future own/op

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by herbiemin, Dec 20, 2014.

  1. herbiemin

    herbiemin Light Load Member

    94
    50
    Dec 20, 2014
    0
    im looking to buy a truck and flatbed or stepdeck in a few months after I get my CDL. now don't jump to conclusions hear me out. I have worked on my dads farm for 10 years and in his mechanicshop before that. I have pulled lots of farm equipment on gooseneck trailers, and have close to 10,000 miles in semi and chain floor, 3000 in 10 wheeler chain floor running silage harvest in Idaho, so Im pretty sure on what I want to do. I have worked with heavy machinery quite a lot so I know how to operate and secure heavy equipment. I have a good friend that runs a 98 pete 379 with a flat, he can probly help me out some also. question is, is there anybody that will hire me on as an owner/op with no more experience thn I have? and if I find a willing company, what flat or stepdeck would you recommend? have been checking into mac or fontaine because of local dealers. (Alabama) any thoughts on the matter, don't be scared of hurting my feelings at all just checking into this. I would be willing to run OTR for a flatbed company but don't want to pull van or anything like that. thanks
     
    77smartin Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. reefer101

    reefer101 Medium Load Member

    442
    243
    Oct 24, 2014
    0
    if you want to be seccesful you need a trailer that market demands in your area. and not be a fan boy like" I ain't driving anything but long nose pete with 600hp cat" its a business so make smart choice on fuel efisient truck. "don't have anything against long nose pete with 600hp cat" I don't think theres much flat bed in Idaho except onion season and that's until freese starts than they move it in reefers
     
  4. Makasouleater

    Makasouleater Bobtail Member

    28
    3
    Dec 10, 2014
    0
    I am not a trucker yet. I plan on buying a truck getting my cdl, getting the llc and all that. I will prolly end up not doing over the road, and using the truck as a personal transport vehicle, to go to work for a milk tank company. Before you do any of this though, make sure you know what your getting into. Lots of grumpy negative people, i would say make sure you can handle things like that. If you cant let stuff roll off your shoulders, and get pissed alot than i wouldent do it, start a farm instead.
    Make sure you can understand how to run a business, if your dad is a farmer then it wouldent be to much of a difference as far as paper work, and saving money for a bad day. Save save save, cause that truck is gonna brake on you, and you dont want to run a bad truck down the road. I would say farming is way harder than trucking, but I am just going off what i see when I go with my father picking up the milk. Truck wear, and parts ect is way more of a predictable thing, than crop failure or animal deaths. But like both make sure you have enough to pay for stuff that brakes.
    Take a look at this form, and you will quickly see if you cant let things go your gonna end up pissy all the time. A good one to look at is, could you handle some guy at the pump who just left his truck there,while he went and ate, taking 30 mins out of your time. Then you go to use the bathroom, and some one pissed all over the seat, ect. If you cant let things like that slide, and you want to kill the person, or beat him up, or brake his truck, than i would work on dealing with that first.
    I personally wouldent recommend going to school if you have a truck already, and have some one to teach you. They charge to much money, and if they dont they force you to sign year contracts. I am not a truck driver yet though. I am sure alot of people will tell you its a bad idea, and you will fail. I dont think you will if you have 20k saved up, and have the truck paid for. Just know your gonna have to take the crap loads to get experience. Use USHIP, if you cant find anything, you may not get paid alot, but its seat time your looking for.
    If you keep at it you will get there. Atleast if you own a truck, and dont like it you can always sell it and get some if not all your money back. Unlike if you pay for a school.
     
  5. herbiemin

    herbiemin Light Load Member

    94
    50
    Dec 20, 2014
    0
    im actually from Alabama just have friends in Idaho where I was driving truck.
     
  6. spyder7723

    spyder7723 Road Train Member

    15,442
    24,743
    Mar 31, 2013
    sarasota, fl
    0
    If you've done farming and running equipment then you will have no problems trucking. Especially in Alabama. Lots of steel loads running out of the Montgomery area. Problem is, it's gonna be really tough getting someone to hire you on as an owner op right away. You basically got two choices, get your own authority if you want to be an oo. Or go to school and pull for a flatbed carrier such as tmc or maverick. Then in a year buy a truck. With a year in, it's a lot easier to get signed on with a decent carrier, but the good ones require 3 to 5 years.
     
  7. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

    19,723
    12,268
    Jul 6, 2009
    0
    yep, not many will hire with no trucking OR otr experience. you get pulled over and inspected. and put out of service. you raise the companies CSA score. and will probably be canned. you know, rules and regs and all that jazz.
     
  8. Makasouleater

    Makasouleater Bobtail Member

    28
    3
    Dec 10, 2014
    0
  9. Makasouleater

    Makasouleater Bobtail Member

    28
    3
    Dec 10, 2014
    0
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.