• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

how is your season so far

D

dumptrucker

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
205
Location
vermont
I have a dumptruck for hire business , and was a little worried this spring about the fuel prices and work not being there.I have been real busy and hearing that alot of trucks are parked because of the fuel prices. I have talked to a couple of large contractors and they say there is a shortage of trucks now. My phone has been ringing off the hook because of this.

Anyone else experiencing this?
 
M

mikef87

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
433
Location
waltham
Occupation
owner/operator/mechanic/laborer/truck driver
Here in Boston, guys are parking trucks because they can't afford the fuel. I hire all my trucks on my own I don't go through a broker. One guy asked me if he could come to work for me as an employee. I don't have much going on for work. I'm finishing a site job now, I have 2 sewer jobs, 1 water main job, and a big site job to start in August. A lot of companies, big and small are slow. I'm going to be bidding on a few more jobs July 1st. Are the cities and state putting out a lot of work up your way? The governor says he'll be putting out work July 1st, but we'll see.
 
K

kamerad47

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
184
DT The one ? I have to ask is are you making $$$ ? There is work out there but these Companies don't what to pay! If your not making close to $100.00 a Hr you can't possibly be making any $$$ ,Fuel is to high !!
 
X

xcavate

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
187
Location
Boston,MA
I agree I can find work for $75 an hour but after fuel at 6mpg going 60 mph is 10 gallons @ $5. So to run your truck on the highway it costs nearly $50 an hour for fuel plus insurance regristration and repairs there is nothin left to pay to the driver. How can you make money at this??

If it was a truck for on job site use the fuel wouldnt be so bad but most of the time they have you over the road.

It seems even at a $100 an hour your only paying the bills not making money.
 
D

dumptrucker

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
205
Location
vermont
I am getting 75 hr for my tandem. It cost's me 34.78 an hour to run truck. That includes fuel , tires, ins, repairs, registration and permits. I am making almost 40 an hour after expenses. But I also don't have a driver to pay for and the truck is paid for.
Now if I had to put a driver in it and had payments to boot...... I would go work at McDonalds flipping burgers.
 
M

mikef87

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
433
Location
waltham
Occupation
owner/operator/mechanic/laborer/truck driver
Theres guy around here working with Peterbilt Ten Wheelers they paid $175000 for. The rate they get $57 an hour. You could park the truck with no driver and at $57 an hour you still wouldn't make money.
 
nedly05

nedly05

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
1,801
Location
Adk. Mtns, NY
We are getting $100/hr for our tandem, thats a fair price when we are working around town but hauling from the quarry it should be more. We are not as busy as we have been in the past, but it's a nice steady pace. We are taking delivery of a load of over-the-road fuel today, and depending on the cost of that our trucks may have to go up again.
 
K

kamerad47

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
184
I think that $34 a hr is low? Don't you have to carry workmen's comp? Isn't fuel $4.50 or better? at $75 an hr a site job would be the only you could do. I bet those contractors are billing clients over $100.00 an hr giving you $75 & pocketing the rest! $25 an hr to let you work for them! (Not Bad) That's the whole problem in trucking!
 
D

dumptrucker

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
205
Location
vermont
kamerad47 said:
I think that $34 a hr is low? Don't you have to carry workmen's comp? Isn't fuel $4.50 or better? at $75 an hr a site job would be the only you could do. I bet those contractors are billing clients over $100.00 an hr giving you $75 & pocketing the rest! $25 an hr to let you work for them! (Not Bad) That's the whole problem in trucking!
Click to expand...

Day by day my cost to run is probably more, but this is an average for the year. I don't have to carry workmans comp because I am the only operator. Also if I had a payment to boot , my cost would definately be up.
 
Dwan Hall

Dwan Hall

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
Messages
1,029
Location
Juneau, Alaska
Occupation
Self Employed
DT @ $34/hr wouldn't you make more money working for someone else and parking that truck. Yes you are making a wage but your co. is not making a profit.
Just because your truck is paid for does not mean it should not still make money for replacment.

If you paid cash for a $100,000 truck it should not work for less then if you buy it on time.

here it 1/3 for overhead 1/3 for wages and 1/3 for profit. 1 man operation or a 100 man shop.
 
J

JJK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
50
Location
NJ
I know guys here that are willing to drive their trucks @ $80hr but won't do anything less then a full day.......how're they're making money with diesel @ almost over $5 here I don't know.....
 
D

dumptrucker

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
205
Location
vermont
Dwan Hall said:
DT @ $34/hr wouldn't you make more money working for someone else and parking that truck. Yes you are making a wage but your co. is not making a profit.
Just because your truck is paid for does not mean it should not still make money for replacment.

If you paid cash for a $100,000 truck it should not work for less then if you buy it on time.

here it 1/3 for overhead 1/3 for wages and 1/3 for profit. 1 man operation or a 100 man shop.
Click to expand...

The 34 an hour is what it costs me to run the truck. I am profiting 40 an hour after ALL EXPENSES ! I started out with a piece of junk truck and ran that for several years and was able to pay cash for my new truck from the truck replacement fund that I have set up I have been in business for several years,every year I make a profit, if I wasn't I would park it. I am no dummy.
 
mclinkus

mclinkus

Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
5
Location
campers, hotels, and occasionaly home in Indy
leave him alone..

sounds to me like most of you are upset that dt has a system that works for him.

isnt that what it all comes down to? what works for you?

the company i work for pays 110$ in fairbanks and the drivers say they rnt making it verry well.
 
K

kamerad47

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Messages
184
DT, Around here we have to have workmen's comp, even if you a owner operator you have to have it to plow for the state or any jobs! I only go on prevailing wage jobs $110.00 an hr.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top