So you want to "own " your own company

I've been running 6 and 10 wheelers up and down the eastcost for years now and I'm interested in the Big trucks now. I want to work as an O/O and would like any information anyone that would like to share about the business. What are Freight Boards, and Brokers like? Is it better to sign on with a fleet?

 

You're supposed to have 2 years experience to lease-on... I don't know if your experience will count or not. But if you have the CDL-A for over 2 years you could probably be creative with references.

 

This is a sure fire way to set yourself up for failure if i have ever heard one. its not like driving a car, you need about a month of experience driving with an experienced driver to remotely have a clue what youre doing...and even then, you're going to end up ripping the hood off that nice 378 within a month....

 

wow thanks nightwind here i was about to ask a few questions about going it alone and starting up my own transport company finance is no problem its just all these little fiddley things that you need to know hey i'm more worried about brokers and getting paid how does all that go down huh. any problems getting or collectin you pay?

 

hi everyone, im simply here doing research, i wanted to start my own carrier service when i returned from iraq, and it seems the more research i do the more discouraging things i discover. i know starting something with so little experience is a challenge...but if my father has had his CDL and does maybe one load a week for a small company he works for now and once i left the military, went to school got my CDL and tried to use my driving experience from the army hauling fuel...is it possible a one truck company hoping one day to expand to a small 4 truck company, would be able to start on two rather inexperienced owner operator team driver could hop online to a broker and start a succesful company this way?

 

buzz, i'm a vet, still in iraq, leaving in the next 30 days and ETS'n out of the army in december, i have my heart set on starting a team owner operator llc my father has a little experience driving, but noone will hire him because of his hearing...he has hearing aids, and can pass a DOT hearing test but most companies find some way of releasing him to where we can't prove anything....this is hwy i would like to start my own little company and hope to expand, however with my research i have done, maybe my best bet is go work for a company for a yr and then back out of it and then make the planned leap into my o/o hopes...can i get an opinion? please? hahha need some guidance with next to no plan after i get out of the ###### army

 

Well, be careful. As I am sure you have read on hear, there are a lot of companies out there that will promise you the world, and don't deliver. Werner has a 'Solders-to-Driver" program that is pretty good. But just like all the others, they don't pay really good. Had a buddy start for them, and he was being consistently shorted miles because they only pay "Zipcode-to-Zipcode". So he was spending a lot of time getting the load delivered inside of the Zip. Got shorted 70 miles on his last paycheck, and contemplating quiting! But it is a good way to get started. Get on with them, and run for Six months, learn, then go O/O.
To be honest, if you don't have a mentor, I.E. a friend who drivers and has been an O/O, you looking at some pretty good challenges. I am fortunate that I have a friend that is an O/O, and a fellow SGT that drives for a smaller, good local company. So I have someone who I can pick up the phone and call and ask questions. He even went on some runs with me on weekends, just to get me started. I have put the O/O thing on hold while I finish my Warrant schools for the Guard. But plan on starting back once that is done and the economy picks back up.
Keep in mind, and there are lots of guys on here who will back me up, it IS tough right now. Loads are scarce, and your not gona get top dollar, unless you can build up some reliable customers.
Now on the more positive side. It is do-able, but your gona have to be VERY careful about your expenses, and you better ether have a good truck or like me, be a good mechanic. But you really need a mentor, someone you can run with, for a while. There have been some pretty good guys on here, who you may be able to make friends with. And there is one guy who started his own authority, and had a good mentor, and has done O.K. I have followed his progress for the last 9 months. But there are a dozen, who have failed, for every one of the successes. It takes good common sense and dedication. Plan on being away from home a LOT! Of course were used to that aren't we!
Better be working on making sure you CDL-A has ALL the endorsements, Hazmat, Tanker, etc. Start researching getting your authority, etc. Make a Plan (outline). There are some good postings on here about how to get started. Use them!
Good Luck.

 

JCT

Click on that, it will take you to the JCT pages in this forum. Alot of info, currently up to about 200 pages. I am in process of signing on with them, have not yet been to orientation.

 

I posted here about 6 months ago with questions on the O/O deal. and i think everyone for their help. so far its been a rough 6 months. lol.

Here is what I have operating. 1 53ft dry van. 1 driver. My dad is the driver, and I am getting him loads, Exclusively off load boards. and it SUCKS! for 1, the load boards pay crappy rates. Ya, sometimes we get the 1.50 a mile loads.. but on average i rarely get over 1.20 after dead heads, and days sitting , we average around 1.00 a mile. we have no capital, so we have to get quick pays or the truck cant move.. it sucks. 2 brokers have screwed us out of about $20k by not paying and then disappearing.

but.. that is not the purpose of this post. its this...

How do we get freight, with 1 truck, from real shippers and not load boards? i have called close to 60 shippers, and all of them already use the major carriers for their needs, and have no place for a single truck operation. I cant recruit more drivers until I have a customer that needs it.

i just need to be pointed in the right direction, any ideas?

-Mike

 

Wow, that's a tough one. Now I myself am not an O/O, but I do know some guys with their own authority. Most of them get SOME of their loads off the boards, and the rest from carriers that sell loads. This can be easier if you know people at some of the mid size or mom and pop carriers. Maybe you want to consider signing on with an outfit like Landstar?