How much $$$ can you make driving a sprinter van?

Summary

In this 'Never Stop, Trucking' video, Ennis explores the financial aspects of owning and operating a Sprinter van. Through community polls, he reveals that most Sprinter van owners gross between $1,500 and $3,500 weekly, with an average fuel cost of around $600. The majority find loads through load boards, despite the limited options and low pay rates. Ennis discusses the challenges of making a profit after expenses and invites viewers to share their experiences and strategies for securing profitable loads.

Takeaways

• 🚚 The video is about discussing the experiences of Sprinter van owners and drivers, hosted by Ennis from Never Stop, Trucking.
• 📊 A poll was conducted on the channel to understand the weekly gross income of Sprinter van drivers, with an estimated average of around $2000-$2500.
• 💰 The average weekly fuel cost for Sprinter van drivers was found to be around $600, based on the poll results.
• 📈 78% of respondents reported getting their loads from load boards, which was a surprising finding for the host.
• 🔍 Popular load boards mentioned include DAT, TruckStop, Direct Freight Tracker, and Selectus, which are used by many Sprinter van drivers.
• 🚫 Some load boards have strict vetting processes to ensure that only legitimate Sprinter van or straight truck operators access the loads.
• 💸 The host expressed concern about the low rates offered for Sprinter van loads, often less than a dollar per mile, questioning the profitability.
• 🤔 The host is seeking insights into how Sprinter van drivers manage to find loads and handle situations with limited options on load boards.
• 📉 The host suggests that after deducting fuel expenses and other costs, it might be challenging for Sprinter van drivers to make a substantial profit.
• 🗣️ The video encourages viewers to share their experiences and tips in the comments, especially regarding finding loads and managing expenses.
• 🔄 The host is still learning about the industry and invites feedback to help both themselves and others understand the challenges faced by Sprinter van drivers.

Q & A

What is the topic of the discussion in the video?

The topic of the discussion is about Sprinter vans, specifically focusing on the income and expenses of Sprinter van owners/drivers.

What was the first question Ennis asked in the poll?

The first question Ennis asked was about the amount of gross income Sprinter van owners/drivers make in a week.

What were the income brackets presented in the poll results?

The income brackets were 1500 or less, between 1500 and 2500, between 2500 and 3500, and more than 3500.

What was the estimated average weekly gross income based on the poll results?

The estimated average weekly gross income was around 2000 to 2500.

What was the second question in the poll about?

The second question was about the average weekly fuel cost for Sprinter van owners/drivers.

What were the fuel cost brackets in the poll results?

The fuel cost brackets were less than 400, between 400 and 800, and more than 800.

What was the estimated average weekly fuel cost according to the poll?

The estimated average weekly fuel cost was around 600.

How do Sprinter van owners/drivers typically find loads according to the poll?

According to the poll, 78 out of 140 votes indicated that they find their loads through load boards.

What are some of the load boards mentioned in the script?

Some of the load boards mentioned are DAT board, Truck Stop, Direct Freight tracker, and Selectus.

What challenges does Ennis highlight regarding finding loads for Sprinter vans?

Ennis highlights the challenge of finding loads that pay more than one dollar per mile and the difficulty of accessing certain load boards due to vetting processes.

What additional question does Ennis suggest asking in a future video?

Ennis suggests asking how much Sprinter van owners/drivers actually have left after all expenses in an average week.

What is the purpose of asking additional questions in the video?

The purpose is to gather more insights into the industry, help Ennis learn more about it, and potentially assist others in understanding the financial aspects of owning and operating a Sprinter van.

Outlines

00:00

🚚 Sprinter Van Gross Earnings and Fuel Costs Survey

In this paragraph, Ennis from Never Stop Trucking discusses the results of a poll conducted on his channel about Sprinter van owners' weekly earnings and fuel expenses. The poll reveals that the majority of respondents gross between $1500 and $3500 per week, with an average estimate around $2000 to $2500. Regarding fuel costs, 65% of respondents spend between $400 and $800 weekly, with an average guesstimate of $600. Ennis expresses his thoughts on the average earnings after deducting fuel costs, hinting at the challenges of profitability in the industry.

Keywords

💡Sprinter van

A Sprinter van is a type of commercial vehicle produced by Mercedes-Benz, known for its versatility and size, suitable for a range of uses including cargo transport and passenger transport. In the video's context, it is the main subject of discussion, with the host discussing the operational costs and income potential for owners or drivers of these vans.

💡Gross income

Gross income refers to the total earnings of an individual or business before any expenses are deducted. In the video, the host polls the audience to find out the weekly gross income of Sprinter van owners, with the results indicating a range of earnings from $1500 to over $3500.

💡Fuel cost

Fuel cost is the expense incurred from purchasing fuel for a vehicle. The video discusses the average weekly fuel cost for Sprinter van owners, which is a significant operational expense, and the host estimates an average of around $600 per week based on the poll results.

💡Load boards

Load boards are platforms where shippers post their cargo needs, and truck drivers or companies can find and bid on these loads. The video reveals that 78% of respondents get their loads from load boards, highlighting their importance in the logistics industry for Sprinter van owners.

💡DAT board

DAT board is a specific load board mentioned in the video, known for being accessible to a wide range of users in the trucking industry. It is one of the primary sources where Sprinter van owners find their cargo loads.

💡Truck stop

A truck stop is a rest area for truck drivers, often including facilities for refueling, maintenance, and often load boards for finding cargo. The video mentions 'Truck stop on three load board' as one of the places where Sprinter van drivers find loads.

💡Direct Freight tracker

Direct Freight tracker is another platform mentioned in the video where Sprinter van drivers can find loads. It is part of the broader discussion on where drivers source their cargo opportunities.

💡Selectus

Selectus is a unique platform mentioned in the video that is used by some Sprinter van drivers to find loads. It is described as 'a different beast', suggesting it operates differently from traditional load boards.

💡Full Circle

Full Circle is a load board mentioned in the video that is specific to Sprinter van drivers. It is highlighted as an example of a platform that vets users to ensure they are actual Sprinter van owners.

💡Authority

In the context of trucking, 'authority' refers to the legal permission to operate a commercial vehicle, granted by a government agency. The video mentions that some load boards vet users to ensure they have the proper authority to operate a Sprinter van.

💡Net income

Net income is the amount of money left over after all expenses have been deducted from the gross income. The video suggests a discussion about the net income of Sprinter van drivers after considering fuel costs and other expenses, which is a key metric for understanding profitability.

Highlights

Ennis from Never Stop, Trucking discusses Sprinter vans and their operational costs.

Polls were conducted on the channel to gather data on Sprinter van gross earnings and fuel costs.

190 votes were collected on weekly gross earnings, with an estimated average of $2000-2500.

Fuel costs varied, with 65% of respondents spending between $400-$800 per week.

78% of respondents obtain loads for their Sprinter vans through load boards.

Load boards are the primary source for finding loads, despite limited options for Sprinter vans.

DAT board, TruckStop, and Direct Freight tracker set are mentioned as popular load boards.

Selectus is highlighted as a unique platform used by many Sprinter van operators.

Some load boards require vetting to ensure operators have the correct Authority.

The difficulty of finding profitable loads for Sprinter vans at less than $1 per mile is discussed.

Calculation of potential earnings after fuel and maintenance expenses is presented.

Ennis invites viewers to share their experiences and strategies for finding loads.

The video aims to educate and gather insights on the Sprinter van industry.

A call for comments on the challenges of load finding and net earnings is made.

Ennis expresses the need for further learning and understanding of the industry.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share their weekly net earnings.

Never Stop, Trucking thanks viewers for watching and encourages ongoing engagement.

Transcripts

hi this is Ennis from never stop

Trucking today we're talking about

Sprinter vans I did some polls on the

channel and then you can see these balls

if you go to a community on my channel

it's up there in the tabs so I asked

some questions okay and first question

that I ask is uh how much do you as a

sprinter van gross out in a week so we

had 190 votes uh 23 said 1500 or less uh

38 said uh between 15 and 2500 12 said

that between 25 and 3500 and then 26

percent said more than 3 500 so I'm

thinking uh probably uh the average

would be somewhere around 2000 or 2500

and then I asked the next question what

is your average weekly fuel cost as a

sprinter van owner or driver and I asked

and the reason why I asked this is

because I wanted to see how much

Sprinter van owner operators can make in

a week you know after the fuel after all

the expenses and 14 said they had less

than 400 in fuel uh in a week and 65

percent said between 400 and 800 and the

20 said more than 800 so I'm thinking

maybe around 600 would be the average

for a week and then the next question

how do you get loads for a Sprinter vans

and this is the one that gave me the

biggest surprise the majority of you

said 78 of you out of 140 votes said

that they get their loads from load

boards okay and only a small portion

said dedicated or direct shippers or

something else I didn't see any comments

about like what was that something else

part but load boards they don't have

many loads on load boards I know the the

biggest load board out there that's

accessible to everyone is dat board and

then we have truck stop onto three load

board direct Freight tracker set you

know they're a little bit smaller we

have broker's websites we have selectus

selectus is is is a different beast

that's that's a story for itself but I

know a lot of Sprinter vans use selectus

and there are other load boards that are

just for Sprinter events one of them I

think is a full circle and there is

another one I can't remember the name

but one of them I think full circle they

wanted like 400 for a subscription and

most of these will vet you they will vet

you like to make sure that you are

actually Sprinter van or a straight

truck that you know you actually have

your Authority it's very hard hard to

pass all those unless you have the

correct answers that they want to see

but if you're something else and you

just want to get access to that load

board it's going to be hard so if it's

printer vest it's a very hard to

dispatch them I uh for a few days I

looked for one Sprinter van and there is

really nothing they pay less than one

dollar per mile I have no idea how can

you make any money like that like let's

see you make like 2500 in a week and you

have 600 dollars in your fuel expenses

that's already 1900 after Fuel and then

you know you have your maintenance maybe

you have a payment maybe you're paying a

dispatcher

you have your insurance and at the end I

don't know I didn't ask maybe I should

uh ask that next question maybe I can

ask you in this video like how much do

you actually have left after all the

expenses on your average week in a

sprinter van and like I said I'm still

trying to learn a little bit about this

industry and maybe you can help me out

and maybe you can help other people out

so just please uh if you can leave a

comment about you know how hard is it to

find loads how do you handle uh like if

you go to a load board and you only see

like two loads within 200 miles for a

sprinter event how do you handle that

how long do you sit and at the end you

know maybe if you can tell us how much

can you net in a week this is and it's

from never stop talking thanks for

watching I'll see you guys around