just bought truck

hey good luck with your pursuit. i am in similar position looking to buy a truck i dont waqnt to put that kind of money out at first so am financing it. on paper i can turn a profit pulling for a small company. i will keep my eyes on you let me know how all works out

 

Lol....are you going to lease on to another company, or are you going to call brokers?

I can imagine you telling a broker "Well my electronic log machine says I only have 7 hours left in my day, can the customer take the load a couple hours later? Oh, and btw, can I get $900 instead of $800 for this 600 mile run?"

Click

 

Why on earth would you want to screw with elogs. That's a crap load of money to pay for nothing. If you just want an electronic log book there are plenty of programs that you can get for a laptop. I use drivers daily log.

Congrats on your new truck. May she roll 2 million miles and never cost you a dime.

 

Let me ask u this. How much cash flow do u have right now. Also if your going to run your own dot numbers get a good reefer trailer and if u have the cash get a flatbed. You can book your own loads with companies or use a good broker. you can switch between reefer and flat when JMO

 

If you're all cash in no debt why give money away for nothing? Tough it out that first throw away quarter and wait on the money. As far as elogs go,agreed with Kansas, other just as good options out there that don't limit one's self to beauracratic nonsense - elogs? Use your own good judgement and don't book anything you can't run.

 

Welcome to the deep end of the pool. Consider joining OOIDA and check out their webinars. Several of the webinars help you learn some good basics about running under your own MC# and also how to deal with brokers and load boards. Most are already available to watch, and some are scheduled for later this year.

The software based logging programs are good and can help you keep track of not just hours, but IFTA report data and other things. Get a GPS antenna for your lappy and it will also auto log your location as you go. You have to print out your log every day and run it as loose leaf for DOT but it's easy and you'll probably use an all-in-one printer scanner copier in the truck for other things.

OOIDA can help you with a lot of business related issues. Good luck, be safe.

 

Why can't you just use paper logs? Don't you know how to use them?

You're not going to profit as an O/O unless you know how to run a logbook and keep yourself available when you can. There's a difference between driving illegal and "adjusting" your logbook because you "forgot you marked something wrong". You tear out a page and start over. That's not illegal.


The truck payment and trailer payment is not what is going to break you. Those are minor expenses.
What is going to kill you is the fuel costs, you can count on 75 cents per mile for fuel at the least.
It's going to probably cost you, on 2,500 miles a week, about $1.25/mile to run the truck with fuel, on your own authority, and that doesn't include your pay. Just make sure you're getting $1.75/mi average from the brokers, and that's based on real miles, not their miles, plus remember to count deadhead in there as well.

If you have 180 grand to work with, I would take some time to maybe find a direct shipper somewhere near home (100 mile radius or so) and try to work out a deal with a fixed rate, depending on where you live, you could make much more than if you were to just get brokers for all of your loads.

If/when I go O/O, that is what I would do, I would look for a direct shipper to have at least some kind of anchor in my business plan.

Good luck!

 

What's wrong with usin' loose-lief paper logs, or a paper log book?
If your laptop containing all of your H.O.S. information crashes, or is stolen, what happens?
If you don't have a record of your H.O.S. goin' back seven days in your possession, you can't legally roll.
If I were you, I wouldn't depend entirely on electronics, and I'd recommend bein' very familiar with
loggin' on paper.

I'm curious AfterBurn, what model Kenworth did you purchase?
Engine?

OH!
Another thing, --- are we related?
I have a cousin AfterBurnER who drives for his dad, --- my uncle, --- AfterProfit,
who runs Backanforth Big Truck Truckin' Company with his daughter AfterDinner-Mint, --- a real man-eater.
If we are related, and you'd rather not disclose such information, I'll fully understand. :smt036​