What are you making running solo in a D-unit?
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
TJ959
Veteran Expediter
Would you have truck Payments and how big? Would this be a more or less dedicated run to a crummy area? Who is the carrier? How many miles would it take to make this amount? How much deadhead? There are a lot of variables still in the mix but, maybe. In my old (99) FL and at a decent rate per mile, sure. If I can hold my overhead to 50% or less, then probably.
Last edited:
I don't understand how what you "Gross" a month makes a difference. What if you "Gross" $20,000.00 a month and have expenses of $19,500.00
Falligator
Expert Expediter
I would be happy if I could gross 5,000$ a month LOL
And keep my expenses at 1,000$
And keep my expenses at 1,000$
easyrider2697
Expert Expediter
...then you prolly need to take another look at your business plan and deffinatly do not need to be running solo...hence the topic of the thread..
The threads question was "Gross" income. Nothing to do with single or teams. Five different trucks may all Gross $10,000 a month.It surley doesn't mean they all make a profit.
the question is What are you making running solo in a D-unit? lol
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
No....I have absolutely no desire to drive a "D" unit.....have even turned down an offer to team in one....
easyrider2697
Expert Expediter
two quotes come to mind here...
"cant see the forrest for the trees"
and
"quit trying to complicate the simple"
easyrider2697
Expert Expediter
Since everyone wants to complicate this..I will help them
as a driver: if this was a set base rate with possibilities for more revenue to me as a driver..I would be happy, if I was paid based on the gross, which would put my income at $4000 a month minimum, if I were to be paid based on gross minus FSC...we would have to dicsuss my percentages.
as a owner: prolly would not be happy..to many unknown variables to make that choice.
BUT..I am not driving a "D" unit..never plan on it, so I really dont even know why I am responding to this thread..BUT I do drive solo in a "E" unit and gross more than this monthly, so I think I will stick right where I am...
easyrider2697
Expert Expediter
That would be why I say I will stay right where I am at..I grossed that much in the last 5 days..I will stick to tractors.
Perhaps I am missing something, but that's not necessarily true... nothing was said about a limitation on DH miles.. in effect someone could offer a minimum of $10,000 gross per month, but leave out the part where you may be required to drive thousands of miles to the pickups over the course of a month, just to get those opportunities to realize that gross amount. If the driver declined various loads because of this and only grossed $5,000, it could still be said, but you could have grossed $10K if you'd taken all the load offers.
nightcreacher
Veteran Expediter
Some solos driving tractors may have trouble making 10k/month.A solo has to have a limited amount of dead head to do that kind of revenue,unless they are on a flat rate all miles paid contract.As you all know,expedite is flooded with D units in all the companies.Between competition between all the carriers for the same freight and the HOS regs,solos are all going to having a problem
My buddy is doing almost $11,000 per month running solo. He is doing $1.51 a loaded mile and $1.31 for all miles which I think is great for a solo D-unit driver.
easyrider2697
Expert Expediter
if a solo driver in this business cannot GROSS 10k/a month, in a tractor..they are doing something terribly wrong..now wheather or not they make a profit or not is a different story, my point it GROSSING 10k, should be no problem.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I was talking to someone who is running one of these companies the other day, can't mention names but he made an odd comment that got me to thinking about something.
" ... one of the biggest issues we are facing right now is a lack of trucks to properly cover our customers ... "
AND I asked this question to see what made him think that;
"... why would you say that?
Let me explain it before you answer it.
What I mean is the level of real expedite freight is less than what it was 10 years ago, or seems to be by your numbers you gave me but the level of transportation units within the combined fleets seems to be 8 to 10 times higher than it was, wouldn't it be more effective to lower the transportation units to drive up rates and increase revenue?"
I got no real answer, just a lot of ah's ...
What we saw or told we saw from last years fallout was a loss in our fleets, many owners went under because of a lack of work. Sequentially rates rose to a point but now seem to slip a bit. Work is slipping a bit more too. BUT if fleet number reductions are the key, shouldn't these companies strive for lower numbers as a whole industry while pushing the rates up farther?
" ... one of the biggest issues we are facing right now is a lack of trucks to properly cover our customers ... "
AND I asked this question to see what made him think that;
"... why would you say that?
Let me explain it before you answer it.
What I mean is the level of real expedite freight is less than what it was 10 years ago, or seems to be by your numbers you gave me but the level of transportation units within the combined fleets seems to be 8 to 10 times higher than it was, wouldn't it be more effective to lower the transportation units to drive up rates and increase revenue?"
I got no real answer, just a lot of ah's ...
What we saw or told we saw from last years fallout was a loss in our fleets, many owners went under because of a lack of work. Sequentially rates rose to a point but now seem to slip a bit. Work is slipping a bit more too. BUT if fleet number reductions are the key, shouldn't these companies strive for lower numbers as a whole industry while pushing the rates up farther?
moose
Veteran Expediter
Here y'a Go...
rates & freight volume determined in the Orientations class .
if the carrier goals is to service it's costumers ,starving it's own contractors serve that purpose .
it's business .