No experience but getting Authority

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by That New Guy, Feb 7, 2011.

  1. skro47

    skro47 Light Load Member

    161
    131
    Apr 26, 2014
    Québec Canada
    0
    Lol exact opposite of one of my driver. I took his assigned truck while he was on vacation. No heat, one head light burned. Couple of yellow lights on the side of the truck. No dome light, coolant leak.

    I told him wtf, just tell me if anything needs to be done on the truck its not like it was your fault if lights get burned or truck is leaking.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. crazyjack

    crazyjack Light Load Member

    52
    28
    Feb 25, 2013
    0
    Volvo or Freightliner only. Unfortunately Kenworth and Peterbilt parts will cost you way more. I had those so it is my personal experience. And as far as fuel economy (since it will be a business for you,- not a lifestyle) you will do much better with Volvo and Freightliner. You don't have to believe me, call the part sales and find out yourself.
    Volvo and Freightliner will not be unbreakable, but if you want a reliable and most economical work horse that should be your choice.
    Wish you all the best in your journey.
     
    Inarado Thanks this.
  4. annr

    annr Bobtail Member

    20
    0
    Oct 5, 2015
    0
    Hello That New Guy,

    This is old post someone recommended as I am in the same place where you posted this thread only the year is 2015 :).. Have you gotten anywhere? Do you have a trucking business now :)
     
  5. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,864
    22,107
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    Reading and posting in the thread started by @visionarygvp inspired me to resurrect this zombie thread. Also hitting some milestones, for me anyway.

    For those just joining, here's the Cliff's Notes: A one hit wonder started the thread early 2011, then I took it over about page 2 and shared probably too much information for about two years. I thought it was longer, but the time stamps don't lie. It's a story about getting a carrier business off the ground, with no experience, for all the wrong reasons, doing it the hard way, and being stubborn enough to still be doing it 10 years later.

    There's been good times and bad times. I've stayed at two trucks and trailers for the duration. After @BigJohn54 passed away end of 2012, I drove the second truck myself until I hired a cousin in law in 2019. That lasted until an abrupt end a couple months ago with him catching a disqualifying violation in his personal car. With this new truck, which came in this evening I'm told, I'll be back on the road for the unforeseeable future. I'm kind of looking forward to it, as that removes a salary off the payroll, freeing up some funds for improvements and whatnot, or just a little extra breathing room when unscheduled repairs arise. I thought about refusing the new truck and maybe winding this thing down to do something else. For some reason it's just not in the cards right now. To be honest, it took until just a couple years before I really felt like I'm getting ahead of this business, and not so much that it's running me. Time to enjoy the fruits of all the hard knocks getting to this point.

    Funny story about the new truck. It was supposed to come in mid-July. Then it was to be complete Aug 2, and arrive a week later. Double checked that date and posted my old truck for sale 2 days later. It was gone in less than 24 hours. Two days after the sale, my dealer calls and says the new date is now Aug 31. Well that's obviously slipped some more. I check in with them every week, hear a new story why the date isn't the date, then repeat. Last week I did get word that my order was now complete and tagged to ship, and that was the only timeline I could count on.

    Anyway, I'm at the dealer this afternoon checking in the one truck I have for it's first major PM. Get that done about 3:30 and got a flat on my pickup to deal with before I can leave. Get the spare on the ground and take off about 4pm. The new truck came in about an hour after I left. LOL just missed it. That's gonna kick off a week and some days getting it all permitted regulated and official, and fixed up, then off to the races, again. I got some paper to push around in the morning then will probably go over and check out the new whip, and set up times to wrap up the deal with everyone there who needs to be.
     
  6. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,864
    22,107
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    I closed on the new truck today and got it to the yard finally. Now begins getting things set up and ready, to get back to work. Kinda stoked to have a new one to set up and run my way. I've only slip seated the one I got last year a few times when my son needed time off. Hard to get comfortable when you're working around someone else's stuff. Wasn't bad, he keeps his truck neat and clean. There's just so many little details you get set up just how you like it, that you just do without in a truck someone else regularly drives.

    2022-Anthem.jpg

    Speaking of the 2020, it just got it's 100k PM, overhead, and a few other items. So should be good to go also. Now I just need to nag my Great Dane dealer on getting some quotes. I messed around and let that slip a few months, and now dealing with the supply shortages on the trailers that I managed to avoid mostly with the trucks. Not any crisis at the moment, so I'm ok waiting till the end of next year for delivery. I just need to get an order in soon as possible or I fear it will turn into a 2023 delivery if it hasn't already.
     
    visionarygvp, 59EX, dwells40 and 8 others Thank this.
  7. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,864
    22,107
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    Off like a herd of turtles with the new truck prep. My sign guy is non-responsive since last week. I'm still optimistic he's just super busy versus mad at me for some reason or dropped dead and I missed the obit. I always pay him immediately, so I doubt he's mad. Then there's the IRP process which is never in the world of time. And rain in most of the forecast for the upcoming week to make outdoor work more pleasant.

    It will all get done when it gets done.
     
  8. 062

    062 Road Train Member

    5,838
    31,522
    Oct 20, 2013
    0
    Pffft... that’s almost a white Volvo. Just break out the magic marker and tape a piece of paper in the windshield and roll.
    How many tv channels ya git with them antennas on the hood?
     
    visionarygvp Thanks this.
  9. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,864
    22,107
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    In fact, it is a white Volvo, with a bulldog hood emblem and red paint on the engine. Just call me Ivan. I found that mailbox letters on the truck always clash with my best track suits.
     
  10. Tug Toy

    Tug Toy Road Train Member

    6,749
    70,323
    Jul 4, 2015
    Corn field
    0
    Thanks for the updates. You are one of the inspiration threads I followed before I stated 7 years ago.
    Glad to see you still rolling along.
     
  11. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

    4,864
    22,107
    Jan 30, 2011
    0
    The rain held off today, enough to get a few things done. One of which being to move the 5th wheel back a few teeth. As I was calling it quits yesterday I attempted to slide it and it wouldn't budge. I was hungry and decided to postpone, since I needed to swap trailers today anyway. Turned out to be a wise decision to sleep on it. Today I got the truck out from under the trailer and went around prying on the 5th wheel to see what was stuck. Turned out to be the left side lock, either where the paint wasn't totally dry when it was bolted together, or maybe a little surface rust from sitting out in the weather on a holding yard in Macungie PA waiting almost 4 months for the missing roof fairing that was holding up delivery. A light tap with the tip of my wrecking bar and it popped open and I was able to move it.

    I also made holes in the floor for the inverter battery cables. Next chance I'll make the cables and install the inverter. Word to the wise: when you mail order stuff, it's best to open the package upon receipt, and make sure you got what you ordered. I bought my cable terminals and inverter 2 months ago with the first "good" delivery date on the truck. I opened the inverter of course and looked it over, but didn't bother with the terminals. All the terminals were for 2/0 cable. The pack of 3/8" rings were marked for 2/0, but actually for 2AWG. First time that's happened on dozens of similar orders. Fortunately I had a couple extra 2/0 3/8 terminals left over from an earlier project.

    Thanks for the feedback, and glad to see my example didn't lead you to sleeping under overpasses and eating out of dumpsters LOL.

    I think when I stepped away from this thread, I had a lot going on with the business just trying to survive. Coincidentally there was some drama in some of the social threads that turned me off as well. I think @visionarygvp's thread inspired me a bit, because I've seen this same story play out where I park my trucks, or even at truck stops and distribution centers over the years. Usually younger guys, company drivers, that see an (apparently) successful independent and want to talk. Then the story comes out, either their company's lease recruiter or some friend has been blowing smoke up their skirt about easy money owning a truck. I don't think I'm a Debbie Downer like some, but I try to keep it as real as possible when suggesting someone can do it. Those dudes usually walk up when the weather is good, or think I'm in the mood to talk when I'm eating in the restaurant. They're never around when I'm finishing up a brake job in the rain, standing in 0º 30 mph wind at night swapping relays bare handed trying to get clearance lights back on, or digging change out of the couch cushions to beat the fuel card draft Wednesday night. Those are the good times to tell what they're in for!

    You seem to be doing pretty well yourself. Or at least you're as good as I am at keeping up appearances LOL. If I had to go back and do anything over, it would probably have been to settle in a more rural location with some land, like most of the smart people like you that I converse with here with have done. The limitations of a suburban location, and dealing with rented parking, has not made what I do any easier. Now I'm reaching an age where I just don't want to move, and running out of runway to have the time to make improvements to something new before I am no longer capable of doing them, or producing the cash flow to fund it. I'll probably make good on my threat to stay here till I drop dead and just get buried in the yard.

    Anywhoo I'll quit rambin for now. I am glad to see a lot of familiar handles still posting here. Clicking back through some old threads, even this one, reveals quite a cast of characters.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.