jobs.
We probably won't see a depression like that again, simply because the government has learned how to avoid it. Many laws and government agencies were put in place because of The Great Depression with the express purpose of preventing that type of cataclysmic economic pain.



We don't really know whether we will have a depression like the one in 1929 or not. It is too early to know. One thing is for sure and that is that there are a lot of similarities between those times and today. The depression of 1929 was proceeded by what was termed the "Roaring 20's." The government cannot fix this problem. Much of what is happening is the result of failed government policy. It didn't work in 1929 and it won't work today. Obama and Biden are already getting ready for a massive WPA or WPO program to create government jobs. This is the same type of jobs program developed during the 1929 depression.

I wonder if they'll call it the "New New Deal".


Seriously, the New Deal was a dismal way of trying to fix the Depression. FDR simply threw a bunch of stuff at the wall, and figured out what stuck. Most didn't. The courts threw a lot of his programs out as unconstitutional. I certainly hope Obama doesn't follow suit.

I certainly don't think investing in our infrastructure is a bad idea. Building/rebuilding roads and schools is a good way to put alot of people to work. How to pay for it is what bothers me,I'm all for cutting out other government programs and redirecting those funds into the "new deal" programs would get my support but unfortunetly we all know that isn't gonna happen.

I'm curious - what government programs would you support cutting out?

At its heyday of the New Deal, the government was spending upwards of 140% of the GDP per year. Based upon the 2006 GDP ($13.13 trillion), that would be a government budget of $18.382 trillion. Considering the FY2008 budget was $3.1 trillion, spending our way out of this doesn't seem very fiscally responsible.

if u do buy a truck, schneider has a good program where u are paid a percentage of the load< i dont know where some of the guys on here are saying the best u can average is 1.20, but with proper experience you can by far do alot better than that here!!!