I must say that I did anticipate that I'd be making more money. The thing is you read here people always complaining that the sure way to have a million is to start with two and buy a truck. GMAN is the only one really that says you can do well. As I posted above you can go drive for a company as long as you want but you will never see the numbers. Probably I had a better chance at seeing that cause they liked me and they could tell I wasn't stupid. As I said earlier they brought me in the office and was showing me their customers (so I would understand why they needed trucks at certain places)
So I'm on my next load. I had to deadhead about 50 miles though I went another 20 to take a shower. It picks up in Oklahoma City and has 3 stops, one in Illinois and two in Wisconsin. With deadhead I'm being paid about $1.00 a mile. It's newspaper inserts so the stops should be real easy. I did not think as an O/O I'd be seeing a $1.00 a mile. What did I base that on? Nothing really. What could I base it on? Like I said how do you learn the money said unless you are brought up in it?
I think the dispatcher thought I was gonna get mad or something. He said he called both the owner and some friend of the owner who has 19 trucks and they both said they would run it on their equipment. That I just better be getting a good rate coming out of Wisconsin which means $2.00 or better all miles.
So far I do not regret getting into this. My wife has a good job, my mortgage is prepaid until November and I only really have a truck payment which is not that bad. If I had started out with nothing, I think I would be much more stressed out. I can see how one breakdown and if you are not prepared, there goes everything.
I think from reading here that people get into this, (including myself) without truly realizing what they are getting into. You see companies paying $1.00 a mile and you think if you get $1.30 you'll be ahead of the game. Well that thread recently about O/O vs Lease on really elucidated the differences. I remember Pepe asking what he was missing when he got $1.30 a mile or something like that from Schneider and he wondered why Lease on drivers would stay for $1.00 a mile. This insurance cost me $14,000. Next year it should be a lot less I'm hoping.
I have not failed nor am I writing this to say that people shouldn't get into this, this is not a post based on emotion, just the numbers. As I said I do not so far regret getting in to this.
Anyway, how do you guys get to where the money is? I mean honestly I really never thought about having to be in one area over another (which is why the company showed me what they showed me on their computer so I would understand that money isn't everywhere). So from what I understand now, reefer money is in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan. They are booking me loads straight to these areas. I went previously from Pennsylvania (sp?) to Wisconsin but I thought it would have made more sense to go to Ohio and then over to Wisconsin as the path I took had me on the Penn Turnpike and thus made that trip unprofitable.
Do you guys move around like a piece on a chessboard to get to where you want? And if the money is in the Midwest what are the people in California or out west doing? Are they trying to get out to the same area as I am? I guess this would make sense as if you are based in Cali I guess you would have more of a chance of getting a good load out of there so you go to Wisconsin and head back to Cali.
I am less worried about the negotiating part now. Eventually I will know what's what and the rate will be what it is. Thus I shouldn't be worried about the negotiating but rather being worried about knowing the proper information to base rates on. When I learn that I think the negotiating will be easier. For example, when I am in Wisconsin and if someone asked me to head out for a $1.40 a mile, well no I won't do that. Out of there they need to pay me more.
I guess like anything time is what's needed. Rome wasn't built in a day afterall.