Solo Driving

[USNMCB121]

I have talked to, listen to, & read as much as I can on expeding. Question; can a solo driver do well driving for an owner. Driving a stright truck staying out 2 weeks at at a time. And can you expect this pay set-up; 40/60 split. Owner pays fuel keeps surcharge if there is pay for deadheading again 40/60.
I have heard so many conflicting stories
Thanks
I really don't need to be at home every 2 weeks. I used this as a reference point.
Again thanks

 

[targuard86]

If you absolutely must be home every 14 days I'd have to say no, you can't make it in this business. If you must plan to be home every 2 weeks you may only get 1 week of work and the other week will be spent trying to get out of your home area or turning down good loads so your not too far from home so late in the 2nd week. Other than special occasions, let the freight decide when you go home.

 

[raceman]

As a past owner I would agree with what was said in the first response. No. If you would go and just stop by home as loads take you past, you can do okay.

I had drivers make from $400 to $800 a week. Some more some less it depends on many things.

Two weeks out, I think you and owner will be disappointed.

Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[sixwheeler]

Maybe try to find someone in your city to team with...the miles are better generally speaking and the owner of the truck isnt going to care if you get by the house more often. Running solo is just too much down time on the truck because of hos regs.

 

[tallcal101]

Stay away from this business if you need to be home more then 1 time every 4 weeks.Paticularly as a solo.You can do better driving a cab and staying home.

 

[themagicoen]

Well when I ran team I would do 900-1300/week after expenses, but my team partner had a family emergency to tend to so i've been solo for about 2 weeks - IT SUCKS! The way the new HOS are set up expediting is not for solos. I had to make a delivery this morning at 0600, which started my 14 hour clock, now loads dont come into till 4-6pm. I won't have my 10 hours to restart the 14 till 6pm and if I leave before then I'll have till 745pm to run then i have to restart the clock on my 10. So I'll end up loosing a load because I dont have the hours... Ugh this sucks.

 

[BigBusBob]

Been there, done that...
that's why I'm not into straight truck solo driving in expediting.
Got burned by a dishonest O/O that I drove for,
plus the miles weren't really there that I wanted.

Solo tractor trailer driving (Pulling regular freight, not expedited)is much better, BUT I'm still attempting to find out from solo's in expediting how tractor trailer work is... though by nobody really responding to any of my inquiries,
and by that I'm getting the idea that solo 18 wheeler work is not worth getting into in expediting either.

SOLO Tractor trailer in Regular Freight has consistent miles and runs me all over, not just east of the MS River/midwestern US states and Ontario. I run all 48.

I'd get back into expediting as a solo, in an 18 wheeler, if I knew the miles and pay were steady enough to keep my head above water and then some. No kids, never married that I can recall, and I have no "obligations" to be home on any kind of set schedule.

I'm still seeking info on 18 wheeler solo's in Expediting.
Owner Operators that drive or people that drive for Owners.

I have to say though, I'm seeing more and more cargo vans runnin' all over doin' expedited.
I was surprised to see a team runnin' a Pete 379 for PII in Cheyenne, WY.

Well, I got to boogie, wanna get over the Cascade Mts. east of Seattle before nitefall- I wanna be able to see where I'm sliding to if there's any kind of ice up there, though I'm told there isn't.

Later, Bob.

 

[chetjester]

You all must remember my posts from a few weeks ago. I'm out here solo now. It took a week to get from Texas to Birmingham to Memphis to West Illinois, but then I made it to "the lane".

If you run Illinois to Ohio, there is a lot of work. Some short runs; some longer runs. You have to be so careful what you accept on a long run to ensure that you are in a good position when you complete the load to get out in your lifetime.

But, I do have to watch my hours so carefully. I'm trying to understand the new split-sleeper rules. They are pretty confusing. I figure I'll understand them better after I've used them a few times. The truck owner, and especially his wife, are helping me with that. They will call Safety at Panther and work it out with them before I accidentally accept a load I can't complete.

Panther is keeping me happy. I have the temp control, can haul up to 14,000 lbs, have hazmat and my F.A.S.T. card. You can send me to Canada anytime. It has gotten so easy crossing. With F.A.S.T., I just get in the second lane on the bridge with my flashers and bypass all those trucks backed up into Canada.

But. But!!!!! I live in Texas. I can't go home. Way too difficult to get out of Dallas and just too far for a solo except on weekends. I'm lucky that I don't need to. Nothing there to make me need to go back too often. The truck is my home. Heck. If I were retired and didn't need to work, I would be driving around the country in an RV. So, I'll stay out here and make money.

If I told my boss I needed to be home every 3 or 4 weeks, he would probably have to find somebody else to drive. The idea is for both of us to make money. If I lived in IL, IN, MI or OH, I probably could be home often. Not living in the south.

Hope that helps.

 

[chetjester]

Hi Bob. Sorry we haven't talked on the phone lately. Glad you're doing fine in your big truck.

I've thought of driving OTR again in a big rig. But, I just don't think it's worth it as a company driver. The pay is too little per mile. I need to control my dispatch, which I can only do as an O/O. Driving a big rig in the winter would make me not want to go north of I-40, and I can do that if I own the truck.

The big truck offers less creature comforts than an expedite truck. I can pull into just about any truck stop and find a place to park my 40 footer. I may not be able to bend in the middle, but I can squeeze in where the big ones can only dream.

Expediting in a big truck wouldn't increase my revenue, I don't think. Just add to my headaches.

I love the power and the size of an 18-wheeler. Works well on my testosterone. But, I can still look down from my window and see the gal in the 4-wheeler next to me sipping her coffee or being indiscreet about the position of her dress. lol.

 

[tec1959]

Bob from my experinces in an T/T expediting its really not worth it running solo,I ran ateam in an E unit for about 4.5 yrs and i found that with E units the miles are mostly for teams like coast to coast we never had a run less 500 miles but a couple of times.I know of 1 O/O who drives his own E unit and only runs Mi,Oh,Pa,and down the east coast on weekends and makes pretty good but he's been doing that for aleast 10 yrs with Roberts/Fedex.I'm not sure you could find a company or and Owner that would put a solo in a E unit but you may.If you really want to make money in expediting i'd look into a "DR" unit an run a team with someone you can trust,I run one of them units also an really made as much if not more than the E unit did...

Bob also i think i read on a post of yours that you drive for Swift??? I was a trainer with them for a little over 2 yrs and drove with them for about 6 yrs total,But thats when it was M.S.Carriers i left shortly after Swift bought them out,I hope your having fun and keep it safe out there.......Email me sometimes an let me know how its going with them now....

 

[sixwheeler]

Another variable that really has to be considered is where you live.
If you live where freight isnt terribly difficult to get then going home isnt such a big deal (if deadhead to get there is factored in). Staying out week after week after week will fill your pockets conceivably, but it'll really burn you out too.

 

[LDB]

I had to make a delivery this morning at 0600, which started my 14
>hour clock, now loads dont come into till 4-6pm. I won't
>have my 10 hours to restart the 14 till 6pm and if I leave
>before then I'll have till 745pm to run then i have to
>restart the clock on my 10. So I'll end up loosing a load
>because I dont have the hours... Ugh this sucks.

I don't know how long your delivery took so I'll have to make this generic but you can see the example and how it applies. You start your clock at 0600 when you make your delivery. Let's say you log line 4 from 0600-0615 for delivery then line 1 from 0615-0700 while you are in the driver waiting area or wherever waiting on them to unload. You log line 3 from 0700-0730 driving to the t/s where you'll camp out waiting on your next load. At 0730 you go to line 2. You have to log line 2 until 1530 which is 8 hours. At 1530 you can go to line 3 and have 10.5 hours to drive and 12.5 hours total available. At 0400 the following morning you must take 2 hours line 1 or line 2 to complete your split sleeper break. The 8 hours on line 2 from 0730-1530 does not count against your 11/14 and it stops the 14. At 0600 the following morning after your 2 hours line 1 or 2 you have 0.5 driving and 1.5 total available before you have to take another 8 hours line 2 so it's only useful like the day before to unload and get to a t/s but it can let you take a load in the afternoon that you couldn't if you took a full 10 hour break. I hope that makes sense and helps some.

Leo Bricker, owner trucks 3034, 4958
OOIDA 677319
73's K5LDB
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator 1+ Years of Service
-----
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[hotone0116]

it is great for you as long as your not in a relationship. i use to date a truck driver and that is too long to be one the road if in relationship

 

[creekindian33]

i belive team driving is better most money unless ur whith lanstar take 40 percent is bestx(

 

[creekindian33]

u need to stay out at least 4 to 6 weeks if not u or the owner will not make much

 

[diver5240]

I work for a company out of Ohio, I am a solo driver running expedite. I have been home almost every saturday and sunday since I started. I run around 1500 to 2000+ miles a week, am home Friday night, or Saturday morning, usually loaded for a Monday morning drop. It is always nice to do a reset at home. As for hour of duty, I know alot of drivers that would say use you imagination or park your truck and get an office job. Your location, the company location, and thier major frieght area, those are the factors in home time.