Worried about income

[Turtle]

If either the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the actual Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), whichever is greater, is more than 10,000 pounds, it's a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV). Meaning, if a 9950 GVWR vehicle is ever more than 50 pounds overweight, it's instantly a CMV and requires scaling and logging and a medical card at all times it weighs more than 10,000 pounds.

You need to get an empty weight scale ticket, with a full tank of gas, you and all your stuff in the van. Take that weight number and subtract it from 9950, and the result will be your maximum cargo weight capacity.

If you ever weigh more than 10,000 pounds and are involved in an accident, even if it's not your fault, you are beyond screwed if you don't have an up-to-date log book and medical card. Everything that happens with a vehicle is the driver's responsibility.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

If I don't get another load by the end of the day today I am going back to my local job expediting auto parts to shops for $600 a week. This waiting for loads for days on end is cutting into my income man. I can understand the 1st time but going into the 2nd week and still having delays for days on end is not worth it. I need more consistent income.

 

[Turtle]

At 30 cents a mile, that's 2000 miles a week to clear $600. That's doable, but it's on the upper end of the average and shouldn't really be counted on. Some will do more than than, though not nearly as often as they say they do. Some do significantly less than that. For most, they'll average between 1200-1500 miles a week. You will have plenty of 2000-3000 miles weeks, coupled with even more 300-500 mile weeks. In expediting, income consistency is averaged out over a month or a quarter, not per week. Realistically, driving someone else's van, you can count on about $25,000 a year assuming 48-50 weeks per year in-service. That's less than the $600 you'll get for local parts delivery.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Yup it is.

 

[RoadTime]

If I don't get another load by the end of the day today I am going back to my local job expediting auto parts to shops for $600 a week. This waiting for loads for days on end is cutting into my income man. I can understand the 1st time but going into the 2nd week and still having delays for days on end is not worth it. I need more consistent income.

The only thing consistent about expediting is that it's inconsistent. It can be hard enough making it as a owner operator, driving for someone else even harder. Often the realities are not what was expected. Fortunately, you have your local job to fall back on. Many are not so lucky when they dive into this.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

The only people I know in expediting that are doing reasonably well are doing the Laredo runs up to Oshawa Ontario for GM because it is steady work 11 months out of the year for companies like RJR transport out of Windsor Ontario. Those guys maybe average $800 a week. I almost signed up with them but when I got a look at the van it was huge. It looked just like driving a semi. I was like no thanks.