A Wannabe Team Asking About The Numbers

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Greetings,

We are John and Jane Wannabee, new to the Open Forum and excited about expediting! We are married, our kids are grown and out of the house. We have no debt except for a car loan and just four years of house payments to pay off the mortgage. There was a buyout at John's company and he hates the changes being made there. He wants out now. Jane is a substitute school teacher who can leave her job anytime.

This expediting deal looks pretty good but we want to do our research before taking the leap. We love the idea of seeing the country and taking time off when we wish. We have read blogs written by teams. Wow! What great lives they have! Look at all the fun things they get to do! Yes, we also read about their problems but the problems don't seem to get these teams down. They have been expediting for a long time and are still happy with it and happy together.

So, anyway, back to the research. From EO we know that a good team can gross $200,000 a year. We have no trucking experience but see that some of the teams we read about did not have exeprience either when they started. If they can do it, we can do it, we think.

So, $200,000 a year times 10 years is $2 million. From what we can gather, a team spends about $50,000 a year on fuel, or $500,000 over ten years. A new truck will cost about $250,000 to buy. Is that about right?

So:

$2,000,000 gross
- $500,000 fuel
- $250,000 truck purchase
____________________
$1,250,000 profit over 10 years or $125,000 a year.

No wonder these teams are happy.

Now, we realize some of that goes for taxes and some for tires and repairs and such but $125,000 a year is still a pretty healthy starting place.

What else needs to be considered about the numbers of expediting before we jump in?

We're fine with hard work and our relationship. We have read all about the work ethic and relationship stresses. We've been through a lot, so without going into detail, let's just say we have what it takes to live and work with each other in a truck on the road.

We have also read the advice to drive a fleet-owner's truck first to learn the business. We'd be OK doing that, so lets say the first year is for practice and our ten-year plan begins the following year when we buy our new truck.

If we start with $125,000 a year after truck purchase and fuel costs are paid, how much of that can we realistically expect to put in our pockets each year?

$125,000 is a lot of money. Surely the operating expenses are not that high. Where does the money go and how much can we expect to keep?
 
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jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
Welcome to the forums J&J Wannabee,
In addition to purchasing a truck and fuel you will also have to pay for the following:
Work Accident Insurance
Bobtail Insurance
Medical Insurance
Qualcomm Fees
Tolls
Maintenance
Repairs
Food
Cell Phone and Internet Service
Laundry
Fuel Taxes
IRP Tag (license plate)
Truck Washes
Tow Trucks
Hotel Rooms
Income Tax
Self Employment Tax
Medicare
Accounting Fees

You will be doing well if you get to keep $100,000.
 

Ragman

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Editing a post for typos after 10 years - are the grammar nazis that worrisome? :confused:

grammar-nazis-ruin-parties.jpg
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Greetings Jane and John Wannabee! Are you by chance related to Vernon and Wilma Wannabe of Squaw Lake, Minnesota? If you are truly serious about becoming expediters, a beautiful custom Volvo C unit refer will be on the market in a few months. Keep checking the E.O. want ads for specs and price.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
Drive for an Owner 1st.
Yha, we know you plan of doing so anyway, but we still think it's a good idea.
{can't believe a team drivers will waste a decade grossing ONLY 2 million$, but if that's O.K with you then go 4 it...}(maybe after spending fuel costs?)
another idea: find teams that left the industry, and find out why they left.
call your perspective recruiter, and ask for phone #'s of teams that already left that carrier.
those are the ones you need to talk with.
 

runrunner

Veteran Expediter
The key here is can gross but the question is do they really gross that much every year not likely, and everythig out on the road is very expensive. You can make good money if you really take to the lifestyle but those expectations are to high.


(Having fun Ateam?
 
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BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Helo and welcome.

A word of warning, and at risk of busting youre bubble I have to say you are being waaaaayyyyy too loose and generous with your math. I am suspecting you were in front of a recruiter blowing sunshine up your skirt.

Every aspect of this business is based on the oil industry and how much they can jack us for fuel, DOT, Insurance companies, the EPA, and truck costs.
For example, when I started in 2007 the avearge rate per mile to an owner/opperator was arround 1.00 per mile. The cost of Diesel was 2.80 a gallon you were able to buy a new strait truck for 75,000 pluss creature comforts you could pickup a used 11R22.5 16 ply tire for 75 bucks in most cases installed, average maintenance costs were a third of what they are today.
By December 2007 / Jan 2008 Diesel was at 5.25 a gallon, The average cost per mile is unchanged for the most part except for a joke called the Fuel surcharge. Allot of O/O turned in thier keys to the banks and became bankrupt.

Since then, the oil EPA, and NHSTA upped the emisions and safety requirements on trucks doubling thier price.
Fuel prices dropped but the expenses especialy maintenance stayed the same and have steadily increased and increase
The new S/T will cost you $150,000.00, average increase of 5% per year as long as theyer are no major required upgrades. The used tire at 50% tread will cost you 200.00 Maintenance average .30 a mile.
Also all the other expenses involved in opperating and living out on the road mentioned by jjoerger. Not everyone can deal with the trucking business and the Shipper and receiver culture. I always recomend running for a fleet owner to cut thier teeth as its easier to walkaway from a job that is not working out as planned as compared to a truck payment book.

Good Luck and feel free to pm me if you have questions
 
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jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
I wonder how these numbers and expenses would compare to owning another type of business?
Such as a "fitness gym"

Sent from my EVO using EO Forums
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I think there is defenitely better money depending on the location. Especialy outside of New York State.

Bob Wolf.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I think there is defenitely better money depending on the location. Especialy outside of New York State.

Bob Wolf.

I would have to think anything is better outside the state of New York.
 
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