How Cheap Can You Haul?

[Catnip]

So how about it? Can you haul as cheap as the big fleets with a one man truck and survive? I think not but they're plenty out here trying to do it. You don't have to look far to find them. I don't know how anyone runs for a few pennies above fuel cost and calls them self being in the trucking business as an owner/operator. Hey-maybe it's a hobby or perhaps tax write off because that dude won the lotto?

[ttisa]

at the end of the day most don't even make drivers pay. the oil companies are squeezing out what little profit there is in trucking. if there is no turnaround soon watch for another large driver exit from this industry. i'm sick of seeing what's happening out here today. the feds are beating us to death,shipping companies are starving us out,and the carriers are still looking for more newbie dummies to fill their cabs instead of raising pay. i for one will be through if this year remains like the last two. i don't see how drivers with large payments continue running? only one load out of every two hundred pays anything halfway decent on the dispatch boards. if i didn't have such an investment in my equipment at this time i would park it. i do manage to make ends meet but that doesn't come without a daily fight with idiots who cannot understand what it cost to move their freight. lol

[john t]

problem is they expect everything to be hauled for back haul rate. right now there is still to many trucks competing for to few loads. until that changes we have to fight for every dime from the companies.