$1.20 a mile ?

Crazynuff

Veteran Expediter
I'm not new here but my wife and I are considering making the move to expediting but are wondering about a few things .
Several carrier ads say $1.20 a mile for straight trucks . I haven't been keeping up with rates but how long has this been going on ? That sounds like a good OTR truckload rate but not what I knew expedite rates to be .
We were told a team could expect 2500 miles a week . Since we'd pay the fuel is there a ballpark average deadhead per week we could expect ?
We would like to run for a fleet owner for a couple of years then buy 2 or 3 trucks and become fleet owners . Does $.48 a mile really allow for a decent truck to be well maintained and still return an acceptable profit ?
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
The 1.20 rate is more of a staple answer. Probably 1.20 a mile plus FSC if talking a straight truck.
As for mileage, that is a wide open question depending on who the carrier is.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Figure all the revenues on the low side and all the expenses on the high side. Whatever bottom line number you get multiply that by 0.9. If that number is workable you may have your answer, at least as closely as you'll ever have it.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
You think 1.20/mile is a good OTR rate? 2500 miles a week for a team? It seems your numbers are off from any of the ads I have seen.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums
 

Crazynuff

Veteran Expediter
The 1.20 rate is more of a staple answer. Probably 1.20 a mile plus FSC if talking a straight truck.
As for mileage, that is a wide open question depending on who the carrier is.

Yes , it's $1.20 plus FSC plus $.05 for teams and another $.05 for hazmat miles according to the Panther recruiter who also quoted the 2500 team miles .
My wife is in her last semester of college before earning her Bachelor's Degree in business administration . She doesn't have her CDL yet and will be inexperienced . That is why we may go with Panther .
 

jmlaber

Seasoned Expediter
Yes , it's $1.20 plus FSC plus $.05 for teams and another $.05 for hazmat miles according to the Panther recruiter who also quoted the 2500 team miles .
My wife is in her last semester of college before earning her Bachelor's Degree in business administration . She doesn't have her CDL yet and will be inexperienced . That is why we may go with Panther .

My co-driver and I get $1.30/mile with Panther. Yes it's $1.20 plus the nickel for team and the nickel for hazmat. I have been tracking our miles, and we have averaged 2675 miles per week this year. Now, that includes all settlements every week, including weeks that are very slow due to maintenance, home time, and other things that slow us down. Our best week ever was 5507 miles, we have had a week as low as 800 (truck broke down 3 times that week grrrrr....). So take what the Panther recruiter is telling you as pretty accurate, my experiences are strikingly similar.
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
1.20 / mile in a strait truck, are you kidding me? Mabey in a van... You will be broke within a week. Sit down and do the math. Fuel, Insurance, maintainance, tolls, salary, legal, general business and living expenses. Keep in mind you are for fair arguement on duty 24/7 while away from home. Are you leased exclusively or can you book your own work if stuck somewhere? Remember you are talking to a recruiter his job is to get you to sign on and most will promise the wold. No one will guarentee you miles and no layover and deadhead and be able to deliver, and thats what kills your profitt margin. Do you have at least three grand in the bank you can forgett abbout untill you have a tow and repair? You will most likely drop at least a grand for the simplest repair at the shop and thats getting away cheap.

TA Pembroke N.Y. $ 4.45/ Gal my expenses are $1.47 per mile yep, I live in The Peoples Republic of New York add cost of fuel at 8-9 mpg thats annother $.56 per mile and I come up with $ 2.03 a loaded mile. Put all the expenses against the rate and decide from there if are you comfortable with what you pocket? Im sure you have some decent health bennefits, maintainence, and fuel discounts with a large carrier and that may workto your advantage.

Now, I'm not trying to slam anyone, so those who are doing well with a carrier dont get your undies in a knot.... I just want the rookies to look at the big picture and decide what thier tolerance level is. We see all to often the newbies and those who have been running for a while call it quits because theyre broke.

Bob Wolf.
 

Crazynuff

Veteran Expediter
1.20 / mile in a strait truck, are you kidding me? Mabey in a van... You will be broke within a week. Sit down and do the math. Fuel, Insurance, maintainance, tolls, salary, legal, general business and living expenses. Keep in mind you are for fair arguement on duty 24/7 while away from home. Are you leased exclusively or can you book your own work if stuck somewhere? Remember you are talking to a recruiter his job is to get you to sign on and most will promise the wold. No one will guarentee you miles and no layover and deadhead and be able to deliver, and thats what kills your profitt margin. Do you have at least three grand in the bank you can forgett abbout untill you have a tow and repair? You will most likely drop at least a grand for the simplest repair at the shop and thats getting away cheap.

TA Pembroke N.Y. $ 4.45/ Gal my expenses are $1.47 per mile yep, I live in The Peoples Republic of New York add cost of fuel at 8-9 mpg thats annother $.56 per mile and I come up with $ 2.03 a loaded mile. Put all the expenses against the rate and decide from there if are you comfortable with what you pocket? Im sure you have some decent health bennefits, maintainence, and fuel discounts with a large carrier and that may workto your advantage.


Now, I'm not trying to slam anyone, so those who are doing well with a carrier dont get your undies in a knot.... I just want the rookies to look at the big picture and decide what thier tolerance level is. We see all to often the newbies and those who have been running for a while call it quits because theyre broke.

Bob Wolf.
This is what I was thinking but pick up some of those free recruiting ads at travel centers and you'll see several ads stating $1.20 a mile on straight trucks . Not very impressive . I also suspect that the "urgent need for teams " isn't due to increased freight but like truckload OTR is due to high driver turnover .
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Probably a few things to add. If using the 1.30 plus FSC example, you are right in that fuel discounts and the like have to be factored. If using Panther, have to remember that deadhead is paid and empty moves all factor with the overall rate.
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
O.K., The deadhead pay is a pluss and I will admit I dont run 150K per year more like 50K local and regional. Other than truck payment insurance that stay consistant throughout the year cost per mile the other expenses are still there. I guess I would have to see the math and crunch it against my numbers. I belive you wont know if you dont give it a shot but Ive seen enought people get into trucking lured by the glitz only to leave broke and without a family.

Good luck.

Bob Wolf
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
That is true. All the costs have to be looked at. Panther pays tolls which can be a big number but some don't. All kinds of variables outside of just the rate.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Not all. Just the ones associated with a run and must have receipts.
 
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