So you want to "own " your own company

What is the condition of the Century? As an o/o that is going to be your biggest expense because if its age. If it needs a lot of work you may be better off becoming a company driver. Save some money and get the truck ready for OTR service and then switch over when it you have completed repairing it.

First thing I would do is put that truck on the Dyno machine and get an oil and transmission fluid analysis. That will tell you a whole lot.

 

It runs good. I bought it from a family member. She told me what it needed (Brakes and steering tires)and I purchased it for 7500. It has 785,000miles and it has a 475 cat with a 10 speed. I figure buying the two steering tires getting the truck lined up and putting brakes on it and using it. I looked into steering tires at one place and saw them for around the high 400's a piece. I'm also planning on buying that centriforce (Spelling). Its the thing that balances the tires for you while you drive

 

I'd also get the front end aligned too, as long as it's in the shop.

 

should be able to beat the price on the steers my last set of BFGs were $362 each just fyi and stay away from the china imports on the steers

 

If you are doing the brakes, you should also replace the S-cam bushings (and the cam if its bad, though it shouldnt be) and wheel bearings. Bad S-cam bushings can reek havok on auto slack adjusters. Auto slacks must be replaced, they cannot be adjusted, if the brakes are out of adjustment it means the auto slack is broken, they are about $80 a piece.

Replace the front shocks, in addition to the front end alignment, when you get the tires. centramatics are also good for the front tires as well.

Check the cab shocks as well, they can make a whale of difference on your ride and are often overlooked.

Look into getting an oil-bypass fitler system, there around $800 (excluding labor), you can save a s-load on oil changes, which will be your biggest maintance expense.

 

I'm with you on everything else, but automatic slack adjusters can be manually adjusted when they quit self-adjusting.

 

owner operators, takers or refer or dry van if you started today as O/O?

 

Tankers....sorry

 

I have a starting date of 12/28 with FFE and I'm just worried about which way to go. FFE, like I said only pays .25 a mile and I'm not sure if I can afford to keep my family going with that kind of pay. I can go either way on the schooling. I can either go to FFE's school or to West Central (a local tech school that a grant pays for). I'd like to work for myself but it's kindof scary. I hate working for someone else. I like working for myself but I'm open to all suggestions. Also, on another note if I take the job with FFE I'll lose my two endorsements (Tankers and Doubles/Triples) and I'll have to sign a 1 year contract. Or, I can go to school on January 6th and have my cdl's in 10 weeks plus will get to keep my two endorsements. Thanks for your time and for your advice/input.

 

So why do you say you'll lose your endorsements? Once you have them through the state, they are yours not the companies.