How many here have owned and operated more than one truck they drive?

I had 9 trucks and 13 trailers at one time long ago. I will echo that getting good reliable drivers was the biggest challenge. Out of 9 drivers I always had 7 good ones but those other 2 would give you a lot of grief. Attitude problems with customers, inability to follow instructions and just general #######ery. I was happy to sell out and just keep one after 11 years of it.

 

It is the lack of good drivers like everyone is saying. For me currently it is the process of finding a good team, even 2 seperate people wanting to team. It like a needle in a haystack and its tough on operation..

 

If I were to develop a "fleet", I think I would insist on just leasing on O/O. Gonna be hard to find a good driver, because most of them are all tired of the corporate BS and have likely gotten their own trucks.

 

Finding decent drivers is only part of the problem. Much of the problem is in the carrier(truck owners)view that an employee should share their risks.

 

In my experience, the only thing worse than being an employee is having one work for you. Put the capital you were going to spend on buying new equipment into the stock market instead. You'll see better returns.

 

After being asset based for 3 years with company drivers and echoing what has already been said, if you have the freight, hiring O/Os is the only way I'd ever go again. Just because you can afford the truck doesn't mean it'll make money. Generating the revenue isn't hard, its managing and avoiding the expenses that steering wheel holders don't care about that's tough.

 

We make far more off company trucks than the O/O's. Unless all someone has is low paying freight.

 

Huh? How does an employee share risk?

 

They don't. But many carrier/owner's think they should. Sit with no pay while the owner looks for a load that pays enough. No pay to DH. 1099 pay.

 

I never had a problem finding drivers... Oh thats right, I remember why. I paid very well and gave them the best equipment on the road.

I also went broke competing with companies who had people willing to work for less than minimum wage.