Hauling RV's for Money

Beentherefixedthat wrote:

I understand what you are saying but your numbers are very optimistic in some cases. Your idea of using a used Class 8 Tractor is one I looked at carefully. BUT your per mile cost for fuel/maintenance and repairs goes WAY UP over a pickup. It almost becomes a wash with the hotels. This is why I am guessing almost no one uses them.

I don't know the class details might be a 6 or 7...they look like a smaller semi-tractor.

I'm guessing most go the pickup route because they can get a used 1 ton for $10-15k and they don't care about comfort and they run it until the wheels fall off...but they are also taking every run they can snag and racking up huge mileage, not a few trips per year for some extra money.

If you already have a truck for other purposes an extra 20-30k miles per year really doesn't make a lot of difference in the life span of an MDT/HDT.

Once you figure in everything including depreciation on a per mile basis as I did you can quickly see the $1.35/paid mile shrinking quickly.

Here is one point of data from my spreadsheet: I took in $6498.45 in gross income over the 28 days of hauling 4919 PAID miles (over 11,000 actual miles) and my FUEL expense alone was $2501.14. You must remember that your per mile rate for everything has to be figured not on the paid miles but the actual miles. You are given a printed route done by PC miler on which you are paid. I was careful to follow that route. My fuel averaged $.21/mile.

I am thinking of putting up my spreadsheet on Drive for those interested to look at. You might find it interesting.

If you are doing it on the side and don't really optimize your costs, you will be lucky to break even.

Reality is if $1.35/mile wasn't enough, they wouldn't find drivers, so people are managing their costs and making money.