Becoming an Owner Operator

Just a though, and don't get me wrong. I like a W900L or a Extended hood pete. But ask your self this question... Are you in this for the most profit? I see it all the time, O/R crying about the price of freight. But running a truck, that can cost him $30,ooo.+ per year. If your in it for the cash. Better run the best MPG truck you can.
Looking cool on your stool. Cost a lot of cash in a year.
Running what most call an Ugly truck. Makes you cash while being in the game to make it rain cash..

 

what did you end up with? i pretty much in the same situation as your.

 

O/O have to drive a new truck at least 10 year to make worth while. A new truck will depreciate very rapidly. Just like buying a new car. But most people aren't very money smart.

 

new trucks are going to be in the shop more than one with a few hundred thousand on them and going to cost 3 or 4 times as much. .... but that warranty you don't have to pay for repairs except dealers will usually keep the truck for a week even for simple items. .. say you have a $ 1000 repair and the dealer will do it under warranty for free but is going to take all week before he can get to it .... but an independent shop can do it right away you gotta pay the $1000 but you would lose a 4 or 5 k losing a weeks pay that's if you are at home and not figuring motels or cost of meals and those payments don't stop when you are broke down . don't get me wrong a warranty is nice to have but unless it's something major your better off paying for it anyways. I know a lot of successful owner ops that started out with an old clunker and worked up . and I know a lot of guys that started out with a truck that was middle of the road used 400 to 700k area and made it just fine .... I don't know a single successful owner operator that started out with a brand new truck not saying there aren't a few but it is most likely a small club . most of the people that are telling you to buy a new truck are company drivers or worse leasing a new truck from a mega carrier and immediately there intelligence comes into question. I have a friend that buys trucks at auction and he doesn't go over 15,000 on anything and he picks up some nice trucks that way ... if they run fine if you have to rebuild or change the engine your still getting a good truck ... I don't know if I would do that for your first truck . if you wanted a, long nose hard to turn around Pete I would say get it .... the problem I have with those is the Cummings or pacar isn't dependable and cost $$$ to fix .. if you go that route get a pre emission cat just realize that you will be making less money because of the mileage .... and can't go to California which that might be a plus lol ..... or get a freightliner at first and learn the buisness and get a project truck to eventually replace it