:shock: And what had you figured your total cost per mile might be including deadhead?

 

Sorry, that's as far as I go. This is a topic that I don't want to get into with anyone on here again. At $5.00 per mile they will have me making $.12 cents per mile.

 

HEY!

 

Oh, sorry Steve. Trucking is cool cuz one can do anything they want and it is their own business. And I understand that there is a very wide variety of ideas people have about all the money part, and that is cool. Each one on their own trip and only responsible to themselves, not answering to anybody else.

(Now I consider your thread an exception, of course. Cough it up boy. lol)

 

I don't need to know.. i'm sure you've done your math.. If you've ever done algorithms in your previous work... then convinced you know if your sinking or floating above the bottom line. Don't need to be a rocket scientist to see if your spending more, then your taking in or vice versa. :wink:

Not having kids at home.. wife nagging ya.. and little to no bills your allowed alot more freedom. But it's good to see your making it work and not running for peanuts. :lol:

 

lol

 

One way I looked at my trip away from home this time was to fuel up before leaving and I fueled up after I delivered and dead headed to a truckstop. It cost me $1,214 in fuel and I was paid $3,700 for the 2,200 mile trip. So I have $2,486 left which I'll put a little into my rebuild fund and some for taxes but that's still over $2,000 left over that I'll just leave in my checking account and that was only for 4 days. I did 2 more days of pulling my next load so you could count that up for a weekly total if you like.

For the next year my plates are paid in full. My cargo and liability is also. I have $12,800 to date put aside for an engine rebuild and going to stop when I hit $15,000.

I live in New Hampshire with no state tax and the total tax I pay is about 23% when all is said and done. It will be much less next year with all the money I've put back into the truck. I started doing this last year while I still had a full time job so I paid lots in taxes for that job. Chances are I'll get a refund in excess of $12,000 between state and federal. I have to pay Mass tax but I get most of that back because I live in NH. My CPA filed an extension so I don't know the exact figure yet.

I'm dropping off in Laredo Texas this morning and didn't have my truck posted until the day after tomorrow but it started ringing yesterday. I got 6 calls. So, I'm picking up some wire heading back east for $1.50 this time. I probably could have done better but I'm going to make my way back home, do some crap then head out again.

 

Love the money posts Steve...it's a sore spot for everyone, but keep 'em coming. However, I don't understand the big deal about what people say you make.

As you know, I have no particular love for the business of trucking nor the time it takes from my family or anyone elses. It's a freakin' crime for a family man to go OTR or even regional IMO.

To me it's all about money and it better be damn good. There are hundreds of company drivers out there who dream about being a carrier or O/O but can't stand to be away from their kids....those are the people that need this thread. And they need to know how much money is left over so they can make that decision. It's not about how much people say YOU make. If you can help someone through your posts....so much the better. I encourage you to disclose everything related to money....I disclose everything I can and most of it is negative so I guess we're mortal enemies in that regard LOL.

It was mentioned in another post but I can't be bothered to search so help me out. You started with $3000 and you now have $10000 after 6 months is that right? Or was it $13000? I know start up costs are a bugger, believe me I know. I'm not trying to call you out nor am I calling BS.....

This business sucks for the money we make right now. All of these admirers need to know what's up before they head out.

good luck driver, be safe

 

What is your job rank? Do you go otr and/or regional? Or do you stay in one spot and run your trucks? Are you commiting this freak'n crime? What are you saying? That you make so much money that you can commit this crime? Sorry, I lost you.

 

Rank, I started out with $3,000 cash figuring that would pay for fuel until my checks started rolling in. Well, it didn't take long for me to keep going back to my reserve until I had taken at total of $13,000. It seemed like every trip out I just couldn't get back home on what I had so I had to transfer money from my personal checking account to my trucking account.

I've been putting the money back slowly and this is the first trip I'm making where I'm actually going to have some money left over when I get home. I have over $12,000 worth of checks waiting for me to deposit and I paid all my bills last week and will still have maybe $1,000 when I get home left over.

I have been buying stuff on the road like the $700 dollar chair, radio, more equipment and other stuff I really don't need but want. Oh yea, the $60 bucks I spent in Mexico was really worth it too.

The bottom line from what I've seen before you head out for the first time is a full tank of fuel, all your bills paid for the next month, $10,000 cash in your pocket, some luck with your truck (Mmmm, rhymes) and you just may make it with a dollar left in your pocket by the time the checks start rolling in.

Now keep in mind, the above is based on going out for two 3 week trips. You may come home after 3 weeks but there won't be any checks waiting. You did your first load and it took you 5 days then you sent in your invoice so it's going to take at least 4 weeks from that point before you get a check.

You get home after your second 3 week trip and maybe there is $6,000 in checks. But wait, you need to pay all your bills all over again and now you have $1,800 left or whatever. Not enough to go out again so that's where the remainder of the $10,000 cash above comes into play. You may have a wife or God forbid, a boyfriend at home who can watch for checks and keep you going but that $300 tire I blew out took a hit, that $350 alternator got me and a few other things.

It just takes a while for that cycle to get going and in the meantime you need that reserve cash.

I'm not rich but I may have been by many of some peoples standards. I paid cash for my equipment and maybe $25,000 left over. That's it folks, that's all I have. I don't have some trust fund granny giving me money every month from a fund.

I am making it and I'm over the hump right now and have a good cash flow. I'm not typing stuff into a spreadsheet and worrying every night about my bottom line. My bills are paid, my cash reserve is back up, my maintenance fund is almost there and then I stop putting money away.

Keep in mind also I paid LOTS of money for new steers, 6 new shocks, new drive shaft, door seals, all hoses replaced, all belts replaced, killer PM's, radiator flushed, new headlights, new chair, new alternator, Sirius radio, CB, killer stereo and a bunch of other stuff that didn't need to be done. Most was preventative maintenance which may have already paid off but I just won't know, will I. The Sirius radio has already paid off for me. I'm a news junkie and it never dawned on me to get the radio so I could listen to my news stations all the time.

If someone asks me advise later on down the road, I won't be able to tell them how to start up other than this particular post. I typed everything into a spreadsheet and did the arm chair dispatching before I started and it looked like I was going to make in excess of $120,000 per year in my pocket!!! Yea, no problem, just go from one load to another, it's easy. The load is posted, ok, I'll take it. This is going to be easy. Well, it is easy to tell you the truth but it's not as easy as just taking the job and showing up.

I was assuming all loads picked up at 7am, took 1/2 an hour to load and would unload as soon as I arrived at the destination. Not the case. So yes, it's easy to get the loads and drive but the logistics of it all is not what you think. You can do it no sweat, just don't count on 3,000 miles per week every week.