becoming owner operator "need advice"

you can make a lot more money with your own authority,,take a lot of smarts and hard work to run on your own,,if you are good they call you,,if you are not it will be hard to get a good broker with good loads to load you again.
Use Quicken to track and keep your financial records.

Leased to a company that pay 90% os great but not if it is 90% of nothing,,,With all your questions and ony 2 years trucking,,think that you need to learn more before you jump, Learn how much your tires cost per mile for each tire position, how much you maintenance cost will be including a future overhaul,,how much insurance will cost by calling insurance companies,usually first year new in business will cost about $13K for everything,,,get a book Business 101 and study it,,if you are not a good businessman no matter how good you drive you will fail..If you are interested in flats,steps or heavy haul,,walk around truckstops and talk to drivers haul what you want to haul,,look and learn how the freight is loaded and secured, remember drivers and fishermen are a lot alike when taking rates,, they always tell about the best paying load they hauled but don't say much about the little one they take home,, Some times you hit a home run with a load but most times you are lucky to get to first base,

 

Also what you need to remember that most large companies don't pay well to o/o. Paper logs are easy to cheat and elogs (impossible). If you don't want to go to cali and not having dpf/def/scr regen, take trucks prior to 07 or a glider. CATs are well known for power/less mpg like C-15 6nz and detroit are well known with less power but more mpg like 12.7. If ur the guy to super fuel effieciency, take ultrashift. If manual, 13 sp to 18 sp are great for power and mpg. Want to speedy, take lower than 3.42. If dealing with everywhere like off road/mountain/hills, take above 3.55.

 

When I see outfits paying drivers 50K in straight salary to start, with more to follow. Really makes me wonder why anyone would tolerate the hassle and headache of being an owner/operator. You have an extensive list of questions, all those decisions, all those obligations and commitments. Seems pretty daunting. I'll tell you, if your don't have your spouse along to monitor the finances of everything and take the pulse of your enterprise, it'll be rough. Just think how thrashed your brain can get after 10 hour of driving, and instead of sleeping you're trying to deal with all that paperwork.

 

mojd81 i am doing homework right now to become an o/o. starg from the bottom up. if you have a #### drivetrain the body dont mean a #### thing.
find waht area you are going to run, mid west, sw, ne,etc. gear your truck for the terrain you are running. if you buy a truck that has 3.90 an you never see a hitll your losing money. if you buy a truck that has 2.94 an all you see is hills your screwed as well. start with engine/trans/rear/tires THEN look at body

 

tires, everyoe has diff exp, stick with a lo-pro 22.5 (super common kinda cheap) . i have yet to buy a truck. ex company driver myselft. if your buying a used truck whate ever is on it, run them. i would buy tires one axle at at atime (all 4)From what i have read avoid truck stops for tires, look for smaller places or buy direct

 

advice? dont do it. fuel prices alone.