need advise on starting up

There are plenty of container outfits up there, but pay usually isn't the greatest. Going to send you a PM if you ain't afraid of tanking.

 

If you have a clean record you could sign on with Landstar. They will advance you money for fuel on your first load. You just better hope nothing breaks because if it does you will be SOL if you cant afford to fix it.

 

G/MAN is spot on. Do not rush to get that truck leased on and moving. Paid cash for mine and it was parked for 6 months before I ever hauled a load. Save up a cushion, $10K would be good. Sounds like that ol driver gave you one heckuva a deal. The platinum inframe alone cost around $19K which doesn't necessarily mean it makes the truck worth $19+K but you got a deal is the point.. he was just looking for an easy way out, good for the both of you.

 

You might be wise to have someone else buy the truck and lease it from them. there's some benefits to doing it this way besides freeing up some operating capital for you.

 

If he signs with LS and the trucks takes a dump LS will gladly front the repair money they are good for it.

 

Here's a little something different than what GMan and RCoal have said (since they pretty much nailed it).

I am thinking that because you got such a great deal, I am wondering what you could sell that for if you stuck it out until you got the right price.

You might could sell that thing for a good $30,000 if you waited. Not sure, but you could make a good profit.


I would just think about that, and what you could do with that extra money. Pay off your personal vehicles, or any kind of bills you have, not sure if you have a house payment, but every little bit helps, and then whatever is left, save that for a truck.

This way, when you DO go into it, you'll be in a better financial position to be successful, so if you end up with a problem with the truck maybe blowing an engine, or an accident, or you get hurt or something, you won't have to worry about making a lot of payments.

I'm not sure what your bills are right now, like I said, but if you had like a big car payment, or a fancy toy like a boat or bike, or maybe a medical bill, I think it would be wise to get things like that out of the way.

In any case, that's a great deal on a truck, and I'm not sure I'd sell it anyways.

Maybe someone might want to touch on the advice I gave.


Also, I would personally wait until next spring anyways to start driving your own truck. Market will slow down a little like it does this time of year generally, and I would also like to skip winter, and have 7-8 months of warm weather to get into the swing of things without having to worry about ice and snow, because I really, really hate that crap, and I'm from Michigan (yes I know Minnesota is worse).

And another thing is, pay off your bills early, and you save that interest, and you can save up your money quicker, and then in the meantime, learn all you can about the business side of trucking and just go out and get your own authority.

 

Driver, only difference between a company driver and a O/O is You Write the checks, when some thing goes wrong, it's You they want to talk to.