New Driver as a O/O

ToppDogg...now that I have a few free minutes and clean mind, I can offer you some very sound advice here, from one intelligent (like my other o/o brothers and sisters here)....
Dogals right foot has some great advice also...as Don doe: We welcome another intelligent educated motivated business owner out here since the DOT is trying hard to remove the o/o from the road and only allow large-box carriers (Schneider, Swift, Interstate, Werner, Covenant..etc) to run. Don't get me wrong, I think the large scale operators have their place out here, especially since I don't run the freight (cheap and heavy) they run, I'm of the opinion that owner operators have just as much place out here as anyone.

Trucks operate in just about every country in the world. The industry is as diverse as people. You can find your groove out here, just have to look around. Talk to people. Ask questions. One thing is certain: there will be a multitude of advice given. Like choosing what brand cereal to eat, everyone has a slightly different flavor they like. Some company drivers, lease purchase operators, o/o and those independents who run their own numbers. You will find your niche, enjoy the journey. Please don't wind up a drug addict, drunk or a vile and disgusting driver who doesn't care about his attitude or personal hygiene. Nothing speaks to a driver's character more than hate and smelling like you look!..I've seen the best and the worst (unfortunately)

Some place between where you are now, and where you want to be in the future, lies YOUR combination of happiness. The ingredients consist of trucking type, income desired, and your happiness among a few other variables. You'll get there, just like the rest of us did, one mile at a time. I didn't earn my first million miles with no tickets or accidents by chance: it took a lot of hard work and patience. I was a company driver first, I learned, then I learned how to keep the numbers on my company truck like I owned it. I applied that knowledge to my own truck when I bought my first Pete 379...I was a happy guy and continue to remain happy because I choose my truck, my freight, my rate, my direction, how much the freight weighs, how it's package, etc.
I run FB because I'm usually loaded in under 45 minutes and gone. Unloading: the forklift driver usually has to wait on me un-doing the last belt!!...bills signed and I'm off to my next pickup. While loading load # 2, I'm scanning the bills and sending them in for payment. Drive, shower (in my truck) sleep 6 to 8 hours, eat, watch the morning news, drive to drop-off, unload and repeat until you've made a few thousand dollars that week after fuel, taxes and expenses. I go home when I find loads thru Phoenix (my home base) which doesn't take me long. I've spoken to the "boss" about moving to the DFW area, that way I'll have to look less to get home.

If you have an extra year or 2, let a big box carrier train you on the driving aspect. Bump around in their truck for a year and learn how to operate the equipment. You already know metal tolerances, that heat kills metal and carbon is trapped in and held in oil that is drained on regular intervals. Being a heavy mechanic will serve you well when you need to turn a wrench on your own truck.

I'm in the same boat, I've worked as a tractor/trailer mechanic in addition to operating a trucking company successfully, I save myself thousands annually by using the tools I have with me. At home I get more done. One weekend I changed out U joints while cooking steaks and have cold ones with friends.
If you get yourself a decent air compressor and a 1/2 inch line with 1inch gun, you can take your own tires off and get all kinds of suspension work done. Airbags take 15 to 25 minutes depending on whether or not you have to torch anything out. Once I changed out my water pump in the parking lot of the Pilot in Salina, KS. Thank God MHC Kenworth, Salina (next exit up off the 70 was open Saturday, got the water pump with core exchange) Another skateboarder company driver broke out his tools and helped me swap out the parts. I was very thankful, bought him lunch and cold drinks...reminded me of the good ol days....

Hopefully you will stay safe in your travels and the good Lord will guide you toward a happy future,

Robert
Phoenix, AZ

 

Robert you've made this into a very interesting thread. The sad part is, and is usually always the case, we never know or learn how the story ends.

I guess the real irony is, we see so many coming into this industry out of desperation, almost one could say forced into doing. Then to see someone wanting to come into it as a personal choice or option to try. That I guess your optimistic attitude is the best one to have.

Robert you've made some really great points and have given me a lot to think about, my attitude is a bit soul at times. So my apologizes to the original poster of this thread, if by anything I said, was negative and cynical concerning your future choice.

Good luck to anyone who wants to make a new choice and take a new direction in their journey through life.

don doe

 

The large carriers are large for a reason: They stayed in the game and found a way to be successful. If you want to be an O/O Schneider has programs that will allow you to hone your skills while not exposing yourself to (much) risk, however, you will not actually have much "ownership" in the sense of the word you and I understand ownership to mean. Pumpkin truckin isn't a bad place to cut your teeth. They have good equipment, plenty of loads to practice running. I never advocate a driver lease purchase equipment from the carrier for a few reasons, but among the most compelling:

LP deals are like non-trucking business model where:
I'll rent (lease) you a grill and location to open your own Burger King or McDonalds, dictate your menu and require you to only sell food I produce then send you a certain amount of traffic to remain open each week. Just when you think you are about to fold, I'll send send you more business than you can handle, giving you a glimpse of what true owner operators could make if they actually owned the tractor. Conflicted, you think the carrier has your best interests in mind when, mysteriously, freight suddenly isn't available in the same areas (lanes)
Being an educated and intelligent man, you clearly see your numbers change and can't quite figure out why your "trusted carrier" business partner would take you on a roller coaster ride of success-death-success-more death, etc. Now that you have hauled for them a year or more, you are now "qualified" to up-grade to a nicer truck, like a shiny brand new Volvo 780, which is much more comfortable than your Freightliner Cascadia that has served you well up til that point. The new truck smell is hard to turn away from and you may be talked into leasing the volvo and the process begins again...roller coaster ups and downs, etc. At least you drive a brand new volvo 780 you make payments on but hold no interest in right? Zero down and 850 to 875.00 a week is simple since you gross .90 cents a mile and can turn out 3000 miles a week right? Can you turn out 550 miles a day in 6 to 10 inches of snow? Friends and family want to see "your" new truck but you cannot stop long enough to show them because once you pull the brakes, your electronic logs will not allow you to move the truck over 3 miles an hour without putting yourself back on duty, so that's out. Even of you could stop for a few days, 875.00 a week equals 125.00 dollars a day you OWE your carrier in the form of payments, even when the truck isn't hauling a load, including your days off, not including insurance (again not in your name)

Basic business math shows: 875.00 a week comes out to 43,750 a year (if you haul 50 weeks out of the year without taking a day off outside your normal 34 hour resets and 11 hour breaks) that equates to 3.5 years until "your truck is paid off, right, assuming $153,000 asking price for a brand new Volvo 780. BUT WAIT, there's more...is your lease purchase agreement SIGNED to end when the price of the truck is paid off? (3.5 years)
Funny John Christiner Trucks take 5 years and you own the truck after a 1.00 dollar buyout: 1.5 years at 875.00 a week comes out to 65,625 the carrier just made on you and your (now) worn out equipment WHILE taking diminishing tax depreciation from the IRS to lower their tax liability on THEIR balance sheet.

Three weeks ago I looked in to buying a brand new Volvo 780 (2017 model) from a dealership: After submitting my financials, the finance company was going to require $19,000 dollars down- nothing more. Truly 19k is less than adding $46,625 to the down payment right?

***** Watch and listen closely*****-----example follows:
Let's say our "business partner" lease purchased only 750 trucks a year, out of the thousands they have on the road:---hold your breath--

$65,625 they made on 750 drivers A YEAR comes out to a profit of $49,218,750.00 --- or enough money to replace 321 BRAND NEW TRUCKS on just 750 suckers who actually made to the end of the lease. Yes you read it correctly, nearly 50 million dollars a trucking company just profited on the hard work of people they talked into a lease purchase deal. Now you can see why you can find lease purchase deals with zero down everywhere you turn. Care to lease purchase a truck now?

So to say the least, I'm not a fan of lease purchase deals. You will hear how this driver and that driver make all kinds of $$ with their LP truck, etc. There are youtube videos where drivers share their settlements and such, one even got fired for posting his story on social media, so be careful.

Information is your asset. Choose wisely.

Robert

 

This is an excellent post! Thanks for sharing.

 

Just posted another post regarding HIPPA violations and how individuals, employers and agencies can be held criminally and civially liable for transmitting your medical information (on another thread)......

Keep em coming...LOL

Thanks Dan-FL

 

Note to self:
Look into adding a truck and making it a lease purchase deal