looking to buy a Peterbilt

It could be worth it, or more. It could be worth less, much less. Too many unknowns without seeing the truck. If you do not have any experience, do not buy anything until you have filled in more blanks. Get an advisor / mentor to help you along. Many pitfalls ahead.

 

Lemee ask you something. If I told you I was planning to buy a dilapidated house, next month, and repair the whole thing to turn a 30% profit even though I'm not a builder/contractor, but I'm going to be one next month! Would you tell me that was a good idea?

If I told you that I was going to buy an auto shop next week, and start offering service even though I don't have experience working on cars, but I'll be a mechanic courtesy of a tech school next month, would you tell me that was a good idea?

The answer is no to both, as is the answer everyone here will give you.

This job is not just getting into a big truck and playing with monkeys on your bunk time. This job is sweat. This job is blood. This job is tears. And every combination in between.
Don't mean to dissuade or discourage you, but it's a little offensive that people get this idea that they can just go owner-op with zero experience.

Even on a local haul with a dump truck, it's snaky ground. If anything, you're worse off for running dump locally. You think you're gonna get a fare rate? The companies hiring in contractors will have guys lined up to undercut you before you even place a bid. This business isn't about what you know, or how you know to run your equipment. It's all about who you know. It's all about the inroads you make.

You need deep background with the people looking for dump work, it's a tricky business and it's dodgy for both parties. It's a minefield for guys without experience in this industry in general, even more when you don't have dump experience. And twice as offensive when you assume that I got to the point in my life just by googling "dump truck work, Cleveland, OH" and the following google query was "Dump truck, GVW 150,000."





Edit-if you really wanna become a dump driver you need to cut your teeth on the company side. I apologize for jumping your ####, but this job ain't something you can just breeze into. There's subtle nuances to everything, that includes incidents all the way from rolling into work sites to dumping your cut products. There's so many ways to screw up, and some of these screw ups can easily put you out of business quicker than you could say next week. Get your cdl, apply for local jobs. My feeling is once you see the insurance costs per month, alone? You will reconsider.

 

Hey cabwrecker, very well thought out and written response. I usually defend the people that want to try and come on here looking for advice and get reamed out. The saying it's not what you say, but how you say it comes to mind here.

All I will say is that for every 10 20 or maybe even 100 that fail there is probably 1 that becomes a success as an owner operator.

In this land of opportunities where if you work hard you can be successful , whose to tell someone they should not try. Even if, one may think they are destined to fail.

 

Its really not that hard being a o/o....the main goal is to make a profit...as long as you making a profit and your mechanical issues are good then you good...if u fail at being a o/o who gives a ####....at least you had the ballas to try to be one....its more then I can say about alot of guys that just want to be company because they scared of responsibility and a little challenge. ...

From what you telling me the truck sounds good...but to good though
I would start out with something around 60k or less because at 125k your talking about 6 year lease at 25k a year before your interest rate...which will probably put the truck to 145k 150k after intrest rate...

 

It sounds good. Be very careful grasshopper. I would reccomend normally to go to work driving some else dump to learn to see if you een like it. This is not a 8 hour industry.

 

I know I am enjoying the heck out being a rookie dump trailer company driver. They are paying me to learn with their equipment. I received a $3 hr raise, I have good health insurance that is paid by the company, I get time and a half, they pay me to wash and grease their truck on OT and they pay for all maintenance cost. So far it's a win win for me.

 

Coal hauling in southern Indiana. My grandfather started his business by buying a Tri-Axle dump truck and two road tractors, one of which we ended up pulling the sleeper off of (Literally, with a pick up truck) and pulling a 40 foot dump trailer. He was the first in the area to run Tri-Axles and had nothing but his Army experience.

I know the veterans find it offensive, which is why I'm getting some experience in before I try to take over, but depending on what you're hauling and where it seems that it can be done.

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take a glider with cat c-15 6nz or 3406E.

 

i know this thread is old but you should heed the wisdom of cabwrecker. I've been an O/O for over 20 years and it is not an easy way to make a living. There are many variables to being sucessful, and in dump trucking it's all about who you know, not what ypu know. There is about 50 different ways to make a mistake unloading and breaking something on the jobsite and not getting paid. You would be better served to work for someone for a year to learn how to drive and dump, then go get a truck. If your going to get your own customers, take that year to learn the players in your area, talk to others doing the same thing, and make good impressions on the ones who make the hauling decisions. Your insurance will be double what you think it is, and dump trucks have the highest rates out there. If your close or in a major town the rates can be double from a rual area. Get all your ducks in a row, and plan for the unexpected because it will happen. You will also find that dump trucks usally can only be financed for 3 years, 4 if you want to pay more interest. And a new venture you interest will be high. Good Luck