I would be glad to give you any information, but a couple of years ago I had ot all worked out on a per mile bases. Now things have changed so fast that I have not kept up with it. In the last year I have had two major rate increases, fuel doubled or more, a gallon of oil is twice the cost as is parts where needed. Jeez, even food has doubled.

If I spent a couple of days fuguring the costs today it would all be different in a week or two. I converted to straight cash operation and best I can say is that I still run a surplus of cash after a couple of weeks. Keeping cash ahead is getting harder and harder. I go through a couple of grand a week and have to carry an ungodly amount to keep from running out of ready cash. Money in one pocket and .380 in the other.

The customers have accepted about as much of rate raises as they will. So I no longer attempt to keep the profit margin per mile as it was a few months ago. Right now it is a nightmare and I just try to keep my head above water and some amount of cash incase of major breakdown. I do all maintenance and repairs myself so am not a good one for that information anyway. This truck has treated me well. The last year only cost me kingpins and front tires also one injector. Other minor stuff is always on tap, window track rusted through and had to replace that stuff, the labor is greater than the parts, an all day job to take the door panel off and trips to Freightliner. Just finished the drivers door and the passenger door broke. Right now the door panel is off and the window is tied up till I get the time to replace the track and other parts while I am in there.

I will say this, I just accepted a load from Datona and when figuring it, I would make more with a couple of local loads than the 1200 miles at todays fuel prices.

 

I would be glad to give you any information, but a couple of years ago I had ot all worked out on a per mile bases. Now things have changed so fast that I have not kept up with it. In the last year I have had two major rate increases, fuel doubled or more, a gallon of oil is twice the cost as is parts where needed. Jeez, even food has doubled.

If I spent a couple of days fuguring the costs today it would all be different in a week or two. I converted to straight cash operation and best I can say is that I still run a surplus of cash after a couple of weeks. Keeping cash ahead is getting harder and harder. I go through a couple of grand a week and have to carry an ungodly amount to keep from running out of ready cash. Money in one pocket and .380 in the other.

The customers have accepted about as much of rate raises as they will. So I no longer attempt to keep the profit margin per mile as it was a few months ago. Right now it is a nightmare and I just try to keep my head above water and some amount of cash incase of major breakdown. I do all maintenance and repairs myself so am not a good one for that information anyway. This truck has treated me well. The last year only cost me kingpins and front tires also one injector. Other minor stuff is always on tap, window track rusted through and had to replace that stuff, the labor is greater than the parts, an all day job to take the door panel off and trips to Freightliner. Just finished the drivers door and the passenger door broke. Right now the door panel is off and the window is tied up till I get the time to replace the track and other parts while I am in there.

I will say this, I just accepted a load from Datona and when figuring it, I would make more with a couple of local loads than the 1200 miles at todays fuel prices.

 

Tool:

From my perspective, it isn’t only about the food, but a way of life. I also do not purchase 40K trucks, my truck with only 100K on it was a major splurge for me. I apply the same logic to all facets of life, from my on sale 249 dollar digital TV to my garage sale furniture.

So, as my buddy Dave Ramsey says, in THE BIG PICTURE, we all need to figure out how to consume what we need, not what we want, until one has all of Maslow’s levels conquered. For most of us, that is when we are significantly older than what the Madison Avenue types would like.
Perhaps when I am a real Millionaire, I will be able to purchase a 2.85 loaf of bread and not feel guilty, but until that point, my old buddy Benjamin Franklin’s advice “ A penny saved is a penny earned”.

But, that is the wonderful thing about this country, we are each free to live our lives, too bad many today feel the need to reward foolish behavior at the expense of others.