Any good OTR Owner Opperator Co.'s for a 21 year old

Maybe try calling a few of their independent agents local to you and see what they can work out.
Was this Progressive "Direct" that told you this?
I was told by a "Direct" agent that they really don't cover long haul steel and the cargo of a reefer load, but told to call their independent agents
Other than that, being a new driver and 21, you'll probably have to call alot of independent insurance brokers til you come up with someone that can insure you for what you're hauling

 

Northland insurance is a very good company. I was able to get good insurance to run all 48 with almost no experience back when I started. Getting my authority was easy and cheap in the whole scheme of things. Registering your truck will be the most expensive and that depends on the states you run. Make sure you have a decent amount of money saved up for repairs and emergencies or atleast have access to some. I will say the worst thing for me when I started was not being prepared for emergencies and they will happen from time to time. Nothing worse then being 2500 miles from home and cant afford to fix a problem. As far as finding loads you need to talk to companies or brokers who deal with the equipment you want to use. Big difference in finding loads for a cattle trailer and end dump versus a flatbed and van. I have found that the most important thing is to be versatile. As far as experience I was a no nothing when I started. Didnt have anyone to teach me anything and due to my age and experience no one would lease me on. The ones that would didnt pay anything. So I toughened up and just started on my own and things worked out. I will say I have a background in farming and equipment so tieing things down and being able to repair most of my own things helped alot. I also carry all the tools and a spare tire so right there when I get a flat which realy never happens I can save several hundred bucks. I also carry a huge selection of tools and repair items.

Hope this helps

 

I say get the W9 and hook it onto the bullrack and have fun! Where're you at?

 

10%?.... So if you have a $5K week you pay $500.00 per week trailer rental? I'm in the wrong end of the biz!!!

 

10% should include more than just rental, though. Usually it includes dispatch, maintenance and repair, and/or licensing. Some guys will include washouts, but that usually has a higher lease %. Beef Corp. has a 17% lease that includes all the above, and their guys do allright.

Of course, sometimes you have to cover everything and the lease % is for rent only. Just depends.

 

Well 17% is still a scam. My last 53' dry van cost me $300.00 per month for 36 months... I spent zero on maintenance in the year I pulled it. Maybe a set of tires and a brake job every two years... pretty cheap.

My license cost $50.00 for a permanent plate that never needs to be renewed.

If I get $2.00 per mile and run 100K per year 17% comes out to over $11,700 per year!!!!

 

I mean absolutely no disrespect, but I think starting out on your own at 21 is crazy. I don't know you, maybe you are the exception to the rule, but I have met only 1 person your age that could pull it off. You would be well served to get some trucking experience and life experience before making such a move. I would never recommend someone starting in the trucking industry as an independent contractor, much less running on your own authority. Owning a truck is owning a business. Do you have any book keeping experience? Do you have a customer that you will serve? Do you have cash reserves? Disability insurance? There are a million & one reasons this is a bad idea...I could go on and on. I am sure you have heard the story of the old & young bulls looking down on the herd of cows. Be a little more like the old bull...walk before you run. If you are 21, you likely have a 50 year trucking career in front of you. You can be in business for yourself soon enough. Just be patient and let the opportunity come to you.

 

Finding a company who will work with you as an O/O with no over the road experience is going to be difficult. You may run into the same situation with insurance. You might try looking in the Truck Paper, usually there are some major isurance carriers in there that you could call and talk too.

I DO NOT want to dah your enthusiasm here, but if I were you I would really crunch some numbers on what you can afford and really think this through. Because I am an old trucker O/O and now recruit O/O's and dispatch loads, I am going to give you some brief insight. Based on what you posted you are going to have several problems getting on as an O/O with a company of any size anyway. A) Your age. B) The age of the Truck you are looking at. C) If you find an insurance company that will accept you, you might pay a high premium. That being said, when you have truck payments, plates, tags, maintenance, fuel, repairs and such on top of it it gets sticky. Then, if you are working with a Broker, you have those fees which can be between about 15% and 30% of the gross on each load. Then you are talking about trailer lease, for example as you mentioned at 10% of the gross........It's going to be hard starting out to have that much overhead and give up that much revenue to come out on the deal. I have to agree with some of the others............I'd drive fomr some else for a couple of years, or find an O/O who is experience and looking at running Team to take you on and show you the ropes.

Best of Luck at Whatever You Decide!

 

Hauling cattle is no cake walk either. Have you ever pulled a dump trailer before They are prettyeasy to upset and I may be wrong but most livestock haulers I have talked to all said the same thing if I have a dead cow I have to pay for it. I believe your best bet would be to lease on to a company or someone that has authority that you can trust learn your way around then go for your own if you want.My self I think it is best to lease to a companyfor several reasons 1 you do not have to wait 45 to 90 or even120 days to get paid 2 they usually will take your base plate out at so much a week instead of one big chunk 3 a lot of the bigger outfits have some nice fuel discounts and last but very important If something bad happens they can afford a much better lawyer than you can