So you want to "own " your own company

Man, I hate to be the first one to say this, but if you're going to rely on load boards for all of your loads, or even 60% of your loads, you're NOT GOING TO MAKE IT! Load boards have one purpose: finding loads to get your truck moved to a location that has better freight or to your next load that you've solicited directly from the shipper. They are not for keeping a truck running. The loads are listed by brokers, who will be taking what little profit is in the load for themselves. Furthermore, the brokers will give priority to established carriers, instead of a fresh company with no prior history with them. Do yourself a favor - get all of your expenses together, find out what your cost of operation will be, then call a couple of numbers on those load boards and get some rates. See then if you'll make money BEFORE you tie yourself down to a truck. I think you'll be disappointed. I know I sound like negative ###, and believe me - I wish you could make it off the load boards. You just can't though. I'll guarantee you that what money you have saved up to start this venture will be lost and gone within a year. The first thing you should be doing before you go any further is soliciting loads directly from shippers to see if there's even a market for your services.

 

Highside, thanks for your input that is what I need to know even if it is not what I want to hear. If I could ask you and everyone though, what is the best way to go about getting loads then? Im not trying to sound rude I'm really just asking because I know alot about trucking and the industry but this particular part is all new to me this area with finding loads and dealing with that aspect is where I need the help. Thank you soooooo much

 

Hey there,

While not exactly in the same situation as you are I have recently bought a truck / trailer and received Authority, Ifta, Insurance, IRP, and everything else required. After doing some load board research I bought a 120 day membership to Get Loaded and started pulling loads off the board. 90% of the time it is a broker you are talking to and no - you do not need your broker authority. Current average rate off the boards is $1.60 per mile. Some of those trips were less and some were obviously more. Many brokers will offer you peanuts to haul something as well. Case in point is that I was offered .80 per mile today which is well below what I need to make the profit that I need to get. At the same time as a new member to the industry UPS Freight picked me up for a load at over $2.00 per mile. Current plan is to take the six page marketing brochure that I have made and try and pick up a few direct clients bypassing the boards and low rates.

A very big downside is the time that brokers or shippers take to pay - it sucks to wait for the check when your diesel bill is due. Personally do not believe in factoring as this business does not have enough margin in it for me to give up another 3% - 5% to begin with. Best of luck in going for it!

Marlin

 

you left out UCR, and 2290.

 

You can do it all yourself, or get a good local permitting service to do it all for you for a few hundred. You'll need someone to keep up with your fuel taxes anyway, just have that person take care of everything and keep them around after for your taxes. There's enough to stress about in trucking besides runing all over the state, filling out stacks of paper, sending checks, making phone calls, and then still forgetting something. To me it's worth a few hundred dollars for the peace of mind to know it's done right, and not spend time I could use on something less stressful and more productive.

 

What is the UCR your talking about?

 

Unified Carrier Registration.. It replaced the SSR (Single State Registration). No matter which state you're based out of you have to do it. Funny thing is that some states don't do it (Florida for example) so if you're based in Florida you have to register in the next closest state that's participating in the program (Alabama or Georgia for a Florida based operation). Last time i looked it wasn't that expensive, like under fifty dollars, but that was before they reformed it this year and i haven't checked on it again.

 

Thank you, now that you say that I did read about that one but I forgot it in my list.

 

no prob, i plan on doin the same thing you are and i've done all the research, just gotta wait a few months. the tricky thing is gonna be the IRP

 

yeah i hear ya there