I didn't make it, but I want other startups to learn from my mistakes.

Yeah automatically assuming the wife is wrong about this is pretty lol. I can tell you that my wife has talked me out of doing more stupid #### in business than anyone else. She's also frequently been right when I went past her and did it anyway. But that's my wife, she's almost as good with money as I am. Others mileage may vary.

 

I failed my first go at it also. But for other reasons. Mainly under funded like you. I was barely scraping by. Hopefully you decide to use what you learned and try again.

Cash is king,. always will be. Making sure I had a good nest egg and paying cash for the truck is probably the only reason I survived the beginning of this go around.

I know I sound like a broken record,.. but for those who have not read this before,. listen up. When starting out,.. the truck you need,.. is not always the truck you want. Just look at the beast in my sig as a prime example. Ugly as sin,.. but has been a very good money maker for me. I will be upgrading to a much nicer truck before the year is out. Were it not for this truck,.. I could not have made it this far.

Hurst

 

^^^ @Hurst ~ you better have the same paint scheme on the new truck, or we won't recognize you out here on the road, man!!

 

I once worked part time for dairy farmer. One friday night the summer student did something kind of dumb, the farmer fired him right on the spot the kid started heading for the door the farmer yells at the kid "If your late on Monday I'll fire you again" lol

 

Been thinking about not even posting pics of my new truck and just leaving this one up. I bump into too many people now who come up to me and ask,... " Hey, are you Hurst?". Um,.. nope. I just drive a truck like his.

Hurst

 

^^^^^ LMFAO~!!! Fun to be popular, huh?

 

Had a good driver one time that wanted to quit. He said I'm giving notice. I said I need it in writing. Next day he gives it to me in writing. I told him I am refusing your request to quit.

He just looked at me and smiled with a wtf look on his face. He stayed another year. I guarantee he still tells that story today too.

 

Hurst, WTF? Are you killing the goose that lays golden eggs? Tell me you're at least keeping "Carbon Fibre" as a back up

 

Not sure,.. its not worth much to sell. Even with the inframe I'd be lucky to get $15k. Yet,.. these trucks dont do well when they sit. I'll probably hold on to it for a year until I get the bugs out of the new truck sorted out.

Hurst

 

This is ONE of the BIGGEST factors in success/failure that is overlooked in this industry.

Gretchen, though she never posts, but always reads these threads, racked up over 1.5 million miles next to me ( or in front, if I was sleeping - and by herself when it was our only option), so she understands the industry. She not only did it accident and violation free - she did it better than 90% of the drivers out here.

As the CFO, partner in the LLC, accountant, secretary, representative, file preparer, record keeper and analyst for the lowly one truck operation we run - she is invaluable. Though she gets to work from home now, she has many tasks to complete. Left with the tasks myself - I'd be in a state of disarray, and hats off to those that effectively manage the entire operation alone.

The often untold story on TTR, is how the spouse comes into play. It falls under several categories.

• Wife had high $$$ job - basically supports the husbands trucking 'hobby', or 'habit'. Provides health insurance, retirement and a safety net. Rarely is this admitted.
• Wife has a poor grasp of business - is not part of the team, and cannot adjust personal goals in line with the operation - or worse . . .
• Wife has a spending habit and racks up debt that drains any or all profit from the business.

. . . and there's more.

I'm very fortunate to have the support on the home front that I do - and anybody contemplating the leap should assess their own situation carefully; as importantly as the truck to purchase, or freight to haul.