Why do most owner operators fail?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Wigunowner, Nov 19, 2012.

  1. skip1955

    skip1955 Light Load Member

    239
    34
    Mar 1, 2012
    Harlingen, TX
    0
    OK , the floor is full of Piss, so sip up guys the contest is over. This is something that can not be won in a forum, and if everyone would just take a breath and step back, it would be like the guy that gave you a finger as he went thru a red light ! In 15 seconds you wont remember him or what/were the light was at. Be proud, yes be proud of what you have and have done. You know this and so does your family. GOD BLESS you all, and lets think that once a year we can have peace with its other. Then on the 1st we can go back to killing each other.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. alex1010

    alex1010 Bobtail Member

    37
    13
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    Hey guys' I wish you all the best!

    Since I am in here on Sunday as usual going through my driver's paperwork making sure everything has cleared customs properly, unloading and re loading the LTL on the inbound trailers, I took a little break and read this thread.

    I wonder what the definition of a true independant is?

    I guess I would qualify, having three trucks , running on my own authority doing cross border since back in 2001.
    I started this whole thing back in 2001 with $20,000 in savings and one driver on a 7 year old truck. He did Montreal to Texas in outbound LTL and then switched trailers in Seminole OK every friday. We had no dock and I would re load the trailer on Monday's with LTL as I could find it.
    It was hard work and with a lot of luck we made money. In 2 years we had enough to put a down payment on another truck, and os on.

    I am not sure $30,000 would be enough today, with the cost of fuel alone running about $2300/ week and brokers paying in 45 days ( 30 days plus stories and mail ).
     
  4. DMH

    DMH Medium Load Member

    344
    110
    Jan 9, 2012
    0
    Working on your own truck doesnt make you a true independent and bagging on somebody that just might be doing better than you makes you look bad.
     
  5. DMH

    DMH Medium Load Member

    344
    110
    Jan 9, 2012
    0
    EGR delete is your freind.
     
  6. Cheez

    Cheez Light Load Member

    93
    18
    Oct 14, 2012
    Arlington TX
    0
    Look it's another useless thread that isn't helping anyone succeed
     
    PantherFan Thanks this.
  7. afterburn25

    afterburn25 Medium Load Member

    516
    228
    Jul 7, 2012
    Lafayette, LA
    0
    you got that right I tried helping this guy buy giving him info on how i made it and super trucker chimes in a flame post guess the internet has is getting like the CB
     
  8. Southern Flyer

    Southern Flyer Bobtail Member

    31
    8
    Sep 21, 2012
    Rockmart, Ga
    0
    You seem to be the one who won't drop it, your story sounded a little far fetched but if that's how you did it than I'm glad it worked out. The field you were in pays very well and it sucks that it didn't work out, maybe this will be something that goes better for you. I am a little too blunt and straight forward sometimes and get taken the wrong way, I'm not trying to bash you but if you stay in this long enough you'll understand why I didn't believe you cause ############ are as thick as bugs in the summer in this industry. As for trucks maintained by fleets not being any good I have to disagree, you have to be very selective of which one you might buy from but think about it, the trucks are set with parameters so a monkey could drive them and aren't even used to their full potential. All the services are performed on time and they have been owned by the same company that had to perform all the break in services throughout its time with them. My truck is a 07 Pete with a c-15 cat and it doesn't leak a drop and doesn't use any oil what so ever. It's got almost 700,000 now and when I got it the ECM and the odometer were almost identical with only 598,000 which is low considering for its year. The most major repair I have made to it is replacing the fan hub cause the bearings finally went out since its the original. It was maintained very well and the outside and inside are in great shape. I have seen some trucks owned by O/O that have been ran hard because they think cause they own it they gotta hammer on it all the time. I apologize for my comments since you took them wrong, we all need to work together out here as independents to keep strong, I wish you the best of luck and a merry Christmas to you and your family.
     
  9. afterburn25

    afterburn25 Medium Load Member

    516
    228
    Jul 7, 2012
    Lafayette, LA
    0
    far fetched or not i didnt take them wrong i took them as they were presented accusing me of stuff you have no idea about directing them at me as a way to try to insult me. saying im not a true independent cause im not a Diesel mechanic
    makes no since you know just like i see so many times guy with 20 years experience ragging on a new guy cause hes going to slow when its pouring down snow and runs past him like hes in a marathon then 5 miles down the road you see him flipped over in a ditch as sad as that is to see you cant help to laugh at his stupidity. I was trying to help someone and i get flamed i will just keep my knowledge to my self if this is what its gonna cause
     
  10. Southern Flyer

    Southern Flyer Bobtail Member

    31
    8
    Sep 21, 2012
    Rockmart, Ga
    0
    Ok then lets be a child and not accept a apology. Let the idiots pass you in the snow or rain, they must have great insurance to be able to drive that reckless in bad weather, the day you think you know it all is the day it will kill you so keep doing what your doing. Just remember not everyone might be as fortunate as you were when they start up so keep that in mind when giving advice, realistically most don't have much at all but it's not about who's bank account is bigger its about who can actually get the job done at the end of the day and stay in business. If ran across each other in person we would probably have a lot in common in regards to how we operate and run our business.
     
  11. afterburn25

    afterburn25 Medium Load Member

    516
    228
    Jul 7, 2012
    Lafayette, LA
    0
    apology accepted just wanted you to realize how it sounded to the next person well i have seen a lot of people start up and fail because they didnt have any working capital I realize there are some who make it but most dont its like any business the more you have the higher your chances of making it are. if you have a truck payment its extremely hard its also just as hard leasing to a company also taking quick pay or factoring thats why you really need capital to keep everyone's hands out of your pocket. even in my situation i mean how can we make what we should when the brokers are setting the prices the brokers are making the real money not us.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.