Looking for info on expediting....

[Bubba01]

OK i'm in the newbie section where i was so kindly directed to go. I'm still wondering can i make enough as a O/O to raise my family on. I would like to be home around every 10-14 days i'm based around chicago and was wondering who if any in your opinions would be the best to run for? it's impossible to get any kind of figures out of anyone i talk to why is that? It's not like i'm wanting to know what people grossed last year or something. I would think that if someone came to me and asked if they could make X amount of dollars doing this i would like to say yes or no. Not trying to sound bad or nothing but what is the big secret anyway? If a new guy caught me in a truck stop and asked me if he or she could make five grand a month doing this as a owner operator why wouldn't i be able to say yes or no and give them a # to call to find out more info on there questions. Again any info anyone gives me is greatly appreciated and i know it's not expected of you but all i really wanted is some straight answers from experienced drivers in this feild by someone who wouldn't be blowing sun shine up my butt.

Thanks,

Bubba01

 

[JohnO]

I spoke with FedEx recruiter and all the information given was verified talking with other drivers. From what others on this site have said, this holds true with other outfits. My suggestion speak with various recruiters and read archives for a wealth of information on the subject.
When I signed on to this site a few months ago I read archives and receivied a strong foundation about expediting.
Hope this helps.

JohnO

 

[terryandrene]

Bubba: There are hundreds of us on the expediting highway that are satisfying our financial goals in various ways. We have single folks with minimal requirements that do well in a van and we have teams in tractors that are having trouble making ends meet. The common denominator in all of this is financail requirements. Will you be the sole bread winner? Do you have a large mortgage or own your own house. Lot's of kids getting ready for college? Need expensive medical insurance? Credit card bills? All of these things are the variables that differ among us, so it's not an easy question to answer.

The simple answer is Yes. Many of our colleagues and EO members earn enough money with which to raise their family. Potentially, so can you. You live in the most active, or nearly so, area for expediting. Expediters living in your area are among the busiest and most successful.

So, What are your financial requirements? $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $70,000 net? Will you buy a van, straight truck or tractor? Will you have a co-driver? Have you read the archives in this site to research the business? Do you just want to be a co-driver? Can you invest the time and money to attend the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, 31 Mar-2 Apr, or the nest Expediter Workshop in Indianapolis?

Many of us are here to help you where we can, but your question was too vague for a simple dollar figure answer.

Terry

 

[RichM]

As Terry said we need more info.Chicago is a great area to be based out of. But what size truck are u interested in,B,C,D, E ,what companies have you talked to etc. Will you run team or solo? Big thing is to ask yourself the question,how much money do I need to net in order to maintain my present lifestyle and add about 20% to it so that downtime doesn't do you in.

 

[BigBusBob]

Bubba, reading your post, and the replies... nobody has given you a "straight answer" really...

Can you make $5,000 per month in expediting as an O/O, with the right truck, as a team... yes.
As a Solo with the right truck, it would be tougher to get to that 5K mark.

Plain and simple... Team driving is where you'll make your money.

Fuel eats up 18 to 20% of your income, next you have to divide the rest up between truck payments, insurance, maintenance, permits, fee's, tolls... and don't forget you gotta eat and be able to make enough money to pay bills at home - so... a solo with a family is going to really struggle - atleast in what I've seen and come across... it's like anything out on the road - it's a single persons domain, or a team domain... otherwise - it "can be" tough to make.
Hope that helps... Later, BigBus

 

[terryandrene]

Bubba: I gave you a "straight answer". As straight as can be gotten without knowing your financial requirements. Let me paraphrase your question. Can you earn eaough to support a family by working at McDonalds? The answer is maybe. Maybe an entry level counter person can support a family and maybe a District Manager can not support his. I still contend the question is too vague without knowing your requirements.

I have personal knowledge of an expediter van operator that grossed over $102,000 in 2005. Is that $8500 monthly average enough for his family, or yours? We don't know. Some expediter tractor drivers gross over $250,000; same questions. Is $5000 gross enough? I would know for MY circumstances but not for yours.

As mentioned previously we can each tell you what we earned but I, for one, can't assume you what you need to earn to support a family.

Terry

 

[Bubba01]

John

thanks alot for the information.

Bubba01

 

[Bubba01]

Terry,

Didn't mean to aggervate you just wanted to know a little more. Maybe i didn't phrase my questions correctly. I am looking into a straight truck with a 24 or 26 foot box. I will be running solo. I just purchased a new home within the last 3 months. I do have a monthly output that's about 2300.00 i have minimal credit card debt and my little guy is only 3 so i won't have to think about college for a while. I just want to know if i did this could i cover the truck and expences and still put some away? You mentioned a truck show in indianapolis when is that one i can't make the one in KY.
Again thanks for your time.

Bubba01

 

[Bubba01]

Big Bus,

Thanks for the straight talk. I've been in business before so i do have a basic idea on what to expect as far as expences go. I will be running solo with a straight truck. If you look at my reply to terry you will see answers to other questions you had.

Thanks again,

Bubba01

 

[Bubba01]

John,

Thanks for taking time to reply who do you think i should try to pull for? Being based around chicago and all?

 

[BigBusBob]

I would go with a 24 foot box at the largest... and really a 22 foot box would be just fine. The larger the box, the less room you have for a sleeper - 22 foot box would permit a 72" sleeper, 22 foot box will even permit a 96" sleeper. Most of the time your hauling 2 to 4 pallets, and rarely is there a need for anything over 22 feet. I've put 19 pallets inside a 22 foot box, and probably could have put more if I wanted to and had to do so. I don't know what the largest sleeper a truck with a 26 foot box will permit, you might want to find that out, as well as what a 24 foot box will permit in the aspect of sleeper size ranges. Personally, I could not handle a 36" sleeper, even a 42" sleeper would be kind of tight. The norm is about 60" to 72", though I'm seeing some newer trucks with the 84" sleepers now. Hope it all works out for you. Bob

 

[LDB]

I don't know if this will help you or not but here goes. Not counting a truck payment it cost me 40.1cpm to run my truck. That takes into account fuel, lic, ins, maint fund, repair fund, tires, washes, tolls, scales, etc. so it's pretty much everything. I'm leaving out the payment since that can vary so much. My truck is a 2005 Sterling so my true costs are lower since the repair fund isn't used etc.

Anyway, for grins let's say for every 400 miles loaded there's 100 miles deadhead so for every 400 miles paid there's 500 miles worth of expense. Using 40cpm operating cost and calculating out that means it's the equivalent of .50cpm operating cost. Why do this calculation everyone is going to ask. Because now I can take the paid rate per mile and subtract a pretty close estimate of expenses per mile. Lets say the paid rate is 1.20 minus .50 leaves .70cpm for all paid miles. It's not quite as accurate as if I figured exact d/h miles but for income estimation it's close enough.

OK, so now we know there's about 70cpm remaining and out of that comes the truck pmt. You'll have to figure out what that is based on your estimate of paid miles and the cost of the truck you are thinking about. I'm taking the easy way out and saying the pmt runs 30cpm leaving us with 40cpm after all expenses.

You said you have $2300 monthly to cover which takes 5750 paid miles at 40cpm. Let's round it to 6000 paid to cover your expenses, provided of course your mileage and income numbers were the same as my example. I'll leave it at this and you can play with the numbers to see if you think it can work out for you. Good luck to you whatever you do.

Leo
truck 4958

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