Should I buy my own truck or keep using freight companies?

Your shipping costs are climbing every month. You're moving enough freight that buying your own truck feels like it might save money. But the math isn't clear when you factor in everything that comes with owning a truck across Kansas.

The break-even point depends on how often you ship the same routes. Own trucks make sense when you consistently ship 3+ times per week on identical routes. Less than that, and you're paying for a truck that sits idle most days.

Buying a truck means driver wages, commercial insurance, maintenance, fuel, and downtime costs. In Kansas, expect $80,000-120,000 yearly for driver wages plus benefits. Add $15,000-25,000 for insurance, $8,000-15,000 for maintenance, and fuel costs that spike with I-70 and I-35 routes. Most businesses don't save money until they hit 50+ shipments monthly.

Calculate your current monthly shipping spend and divide by actual shipments. If you're under 50 shipments monthly, backhaul logistics through Gateway Distribution costs less than truck ownership. Backhaul puts your freight on trucks already making the trip, cutting costs without the overhead of ownership.

With freight companies, you pay per shipment and scale up or down as needed. No driver management, no maintenance headaches, no truck payments during slow months. Your shipping costs become predictable and tied directly to revenue.

Other things people in Kansas ask