Starting a trucking COMPANY worth it?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by mopar9012, Dec 12, 2010.

  1. FZ37

    FZ37 Light Load Member

    70
    13
    Oct 15, 2010
    (Southern) Virginia
    0
    Nice job. I am like your son in a way. I have had my license for 4 months and my thing is I had a disspute with a customer i had doing home improvement and went to court for larceny. Wasn't larceny at all and was dropped but shows on my record.Have another incident.wrong place,wrong time but be 5 yrs old same time as the "larceny" thing. Wish I had family in the biz so I could have a shot. He's very lucky. Tell'em to take it easy on your trucks! Ha Ha. Now If I wait a year and 4 months that will be 5 yrs old and should be able to finally start my driving career. Yeah. Can't wait. Best of luck 2 ya'll
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

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

  3. PStewart

    PStewart Bobtail Member

    3
    4
    Feb 17, 2011
    0

    I will say this for you, If you were able to buy just one truck, put a team on it sit at the house and dispatch you are good. I been in this business for over 15 years and am 2nd generation in the industry as a whole. My experience is it almost impossible to buy one truck put a team in it and sit at home and everybody makes money. You got to have some incredible contract to pull that off.

    Not doubting you and I see you indicated your struggles. Most companies have started with one truck even some of the biggest out their started with just a few and built that into an empire. Prime started with a dump truck that was eventually traded for a reefer last i check was making a half billion per year with 3000 plus trucks on the road. Swift started out as a family business with a few trucks running between AZ and CA. Was not called swift then they purchased the Authority of the Swift Meat Packing Corp when it went wherever it went and rebranded themselves as swift.

    There are many more but the bottom line is that one thing all these companies have in common is they did the work themselves and built from there none of them were able to buy one truck put a team on it and sit at home playing dispatcher.

    I have my own authority and have purchased many trucks in my 17 year span out here even I cannot do that it takes me 3 tractors all running teams to cover ever single expense created from running. Pay myself and still cut a profit.

    1. Driver pay
    2. Insurance
    3. Maintenance i.e Tires, Shop and reserves
    4. Taxes
    5. Tolls
    6. Fuel
    7. Dispatcher Pay (your Pay Check)
    8. Factoring Expense (they take a percentage for floating you)
    9. Fuel Card Fees
    10. Communications, Internet, Load Boards, Carrier Depot etc
    11. Profit Margin

    I'm sure I missed some but you get the Point. How can 1 truck pay all this? 3 paychecks a profit and paying all expenses?

    Like I said I can't doubt you just seams a little far fetched.

    If not then with your 3 months to my 17 years you need to share your secret so we all can grow up to be like you.

    Not trying to be funny just keeping it real !!!
     
    foldingorbits Thanks this.
  4. mgfg

    mgfg Road Train Member

    1,753
    626
    Mar 29, 2010
    0
    That's quite a "tale". One truck, three checks and the world is a beautiful place. The meter is pegged and it's not the SWR but it does have initials.
     
  5. Antler

    Antler Bobtail Member

    28
    2
    Jan 11, 2010
    0
    I've been researching this since I got my CDL 5 years ago. I've been driving ever since, and still planning to go O/O someday.
    From the research Ive done, if your planning to just have a single truck forever then your not going to get rich. My plan of attack is going to be run a single truck for the first couple years, take as little pay cheque as I can pay the bills with. Put everything else into the business. As startup costs and payments (hopefully) go away I add a truck and hire a driver. As soon as the bank accounts recover from that and cash flow becomes consistent on the second truck I add a 3rd truck and driver, again and again.
    This is just my take on it, and my strategy so far. By year 10 I'd like to see myself with half dozen trucks and a small shop, where I become the mechanic and relief driver.
     
  6. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

    7,031
    8,621
    Sep 3, 2010
    0
    That sounds like a plan.
     
  7. Titan316

    Titan316 Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Oct 27, 2013
    0
    I'm looking to buy a truck and trailer. I have someone who is a great driver and mechanic for maintenance and repairs. Could you give me an idea of what start up costs would be. Thank you very much!!
     
  8. Titan316

    Titan316 Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Oct 27, 2013
    0
    I like your methods!
     
  9. white wolf

    white wolf Light Load Member

    287
    131
    Jul 1, 2013
    minneeessoooota
    0
    You may want to redirect your post to the ask a owner operator section to get more opinions from people that own there trucks to determin if it is a wise thing this day and age to get in the industry
     
  10. tombec

    tombec Bobtail Member

    9
    2
    Sep 17, 2013
    0
    It sounds like a plan but you gotta really analyse your target market. Just look at the logistics scene in the US: http://www.statista.com/topics/1417/logistics-industry-in-the-us/

    That's a lot of big competitors to worry about. Try and establish yourself somewhere you and your truck are going to end up busy. A friend of mine worked for a small trucking company in Ireland (sure quite a bit different to the US and in the middle of a financial crisis) and he's out of work - the building trade collapsed and his truck stopped moving. He's trying to get into the industry in Canada these days.
     
  11. Big House truck

    Big House truck Bobtail Member

    1
    0
    May 25, 2014
    0
    Running a small trucking company is a crap shoot.Three trucks will not pay for 1 broke down one.Luck has a big part in it.I sell trucks for a living and have seen o/o come an go.I love the industry,I have been in it two times and failed both times.I ve sold a guy a great running and did the oil sample ,had it dyno.Check water sample,and boom spins the crank.$6000.00 out of pocket right away.not counting the down time.And I ve sold guys 10 yr old trucks and never had the first problem 3 yrs down the road.I can not explain it.Another sold a guy 10 -2012 Brand X trucks Last week 3 went down the first trip.Towed 2 in and driver on the third split.These trucks where under full warranty,what about the trucking companies customer (pissed).Luck again.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

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