What to buy?

Do you know who you'll be hauling for? Do you know how heavy your typical load will be? Pulling 20k in the flatland most of the time will dictate very different specs than pulling 48K in the mountains most of the time. And getting those specs wrong can spell the difference between making a decent profit at the end of the year or watching that profit go into the fuel tank all year long.

 

And a Bidet.

 

I don't think that a commercial lender will touch you without several years in the business, that would leave you with the fleece purchase option. I would spend a lot of time reading on this forum before you make up your mind about anything like this. To come into "any" business without having spent time in that industry learning the ropes is a recipe for financial ruin, especially the trucking business.

 

The best truck to buy is the one that will be the most cost effective for the particular mission you're going to use it for. Sometimes that means a brand new truck, but often a good used truck is the more profitable choice. It just depends on what you're doing with it and what your particular deal is going to pay. You need to find the truck that makes the numbers work best. And you can't do that until you know the numbers. Figure out who you'll be driving for and what your deal is going to be first, then go shopping for the truck that will most profitable for that particular mission.

 

if i had enough money for a new truck
i guess i would sit on my porch and spend it

i guess the general feeling is hire on to a company for a year
then you will know
1 whether trucking is for you
2 what you want in a truck
3 if the people with 30 years that are telling you to buy one are full of BS

 

I wish I could count all the guys that I have known who came in to the industry and tried to make it like you are describing. You say that you admit that you "new" nothing about the trucking industry before going through training and getting your license, I can honestly say that I don't know of one person who entered the business like this and did not walk away from it discouraged, embarrassed, broken and at or nearbankruptcy. It is evident that you have not spent any time on research on even this website alone, not to mention your choice of companies. Do yourself a favor, spend a couple of years behind the wheel and research the industry before you throw your money away. Do you have any idea what life is like on the road? Do you have any idea what you would do if the truck breaks down under load at 5:30 p.m. and the load has got to go? Do you know who is going to be responsible for payment to get that load delivered on time? Have you picked up one contract from one of the carriers that you have mentioned and read it through? If there were money in it like you think there is, you would not be able to fit one more truck on the roads and streets of America. You have been warned on this thread that you will not make it as mentioned in your post. You think that you will not need a commercial lender because you are able to pay cash for a truck, do yourself a favor, find someone in the commercial lending business and buy them lunch, don't mention your business plan right away, just ask them if they lend money to any part of the trucking industry, and let the conversation go where it will. If what you think is possible, there is no company that would be able to ever hire a driver, everyone would go straight to the "big money" and buy their own truck so that it would be easier to break in to the business. I hate to break down your dream, but it just will not work out the way that you think that it will.

 

Check everything on this website. Also, make sure your truck is spec'd correctly for what you decide, flatbed, reefer,van,tanker. If it's not spec'd right, you can run into problems with weight, height, fuel milage, power, etc. When you decide on a company, talk to the company's owner-operator division about what you will need,before purchasing a tractor. For example, if you purchase a tractor before talking to them, the tractor may be too heavy for reefer work. If you go with flatbed or tanker, you may not need a condo or all the fairing on top. I hope you're very successful and you probably will be if you ask the right questions first.