NEED HELP!!!!

If you have to come here asking these questions you are nowhere near ready to buy a truck or start a business . No one can say how to spec a truck unless they know the types of loads you will be hauling and parts of the country you will do most of your running . O/O's have to meet the same qualifications insurance companies require of company drivers . In most cases that means previous driving experience .

 

My first post ever probably looked a lot like that one. It's funny now even to me. But I will tell you that since that post I have been here for a minimum of 4 hours a day and many up to 16 for the last 5 months, and I consider myself to be a very fast mover.

With enough money/credit no one can stop you from going into business, but you WILL face these roadblocks:

1) You cannot lease on to any major known company without having around 1 to 2 years proveable experience. You may if you use an experienced driver other than yourself.

2) You can buy a truck outright but no finance company will touch you regardless of your credit rating and assets without a MINUMUM of 6 months O/O experience, and in most cases 2 years. Note that is O/O experience on top of the professional driving experience. You may be able to finangle lot financing or a lease, but that will have it's own challenges and you'll pay for the truck twice over, if not 3 times.

But, if you've talked to 100's of truckers you likely already know the answers to all your questions, or did none of them know?

 

My advice is to hire on to a company as one of there drivers. You can then make your rookie mistakes with there trucks. And you will make them. Run there truck as thou it was yours including keeping all the same records. After you get 3yrs of experience behind you then you may be ready to go O/O. Until then you don't have the knowledge you will need to succeed.

 

All very good points above. You just can not do what you are trying to do unless...

You have very deep pockets and can get your own finance deal AND can get your own authority.

Your best bet would be to go to someone like Prime for a year and consider the time as part of your education. Any money you may get will be a bonus. Take the 2nd seat gig for as long as you can stand it, because it will be a great education. The 2nd six months, run solo, just to see if you can do all the paper work yourself.

AFTER you did this, and if you still want to do it, Houston is a tough market but can be broken into if you can provide great service. Get back to me when you have this much done, and if you still want it, I'll hook you up with a good deal. But you have to atleast have that year in first.

Hyper

 

Stay in college and get a degree and try to do something with it,....Trucking is very tough right now,.......

 

Prime... (choke, cough, gag,... ) are you serious?? There are a LOT better companies out there that'll put Prime to shame..... Just look at all the trouble Prime has been in the past 10 years.. ripping people off, violating the "truth in leasing regs"..ect.

Only YOU know what you want to do.. Some guys love flatbeds, stepdecks..ect. others not so much and prefer to drop and hook all the time.. others find reefers, car hauling, or tank to be their nitch.... Do lots of research and ask lots of questions.

As for becoming a new O/O in todays economy... Your definately not comming into the business at a verry good time... freight is SLOW.. rates are competitive, companies are struggling to find freight and back stab each other chopping rates to steal the loads that are out there..

 

I would never suggest Prime as for as leasing a truck...but for training, and getting a bit of experience under someone, Prime is hard to beat.

 

[GOOD MOURNING FUGITIVE: so you want to start your own business in trucking well that aint a bad thing ive been in it all my life and im older then dirt so ill try to help you.
now first your going to hear all kinds of bad about this business in fact most of what you hear is bad BUT dont you believe it it is NOT ALL BAD i wouldnt do anything else BUT there is a few things you need to know.
first of all the truck now remember cheap does not mean good in perticular in this business and a truck salesman WILL IN FACT LIE TO YOU there like a truck broker or a politician. if your planning on staying in this business for awile always pick a truck that has more then you think you will need its better to have to much then not enough. for an exampel a big engine will pull a heavy load with no strain therfore mush less wear and tear on the engine and better fuel milage where as a small motor when you hook to a heavy load is working and straining all the time not a good thing .
now this business is the most diversified business in the world and there is more then one way to truck in fact there are many ways to choose from depends largley on what you want to do .
the easyiest way to get started if you dont have your own trailer is a lease and that is not complicated pick a good company and ir wont cost you a thing they pay it all permits , tags , insurance , of course you have to pay it all back but it gets you started again it depends largely on what you want to do . and if your carefull YOU CAN MAKE MONEY in this business now this is just for staters YOU CAN DO IT dont pay much attention to truck driver storties most are simply not true.
if i can help you further dont hesitate to drop me a line .
GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND . SOUTHERNPRIDE Pquote=Fugitive;811021]I'm new to the industry and I want to be an owner operator.

I am a college student and after talking to hundreds of truckers
and listening to their words of advice and experience. I'm finally ready
to buy my first truck.

What specifications should i look for in a truck?

If I want to lease my truck out to a company, how do I
go about that?

Should I do it? Is the transportation industry really in that much trouble?

What are good companies in the Houston area to work for?



Please help, i've wanted to start a trucking company for a long time
and finally I have the opportunity to do so.[/quote]

 

Good Advice................