us freightways scam-rip off elkgrove village, Illinois

First of all, ANY "lease" deal is a sucker deal. No exceptions. Been there. Done that. I learned that one the hard way, but did learn it and moved on quickly.

Any "lease" is a bad lease. Always remember that.

HOWEVER, you mention that you are considering CH ROBINSON as an alternative? You must be a rookie!

CH ROBINSON ties you into an exclusive contract. You can only haul for them. And, they are the NUMBER 1 "cheap freight"brokers out there. The amount they will pay you to move these loads is LESS than what it costs you to move your truck down the road.

Do you even know what your ACTUAL "per mile" COST is? I would bet that you don't. MOST "owner operators" have no idea.

I can tell you that my ACTUAL cost to move my truck and trailer down the road back in 2004 was $1.30 per mile. This represents total cost of ownership and operations.

Now, as an owner operator, your goal is to make more than a company driver, right? Any experienced company driver can make 40cpm PLUS health benefits,SS matching, workmans comp, unemployment comp, etc, right? Therefore, that 40cpm base rate is actually worth about 52cpm+ in real money to the "employee" driver, as opposed to the self employed contractor payiong all of his own employee expenses.

Now, lets do the "simple math". Lets say the actual cost right now in 2011 to own your truck and trailer insure it, register it, maintain it, etc, and move it down the road is $1.70cpm [conservative], and you want to actually make more than a company employee driver [right?], so we have to add 55cpm for "driver" cost, that brings the total to $2.25cpm to BREAK EVEN after paying yourself.

I can absolutely guarantee you that the likelyhood of a $2.25cpm load from CH Robinson is like snowfall in South Florida. Not gonna happen.

Get your own authority, and DO NOT "sign on" with anyone who requires you to be exclusive. There are dozens of load boards out there as well as companies who do direct shipping without a broker. YUse these resources, and make money for yourself.

i forgot they are advertising on craigs list that you will average 1.69 per mile i will be happy to show you my settlements at any time, you will never get close to that. the best way to find their ad is look for the 88% under compensation. since October 19 2010 i have had 2 loads that paid worth even hauling. and on top of all that the dispatchers have caller id so if they don't want to talk to you they won't, i also have the number of another driver who lost his truck because he couldn't make enough to cover his payment. i was dispatched ona load from winchester va to denverthe load was 1728 milesthe weight was 44000 and paid 2500 and was told it pays much better to come out of coloradoso lets break it down 1728 miles at 5 mpg is 346 gallons at 3.40 per gallon that's 1175 in fuel but their 12% comes off the top 300 so 2500- 300= 2200 now 1175 in fuel so you get 1100 after their % and fuel then you have plates ins escrow and trailer rent and maint so that 1100 turns int 500 then you get to sit for at leasta day until they find you a load so now your 4-5 days into making 500, the next load i picked up paid a whole 300 more but here's the catch you can't deliver the next load in time to turn in the paperwork so you just made 500 for the week the load coming out paid 2800 went from ft lupton co to hoosick falls ny at 45000 lbs and with tolls (which they don't reimburse but they want the receipt they don't reimburse for scales either) you end up with a 650 week but when you idle for 40 hours there just wentsome moreof that, everybody who is an owner operator knows every hour you idle is a gallon of fuel. here is another load, carlton mi to vonore tn 524 miles $90043320 lbs so 120 gal fuel with 10 hr break, after 12% 792 after fuel 392 that's a good day right? wrong it delivered on a friday us freightways does not have dispatch after 530 and none on theweekends so if i had not been 85 miles from the house i would have had to idle all weekend and hope for something on Monday, did i mention all the fees come out of that 392 which leaves you owing roughly 200 for the week because that was the only load for the week. i was using 3.40 for the fuel that's the average but just so you know i paid 3.75 per gallon in ny. if anyone has any questions or wants to see my settlements please leave your e mail address, i also have every email between me and dispatch because that's how they contact you, after they talk you into the load on the phone. one more thing i have never paid this much for insurance in my life even when i had points on my license, which i have not had any points in 7years i have my truck valued at 20000 and i am paying over 660. per month i paid less than that for a Michigan gravel train valued at 55000. i hope prospective owner operators see this before signing on with us freight ways....good luck