Log in or Sign up

Finally got my own truck

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by BoyWander, Jan 1, 2017.

Page 112 of 226

rollin coal Road Train Member

Joined:

Mar 29, 2008

Messages:

13,215

Thanks Received:

26,465

Location:

TN

0

TylerVS said: ↑

That's what I did a couple weeks ago. A 34 away from home in the heat is a completely different story then just an overnight. I like your idea.
Click to expand...

Yeah that first night I stayed in the truck. Next night was a room. I never do but if I did stay OTR for more than 5 days at a time I'd get a room every weekend.

rollin coal, Jul 22, 2017

#1111

OLDSKOOLERnWV Thanks this.
Accidental Trucker Road Train Member

Joined:

Jun 4, 2015

Messages:

3,346

Thanks Received:

7,350

0

If you call around a little, you might be surprised at the discounts available for truckers. Last week our AC went out, and we put a driver in the Best Western in Prosser, WA. Quoted rate on Travelocity was $124. We called and got a trucker rate of $69. Some motels do better than that, especially if you are a regular. One local motel (new property, about 4 years old) does trucker rates for frequent stays at $39.

If you consider wear and tear as well as fuel, plus comfort, breakfast and WiFi, it's hard to justify staying in the truck sometimes.

Accidental Trucker, Jul 22, 2017

#1112

Bean Jr. and MarkH129 Thank this.
spyder7723 Road Train Member

Joined:

Mar 31, 2013

Messages:

15,470

Thanks Received:

25,047

Location:

sarasota, fl

0

Stale cereal, old donuts, and instant eggs does not qualify as breakfast. Your other points are spot on tho. Except wear and tear. Idling is not hard on a diesel engine, but it is hard on newer emissions.

spyder7723, Jul 23, 2017

#1113
Tug Toy Road Train Member

Joined:

Jul 4, 2015

Messages:

6,939

Thanks Received:

72,583

Location:

Corn field

0

Tap, tap, tap....

This thing still on?

Tug Toy, Aug 1, 2017

#1114

Lepton1 and G13Tomcat Thank this.
Diesel Dave Last Few of the OUTLAWS

Joined:

Jan 20, 2010

Messages:

8,635

Thanks Received:

24,333

Location:

Hesperia, Ca.

0

I think he is getting burnt out.

Diesel Dave, Aug 1, 2017

#1115

Tug Toy and G13Tomcat Thank this.
spyder7723 Road Train Member

Joined:

Mar 31, 2013

Messages:

15,470

Thanks Received:

25,047

Location:

sarasota, fl

0

Diesel Dave said: ↑

I think he is getting burnt out.
Click to expand...

As much as he is working, burnout isn't an if, it's a when.

spyder7723, Aug 1, 2017

#1116

whoopNride, fordconvert, OLDSKOOLERnWV and 4 others Thank this.
Western flyer Road Train Member

Joined:

Mar 13, 2014

Messages:

2,807

Thanks Received:

6,796

0

Only

spyder7723 said: ↑

As much as he is working, burnout isn't an if, it's a when.
Click to expand...

Only 4 1/2 more years of keeping up this same pace
Or more and that truck is all his.

Western flyer, Aug 1, 2017

#1117

Lepton1, fordconvert and Diesel Dave Thank this.
BoyWander Road Train Member

Joined:

Jul 22, 2011

Messages:

1,411

Thanks Received:

2,125

Location:

Michigan

0

I'm here! Not burnt out. In Oklahoma trying to get out for a decent rate. Just getting tired of updating Everything on here.

BoyWander, Aug 2, 2017

#1118

OLDSKOOLERnWV, Lepton1, Bean Jr. and 7 others Thank this.
Big Herb The Trucker Light Load Member

Joined:

Jun 10, 2017

Messages:

84

Thanks Received:

40

Location:

NYC

0

BoyWander said: ↑

Long post, so bear with me.

So after a few years of studying this forum and learning as much about the industry as I can, I finally jumped off the cliff and got a truck.

2017 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift. Had 632 miles. Checked it out, took it for a spin, gave Lone Mountain the $10,000 down, signed for it and took it home.

It was the most nerve wracking decision of my life. I'm 34, and got my CDL back in 2005.
I'm going to be stuck with this truck until / if I pay it off. Here's hoping that I do. No wife, no kids, no house payments, only really need to pay myself $500 a week to live on. Everything else going right into the business account.

Leasing on to a small company with a good % pay. Option to find my own loads if I want for an extra couple % points, if and when I want to learn to do that, which I plan on getting my feet wet in eventually.

As far as how I feel, well for one, it's easy to sit back and read this forum and imagine yourself doing it and succeeding. Crunching the numbers, reading about other O/O's hitting jackpots with good loads here and there, and thinking it will be all rainbows and flowers.

I'll tell you one thing, it wasn't until I actually arrived at the airport that the weight of the responsibility really hit me, and I seriously considered just going back home with my tail between my legs. But I decided to take the road less traveled. I hope it will make all the difference. I'm a bit nervous, excited, anxious, etc. I owe a lot of money on the thing. I'm gonna have to be out there running hard to make what I decided was what I needed to make to justify the risk.

Truck is under warranty, and of course lease gap insurance, but I guess my biggest fear right now is getting into an accident. I have 7 years OTR with no accidents, but people still drive like a-holes. I did get a dash cam. Actually, Santa Claus brought me a dash cam.

I bob-tailed it home, and man it drives nice. Was getting anywhere between 10.2 and 11.2 mpg depending on terrain and wind, going between 55-65. Once I got it home to MI, I felt a lot better. Especially when my dad greeted me with a tear in his eye.

One issue i did have was that it seemed like it was eating through fuel at twice the rate that it was showing! I was thinking, OMG, there's something wrong with the fuel system. Something is terribly wrong. Did I have a major fuel leak somewhere???? It's showing I'm getting 10.3mpg at the time, so what was going on?? I had put 130 gallons in Tifton, GA (plus DEF). And then I put 60 gallons in, in Florence, KY. 250 miles later, the fuel gauge is on red, the LOW FUEL light is on, and I'm wetting myself. Stopped at a small fuel station in Whitmore Lake, MI, just a half hour from home, worried I'm gonna run out of fuel, broke a large twig off a tree, stuck it in the driver's side fuel tank, it's almost empty. Went around to the passenger side tank. It's almost full. I had suspected that maybe they hadn't opened the valves on the one tank. Sure enough, the valves were shut. So I opened them. Put a couple more gallons in the driver side tank, and it was fine. Just chalk it up to a learning experience.

It's a huge responsibility. Biggest undertaking in my life. I feel like the weigh of the world is on my shoulders. But I suppose there are others that have that worse than I. I'm responsible for everything. I can't call up dispatch and request road rescue, because I'm that guy. I can't drive it to the company shop and have them fix something or do a PM, while I go sit in the driver's lounge and wait.
I have to drive it to a dealership, and pay the money out of my own pocket for the PM. Even for warranty work, even if I don't have to pay a dime for it, I'm still sitting there losing potential revenue, and the bills will keep on coming. Or I have to get on this forum and explain an issue, and beg for good answers so I can diagnose my own problems and fix it for a reasonable cost.
With a company driver, you don't have bills piling up on your back. You might have a crappy paycheck. When you're the O/O, you'll be further in debt. So yeah, the realization of that kind of responsibility and risk is a bit daunting.

I thought to myself, I should have done this 5 years ago. But then I think back and realize I wouldn't have been ready for it. Now I think I am. And I know that if I had flown back home and never have done this, I would have regretted it. I don't think there's any shame in trying and failing. It's worse to have never tried.

So as for my beliefs. the truck isn't mine. It belongs to the Lord. Well as far as law goes, it still belongs to Lone Mountain, being a lease-purchase and all. But may the Lord do with the truck and myself as He wishes, and may His will be done. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

I'll link to a blog once I start rolling, if anyone happens to want to follow it. I probably won't include a lot of rate info, or a lot of personal number crunching, but I'll try to update my stories as often as I can.

If anyone had been thinking about following suit, let me know. I get a referral bonus from the salesman if you get a truck from him, so let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading.
Click to expand...

what company did you lease with? And what are the minimum years of experience needed to lease on?

Big Herb The Trucker, Aug 2, 2017

#1119
G13Tomcat Road Train Member

Joined:

Jun 7, 2011

Messages:

11,872

Thanks Received:

42,142

Location:

Ohio

0

BoyWander said: ↑

I'm here! Not burnt out. In Oklahoma trying to get out for a decent rate. Just getting tired of updating Everything on here.
Click to expand...

Don't sweat it, man. Take your time, do your thing. We're just glad to hear all is well~!

G13Tomcat, Aug 2, 2017

#1120

OLDSKOOLERnWV and BoyWander Thank this.

(You must log in or sign up to reply here.)

Page 112 of 226

Search