Want to become an o/o but have a unique issue...

You can do whatever you want up until the point of an accident/or inspection.

 

Since your real job has to be logged as on duty, you have to wait 10 hours to start driving anywhere. It simply doesn't compute.

 

This guy seems to have done exactly what you want to do as an O/O. IIRC he is continuing to work as an firefighter while running his own truck profitably so far.

ask-an-owner-operator/260374-road-l...owner-operator/260374-road-less-traveled.html

 

You might be able to buy a truck (dually) with a wedge trailer and haul cars out of the auctions, if you have a dealer auction near you. But, dealers only have a certain amount of time to move their vehicles from the auctions. That would need to coordinate with your schedule. Insurance will be expensive, especially starting out. Some insurance companies won't even write in Florida. You might even consider buying a rollback or wrecker. If you bought one that could haul 3 cars, you could still haul from the auctions. I think only working a couple of days per week will make it extremely difficult to make money in this business. I will stop short of saying that it can't be done, but you need to look at costs very carefully. You don't want to start out having to take money out of our pocket to pay expenses. Being home every night will be a challenge for most any type of trucking operation. You might be able to work something out to haul containers. You could do that with a step deck as long as you had 40' on the bottom. Before doing anything, you need to check on your insurance costs. From what others are telling me, you should expect to pay out about $12,000 for your first year with new authority.

 

Hi Polkchop, 1st, welcome aboard. It doesn't sound good to me. Trucking doesn't really work that way. There's way too many variables to have a regular schedule like that. What if you can't get your freight off during the 2nd day, and needs to be re-delivered when you are on duty as a fireman. Unless you have someone to do that, I think you said your Dad, it just sounds like too much on ones plate. Firefighter's have an intense job. Buy a classic car, or 4 wheelers, something fun. I say don't do it. You'll be old before your time.

 

Find someone who works a different shift than you, you drive one day, he drives the next. That would work for log books.
What to haul ? Sand trucks are a plenty in your area. Not great rates, but would get a truck paid for.Possible car auction work, but that is very cut-throat. Pulling containers is always an option. Not a good one but it is steady work.
It could be made to work, but there is not a lot of profit in doing it like that.

 

The only way I see it working would be to do dumpsters, or oil delivery, or hydroseeding or something small where you get to quote your availability to your end customers. It would be more labor and driving but you might be able to leverage your on-duty time at the firehouse where you're not actively fighting fires to do book-keeping, advertising, research, etc. If you're doing B-2-B stuff it's hard to maintain customers when you have erratic hours, but to a home-owner when you say "I'm available next tuesday" they just think you're doing well. Also, the insurance companies don't care that you're only working one day a week, they'll want the same amount of money to cover you, same with some maintenance things, the real-estate where you park, depreciation on the equipment that's sitting and getting old, etc. Maybe renting out storage trailers to people would work if you're hell-bent on semi trucks as they make you money without you being there, and again, picks and drops can be scheduled. Maybe a ramp trailer and buy & sell shipping containers for storage? I think you get where I'm going with this.