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:

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.

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!

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.