Howdy all,
My rookie question is this: I know a guy from my town, who owns his own truck and hauls all over the US. He is wanting to find someone who can drive his truck, so that he can drive a little less and spend more time at home. He has offered me the opportunity.
The equipment is good, and the pay is decent. But in order to drive a truck at all, is it as simple as just getting behind the wheel and driving, and being paid for the job? Or are their formal requirements that have to be done. Things like, having me added to the insurance? filing paperwork with DOT and the IRS etc.?
Please note, this guy is a one truck operation. No benefits, insurance, etc. offered. In other words, I would be a "contracted" employee.
Also, I eventually want to drive for a bigger LTL company, but I need to get experience first. Hence, me considering this opportunity at all. I have heard that bigger/organized companies will verify driving experience when hiring. If I drive through a very informal arrangement with this guy, how will I be able to prove that I have earned driving experience in the future to other companies.
Please let me know if this opportunity can work, and also of any problems/risks you see with it.
Thanks in advance to all.
Stay safe.
Can I drive for an Owner Operator without being on his insurance?
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Renegade92, Aug 6, 2020.
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He'll have to complete an application for you and do a drug test to make it legal. -
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To get experience go drive for an agricultural company (Farmer, Rancher, fertilizer company, ect) doing local and seasonal work for a few years. Thats how I started out. Your best bet for verifiable experience of this type would be as a seasonal driver for a fertilizer company hauling fert to local farms... Might be able to do the same with a milk hauler on a more permanent basis.
After your CDL is a few years old and still current this type of experience will satisfy many insurance companies and you will have a history in the drug and alcohol clearing house. Then you can move up to most smaller trucking companies to gain the good experience that the good trucking companies require.lovesthedrive, MTN Boomer, Accidental Trucker and 1 other person Thank this. -
A few thoughts, read carefully.
First it isn't easy like just jumping into the seat and going.
He has to have a drivers jacket for you no matter what, he has do have an application in it, a mvr and whether you are an employee or contractor, the appropriate paper work there.
He does have to add you to his trucking operation insurance, no way around this and no excuse not to.
This isn't health insurance but he may be required to have workers comp insurance.
Then we have the contractor issue, you need a contract with him to be legal.
No contract, walk away.
If you are a contractor he can't tell you how to run, he can tell you what to pick up to a point but that's limited.
A contract also legitimizes your time working. -
You might see if you can get "non owners insurance". At one time I had to file insurance (when I was younger and more foolish than I am now) for not having insurance. The dreaded SR-22. Yet an agent told me, as long as I dont own, I can get non owners insurance. That way you the driver are insured, yet it is some one elses headache of if the vehicle meets the requirements.
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