Downside............tires.........few miles........200 each, x 2-4 per year.        interest.........8% on 20,000= 1600.per yr.

insurance........1000              licenses..........700--1600 depending upon going out of state a lot, monkeying with permits, etc.

repairs...............1000 minimum, 'cause there is always something.............up to + - 3000 barring major overhauls.

fuel...........5mpg, since the farm tractor always idles a lot............so, 3.00 diesel = .60/mile.

So...............4600 overhead plus 60cents per mile variable.

And...........time to sit in lines...................hard to find part time drivers...........so, plan on spending some personal time.

Upside.........convenience.

Example..............hauling beans from Osky to the river..............I think that is 30 cents/bu.       So..........500A x 45bu = 22,500 bu.   Each trailer is say, 750 bu (750 x 60 =45,000, + 30,000 for rig) 

22500 x .30 = 6750.  custom.             

200 miles x .60 x 30 trips = 3600 fuel, plus say 1/2 the overhead of 4600 = 2300+3600 = 5900. before time factor.

corn to Cargill Eddyville..........I think is about .15............500A x 160 = 80,000 x .15 = 12,000. custom

self.............80,000 / 800bu = 100 trips,   x 50miles round x .60 = 3,000 fuel + 2300 overhead = 5300.......before time.

I think there is a financial benefit to having one's own truck/trailer.....however, not as much as one might think........but we have a problem in finding CDLs consistently, who also want to do farm work in the "off season".................and I have yet to find anyone with the Iowa Class D.

Trucks and pups.............different story.  I still think that for the so-called "small Iowa farmer", the truck and pup makes better financial/operational sense than the semi.........................that said, we're small by any standards, and I have sold all the pups except one, and I really should sell that one, since I know damned well it will do nothing but rust at the ring.......

.......but, we use the semis for doing things that most operations do not.............that's my justification for having those money pits on the depreciation schedule.