Thinking about becoming an O/O

Who they?

 

The post says thinking.... Stop thinking. It'll save you money.

 

Not trying to be insulting,.. but if these are the questions you have to ask, you are not anywhere close to being ready.

Hurst

 

Every time I read a thread title like this I cringe, because I know what's coming next. Why do you guys INSIST on being snarky to every noob who is interested in doing better for themselves? How do you know he won't be the next successful fleet owner? Most of you think you are so witty and funny, posting a-hole comment after comment and yucking it up with each other stroking each other's ego to make you guys feel like your "elite" when half of you guys factor most of your loads because your really not the businessman you think you are, and do not have the ability to adapt your own business model to the ever changing transportation industry.

Every single one of you had to ask a mentor or someone for help. And if you didn't have one to ask, we all have ooida, or this website....but with guys like you, posters have to be weary of becoming the sites piñata if you ask questions.

I know some guys don't use the search like they should, or maybe some questions may be silly, but to that person it's not, and we should point him in the right direction, instead of mocking him.

Some of you may say your trying to save home from losing his ###, but it's up to him not you, and maybe after some helpful guidance he will make the proper decision.

That is all carry on...

 

Good rant, man.

We are a buch of goobers, but we're good heartes goobers, mostly.

We use humor to disguise the truth of it's not the greatest idea....

However I was once dead set on it too. I asked newbie questions on here and took the sincere help along with the b.s.

Lease to a carrier for a little while and get your feet wet, Bruce... you'll learn as you go.

 

I honestly did not know any other way to way what I had to say.

I feel if I beat around the bush with out being direct and forthcoming,.. as hard and hurtful as it may seem,.. I would not be helping if I held his hand and micromanaged his transition to becoming an O/O.

There is more than enough information within TTR itself to find everything anyone would ever need to know.

Its not that I nor anyone else here doesnt want to see someone become an O/O. But when I see weakness, naive, lack of confidence, lack of fortitude, I feel it best to get them to take some initiative, develop some internal ambition and basically grow a pair to go after what they want.

Most of the time the people that come here and ask questions already have their mind made up. They are just looking for approval. If any disagrees with their mindset, they often become hostile. Thats good and bad. Good because they obviously have the tenacity to go after what they want,.. bad because they are too bull headed to take good advice.

When someone makes a well thought out, intelligent request,.. the guys here read that and 99% of the time will go out of their way to help. When someone comes in and asks questions that should be obvious or asked out of order,.. well,.. they do what they do.

Hurst

 

You should already know those answer and have the experience before being a o.o what kind of load you going to haul u want to get paid by the miles , percentage u have your own trailer how long u willin to be out on the road etc u should know all those answers before I became a o.o I work for someone to learn the business and make sure the number would work for me but nothing is guaranteed but if you have the drive you can do it always be ready for the unexpected cause it will happen you may be having a great month and all sudden your truck shut down $4000 later and your out of the shop as a o.o I be happy making 80k a year but I am local maybe this year I will never knows.

 

Thats pretty much the issue I see.

A lot of younger guys do not have the patience to follow the natural progression of going from just getting their CDL to becoming an O/O. They hire on with a training company,.. they hear a lot of talk from other rookie drivers about how rich O/O are and all the money these O/O's are making,.. they figure after 6 months they have it figured out and want to buy a truck and just do it.

Sad thing is that after 6 months,.. most only know enough to get themselves into deep trouble. They are naive enough to believe the horse poo that lease companies and buy here pay here truck sales places will sell them in order to sell a truck. They dont understand the business end of it, nor are they willing to take the time to learn it. They would rather have someone explain the basics,.. then think all they need is a truck and the business will magically come to them.

The way I see it,.. if they dont have the credit or cash to buy a truck through the proper channels,.. then they are no where near ready to go into business for themselves.

I wish it were that easy.

Hurst

 

This post is a breath of fresh air. I started in trucking as an O/O with my own authority, 2 years out of driving school.
On one of my earliest hauls at a receiver, I was faced with what looked to me like an impossible backing maneuver from weird angles and onto a dolly which allowed about 2 inches of tire clearance on each side. Instead of thinking my balls were too big to ask for help, I asked another trucker to back MY trailer onto that dolly with MY truck while I watched. Although he was probably laughing in his mind, he helped me out and was totally cool about it.
Every time I went to that place after that, I was the one helping other drivers with that situation.
That guy likely saved me some punctured trailer tires and other damages to property and my rig.
He could have laughed me to scorn and allowed me to ruin my equipment, instead he helped me, then I helped several others, and I am sure they helped others, and so on.