Looking for some experienced advice

dont buy a new truck, dont borrow to much, keep your assets very low until you have a few years running the business. Only employ good drivers and pay them correctly, this will save you lots of money in reduced maintainence costs and repair costs and training costs because they will stay if they are paid well and looked after well, and also resale value on your trucks will be higher because a good driver will also look after the truck and drive correctly to save fuel.

 

Pretty aggressive plans! I'd suggest starting by getting your Authority and start running on your own to get a feel for the freight climate out there. Like mentioned earlier, keep your overhead as low as possible and do as much as you can on your own rather than paying someone else.

Good luck!

 

The "national service" in my opinion, would be a load board such as Internet Truckstop. Some companies like Landstar, Stevens and others also have loads available. Find a load on a load board and contact the respective broker handling the load. If you've not pulled for them before, you'll have to exchange paperwork including but not limited to a contract, copy of your Authority, W-9 and so on.

As far as getting paid, expect to wait 30 days as the norm. If you want paid faster, some offer a quick-pay but charge for this service. Most will pay by check, some will pay by direct deposit and/or comcheck. I'm just scratching the surface here, but hope you get the idea.

 

You're dreaming... put your money in the bank.

 

keep family and friends out of it, however happy and secure you think you, are business is business.

 

Hello, I read your post and all the very good advice posted. You have some very good advice posted...I'd take all into consideration. Something to keep in perspective:

1. Are you financially capable of rebuilding an engine, transmission or rear end if one takes a #$% on the road?......it happened to me and I survived.
2. Keep your oil and grease up to date. Cheap insurance.
3. Your success depends on making educated, sound and informed financial decisions.
4. What worked 30 years ago might not work today.
5. CB rambos are primarily those expressing views based on emotion, missing or inaccurate information. I keep mine off 99% of the time.
6. Have fun doing this job and keep a positve attitude.

I had 2 trucks running regoinally and wanted more. The business quickly becomes an overwhelming paperwork monster. IFTA and billing are almost a fulltime job even for 1 to 2 trucks. I'm now back to running my own truck myself and paying someone to do the paperwork and having a blast making 2 runs a week and home on weekends.

I'm able to make $$ because my truck is paid off, rebuilt engine, new clutch, new tires and brakes and about $5,000 in recent parts replacement.

Hope this helps.....

 

DrewZ,
As you suspect, best to start out small - with one truck.
I recommend buying a decent used truck. If you can find one with between 400,000 and 600,000 miles, consider it.
Buying new is nice, but I believe the newer trucks aren't worth the initial investment, and you can avoid a huge mortage if you buy used.
If you can find a company that has its own trailers, you can avoid having to buy a trailer.
Get your own authority, rather than leasing out. It gives you a bit more freedom.
If you will someone else's trailer, they likely will charge you trailer rent, but again, that's OK. Better than making a huge investment in a trailer for starters.
See how is goes and at some point if you want later on you can always buy a trailer.
Once you have a truck, if you can run yourself - rather than initially hiring your friend as a driver - that would be best because you will avoid the initial expense of paying a driver, insuring him, possibly getting worker's comp for him etc.
See how it goes from there.
You may very well do well enough at some point to either putting your friend in the truck or getting a seocnd truck to run him, or both.
Best of luck.