Has any one done this ???

Excellent post, man. Another instance where the TYVM button would be handy.

 

i went thru and looked this thread up, excellent thread and not just for information but it was a pretty good story. but yes this thread will tell you everything you want to know about your question, imo.
Instant O/O and Load boards
www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/instant-o-o-and-load-boards.70022/

 

I'm on page 52 of that post. Holy wow! That man has some brass balls to do all that with no experience.

I've got 18 months and I'll run my first o/o load Wednesday with equipment I've never ran bf and I'm a little nervous. Well, I was until I started in on Phil's adventure.

Ok. I've got to get back to his adventure story.

 

Yes I did it .
1981 I got out of the Marine Corps .
Moved to Illinois with my new wife that was 3 moths pregnant

I bought a 1972 Brockway with a 1674 Cat 13 over 4:11 rears on Hendrickson walking beam suspension ,air assist steering , no air , no bunk, and a spring ride seat !
I paid 5 grand cash for truck and I borrowed 5 grand to operate @ 19.75 % Interest !!!
I learned how to shift it on the 40 mile drive home .

My insurance was around 5 grand 20% up front plate was around 1 grand .
I pulled a dump wagon during the summer .
During the winter I ran a dry box Chicago to St. Louis for a couple of years .
Then I got a flat and ran steel Chicago Gary to St. Louis .

I had a couple of times That I tip leased a load and when I got back to the old Skelly truck stop at East St. Louis
The broker was gone and so was the trailer he had out by the upholstery shop on the north side of the Lot !!

It was not easy and I learned it all the hard way but I promise you that I have NEVER forgotten any lesson that I paid for whether it was cash money or a pound of flesh !!!!
I was lucky enough to have a few old hands feel sorry for me and they helped me learn allot by keeping my mouth shut and my ears open .

It was a totally different world back then we all helped each other more back then .
We earned the respect we got and if you didn't you were basically shunned by the guys you worked with.
When you were asked if you could do something and you said you could you were expected to go do it .
The companies never even thought about training a man to do a job that he said he could do . You did the job or you were sent on down the road .

Of all the things I miss about the old days I miss the respect that we had for ourselves and others the most !!!!

 

Im looking into doing this same thing. Starting out with a brand new truck and trailer(dry van), the insurance guy said that my yearly premiums would be 20-25k with no driving experience and running my own numbers. Wow. Yeah, that was an eye opener.

 

I am in a very similar situation. Im 61, retired aircraft mechanic, not quite ready to just go fishin. I have the money to finance it right and not really have to worry about getting the best jobs right away. I've been reading lots of message boards and trying to get a good idea of what is required and what is the life like. I feel very confidant that I can do it, but.... making the jump... not quite ready yet. Maybe in the first half of next year. And Elogs don't bother me. Im a pilot and know how to plan a trip.

 

And where Im at now is.... I have decided to go to truck driver school on my own dime and then hire on with some one that will take new drivers, do that for... what ever it takes to learn the business and wether the job is for me. Then if all is well, new truck and go from there. Happy Trails.

 

I used to work on the C-12's (King Air 200) all different models and for all branches of the military. Then I did a stint at United as a sheet metal mechanic on the wide body aircraft. I had a V-35 Bonanza back in the day, but haven't flown for years. I thought I was retired, but.... well, so much for that I think I have another 10 good years in me for this. After looking at the job market, I think this would be a good fit for me. Im in the middle of down-sizing my life right now, gotta empty the garage, sell the house, and that kind of stuff. I hope to get into driver school by November and hopefully start driving the first part of next year. Fingers crossed.