lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to make

straitcruisin

Seasoned Expediter
Hello, I am fairly new to expediting (about a year). I have a straight truck operated as a solo currently with me driving. I am thinking of adding a driver. What kind of agreements should be made between a owner operater and a driver in this situation. Also what is an acceptable pay scale I am aware of general terms of 60/40 when the owner isn't driving but not anything with owner/driver combination. I believe this is usually just loaded milege pay.

Any help would be appreciated.
 

Italiangrl

Expert Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

Hi,

Are you paying all the fuel and tolls or are you wanting your co-driver to pay half? For example if a non-owner team is in a truck and paying fuel and tolls they normally recieve 60% of all revenue including fuel surcharge. It will work out if the truck is ran in a good fashion that each driver will take home 20% and the other 20% goes for fuel and tolls equaling the 60%. Now I own trucks and I choose to pay for fuel and tolls. That way my drivers don't mind deadheading to a better area for a load. I pay them 20% of the base pay that means what the load pays, not the Fuel Surcharge. Now sometimes the fuel surcharge is really high for the miles of the load. At that point I figure at 10 miles per gallon and the amount of miles of the load I only deduct what fuel would cost and give them a percentage of the rest of the surchage. IF your paying the fuel and good start would be 20% to your co-driver of the base pay. If you want him to help you with the fuel and tolls, (which he may not agree if you want to deadhead somewhere then) 30% of the total pay including fuel surcharge. He'll still end up getting around 20% take home after fuel and tolls are deducted. I hope I didnt just confuse you more. Good Luck.. :)
 

straitcruisin

Seasoned Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

I plan to pay for all the expenses the truck occurs. Fuel, tolls, maintance. etc.
 

rode2rouen

Expert Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

Have you talked to your accountant about putting on a co-driver? The reason I ask is that it seems to me that the co-driver would be your EMPLOYEE.


Rex
 

darkunicorn

Seasoned Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

Don’t do it I tried that for a while it don’t work the only teams that work is husband and wife or bf/gf so income is going to one house hold because you don’t make double about 1/3 more so your expense goes up your personal pay goes down. And as a team they tend to deadhead you farther for loads and you get sent on longer runs but wind up places there is no expedite freight so you either sit or deadhead on your dollar to a hot spot where there are 5 other teams that just did the same thing so you sit some more.
Ok there’s some thing else to look at your used to being alone in the truck now it’s a small place add a person and it gets to be a very small place especially if your sitting for 4 or 5 days far from home most the time far from any thing interesting to do.
Plus its hard to find some one willing to work for just loaded miles never found any one that wanted to pay ½ the expense cheapest I could get by paying some one with no experience at all was .25 a loaded mile and once they found out how much deadhead and sitting was in store they wanted out 4 drivers in 1 year and like I said I made less money and that’s why I’m assuming your wanting to do it is to make more you wont just more ware and tare on your truck and peace of mind!
 

tec1959

Expert Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

At times my Owner would go out and co drive with me or other drivers when the other drivers needed off,And the pay would stay the same 60/40 and If we had a good week he'd throw me a couple hundred dollars cash just for having the truck running as a team,Not as a single driver for that time...
 

Prarysun

Seasoned Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

Straightcruisin, well I agree with some of the posts and some not....Getting a co-driver will be good for your bottom line and good for a co-driver. Personally I paid a straight 20% of what the loads paid minus the fuel surcharges. I paid for everything. She made an avg of 1000 per wk most weeks. Then I would treat her to dinner sometimes, her own motel room, etc etc. Bonus on holidays. If you are going to team with someone be sure you screen them first. TRY and make sure you are somewhat compatable. If you smoke, look for a smoker, if you are neat and clean be sure you meet the person in advance and get a feel for what they are like...Still once you "live" together, things can go awry. But try and get to know the person a little first. Also a plus for the co driver was I paid her 20 percent after each or every few loads, that is a good policy for myself. Keep very good records of what you pay them. I would have her sign my settlement sheet showing how much I paid each week that way there were no problems in how I paid. Now if you are going to have a team and you out of the truck, whole different story...I paid both ways, 40/60 and 60/40. I vowed never to pay the fuel again as SOME people take full advantage of that and deadhead all over the place. My fault, I did not specify beyond verbally not to deadhead and had no recourse but to chalk it up to experience. I find if the drivers pay the fuel, they are very careful how much deadheading they do, and as someone posted, they may be reluctant to deadhead to a better area for loads, however you can build in bonuses or up the percentage when they deadhead to a better place. But key is get a good contract written up, something that protects you and your drivers, and also for a co driver for you if you choose that route. It won't make any difference for bad or irresponsible drivers, but is a deterent. Good Luck. :)
 

darkunicorn

Seasoned Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

If you really want to get to know someone put them in your truck for a month! Might even learn some thing about a life long friend ya didn’t know LOL.
And yeah forgot to mention before if you smoke make sure it’s a smoker if you don’t smoke but don’t bother you if others do it will if crammed in to a cab and sleeper trust me! Any way good luck with your choice hope we helped you.
 

straitcruisin

Seasoned Expediter
RE: lease needed? 1 truck owner adding driver to m

Thanks for all the advice! I should add the prospect team driver is my boyfriend but wanted to hear what would be acceptable from others as I want to keep business as businessf and so on as the old saying goes.
 
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