Is this realistic for a new O/O

As an O/O on this forum, most guys will tell you to get more experience before you delve into buying your own truck. You are right about some O/O not making any $$. Crazy but true. Go figure because I can't. It's kinda like the deer in headlights mentality. They can't believe it but keep going and getting the same result.
It's going to depend on what you want to haul. I'm not sure about containers. I'm sure some of the guys are making $$ but in doing so you will tear up your rig, big time. I haul chemicals and I make a decent living out of it,but there's a ton of things to consider.
What to haul,
do you want to be short or long haul.
What kind of truck do I buy,
do I have the money put aside to maintain it.
Do I have good enough credit to buy a truck
do I lease onto a company and let them find me the loads
or do I have my own authority.
These are some if the questions you ask. There are many others, so watch out.
Theres so many variables and you can take what drivers tell you with a pinch of salt.
They like to brag, but Some will tell you the realities. You may not want to hear them. It takes hard work and dedication.
be careful and do your homework. If you decide then go for it but be prepared and ask questions
we all started somewhere and some of us are good at this game and some should go find another job.
Good luck.

 

Something to consider, good paying gigs don't need to advertise as much as the low pay one's. Containers are bottom tier as far as pay goes. Every one and their brother wants that easy local job. Just look at the trucks running containers, how many new trucks do you see vs how many belong in a junk yard. I'm not advocating you go buy a new truck to stay out with, just saying if containers paid as good as those guys say they do, then why is it most are driving junk?

 

As someone who lives in the Metro Richmond too I can tell you majority of the jobs you see on craigslist for this area are trash. The container gigs, the central transport gig, & brown trucking who has an ad here and there. One problem you're going to have is financing. An bank isnt going to finance your purchase unless you have a decent amount of experience and have something setup in writing (Job offer to lease on or Authority). If you're where I think your at (Gordonsville?) Then stay there and ride it out for a year. Once that year is up start looking around, plenty of decent regional gigs in this area with 1 yr exp.

 

You're definitely not going to get rich as an O/O, at least not while you're making truck payments. Once you get it paid off you can make pretty good money with it if you have pretty good luck and handle your expenses well. Starting out in any business is rough the first 2 or 3 years. You can get more money with your own authority but you have a lot more responsibility with your own authority. You basically just have to do your own research based on your own expectations and circumstances to see which is right for you.

 

Yea nothing like the feel of being your own boss. Id just keep an eye on the owner operator threads in here, particularly when they are talking about rates, freight and stuff like that and you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what youll be up against based on your own situation. In the meantime put money up. The more you have to invest, the easier it will be on you.

 

Yeah there are guys that only see that big number and pay no attention to the net, and think they are making big money. I was making $1.25 a mile back in 2001, and guys are thinking they're making money pulling for $1.40 with FS. Fuel was $1.12 a gallon back then and brand new Michelin tires were $300 installed, without a national account. I work when I want to, and am leased to a company where you answer to no one, unless you screw up. Not every lease is like that though, some can be as demanding as working as a company driver.
I would get my feet wet running for a percentage carrier before I went under my own authority. It will make the learning easier.

 

The ones that aren't making any money wouldn't tell you they are losing their shirt anyway. They are just gone one day. The ones that tell you they are "doing pretty good" pulling containers might very well be, but again, would he say something like "I made 50k with my own paid for truck hauling these cans last year, I am way ahead of the game I only did 40k when I was a company guy!"

Like others said when you cruise around a container yard the trucks all look like they belong in the junk heap. Not even one of them that is "raking it in" eventually broke to their desire and has a new shiny truck. That tells it all right there. Too many people look at it and see a home every night job and are willing to do it for low pay.

You need to ask yourself what you really want out of trucking. Just money? Home every night? Do the OTR gig with your own truck? Own authority? (I wouldn't recommend own authority right off the bat either) All these questions can really only be answered with more experience/time to think about it. If you go out and buy a truck, now you have a problem, as to how you will earn your living with it. Just keep trucking, learn as much as you can every day, try to get a rough estimate of what jobs pay what for your area and what you want to do, then after much thought, then give it a go.

 

This Mon my dispatcher showed more than 3000 trucks for only a thousand loads out of Chicago, just to give you all aspiring owner operators how many guys already did what you are only thinking about.
Needless to say if you don't know where to get those loads from your SOL