How soon can you be an O/O?

Rather than give you advice from just my experience, go over to Bronc's thread.
It's a lesson on the trials and tribulations of what it's like to be an O/O.

To some though it appears as a glorified ###### session....
It's full of info though.

 

I highly suggest yo stay a company driver till YOU have cash in hand and not a loan in your parents name. This business is unforgiving and you really don't have that much experience, no offense I'm just being realistic.

Take for example the Schneider deal. It isn't that hard or expensive to get the hazmat (i'm doing it now). You really don't pull many hazmat over here if that is what you are worried about. Also you could of stayed with Schneider and learned the companys good lanes. Then when you have enough money you go out and buy a truck. Then after being a o/o for a year you could switch to there Choice program. Being a o/o you have to think more than a day, a month, or even a year down the road. You have to plan long term to survive. Also your DAC report is probably messed up since you have worked for 3 companies in that short time.

I don't want to sound mean, but find a company driver position and stay there for at least 3 years. You'll gain money, experience, and realize that sometimes being a driver isn't all that great. Like I said I don't want to offend ya, but right now IS NOT the time for a person in your position to enter as an o/o.

 

O/O's need that 50k loan on top of at least $20k cash money on hand for down payment and maintenance fund and operating float until loads begin to pay (up to 60 days). That's IF you live in the truck and crash at the 'rents house with no real bills of your own.

My opinion though you can never really take it as seriously or make the same choices daily when it's not really your money, pain, and sacrifice on the line that got you there, but that's a human nature thing that I'll skip for the moment.

On the plus side you could and should get a pre-hire commitment from your company of choice up front, and including their specs for trucks that will be conditional upon you getting the proper equipment and passing inspections first, so you know where you are going right away and what to get.

Broncrider's thread is awesome and he is beyond reproach for the right and smart way to get/spec a truck for profit and prepare for success. Beyond that, it's a good resource for someone with a great home life, lots of interests, whose load and authority choices are important to him, and is principled in the amounts he will haul for in the interest of preserving the industry for others. That said, if these balances weren't quite so important to the owner and you were a bit "hungrier" or ambitious, I think its reasonable to say he could have squoze realistically another $20k net to the truck last year. IMO, YMMV.

Good luck and keep the rest of us updated with the FACTS please!

 

man i could have easily done that but i just had to take those 150 days off.....lol

most of the time i actually sat home waitin on a decent rate to get out of the house with...believe me thats getting really hard to do

as i have been sitting here today (since friday afternoon actually) watching the board for what i need to even break even today i have watch full loads disappear for under $1.20/g

now i went to a montana public school so i may not be as smart as some fella's....but by my math right now i need at least $1.50/g, so that when the "outfit" has taken thier piece of the pie i still have enuf left over to make ends meet and keep outta the repo lot.

right now is not a time to go wasting someone else's money. if you have yer heart set on it.....im ok with that but at least use your money, not mom's.

how you ask?
easy....WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN.....the more info, thought and input you put in the better your chances.
call around to an outfit that intrests you...get thier low, mediam and high #'s, thent he average #'S
average price of fuel
the truck you wants average MPG
average cost of annual serice/ repairs
tires
truck wash
you still wanna get paid right? yep better thriow that in thier too.....im bettin you wont get .35/m outta your truck

run all the numbers, then do it again

if you cant show a miniscle profit on paper, you'll never do it in real life

if everything is kosher, submit it to your bank and the SBA




but honestly i think your gonna have a hard time finding a ride as a driver, let alone an O/O

you know , theres a copy of mine on here in this very section, find it, and ill let you use it as a template for your own

 

my 2 cents goes like this: i think you neeed more stedy exp. try another year and a half. then get into the game. plus, now is not the time. seriously! now is not the time to become an o/o. see how the econ does in bout a year. plus you should get hazmat, and twic, that way, you have options, when you are in an area with limited fr8

 

And when you get started.... be sure to read all the way through the 3500 or so pages we've managed to put up. That way, you won't miss anything. Fortunately for me, I only had to read 1200 pages or so catch up when I came to play. Seriously.... there is a pile of good info there.

 

i second what harbin had to say

not having a TWIC card is biting me in the butt right now