Is it really possible to turn a profit at 70 cents per mile? Have any of you "cargo van" drivers tried to run the numbers on 70 cents per mile plus an 8 cent fuel surcharge? I mean, what has happened to this industry since I stared back in 2006? I can remember getting .77 cents a mile and a 30 cent fuel surcharge on Caterpillar and various other loads when fuel was just around 2 something a gallon. So, I was actually making somewhere around 1.07 per mile when expenses were a lot lower then they are now. Once again, how do you turn a profit at .70 cents a mile in a cargo van? I mean, even if you are an old retired guy "and you are getting a modest pension" how can you justify the time and dedication it takes to live your life out here on the road for .70 cents per mile?
I am running very lean right now. I do not have a van payment. I do not have any personal bills "cept 100 a month for cell-phone and 86 dollars a month for my bobtail insurance." I live at home with family and most of my runs are one way trips "so my dwell time on the road has been reduced to a bare minimum" which has saved me a lot of extra money. Now, I do turn a modest profit because I work for a company that can get me higher rates on the shorter runs and at least a buck a mile on some longer runs when there is no competition in the area. I live out west so competition on loads going back into Sacramento, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada etc., are not a problem. Most drivers do not live out west and have to get back into the traditionl freight lanes in order to minimize road expenses. Yet despite this, I am not maing a great living doing this job. It beats the nine to five Mcdonalds gig hands down, but is it really worth it?
You have to buy a van every 5 years, right? Even if you go cheap and want to have a decent van that is going to cost you between five and ten thousand dollars. Then you have to pay for tires, alternators, starters, brakes, windshields, oil changes, and other componants that can break down on you. Then there are eating expenses, shower expenses, qc fees, company insurance deductions to be paid whether you are running or sitting, van registration fees, wireless internet card fees, and all of the rest. When you break it down, how much can you actually net on .70 cents per mile if you get 70 thousand miles a year "which is a very high estimate" and may not reflect what most cargo van drivers are getting? Do any of you guys have any input on this matter?
I am running very lean right now. I do not have a van payment. I do not have any personal bills "cept 100 a month for cell-phone and 86 dollars a month for my bobtail insurance." I live at home with family and most of my runs are one way trips "so my dwell time on the road has been reduced to a bare minimum" which has saved me a lot of extra money. Now, I do turn a modest profit because I work for a company that can get me higher rates on the shorter runs and at least a buck a mile on some longer runs when there is no competition in the area. I live out west so competition on loads going back into Sacramento, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada etc., are not a problem. Most drivers do not live out west and have to get back into the traditionl freight lanes in order to minimize road expenses. Yet despite this, I am not maing a great living doing this job. It beats the nine to five Mcdonalds gig hands down, but is it really worth it?
You have to buy a van every 5 years, right? Even if you go cheap and want to have a decent van that is going to cost you between five and ten thousand dollars. Then you have to pay for tires, alternators, starters, brakes, windshields, oil changes, and other componants that can break down on you. Then there are eating expenses, shower expenses, qc fees, company insurance deductions to be paid whether you are running or sitting, van registration fees, wireless internet card fees, and all of the rest. When you break it down, how much can you actually net on .70 cents per mile if you get 70 thousand miles a year "which is a very high estimate" and may not reflect what most cargo van drivers are getting? Do any of you guys have any input on this matter?
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