Does this sound right to you?

wwb6698

Expert Expediter
TYPICAL COSTS FOR “NEW” OPERATION WITH OWN AUTHORITY
To look at profitability of different size equipment operations, one must take into account the different key variables that affect each number. A typical operation includes the Class 6-8 expedited straight truck market and similar-sized busses. In reviewing the numbers in the following, please reference the background and philosophy used in our tractor-trailer operations overview as it applies to this segment. The key differences are revenue, utilization and actual fuel mileage.
We took $1.25 per mile overall revenue at 8,000 miles per month. We adjusted this gross using an average combined factoring and brokerage rate of 5%. We rolled in a fuel surcharge of $0.03 per mile against an average pump price of $1.50 per gallon. We used a straight truck with an insured value of $40,000, with a payment of $950 per month and getting 9 miles per gallon.
We used revised costs as noted in the fixed and variable cost pages for fuel / cash transaction fees, road and fuel taxes, servicing costs, licensing costs and collision / physical damage insurance. We also included that for liability / cargo insurance and typical office management / administrative costs.
The results follow for 1,850 miles per week, 8,000 miles per month or 96,000 miles per year:
_____________________________________________________________
“OWN AUTHORITY” PROFITABILITY SUMMARY
Monthly Annual CPM
Income $8,790 $105,480 $1.099
Surcharge $216 $2,592 $0.027

Total $9,006 $108,072 $1.126

Fixed Expenses
Equipment $950 $11,400 $0.119
Licensing / Permits $151 $1,815 $0.019
Federal Use – 2290 $46 $550 $0.006
Collision Insurance $100 $1,200 $0.013

Variable Expenses
Fuel / Taxes / Fees $1,538 $18,451 $0.192
Liability Insurance $650 $7,800 $0.081
Cargo Insurance $95 $1,140 $0.012
Servicing $80 $960 $0.010
Repairs $320 $3,840 $0.040
Tires $160 $1,920 $0.020

Total Expenses $4,090 $49,076 $0.511

Taxable Income $4,916 $58,996 $0.615
so after all is said and done with all expenses paid you can put 58k in your pocket???
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Not anywhere close. Without getting carried away, let me start with these couple items. Going to spend quite a bit more that 160 for tires. Oil changes likely much higher. One trip through Speedco or a TA is over 200 a pop. Your 3800 for repairs is an afternoon or so at Freightliner unless the truck is under warranty. .27 for fuel is too low but I don't know when you got the info.
I'll stop there. I would do a little more research based on what you are showing.
BTW...welcome to EO. You are asking the right questions.
 

wwb6698

Expert Expediter
is there anyway you can edit the #'s with what you would believe to be closer to todays reality? I guess the bottom line is I'm trying to find how much it will cost to run a truck with all expenses and how much is left over for the owner/driver. Not that easy to find this info in this kind of format and i know every thing is realitve and can change on a dime.
thanks for the feed back
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
As a fleet owner Davekc probably knows what everything costs, including valve stem caps. I'm sure he could "edit the #'s" for you and he just might. But you should be able to do some simple research and come up with numbers for insurance, tires, oil changes, truck payments, pay to the truck etc. The biggest variables will be fuel price and loaded miles. The fuel surcharge should even things out on fuel costs, this leaves you with total loaded miles. This is a wild variable that is dependent on carrier, state of the economy, breakdowns, time off, global warming, solar flares and Chester's gorilla. Do some research and then ask people like Dave some specific questions.
 

chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
As Dave said, you are asking the right questions. But it might be a bit easier if you knew what you needed a month to make any business profitable beyond the business itself...in other words, if the business payes all of it own expenses, how much after that do you need to pay yourself to make a living?

Then you might find people a bit more willing to share "general information was to what you can expect...chances are pretty slim that anyone is going to "fill in the blanks" on your above info sheet....

But to give you any good info, people need to know more from you. Just the basics would be...Are you the owner AND operator or driving someone elses truck? Are you going to run solo or as a team? if a team, will they be a husband and wife where the income stays in one household or will the income need to be split between 2 different unrelated drivers / households?

Is the truck new and under warranty? Who is paying for maintainance and repairs? Who is paying for fuel and how?? Who is paying for all related road expenses?

Those are just a few off the top of my head but you get the idea..the more info you provide, the better the chance of getting good accurate info back....
 

wwb6698

Expert Expediter
Thanks and i understand that to answer a question about running a trucking business is not very easy, just trying to get a general idea really. So to answer your questions:

Q:Just the basics would be...Are you the owner AND operator or driving someone elses truck?
A:I am hoping to be the owner having someone else drive my truck.
Q:Are you going to run solo or as a team?
A:Would prefer a team if I can find one.
Q:Is the truck new and under warranty?
A:It will be a used truck and I will pay the maintenance / repairs. How do most owners take care of this, do they have the driver pay the maintenance?
Q:Who is paying for maintenance and repairs? Who is paying for fuel and how?? Who is paying for all related road expenses?
A:In a 60/40 split, 60 to driver the driver would pay the fuel and road expenses correct?
thanks
 

Brisco

Expert Expediter
Sent you a PM that will lead you to another board where just about 100% of the Members are TRUE IOO's and not just "Contract" Drivers as most are here.

They will be able to help you much much better over there............;)
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
have been doing research thats why i posted that. Thanks for the feedback I think.

I was trying to be helpful. Both Dave and Dennis' responses were full of good info. After reading your post #7 it appears you are totally clueless and looking for others to do your homework. Jeez, I sound like some crabby old guy. I've been sick for almost two weeks now with a sinus infection, chronic cough, headache and assorted aches and pains and am losing my patience with doctors, pharmacist, cop haters and people like you. Good luck to you on your way to becoming a multi-million dollar fleet owner.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Thanks and i understand that to answer a question about running a trucking business is not very easy, just trying to get a general idea really. So to answer your questions:

Q:Just the basics would be...Are you the owner AND operator or driving someone else's truck?
A:I am hoping to be the owner having someone else drive my truck.
Q:Are you going to run solo or as a team?
A:Would prefer a team if I can find one.
Q:Is the truck new and under warranty?
A:It will be a used truck and I will pay the maintenance / repairs. How do most owners take care of this, do they have the driver pay the maintenance?
Q:Who is paying for maintenance and repairs? Who is paying for fuel and how?? Who is paying for all related road expenses?
A:In a 60/40 split, 60 to driver the driver would pay the fuel and road expenses correct?
thanks

I'll save the OP the hassle. Your first question is a need to stop. Buying a truck with limited knowledge is a bad idea. With a used truck, regardless of age, expect to have at least 10k in reserves, plus working capital, plus another maintenance account depending on the age of the truck.
Every mistake, personal agenda or anything else will take a turn through YOUR wallet. Generally you would pay ALL repairs if it is your truck. On a 60/40 the driver would get the 60 plus 100 percent of the FSC if they are the ones paying.
Did I say buying a truck with limited knowledge is a bad idea? Even more so if someone else is driving it. Go back and read my first two sentences. Any site that would tell you different would be doing you a disservice.
 

wwb6698

Expert Expediter
I was trying to be helpful. Both Dave and Dennis' responses were full of good info. After reading your post #7 it appears you are totally clueless and looking for others to do your homework. Jeez, I sound like some crabby old guy. I've been sick for almost two weeks now with a sinus infection, chronic cough, headache and assorted aches and pains and am losing my patience with doctors, pharmacist, cop haters and people like you. Good luck to you on your way to becoming a multi-million dollar fleet owner.
1st of all sorry your not feeling well hope you feel better after being so negitive towards me. Yes this may be my 7th post asking questions thought that is what the forum was for guess it is for crabby old guys like yourself to get your aggressions out. I dont feel i am totally clueless maybe just a little clueless and again that is why i am asking questions on the forum. I was only trying to educate myself and the fact that you have to loose your patience with people like me well maybe you should step back and look at how you are talking to people. Or better yet maybe the people in charge of these forums should kick off negitive people like yourself. Wow you really are a crabby old guy. Please dont ever talk to me again.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
You should really get out and run the truck yourself to pick up some much needed knowledge and experience. If you have no idea what a hard worker is capable of in a truck how can you possibly know if you have the right person behind the wheel. Even 6 months behind the wheel will give you some much needed knowledge and experience.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I think Moot is coming from the angle of someone asking general questions and trying to make an assessment with limited information. A lot of posts come up with basically your same set of questions. For yourself or someone new, take the time to do some research. Just pick a topic like truck maintenance. You will find hundreds of posts discussing repairs costs to full engine rebuilds.
As you proceed and learn, then it becomes easier to formulate your questions.
Paullud's post is spot on. If it is just the investment side you are interested in, odds are better in Vegas with what you are starting with.
 
Last edited:

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Or better yet maybe the people in charge of these forums should kick off negitive people like yourself. Wow you really are a crabby old guy. Please dont ever talk to me again.

I've been kicked of this forum a few times, but never for being crabby. I always got the boot for using the "F word". Once I got kicked off for quoting someone who used the "F Word". I don't really use the "F word", but rather a variation. Kinda like how others use the letter "z" instead of s in certain nasty words and other such nonsense to get around the robo-censor. But just try and put a ü with two cute little dot thingies between an f and a ck and you get banned.

Anyway, I'm not a crabby old guy, well at least most of the time. You stated you researched this topic. It has been brought up many times, so some how you missed it. I know nothing of fleet ownership other than what I have read on E.O. that's why I suggest you do some more research and then ask specific questions of the experts. One piece of advice I will always remember concerning fleet ownership is from the Colonel: "Don't own more trucks than you can drive at one time." Now get the xxxx off my lawn you young whipper snapper.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

wwb6698

Expert Expediter
I've been kicked of this forum a few times, but never for being crabby. I always got the boot for using the "F word". Once I got kicked off for quoting someone who used the "F Word". I don't really use the "F word", but rather a variation. Kinda like how others use the letter "z" instead of s in certain nasty words and other such nonsense to get around the robo-censor. But just try and put a ü with two cute little dot thingies between an f and a ck and you get banned.

Anyway, I'm not a crabby old guy, well at least most of the time. You stated you researched this topic. It has been brought up many times, so some how you missed it. I know nothing of fleet ownership other than what I have read on E.O. that's why I suggest you do some more research and then ask specific questions of the experts. One piece of advice I will always remember concerning fleet ownership is from the Colonel: "Don't own more trucks than you can drive at one time." Now get the fück off my lawn you young whipper snapper.

Well I thought i did do my research and ask a legit question and even had it in a format with $ and ? listed. Well if nothing else i guess i got your feathers ruffled and while i find your last reply humorous I still believe your a crabby and somewhat negitive old guy but thanks for your feedback craba$$
 

ebsprintin

Veteran Expediter
Anyone doing the slightest amount of research on this site would already understand Moot's sense of humor.

My contribution to this discussion is in my signature line.

eb
 

ChanceMaster

Expert Expediter
I team drive for an owner who has several years experience behind the wheel. Small items like truck washes, cash advances, hotel lodging during emergency break down, deadhead policy for strategic moves, hometime..the list goes on...you should drive first.

Sent from my PC36100 using EO Forums
 
Top