advice on going 100% independent

You should plan on 30-45 days from delivery. BUT you will need to stay on top of brokers. They like to play games. Some will say that they have not received one piece or another, re-send and they start the clock from when they have everything.

We make a call a couple of days after bills have been submitted and note who we spoke with. Cuts down on the BS.

I have found CRE to have the best all around fuel card. No charge to load it and get discount over cash price and the majors.

For a new carrier, LS is one of the best to get set-up with right away. Being on your own it is nice to get load alerts to your phone (email) and they will quick pay to a fuel card for 1.5%. Pretty good discounts on the card. Pay the same as the LS drivers.

 

There is also the option of 'quick pay'. Most brokers will pay immediately for a fee. The broker's I've run with so far charge between 3%-5% and will pay on emailed/faxed bills immediately. Don't intend to do it all the time, but it's a quick way to get revenue coming in during the start-up phase.

Plus, you're paid. No waiting around. Hassling, etc.

 

What will you become "independant" of?

 

I quickpay provided the rate isn't over 2%. Other than that I wait. I agree with Bill in the fact it is roughly 30+ days before you have check in hand. I run reefer and for the most part most of the brokers I have dealt with have been ok. 35 day max.

 

I must say if a guy is 100% independent. thats a man! I lease to a company and with all the crap I deal with I couldnt see doing all that leg work.

 

Leasing to a company is easy. Very little to zero opportunity to learn and grow in a situation like that. By growth I'm talking about making money off other aspects of the business besides just driving.

 

Our little boy is growing up.

I remember talking to you before you walked into the first account you wanted to get freight direct from. You sounded like a middle school boy thinking about asking Suzy to the dance.

Now you are "I need business cards". I bet you have a suit and tie in your truck. And talking today I could hear the calculator going figuring all the money you could make finding direct freight.

And think, it wasn't long ago that you hoped you could get rates averaging $1.70/mile on all miles. Now you are pushing $2.

Proud of you man. And you should be proud of yourself.

This is what my dream for my company was but it takes you and the other drivers hard work to make my dream a reality.

Thank you for all that you have done and are doing. My head is spinning with all that we have going on and can't even imagine where we both will be in a year from now.

Keep up the good work and drive safe.

 

I have to say man I can't believe how well things are going myself. You know I've had my frustrations but I'm picking up on things in a big kind of way here over the past couple of months. Like I was telling you I don't even think I want to mess with flats anymore. What I have seen and discovered I am confident I can get this thing to turning better than a flat and I don't really need the distraction of learning different freight right now anyways. I'm also positive I could have never learned what I am discovering for myself here if I had went to Landstar or Schneider choice. Nothing wrong with those companies I just never would have grown there like I am here, never would have happened, the opportunity just wasnt at those places. Not a day goes by that I'm not out here having fun with this. Your's, Lauren's & Missy's support on the business side has been instrumental and crucial to everything. I appreciate that.