After Two Weeks On The Road As A Drive Away Driver I Can Answer Questions

if I do three runs like that in a week 430x3=1290

Can you do 3,000 miles per week with a job like that? How often would that happen? As an OTR driver I could average nearly 3,000 miles per week but if you're having to jump on flights or get rental cars or get trucks registered and all that stuff I don't see how you could have the time for very many 3,000 mile weeks.

I appreciate that you're trying to give people information but whether or not it's very helpful information isn't clear. You throw a few pie in the sky numbers out there and make it sound like everything's a write off and you have it made but I'm skeptical that over the course of a year after all of the taxes and other expenses that go with being a 1099 contractor are properly paid that you're really in that great of shape.

Many OTR companies have you in the 40 - 45 cpm range your rookie year, you can consistently average 2,600 - 3,200 miles per week, you're in brand new or nearly brand new equipment, you have all of the perks and benefits that come with being a company driver, and you can legally write off meal expenses and any work-related items you had to purchase. I'd be interested in comparing that to what you actually earn after all taxes and expenses in a year. It doesn't sound like you have a bad job but there's no way we can really tell what kind of position you're in with the things you've said.

Brett, yes there are times I have to fly or get a rental but the rental could be an hour drive (yes I log it) and a flight for Chicago to Atlanta is two hours, lets say 4 even with checking in. However unlike traditional OTR companies I don't have to wait to be loaded, or unloaded. I pick up the brand new truck, do my walk around, sign a few papers and on my way to delivery. Some are quicker than others, some are governed some are not. Some require scale houses others do not. It's not all peaches and cream but for someone that wants to pick their hometime and make good money it's not a bad gig. There are several retired OTR drivers switching to driveaway.

I'm done with this topic now, Close it , delete it I don't care..... what started as something with a goal of being an insight to what I do and what is available to drivers out there has turned into what I feel is a personal attack....sure maybe I brought some of it on myself but not all of it. Stay safe out there.

I can not figure out how to pm, maybe I Can't cause I'm new here. Aces or Dale if you can pm me please do. I start with a driveway company next week. Thanks Mel

Michael, Private messaging has been disabled due to some ways that it was being misused in here.

Thanks :)

I bet you have to know your DOT stuff (equipment, admin etc etc) pretty darn good. I would be wary of ALL until proven otherwise no doubt.

I have drove Drive Away for a year now and company just went bankrupt. Looking for other drive Away Companies other than Bennett and Truck Movers. I have applied with Spirit movers which seems to under pay the drivers but all expenses are paid except food for the driver. Which sucks cause you cant write them off on tax time. And I would suggest anyone doing Drive Away to take $100 a week out of your earning for taxes. I took half that and now owe $3000 and that is with tax write offs and driving $40000 miles and racking up air fairs and motels and fuel, etc.

Email me Lostintampa@hotmail.com The company I’m with now pays very well and pays for flights, rental cars, and part of your hotel. If you have tanker and hazmat you can clear up to 65cpm, they pay the fuel, tolls ect

I have drove Drive Away for a year now and company just went bankrupt. Looking for other drive Away Companies other than Bennett and Truck Movers. I have applied with Spirit movers which seems to under pay the drivers but all expenses are paid except food for the driver. Which sucks cause you cant write them off on tax time. And I would suggest anyone doing Drive Away to take $100 a week out of your earning for taxes. I took half that and now owe $3000 and that is with tax write offs and driving $40000 miles and racking up air fairs and motels and fuel, etc.

Charles O,

Read your post with great interest several times.

I can’t understand why you would rather have a tax deduction than have employer pay all expenses up front. In my experience, expenses paid by employer beats a tax deduction every time. What am I missing?

Wow, It sounds to me like the OP really wanted to toot his own horn, as opposed to "help" anyone by answering their questions. Although he claims to be done with this post, I can not refrain from several more comments.

He claims that "Everything is a write off". A write off on your taxes does not ELIMINATE your tax liability, it REDUCES it. I doubt that he can reduce his taxable income with his "Write offs" to the point that he would owe Zero in Federal Income taxes.( He still must pay FICA and Medicare Taxes, 15.65%).

He claims that he does not need an ACA compliant Health Insurance plan because he is a Veteran. This may or may not be true. Although Vets are entitled to some form of care through the VA, (Retired Vets are a different story in many cases), many if not most, are still required to purchase an ACA compliant Health Care Policy, either through the Government run Exchanges, or an Insurance Company or Broker. Depending on His income level, he may or may not be eligible for a subsidy.

Good luck with that "I use my cell phone for 60% business" "Write off". The IRS may be a total pain in the a$$, but the people there aren't STUPID! Trying to claim that will have them in your cell phone records, address book, and every other imaginable, and unimaginable part of your life. For WHAT! 4 or 5 hundred dollars? I sincerely doubt that with all of those "Write offs" that the OP will owe less than 10% in Federal Income Tax. So i will take the numbers from my original post and lower them a bit.

Social Security, Medicare and Federal taxes =25%. Im sure after he speaks with his accountant, if he has one, he will find that he may owe a HEFTY fine for not having an ACA compliant Health Care Policy. Probably along the lines of $3-5 thousand dollars this tax year(about the same as the cost of a policy itself). I could go on for pages, but I this Dead Horse has been beaten long enough! Happy Monday everybody!

THE IRS are stupid and I hope donald trump get rid of them M#### 🙄 I got away with not paying some taxes I want go into details but if you have a GOOD GOOD CPA trust me it can be done . Trump and the rest of our politicians get away with paying little to no taxes all the time.