[samael9]

OK. So in the beginning of things, the income stream is inconsistent. The reasons that I am going through pay periods with either no, little or negative income are simple and slightly befuddling. It all has to do with when the trips clear payroll, when the fuel charges hit, and how the lease payment/other stuff accrues. This is to be expected, and to someone who relies on weekly income with no buffer, it could be devastating. In time, my work will catch up with the billing cycles and surpass them, that is certain.

If I didn’t keep asking the right people questions about these matters, it would be all too easy to misconstrue these inconsistencies as malicious business practices designed to screw the driver. I never assume the “victim role” as is so common to, well, common people. Rather, I look objectively at what is going on and do my best to see my way through to the light at the end of the “start-up” tunnel. And I am well on my way. This is not to say that I am having an easy time of it, but, I am not overwhelmed by the process. Again, this is the ticket for a runner as time will prove.

“It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep that matters”. Well, in the beginning, one sure-fire way to keep the bulk of the dough is to make certain that you only buy enough fuel to run the current trip. That’s a biggie. Reason being, if you buy more fuel that is necessary to run a given trip, and the paperwork doesn’t clear the ending date of the pay period, I then have fuel charges for yet-to-be paid trips on my current settlement. This is not to say that the money is lost and gone for ever, it just means that the profit in the current pay period was negated by excessive fuel charges, which will then bear profit in the next pay period. And it may take a week or two for the profit to make it into my bank account. Meanwhile, the lease payment/other stuff continues to be billed to my account, so even though I am running epic mileage, it will still take some doing to get ahead of the curve. Hence the previous comment concerning the fire behind me and the carrot in from of me.

When anyone starts a small business, there are numerous challenges one has to surmount on the way to seeing a steady income stream. Considering the reliability of miles and dollars, any fool can see that this is one of the potentially lowest risk start-ups to be had. Having the patients, motivation and open-mindedness to see one’s way through the initial challenges is another story, all together.

A nice thing to look forward to, in terms of mellowing the positive/negative spiking, will be the accelerated pay function. This is where the driver is paid when the empty call is QC’d before the Wednesday midnight cut-off. So rather than waiting for the trip envelope to hit the payroll offices, Swift pays based on the e-call and then finishes the settlement (tolls, expenses, etc.) when the trip envelope arrives. As would be expected, it takes months of reliable delivery performance before they hand this privilege out. And then it takes a couple of weeks for the change to take effect. My friend just busted his accelerated pay “cherry” but it hasn’t kicked in yet. Needless to say, we are both interested to see how it affects his settlements…

All of this is very exciting to me. I am enthralled with all the strategic thinking, as well as the work itself. By virtue of the fact that it isn’t easy, the occupation lights up all of my remaining brain cells and adrenal glands. Many fall to pieces in the beginning due to being ill-informed and ill-prepared. We hear about it here all the time. I will do no such thing. Yeah, the $$$ are a bit thin right now, but that will change over the course of the next few months. In the meantime, I continue to do what I do best. I work my friggin’ butt off. And, freight levels are going back through the roof at Swift. Imagine that…..

[tootie04]

Hey Clint...is everything OK?? I hope your lack of posting means you are busy making money 8)

I check once a week to see how ya are doing and was just wondering.....

tootie

[samael9]

Originally Posted by tootie04

Hey Clint...is everything OK?? I hope your lack of posting means you are busy making money 8)
tootie

Yes, Tootie. I'm fine and also, yes, I've been silly busy. I took a couple of weeks off from posting (or so it seems) while some things shook out. I am very pleased to inform my readers that all is going better than expected. It looks more and more like this gig as an O/O is like having a license to print cash. I will elaborate further, as time permits.

Much has happened since last I wrote. But, like I said, it's been an amazing journey. And as I peer further into the pool, the view just gets better...

Please be patient. 8)

[Colin]

BUT, BUT!!!!

We need our fix!!! :cry:

[tootie04]

No problem.....i'll check in next weekend.....Glad all is OK.

You have the biggest problem licked and that is learning to play the game. LP will work but it is not for everyone, I agree with that 100% 8)

tootie

[samael9]

Ok. Where to begin?

Last week’s settlement posted with a whopping 6575 loaded miles and 249 empty miles. The combined gross revenue, to the truck, was $8231.19. The net revenue was $4798.95. $3564.59 (gross revenue) was from my run from Tacoma, WA to Riverhead, NY, which had not posted on the previous week’s settlement due to missing paperwork. Can’t make money on a lease, you say? Keep dreaming. My maintenance account is getting phat, like, quick. And, I am going to bump the withholding amount from .06¢/mile to .15¢ next week. If I can get the lease and the balloon paid in three years, as opposed to four, I’ll be a very happy soon-to-be J-44 owner sooner than anticipated. Cocktails will be on me, Geo/Skywalker. Just name the island…..

I am now ahead of the curve, which I spoke of in a previous post. Didn’t really take all that long, did it? Nope.

I don’t really care to write a run-down of where I have been and what I’ve been doing. It seems pointless at this stage. Anyone who has read this thread in its entirety will know that Swift has the freight and the miles, at least for me and the fellow flat runners that I have met.

I am banging out more work than I ever thought possible. The office team in the flatbed division gives me a lot of challenges, but me ‘n ol’ BB just keep showing them who’s boss.

BB is in for a few days off in the next couple of weeks, anyway. Seems as though a certain deer decided to graze in the open road while she and I were heading towards Las Cruces. Inland Kenworth furnished a repair estimate in the amount of $10,000.00. Venison doesn’t come cheap. My deductible is $1000.00, but I have more than enough to cover it, plus some other work, which I would like to have done while she is down. I couldn’t help but to see Bob as I punched out Bambi. Rough one. But, we carry on.

Everyone through the claim process was extremely helpful in getting me prepared to have BB fixed. Swift even has loaner trucks for use (at a fair rate) for extended periods of downtime. This way, I can still generate revenue while sweetie is getting a new hood, etc. How cool is that?

I guess that the most important thing I could talk about at this point, is the shift in thinking which has either recently occurred or has just been entirely confirmed altogether.

Social beliefs, memetics, religious principals, thought contagions and other <ahem> widely-accepted ideas are poison to individuality; yet, they make the herd feel good. Just as they were intended to. We also know that misery loves company, and to the general populace, success is a curse to other people’s complacency. My active readers have cheered me on, while going forward into this lease and buy with Swift. But the numbers of people who interact with me here are but a few compared to the number of views currently listed on the forum index. What do you think is humming in the background with all the lurkers? Give one cause to ponder, doesn’t it? Who cares, anyway.

In my absence from the thread, I re-wrote some of my internal code and came out the other side of the event as an owner in totality. I bought the package hook, line and sinker. I am very proud of what I have done and now, even more so. Herd-mentality is for sheep and I am a wolf. Owning a truck and running it well is a thinking man’s (woman’s) sport. As is evidenced by my income, it would appear that with less than 9 months of total OTR experience, I have been able to elevate my game to that of someone with several years of experience.

I would have never gotten to this place at either Watkins Shepard or Arrow. Frankly, they were not good enough for me. Swift saw me for who I was and treated me accordingly, despite my short time in the seat.

My job is completed here. We’ve gone through freshman orientation to O/O in 4 month’s time. I have been thorough in all my words and hoped to show the audience what can be accomplished with solid work ethics, principals of etiquette and right use of Will.

My Will, not thy will be done.

Xeper.

[greg3564]

A successful lease story? At swift no less? Geez, what will people complain about now Clint? You've gone and ruined everything! :wink:

[geomon]

Hey Clint...nice job. Be sure to call when you are heading Sactown way. The offer's still open.

And no matter whether you believe in My Will be done (you) or Thy Will be done (me)...you've been doing a great job and deserve a "well done!!!". Keep em rolling!!!

PS...couple of tunes to add to your itune library: Peter Rowan, Reggaebilly album. Songs: Little Maggie & Vulture Peak. Check em out....good rollin tunes.

[zexersix]

Its about time you gave us an update,glad to here that you are making the muhla.

July 9th i will be in the same position as you, i still have my doubts,but i believe this oppurtinity was handed to me for a reason,im getting a truck that i want,no downpayment,7 months already paid on the lease, i'll have this sucker paid off in cash,when the lease is up.

I have money saved up for the initial change from company to L/O,as long as im doing what im doing now,i will still have a decent paycheck at the end of the week(not as good as you flatbedders though).

Tuesday i will be in pheonix to take the sucess 101 class, after that i should have my questions answered.

[aysocoach]

Hey Clint I know you said you don't care about home time. I have been looking at Swift flatbed when I start driving. I went to a local school last year received my CDL A looking to start driving in about a year. Wondering about home time from Swift Flatbed.