Benefits of being an O/O at a company VS completely freebird?

I've actually done pretty well with brokers... I've had bad ones and really good ones

 

I don't have much of an issue with Brokers overall. There are a few smaller ones that over complicate the process but they pay on time.

I imagine if there is a payment issue I'd just take one of their loads and not deliver it until I get payment. They get really nervous when they have to tell their customers they're taking money and not paying the bills.

 

See now this is about how i would go about it. Then again i’d have a nice convo with my lawyer 1st. Lol

The problem with sueing is you spend so much and it takes to much time. Time is money and experience isn’t free. I think somethings will inevitably be chocked up to lessons learned.

 

Leased to a carrier for their customer base, carrier I’m leased to has a very solid customer base. In the almost 2 years I’ve been with them, maybe 10% of my loads have been through a broker and that’s mainly because the shipper uses a 3PL extensively. I normally don’t have any contact at all with the broker.

Anyone leased to a carrier that runs off of the load boards 100% would be better off running under their own authority. Any carrier that claims they pay for the tag or anything else involving your business expenses just means they are taking it out of the pay in the percentage. Some companies do pay a percentage of tags based on time of lease or performance, lack of freight claims, clean DOT inspections etc...

 

One benefit of booking your own freight is not having to deal with the snow and ice or anything else if you don't want to.
I know some leased on carriers claim they can turn down freight...but do that so many times and see how long that lasts.

 

This would be my fear of leasing to a company that did not allow me to self disp. I bought & own my truck, i DO NOT want to be a “glorified” company man. Unfortunately a lot of o/o’s are nothing more than glorified company drivers. They fuel where they’re told, go where they’re told, and run when they’re told.

I also don’t want the “company” to pay my tags or ifta...i don’t want that over my head; “we paid your tags Pete, you can’t have January off”.

 

I would not worry about the tags or ifta GreenPete. The tags should only cost about $100 to $150 a month depending upon how and where you run. Leaving you stranded on their lot if you decide to move on can be a problem. A good carrier would get you where you need to be on that last load. But so many of these suits take things so personally.

And I have never had an ifta bill over $125. The carrier will probably want to do your ifta as they will be ultimately responsible for it. Let them. But only for the miles you run. Not "blended" That's how they getcha.

 

Use to be that way where im at. But i finally told them to make my truck note i run where you want. I been booking my own loads off Dat since. They get a %.

 

I would add one thing with the license plate, I have heard if you sign onto a company and then leave let’s say 9 months later because you don’t want to work there anymore you have no option but to surrender your plate to them since they have it under there ifta. And again this is just what I have heard many times is last settlement they take the balance of that plate and make you pay it since they already paid for it but yet you leave there and can’t use the remaining time on the plate! I left a company 9 years ago and had a friend who let me book own loads,have my own ifta and plate, and do most of everything I do now with my own authority and only charged my 10 percent so I guess I got very lucky.if you find a situation like that even if it’s 15 percent or something I would start like that to get feet wet and have a mentor. Oh and when you lease at a company usually they provide the trailers too so again it’s less of a investment up front so of course it pays less, has less freedom, and you probably have to put up with more crap. I think Landstar is also excellent to start at if you need help before going all in, I park by a guy who has a dedicated run and is home everyday and makes around $2 a mile there so maybe you can find something fairly similar there, who knows! Never know if you don’t ask and again good luck and will be much better to try new ideas come March right now is difficult even with a established dedicated route!