OOIDA - Page 6 - Truckers' Trucking Forum

david07003 · **^ Top** #51 3 Weeks Ago

Reading this thread I feel that some of you are simply complainers. OOIDA is a great organization that exposes the fraud that drivers go though every day. I remember reading articles years ago on how the trucking companies scammed the drivers and o/o on leasing and such. Look, sitting in a truck stop and complaining about how you are not represented is stupid. Get off you ### and send the stupid $45 dollars in and get the magazine and see what they are doing for you. Apathy is what is killing this line of work.

Fratsit · **^ Top** #52 3 Weeks Ago

I am at the hotel fixing to drive down to start day 1 of the business seminar they are holding. I will post back later on.

I am really looking forward to it.

R/

Frat

Turn3 · **^ Top** #53 3 Weeks Ago

Let us know how it goes.

I would like to know what they say about the "Freight Matrix" so we can really see what brokers are charging. Instead of trying to guess!

aussiejosh · **^ Top** #54 3 Weeks Ago

so how about they do something about all these companies making phony dac reports how many drivers have complained about that?

Jmurman · **^ Top** #55 3 Weeks Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turn3

Let us know how it goes.

I would like to know what they say about the "Freight Matrix" so we can really see what brokers are charging. Instead of trying to guess!

I'd be interested in that one also

Fratsit · **^ Top** #56 3 Weeks Ago

Well.... we are officially done with Day 2. I will give a brief synopsis of day 1. Keep in mind I am not in the industry...still in the Navy....with my long range goal of wanting to run my own Authority I decided to attend. If something I typed does not seem to make sense....call me on it.

I arrived bright and early at 0655. I hung out in the car until 0710 or so. I met the receptionist at the front door and a couple of the other attendees. We signed in and got our name tags. Everyone at OOIDA is very approachable and friendly. Lots of enthusiasm. We were ushered upstairs to the "holding pen" (LOL...actually the old Board Room)) and enjoyed breakfast and got to know each other. There are over 25 of us in the seminar....husbands and wives included. We met Mr. Tom Weakley first thing that morning as he joined us for breakfast. He is heading up the seminar and is doing a great job of keeping it on task. Oh yeah... b-fast was spot on.

The first topic was the development of the Business Plan and what should be included in it. It was very well presented and thorough. This is a dynamic document and will change throughout the life of the business. Care and responsibility needs to be taken to update it accordingly. Things such as business profile, objectives, marketing plan, financial planning and projections, ect were discussed. The emphasis was placed on the fact that you are no longer a company hand but a business man first...trucker second. This topic was so involved it actually took most of the day. Since other departments were scheduled for presentations, we had to space this one out. Lots of good questions from the "class" and what appeared to be solid answers. I took lots of notes in addition to the portfolio we were given. This topic was very beneficial to me. While they went over all of the "meat" that needs/should be in the BP, I believe they should also provide some feedback on software that would correlate all the data in the correct format that the banks and SBA (if you are going that route, like to see). I am in the first draft of mine and am using Business Plan Pro by Palo Alto. That’s just me, though.

Mr. Jerry Bartley presented the topic of specing a truck. He discussed the different engine, transmission, and rear end combo's, wheel bases, sleeper sizes, ect and what to look for/at when looking at a truck. Get on it...get underneath it, bring tools, bring a flashlight, bring coveralls, request any maintenance records, take the time to have the ECM downloaded, ect....its a big expenditure and should be treated like one. An emphasis here was placed on NOT BUYING A TRUCK BASED ON THE LOOKS/BRAND...

Allot of questions and enthusiastic discussion on the new engine requirements, DFP's, Eurea (sp?), ect. Some misinformation was cleared up. We spent the remainder of the morning on this.

...continued on the next post......

Fratsit · **^ Top** #57 3 Weeks Ago

After a lunch of chicken friend steak, gravy, corn, mashed potato's, rolls (carb overload...woo-hoo) we started up again. During lunch everyone had started to loosen up and get to know one another (the whole group dynamics thing). First topic after lunch was.......

Financing the truck or "Finding the RIGHT Financing for your Truck and Trailer Purchase". Ms. Margo Fries faciliated a very detailed discussion on the different financing options that are available to the new O/O. She went over the importance of credit scores, what they are, and how a lender views them. She also discussed how to get your score "up" if it is down. Some of this may be common knowledge (I pretty much already knew all of this), but it never hurts to hear it again. Especially from someone who deals with financing on a daily basis. Ms. Fries emphasized that she and her staff are available to help a prospective buyer by reviewing finance paperwork from your institution and provide feedback accordingly....and yes they did present OOIDA's finaince options, too....such as.... new/used equipment purchases, refinances, refinance for engine rebuild, trucker to trucker transactions, and APU loans.

She discussed the various types of financing that is available and which one may be a better fit (or not) for your specific business model. Loans, Finance Leases, and Residual Leases were covered in depth with the different "bennies" associated with each product. We discussed the difference between positive and negative tradelines, the different credit reporting agencies, SBA backed loans, ect.

Grants were also discussed by both her and Mr. Weakley. There is still Grant money available through OOIDA for an APU. Since it is a Grant its a little give and take. You will be obligated to provide OOIDA with information regarding your APU (run time, maintenance, ect) over a period of time in order to get your refund checks. Just as OOIDA is obligated to the government to get them the information they need. Hence....the Grant. There was alot of round table discussion on the different types of APU's between the attendees with the staff provided feedback as necessary. It seems that the overall concensus was the Tripac and Carrier were the preferred units.

Mr. Weakley also discussed how OOIDA goes about getting Grants. The reason why they get some and not others. It was very enlightening to me (personally) to hear some of the inner workings of the Association. Regardless of what has been said here in the past....they do have YOUR best interests at heart.

The remainder of the day was spent on Cost of Operations, Understanding Costs and Pay Methods.... you know...understanding your fixed/variable expenses, ect. We did a worksheet on the milage vs. percentage pay...how to decide whether it pays to deadhead to a load, ect. I certainly appreciated some of the feedback I got from current O/O's in this topic. Remember....... I am an "outsider looking in"

Time management, cost controls, and how to implement a fuel surcharge were discussed, as well.

All in all a very productive day for me. The seminar is scheduled for 0800-1700 each day and they lived up to it thus far (day 2 included). There are a few breaks throughout the day. Snacks provided in the afternoon breaks.

Being 66.66% through the seminar its been money well spent for me. I will discuss Day 2 tomorrow. I am typed out and hungry.

R/

Frat

david07003 · **^ Top** #58 1 Week Ago

The more that I see OOIDA in action, the more that I like them.

RickG · **^ Top** #59 1 Week Ago

To each his own . There are many former OOIDA members out here they won't get any money from . I found better deals can be found on all the services they offer . They were totally useless when I needed to find full insurance coverage . They haven't gotten anything done about hot fuel , split sleepers , Virginia closing rest areas or many other important issues . The few issues they had favorable decisions on had more powerful organizations like the ATA lobbying for the same result .

RickG · **^ Top** #60 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMORRIS

I find it very hard to believe that any OOIDA employee would tell someone "find another company". OOIDA has always stood up for the Owner Operator and I know they are lobbying hard for the powers to be to enforce the laws. I do believe in the near future you will see great strides in the areas of lumping law enforcement and detention time.
If you signed a half ##### lease is that OOIDA's fault - did you fax it to them and let them look at it. They have saved the a**es of a lot of Owner Operator's who almost signed away years of their lives due to considering signing horrible lend lease contracts.
It's hard for them to do anything if you didn't utilize them before you were put in a bad situation. If you utilize their services you will always come out on top if you don't check out your broker, shipper etc. and get burned again is that OOIDA's fault.
When there is something reasonable that can be done for the Owner Operator it will done. They have went after plenty of predatory companies for violating lease laws and who has this benefited, not OOIDA but the victim and future Owner Operators who get involved with these companies.

Just have to ask .. How many years has OOIDA been around ? How many years have the problems with detention time and lumper laws existed ? Why weren't these "great strides " made years ago ?

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