owner operator questions

1. Depends, i own truck & trailer, some own just tractor.

2. Not enough lol

3. W900L KW or 379 Pete but i am a bit biased.

 

Biased is an understatement, I'm beginning to think you are on the payroll over at paccar....LOL.

Anyway 550 you wouldn't know a good truck if it ran you over and the FREIGHTLINER emblem was imbedded in your forehead....LOL

1. All joking aside it all depends on what your gonna do or haul that should determine wether or not you should have your own trailer.

2. There is alot to consider when asking this question...what you should make before surcharge, how much of a surcharge you should get and if your pulling your trailer or someone elses just to name a few.

3. Buy a truck that you want or like. Don't buy a truck just cause a bunch of guys come on here and tell you what they think is the best truck. Go with what you want or can afford. Don't be like so many who think they have to have a big shiney truck to make aliving, if you overextend yourself you'll just suffer in the long run.

 

Well i am partial to Shaker cabovers from the 70s and 80s for some reason.

 

I learned to drive in a 62 and 80's model freightliner cabover. The 62 didn't have powersteering just centerpoint steering. The 82 just had armstrong steering, we put powersteering on it.

 

you're asking all the wrong questions. The ones you are asking are questions that nobody but yu can answer. How are we supposed to know what truck is best for you and what you want to do? How can we tell you how much to run for? plus I will add that these guys are owner operators so they aren't going to tell you a whole bunch as it may come back to bite them in the rear. The price you can run for is wholely dependant on your per mile operating costs. You cost with a brand new trck and trailer could be a whole lot more then mine with an old paid off truck. then again mine may be more then yours because you may be single an dlive in your truck where as I have a wife and 11 kids to support.. See what I mean?

this is what I suggest.

figure out what type of trucking you want to do. van, reefer, flatbed, bedbugger whatever.

then figure oout the area of the country you want to run and what the terrain is. This will help you figure out which truck would be best for you. such as... mid roof is better for flatbedding then a full height condo. which would be good for a van where the mid roof wouldn't be. the terrain will tell you what motr, trans and gear ratio's may be best for you. We setup truck differently for midwest operation then we do a west coast truck.

Research how to do your business plan and that will help you find out what you need to make to break even then you decide ho much more or less you can afford to charge. Just put "business plan" in the search engine there is lots of good info on the site.

weter or not to have a trailer depends on what you want to do. if you lease to a big company you'll probably pull there wagons as you do lots of drop n hooks. if you want to be independant then you need your own trailer. SOme places will lease you a trailer but it may be cheaper to buy your own if you can afford it.

I assume that since you don't even now the right questions to ask that you probably have no driving experience in which case I would STRONGLY advise you not to buy a truck right off the bat

 

Well put MM

rag

 

I'll be here all week!