Hauling Jobs.

cghbuilder86 · March 8, 2011

I was talking to a guy at work last week and he was telling me about some hauling he's started doing. He has a 1 ton diesel dually and a few trailers. One job he does is hauling RVs across the country. He said he put 4 of them of a 50' foot trailer and gets paid $2400 one way, he hauls another set back the next day and totals $4800 for that trip. Two trips a week earns him $9,600.

Sounds a little too good to be true. Also no commitment, he gets to decide when he wants to do it or how many trips he wants to make in a week or month. I'd love to drive on highways and interstates all day in my personal truck and earn that kind of money! Who wouldn't? This got me to thinking, there are bound to be others out there hauling and shipping various things to make their living. If there are any on here, how hard is it to find the jobs? Do jobs like the one described here really exist? Are they extremely hard to find? Seems like everybody in the world would want a job like this so the price would go down... Anyway if anybody can shed some light I'd be interested to hear it. Sure sounds a lot better than breaking my body down at the factory for $20 bucks an hour.

mhenshaw · March 8, 2011

You did not say how far he drives to make the $2400. Add everything up and it will not look that good.

Time driving (15 hours one way) (15x$20 = 300)

Gallons of Diesel (80 gallons one way) (80x$4 = $320)

Hotel stay (85 a night)

Price of truck ($50,000)

Depreciation of truck

Maintenance of truck

Insurance on truck

Is there always work to be had. (There are peak seasons for campers)

Sounds like driving 18 wheelers

pwall · March 8, 2011

Not to mention all the time away from home......

cghbuilder86 · March 8, 2011

We live in Mississippi and he is hauling the campers to Florida. He said 12 hours one way. He bought his truck used with nearly 200,000 miles on it. He would have paid much less than half of a new one. He said insurance was $600 /yr. and cover his truck and whatever he hauls... I can see how the costs would add up. But still after all costs it would be some good money. Once you buy a truck and trailer you don't have to buy them again for a while. You would have a good deal of maintenance, but still you could go a lot of well paid miles between maintenance and repairs.

Nytemare · March 8, 2011

You did not say how far he drives to make the $2400. Add everything up and it will not look that good.

Time driving (15 hours one way) (15x$20 = 300)

Gallons of Diesel (80 gallons one way) (80x$4 = $320)

Hotel stay (85 a night)

Price of truck ($50,000)

Depreciation of truck

Maintenance of truck

Insurance on truck

Always work to be had. (There are peak seasons for campers)

Sounds like driving 18 wheelers

Yeah most owner/operators of trucks gross well into the millions per year with they're trucks...after you take all the stuff you talked about into consideration, they're lucky to see 6 figures...usually more like 80-90G a year...and an incredible amount of time away from the family.

Daryl LBZ · March 8, 2011

You did not say how far he drives to make the $2400. Add everything up and it will not look that good.

Time driving (15 hours one way) (15x$20 = 300)

Gallons of Diesel (80 gallons one way) (80x$4 = $320)

Hotel stay (85 a night)

Price of truck ($50,000)

Depreciation of truck

Maintenance of truck

Insurance on truck

Always work to be had. (There are peak seasons for campers)

Sounds like driving 18 wheelers

Yeah most owner/operators of trucks gross well into the millions per year with they're trucks...after you take all the stuff you talked about into consideration, they're lucky to see 6 figures...usually more like 80-90G a year...and an incredible amount of time away from the family.

Haha try more like a gross of around $100,000 then only making 30 after taxes and fuel. Right now my dads not doing so well owning his own truck because of the economy. He also complains because the price of fuel goes up, and no one want to pay anymore for hauling the load. I work two miles from my house at a factory, Im home every day, and I still make as much if not more then he does all year long. Pretty sad really...

cghbuilder86 · March 8, 2011

Yeah, only making 30 after costs would be a different story. It seems with the economy though that would be a more realistic number. 80-90 year after costs where I live is considered GOOD MONEY.

music · March 8, 2011

If it sounds too good to be true...

I'm sure you could make a living as a driver, but don't expect to do better than a long haul trucker who owns his own cab. Add to that, the cost/work of now being a commercial hauler (USDOT regulated). Different game than personal recreation and small farm work. I would not entertain the idea of doing it full time. Maybe rent your friend's truck for a trip or two and see how it really goes.

Nytemare · March 8, 2011

You did not say how far he drives to make the $2400. Add everything up and it will not look that good.

Time driving (15 hours one way) (15x$20 = 300)

Gallons of Diesel (80 gallons one way) (80x$4 = $320)

Hotel stay (85 a night)

Price of truck ($50,000)

Depreciation of truck

Maintenance of truck

Insurance on truck

Always work to be had. (There are peak seasons for campers)

Sounds like driving 18 wheelers

Yeah most owner/operators of trucks gross well into the millions per year with they're trucks...after you take all the stuff you talked about into consideration, they're lucky to see 6 figures...usually more like 80-90G a year...and an incredible amount of time away from the family.

Haha try more like a gross of around $100,000 then only making 30 after taxes and fuel. Right now my dads not doing so well owning his own truck because of the economy. He also complains because the price of fuel goes up, and no one want to pay anymore for hauling the load. I work two miles from my house at a factory, Im home every day, and I still make as much if not more then he does all year long. Pretty sad really...

Most of the guys I know net about 80 or so after costs, than taxed on top of that....different story up here though...you cant afford to live on 30 here with a family. You pay near 30K a year for rent, if you want anything with 3 or more bedrooms. Average house rents around 1600-2000 a month

and if you made 30K a year, you really only take home about 22K here. Minimum wage is about 20K a year here man.

One of my friends is semi retired and he takes 50K away from his truck...He only drives in the late spring into early Fall

kawtoy_77 · March 8, 2011

85/night to stay in a hotel for work!? Bust that noise. I am pretty sure I could find cheaper/sleep in the truck. (But thats just me, and I am a cheapa**) Also, why worry about depreciation if you know what you have for a truck, and its your bread and butter. I would buy slightly used (within factory warranty) to help knock some of the sting out of the initial buy. It takes money to make money. Nothing is for free.... You cannot only look at the bad, and you cannot expect free paychecks with no investment. Any self employed business requires investment.

Daryl LBZ · March 8, 2011

You did not say how far he drives to make the $2400. Add everything up and it will not look that good.

Time driving (15 hours one way) (15x$20 = 300)

Gallons of Diesel (80 gallons one way) (80x$4 = $320)

Hotel stay (85 a night)

Price of truck ($50,000)

Depreciation of truck

Maintenance of truck

Insurance on truck

Always work to be had. (There are peak seasons for campers)

Sounds like driving 18 wheelers

Yeah most owner/operators of trucks gross well into the millions per year with they're trucks...after you take all the stuff you talked about into consideration, they're lucky to see 6 figures...usually more like 80-90G a year...and an incredible amount of time away from the family.

Haha try more like a gross of around $100,000 then only making 30 after taxes and fuel. Right now my dads not doing so well owning his own truck because of the economy. He also complains because the price of fuel goes up, and no one want to pay anymore for hauling the load. I work two miles from my house at a factory, Im home every day, and I still make as much if not more then he does all year long. Pretty sad really...

Most of the guys I know net about 80 or so after costs, than taxed on top of that....different story up here though...you cant afford to live on 30 here with a family. You pay near 30K a year for rent, if you want anything with 3 or more bedrooms. Average house rents around 1600-2000 a month

and if you made 30K a year, you really only take home about 22K here. Minimum wage is about 20K a year here man.

One of my friends is semi retired and he takes 50K away from his truck...He only drives in the late spring into early Fall

Wow and I thought things cost alot around here. Im glad I don't live there lol

mhenshaw · March 8, 2011

85/night to stay in a hotel for work!? Bust that noise. I am pretty sure I could find cheaper/sleep in the truck. (But thats just me, and I am a cheapa**) Also, why worry about depreciation if you know what you have for a truck, and its your bread and butter. I would buy slightly used (within factory warranty) to help knock some of the sting out of the initial buy. It takes money to make money. Nothing is for free.... You cannot only look at the bad, and you cannot expect free paychecks with no investment. Any self employed business requires investment.

Completely true. I was just saying you have to look at the other aspects other than the money. Yes $4800 in one trip in two days is a lot of money, but there is a lot more to it than that.

Look at people that have their own lawn mowing business. They make a ton of money, but its a seasonal job, you have to save what you made to last you in the winter.

beave84 · March 8, 2011

My buddy is a long haul driver. He pulls down well over 150k a year after all is said and done BUT he bought his rig,2001 KW T2000 new and a 52' raven flat bed had a 122"sleeper ,its like a mini rv inside bed kitchen shower etc. He paid 190k for it all, and its paid for but he leaves for 3 to 4 weeks at a time, drops a load and already has a back haul lined up and when he is home he is planning his next run. He is my age 35 and single. So if you have nothing else to do then its great me I like being with my family and playing with my truck to much. his thought is at 50 he'll have enough put away to fully retire yet I told him you'll never get those years back.

FChaf217 · March 8, 2011

I don't recommend hauling garbage. Not cool when your personal vehicle smells like dog crap.

Nytemare · March 8, 2011

Wow and I thought things cost alot around here. Im glad I don't live there lol

Yeah its pretty expensive up here man. Necessities of life gouge you pretty good. I lived in the California for a bit over a month, I bought enough food to last me the whole month with what I pay for food for a week here.

Free health care costs a lot of money off the top of your pay check too.

A gallon of milk is still more than a gallon of gas here.