New owner oper

This friend isn't too smart. If friend doesn't know the ins and outs, how are they gonna know what are good terms of leasing with a company?

 

Is this one of those

“My friend has herpes, and was just wondering, and I’m asking for him . . . “

kinda questions?

I’m sensing some thin skin here.

 

What in the actual #### did I just read!?!? This "friend" can't even come on here and ask his own questions? I'm thinking he's much too immature to be in this industry much less as an O/O!!!

 

Sorry to say this but you asked the right people but didn't get an answer that you liked.

Why five years?

Because many companies that lease owners require two things, one is experience and the other is a means to reduce insurance costs.

Insurance runs this industry because of owners who are sub-standard (read crap) drivers and get into stupid accidents, we all suffered because of it.

Three to five years of clean driving shows stability in their skills and the effort to make sure that things don't get out of hand.

You can read on this forum all the horror stories about stupid crap drivers do, and how owners how just want to make a buck do things to get by, we don't need these types in the industry and most of us should fight it.

So to answer your question, any company to take a new owner on like this isn't serious about safety.

By the way one thing i also have to say is this is an open forum,

 

This is just my opinion. He needs to get his authority as soon as possible. He needs to contact OOIDA and have them do most of the work. Your authority will let you work with certain brokers but not the ones that pay really good. He needs to call USA Truck and sign on as Power Only. They will charge him 15% and will dispatch him. He will pull their trailers. When they don't have work for him, he will be allowed to use their trailers and find his own freight. At that point he needs to be able tto deal with Coyote, Landstar and C H Robinson.

This way he dips his toe in the water and learns.

The companies I have named are just some of the companies out there. Depending on where he lives those companies could change.

 

I really respect both @Ridgeline and @Wooly Rhino. They have posted opposing but wise options.

Now as to your question of how your "friend" can advance his career WITHOUT becoming an owner operator:

1. Think outside the box. In the world of trucking that means dry van. Your friend will make more money and learn more by pulling anything but dry van. Consider tanker or flatbed.

2. Stick with a job at least a year or two. DON'T job hop. Showing the ability to commit is important to establishing your track record. The best companies will "round file" applications that show too many jobs in X period.

While many a trucker has become successful as owner operators right out of the gate, the truth is the majority that do that fail. Failure is always a bad option.

IMHO before your friend buys a truck he should:

1. Have a business plan, complete with projected profit and loss statement, marketing plan, etc. OOIDA can help with this.

2. Know exactly what kind of truck to purchase ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE KIND OF TRAILER HE WILL BE PULLING.

3. Be familiar with how to break out the tools and work on his own truck: how and why to change fuel filters, troubleshoot air leaks and wiring issues, and at least be knowledgeable enough not to be taken to the cleaners by mechanics.

4. Have AT LEAST $20-30K set aside AFTER purchasing the truck to take care of major repairs. Blow an engine? That buffer is GONE. Without a buffer he will be one breakdown from ruin.

 

Yeah I have opposing points of view lol.

I see an issue here and it was pointed out - "Hey guys I have a friend who's been driving for 7 months and is wanting to buy his own truck [...] "

See to me if someone wants to actually learn, they ask questions, not do with it a proxy.

I am a bit different with this game, I see the downside all the time. Right now I am helping an owner get his **** together after getting a lot of bad advice, one was "jump right in, the waters fine" and he got bitten by sharks after he bought his second truck. I warned him not to do it, I told him to get another year or two on the road and ask questions but (not bashing Wooly or others) the guy was too immature. He is hanging out here and he knows I will talk about him but won't mention who he is.

So I say five years, I justified that by saying that we have enough cheap and desperate owners out there who are trying to make a buck just to pay the bills. I would love to see means testing for all new authorities, meaning that they have to have money to pay their drivers, pay their insurance and pay for proper repairs and maintain that level but many scream how unfair that is.