So you want to "own " your own company

hey guys im 25 years old ive always loved big rigs and dreamed of owning 1. im getting my cdl done this month and planing on working first. any suggestions ideas. after all i do want own a truck and drive for my self. i want a Pete but i heard they eat alot of gas. so Cummins engines are to go im guessing like volvos or freights .Let me know suggest. ill take all good and bad. since im a newb. thank you

 

Your cart's waaaay before the horse but that's OK. I was the same way.
Get your CDL. Sign-on with a company that hires new trainees and drive for them for a year. Don't job hop! Once you get at least a year under your belt, you can begin to create a spreadsheet on what it will cost to get you going...all the equipment, fees, licenses, fuel, maintenance, etc. Do the math and do your research. Insurance will be the big issue as you'll probably only find insurance covering a 500 mile radius or so. It won't be cheap either.
Do your research and use the search function here at these forums. Your question has been posted here many times prior to you. I'm pretty sure many of your subsequent questions have been posted too.

 

Depending on your area, you'll want to pick a good company to run with. When I got back out on the road, I was going to hire-on with Roehl. I'm no recruiter, and I didn't wind up driving for them, but they sounded like the best of the bunch. KLLM also sounded good, and they were my second choice (you'll need to research until you've found at least 3). If there's any way possible, you need to find a small local fleet - this is the hardest thing to find - because good companies aren't looking for drivers often. My 3rd choice was a small local company that I'd already talked to, and knew a driver, before I went back to school for a refresher. While I decided to take the plunge and get my own truck, new drivers need the training, and you'll benefit from that forever.

A few things that are important starting out is the training period. Some pay you nearly nothing, as you'll probably spend what you make (and maybe more) while you're out on the road in someone else's truck. But the big importance is the actual training. Some trainers won't give you the time of day, and only seem to be interested in letting someone else drive their miles. A good trainer will front seat it with you alot of the time, and give you the play by play. A little reassurance doesn't hurt at all when they can tell you're getting overwhelmed, and it takes confidence to drive around 4 wheelers.

While I can't speak for all of them, and "results may vary", a good friend of mine had a VERY bad experience with his Werner trainer. After spending the time and money to go through school - because he was out of work - he couldn't find anyone else hiring from his area. Since that bad experience, he's working at a factory and just barely paying the bills. While he was all for driving a truck, that bad experience soured it for him. He's a talented driver, and he deserved a good shot at it - he used to operate off-road dumps and his 100 Ton trackhoe until the recession closed the shop. The "bottom feeder" companies get what they give in most cases, the only ones that stick with them are desperate and marginal operators. Definitely not all, and I apologize if that opinion burns anyone.

 

Kustomwerk,

Gears and Hwypilot said it right!

Not to disrespect you in any way,I'm a new driver and I'm working part time for a small family owned business to gain wheel time.
They only call me ( I'm working almost every week )when they need me and that's OK for me.

I'm in the process of becoming an O/O now, I have my own authority,etc..
I'm shopping for trucks now and should be purchasing within 2-3 weeks.

I've been considering doing the O/O thing for over a year
now,banked plenty $ for start up.
This is not a good time for a start up in this business or any other type of business, trucks will always provide goods to the public though so there is work out there.The pay isn't as good as years ago though.
Try to make sure you have as many job offer's as an O/O as possible, that way you can always walk and work for someone else the next day.
Keeping in mind to stay with 1-2 companies though.

As an O/O, I see it, it is not just a job driving a truck,it is driving, keeping track of fuel bought and used,
choosing your routes and schedules , at the best times of day ( are you going to be in a lot of stop and go city traffic VS. staying moving trying to schedule loads on time) to obtain the best fuel mileage,
Tolls and bridge fees( yeah that load might pay more, but will you have to pay more tolls, bridge fees, comes back to planning),
managing $, always attempting to pursue new leads, the office side the business, keeping track of paperwork and tax's, planning when to do the trucks required maint./repairs and ( if you can) completing maint./ repairs yourself correctly to avoid future breakdowns/problems.

The list goes on and on as an O/O.

Gears said it right,
do the numbers (MANY TIMES OVER JUST TO BE SURE,EASY TO MISS THINGS), lots of research, you can get good,invaluable info on this forum, ask these guys on this forum questions ( even if you think they are stupid questions).

My two cents worth,
planning,mechanical aptitude, and either a business background or expeirence managing a business or owning your own business in the past would help you succeed as an O/O in this type of economy or any economy.
Main key to succeed, keeping the overhead down,completing maint./repairs yourself( if you can).
Also driving a class 8 truck safely would help too.

Gears said it right,
search this forum before you ask questions, there is quite a bit of good info from very experienced truckers on this forum.

Also remember there could be negativity here.

One of the more experienced O/O's posted here somewhere( his post is still here) stated
" if this is want you want do as O/O, just do it, don't listen to the bxxxxxxx,"

crusin

 

I'm curious Newly Crusin. How did you get your authority without a truck? As far as I know you can't get insurance unless you have a truck and without insurance you can't get your authority?

 

you can apply for your MC# and you have up to 60 days (or maybe 90, but i'm sticking with 60) to get insurance.. if you dont get insurance in that allotted amount of time, your application goes null n' void. Then you have to start over again.. but insurance isn't hard, all they insurance company want is a vin number, you can find that on the internet.. and later on you can always change the information on your policy..

 

you can apply for your MC# and you have up to 60 days (or maybe 90, but i'm sticking with 60) to get insurance.. if you dont get insurance in that allotted amount of time, your application goes null n' void. Then you have to start over again.. but insurance isn't hard, all they insurance company want is a vin number, you can find that on the internet.. and later on you can always change the information on your policy..

 

mitchtazz,

You had answered Meatheads question for me thanks,I see you have knowledge of getting your authority as I do.

Thanks,

crusin

 

yep, pretty much in the same boat as you, i'm just a few months behind.. haven't started anything but i got about 15pages of notes, contacts, web addresses, quotes, ranges... heck i even have some house stuff in there for my wife since she wont leave me alone about that..

 

I guess I'm confused. I went through this 4 years ago when I got my authority and there is no 60 or 90 day grace period. Either you apply with all your ducks in a row or you get nothing. I notice they mention 60 days now. Did they recently change the rule I wonder?