What other owner operators will not tell you when you are new.

Lot of truth in that comment….

 

Does he know there's a classified section on TTR where he can sell his truck & trailer?
Trucker Forum Classifieds & Trading Post

 

Leaving the details of the OP aside, let's review some basics.

The number one reason new businesses fail, particularly in their first year, is under capitalization. They don't have enough of a cash reserve to survive. Most new business owners don't pay themselves anything for months while they get off the ground.

Trucking has always been an easy in easy out business. Buying a truck for a majority of my 30 plus years in this industry has been easy to do, someone will lend you the money without bothering to find out if you have the financial wherewithal.

Let's compare trucking with another business model, franchising.

Again, pretty much anybody can get the financing for a $100,000 truck without having to prove they can pay licensing fees, fuel bills, insurance bills, etc. Heres your truck,, knock them dead. Simplification? Absolutely but it makes the point.

Now, franchising. My brother and I looked into buying a UPS Store about 25 years ago. The business model was designed to be a smaller footprint store located primarily in small college towns.

We got the prospectus and the financials were needing a net worth of $250,000 with at least $100,000 liquid (able to be turned into cash at a moments notice). The cost of store fixtures was around $15,000, plus rent utilities and miscellaneous monthly expenses, such as advertising and hiring help. The franchise fee was IIRC $25,000 + 2% of sales.

The point, although the cost of the franchise was not much if anymore than a truck purchase, your financial status was much more highly scrutinized. If our industry did that, we wouldn't have has the hurricane of new trucking companies formed during covid, and capacity would in the long run be more stable.

Just my .02........

 

What secrets ... she's talking about trucking 101 ... know where the freight is and know fuel prices. Or did I miss something?

 

Yes, Eastern European. She paid like 8 grand for some sort of database membership. I forget which. Yeah, anyone can get the info, IF they have the drive and inclination to do so. But most people DON'T. Most people are lazy and want, or even expect, things to be done for them. How would you feel if you busted your arse for years, went through blood, sweat and tears to come up with a winning formula, and then along comes a newbie and starts yapping away and giving your secrets to your competitors?

Like I said, it doesn't affect me much because I'm a newbie as an owner/op. If you look at DAT, you will see slim pickings in any given area. So if all of a sudden 50 trucks show up here in Vegas let's say, it WILL affect things. I looked on the DAT early this morning just out of curiosity and there were 90 loads give or take. But over 35 of these loads were the same repeated postings. I don't really know why DAT allows this. To give the impression that their load-board is worth the money maybe?

Maybe I'm over-reacting, maybe not. It has just always been a sore spot for me that some of these people on Youtube feel the need to undermine themselves, AND others. So the other day she comes on ranting and raving that brokers were screwing her with the rates, and that she was thinking of going to flatbed, and yadda, yadda, yadda. Well DUH! Keep opening your mouth and see where it keeps getting you. If you found a secret formula that reversed the aging process in humans, would you share it? Why would you? Wouldn't you try to maximize your knowledge? I know that it is an extreme example, but the concept is the same. We are in one of the most cut-throat businesses there is.

 

It's not that simple. Remember, not everyone has the same inner drive to do things on their own. Can you give me a list of your direct shippers, and maybe even put me in contact with them? C'mon now! Don't be selfish. Help a fellow brother out. I would really appreciate it. I'm sick of the greedy brokers and the expensive load boards. NO? Why not? C'mon, don't be selfish.

Of COURSE you wouldn't help me. You would be an idiot to do so. And I would NEVER think to ask.

 

I've actually had a few ttr members try to go thru me to get info on my company's freight base and rates .

 

This must be about van freight......

 

The thing about that is they don't seem to think there's anything wrong with it. Are they really that clueless?

 

Yes I don't think they really grasped what they were asking and I tactfully declined .