Rich Trucker vs Poor Trucker (Two Lease Operators: Same Truck, Same Mileage, Vastly Different Pay)

Here's another interesting pay comparison video for drivers out there!

Recently, we've had two drivers with the same trucks, same payments, and the same mileage bring home two vastly different paycheques, $5000 and $2000.

The answer to this large difference lies in the two drivers' fuel efficiency; one driver drove at 5.8 MPG while the other one drove at 8 MPG. Why was there such a big difference? One of the trucks was governed at 65 MPH speed while the other one was unlocked by the driver.

In this video, Ronen breaks down the two pay statements from the two drivers, and explains the factors that lead to the huge pay discrepancy between the two drivers. He also offers some quick tips on the many different ways you can save extra money on the road as an OTR driver.

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Soundtrack:
Pop Filter - Alternate Endings
DaMarcus VanBuren - Patterns

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:40 Comparing 2 lease operators 2018 Freightliner Cascadia
02:49 Lease operator pay statement breakdown: $2000/15 days
03:23 Money spent on fuel in CANADA vs US
03:43 Fuel charges breakdown for driver #1
04:06 Lease operator pay statement breakdown $5000/15 days
04:32 Lease operator deductions semi- monthly
05:04 Fuel charges breakdown for lease operator #2
05:18 Reasons for pay difference 2 lease operator comparison
05:37 Driving at 61-62MPH will save you money on fuel
05:57 Unlocking your truck can make you LESS money
06:11 Truck analytics review- Freightliner Cascadia stats
06:30 Driver #1 stats at $5000
07:26 Driver #2 stats at $2000
08:03 Two big reasons for low earnings in trucking: 5.6MPG & high idle time
08:55 Aim for $4500-$5000 net income every 15 days as a lease operator with 6000 miles
09:06 Difference in fuel consumption lease operators

[tdrummer]

This proves that trucking is not just about sitting behind the wheel and driving. This video shows the amount of math that is used to make sure that we are as profitable as possible. Amazing content!

[kizerbread]

Driver governed to 62mph please keep your rig in the right lane

[jimbrock]

I will run 70-75 quite often due to a tight schedule but I factor that into the price when I bid the load. If I set my cruise at 70 I will get 7mpg if I set it at 75 I will get 6.4-6.5mpg if I set it at 65 I will get around 7.5. Now here is the odd part. If I set it at 77-78 I will get 6.8-7mpg. I have no idea how your guy is getting 5.8 with a DD15 with an automatic. I run a ISX with a manual he should be running circles around me in fuel mileage! 30 years ago I would get 6 mpg and better out of a B series Cat running 60-62 when the speed limit was 55. Every truck has a sweet spot you just have to find it. I also don't buy fuel at the big chain stops. I save 40-50 cents a gallon just doing that and I have never gotten bad fuel.
Everybody has to remember that fuel is the biggest expense we have. That goes for company drivers also. Trucking is not a high margin business! If you an Owner Operator and you are not paying attention to to your cost and keeping your equipment maintained you are setting yourself on a path for failure. If you are out there taking fuel draws on every load you need to hang it up your expenses are to high. If you are hauling cheap freight you are just screwing yourself and everyone else out here trying to make a living! I don't know about Ya'll but I like having nice things! I just have no desire to live in a trailer park! The only thing you have to sell is a service! The way you do that is with late model well maintained equipment and on time service and get everything there in the same condition you picked it up! I will get anywhere from 3-500 more than what a broker wants to pay because they know it will be there on time and in the same condition I picked it up in! When they ask for your MC number it is to see how many loads you have hauled for them, if you have ever been late and if you have ever had any damage claims and your safety score. If it is all good you can get a premium price. If not you won't get a premium price. Another way to get premium prices are when you crawl out of that cab be well groomed well dressed and well mannered! If you crawl out of that cab wearing flip-flops shorts and a t shirt with man boobs guess what? The will have no respect for you what soever!
Same thing goes if you get pulled over or get pulled into a scale. Be clean cut look professional and be polite you will most likely get a warning if you cop an attitude you are getting a ticket and they are going to look for more crap to ruin your day if you run into a total ass the place to fight that is in court not along the side of the road!
Remember folks! You are business men! Lets start acting like it! If you need to piss use the restroom not the parking lot. Throw your garbage in a dumpster be considerate of the people that have been nice enough to let you park there! If they charge to park get over it! They are in business to make a profit just like you and they have expenses picking up after the slobs that trash the place also charging a fee to park keeps the slobs out because they have no idea of how to manage money and it keeps the place smelling better and un trashed! I do not have a problem at all paying to park! I just write it off on my taxes anyway. Lets get this industry back where it used to be! Truckers used to be respected by the public we used to stop along side the road to check on people to make sure they are okay. If someone needed to chain up and didn't know how we would help them! If Grandma had a flat we would stop and change it.
Back in 86 or 87 I broke down near needles Calf no cell phones then a JB Hunt Driver going east bound pulled over because he seen my cab jacked up and just assumed I needed some water. He walked 1/2 mile back to me with 2 gallons of water just because he was a good guy. That 2 gallons of water got me into the rest area where I could call our shop and arrange to get towed to Barstow. While I was waiting for a hook a Man and his Wife from Connecticut noticed that I was sweating my ass off while I had the cab jacked up with no air conditioning and come over to see if I needed help. I told them I had a hook on the way from Barstow. They invited me to sit in their air-conditioned van to cool off and would not leave until the hook arrived!
That my friends is the society we need to get back to and strive for! United we stand divided we fall the only ones who gain are the leftist communist!

[MidwayGuy]

That one guy worked for $0.36 cents per mile. Plus all the headaches/risks of owner operation. Might be in the wrong line of work

[rogerlewis]

62 saves you a lot of fuel on flat land, but you ain’t doing a lot of fuel saving with a 62 MPH truck in the mountains

[mrtoosweetu]

Another aspect is the weight of the load causing greater fuel consumption. If two drivers travel the same distance, but one driver average 40k loads and the other 25k, then the 25k would have a greater MPG...possibly. I think it was the "poor" driver who received the overweight ticket...

[brucewright]

Back up the bus. The guy ran 6000 miles and only grossed 8800, the problem isn't with his foot, it's either your crappy rates or your screwing him on his percentage.

[gregsmith]

He forgot to mention that the dispatcher didn’t like the other driver and was giving him the shit paying loads while giving the other driver the cherry loads 😂

[timothyplumley]

I am a retired driver and all I can say is, I wish there were more companies out there that cared about their driver as yours does. When I was driving both as a company and owner operator. All they cared about was getting the freight to the destination anyway possible.

[RyanUnderwoodspage]

Very informative! Never considered the business economics of trucking before, but it’s cool to see the diff btwn success and struggling shown so plainly

[craigsteeves]

Great video. I suggested in 1996 that our company have 1 on 1 meetings with drivers to show them how they could save fuel and take home more. And also suggested that company drivers be given incentives to drive more efficiently. It went nowhere. The drivers that you are coaching don't know how lucky they are.

[DrtyDiesel]

Loving the videos, excellent info! I just became a lease op and have changed the way I drive. Driving 62mph and accelerating slow, I was able to get 8.22mpg. My truck is a 2017 Pete 579 Glider with the 12.7L Series 60 Detroit running local hauling fuel.

[unclemonkey]

These videos are so helpful. Your ability to mine the date of your fleet and share the info is appreciated. Subbed

[brandoncaldwell]

Honestly, this amount of tracking is concerning. I get the point of it, however its intrusive. I see why drivers typically quit. I do agree with traveling slower, but locking a truck is creating a safty risk. If i need to boogy out if the way or to pass, i dint want to be in a pissing contest on who has the higher set governer..

Also, terrain, wind, traffic and load weight was not brought into this. If you want equal testing, take the 2 drivers, same routes same weights same days at the same time. Thays a true test. Theres too many variables here.

[wcherron]

If they’re only bringing in that much in 15 days sounds like they need to work for another company.

[iota]

I drive west coast mountain, BC/Ab, and I do my best to (try) avg 7.5mpg or 35L/100km. Mid West/Prairie driving I do better dispute the wind; either way, this vid proves trucking is more than just holding a steering wheel. Good show

[Lettersandstuff]

Moral of the story life ain’t fair.. and it’s not the fuel mileage that causes the difference! It’s the dispatch

[ribs]

excellent video, well done for highlighting the differences. As a driver/assessor here in the UK I come across the same issues. Drivers who treat the trucks as racing machines always compare badly to those who show more sympathy for the truck, take off smooth, slow down gradually-not at the last moment, use the cruise control to take your speed up and down use the engine (Jake) brake to hold you back downhill as well as keeping in the green band on the rev counter. On a good day grossing 40-44000kg (96800lbs) we can still return 10-11mpg with speeds up to 53 mph on busy roads. Keep up the good

[otrookie]

Rule #1 don’t lease, $2600 a month for a year is $31.000 you can buy a beyond solid truck, and after a year you’re payment free. Sure won’t be new but if you’re smart and get something rebuilt it’ll make same money, insurance a grand a month and then you’re set. This whole lease thing is horrible, people just pay all types of things not even realizing how much they’re throwing away. I have drivers pull up to me all the time talking crap on how my truck is all this and that.. If I don’t drive at all my monthly expense is like $1700 with trailer lease and insurance... I’m ok if loads are cheap, down the road I can get something newer. This video just shows that it’s a lot more to trucking than holding the wheel, you’re a business owner, accountant, mechanics, etc and the video hit spot on. I understand your business offers lease etc as options and nothing wrong with that but those are just my two cents. Take care

[dangerkingston]

I run a 2018 Cascadia (13 speed manual), but according to my metrics I only average about 5.7/5.8 miles per gallon lately, the highest I've been able to achieve is 6.5 average when I really tried, but my company has no incentive program for milage. I do a lot of hill country out East, and I'm carrying a lot of maxed out tridem loads. Load size makes a big difference but it hasn't really been talked about here.

Also, it's very easy for me to achieve high MPGs when I'm traveling between places in the Midwest, I'll usually average between 7 and 7.5 miles per gallon, and then watch it go down like crazy when I hit the Appalachians. Hilly terrain makes a massive difference in what you can achieve efficiency wise.

Awesome video though! I'll be watching more

Edit: grammar