Some numbers for new O/O

WHAT??? You’re 13 years old??? What the heck??? A lot of people don't think like this at 23, 33, 53!

Are you a troll making this stuff up? I hope not…in which case, if you are legit, some day I hope to meet you, shake your hand in person! You are definitely on the right track!!! The fact you created an account and are on TTR, reading, ask questions, you are lightyears ahead of either your peers or mine!

Here is advice I'd give to anybody looking to start in this industry...just "seat of my pants" kind of stuff I thought of.

What you are thinking about is a solid plan, and pretty do-able. Work hard, save money.

Don't get hung up on small details...what make your first truck is...the height of a door on a steel shop...you'll make those decisions when you get to them...but, with that said, make the door 14'...it’s worth the extra $, and you will be able to get anything inside you want. Try to do things today that will allow you to be flexible for what you need tomorrow. Think outside the box…it won’t be just about you…you might find some other O/O to lease on to you…what if they have tall trucks and trailers?

As for trucks, they are built for different purposes…on road, off road, local work, OTR…
A Mack might not be a wise first truck...I have owned several over 25 years...they are great for off road. Parts are EXPENSIVE and not readily available. One of my first and all-time favorite trucks was a Mack Superliner...we called it the "Super Dog"! A few years ago I bought a CL-713 Elite with a Mack E9 motor and Mack 18 speed trans...extremely rare in the US. I had a BLAST driving it. The motor sounds WAY different.

There are some GREAT YouTube videos of trucks with E9's. Search "Mack E9 Burnout". There is one that has 3,500 HP and 4 turbo’s!

I sold the CL last year to the son of the first Mack dealer I ever bought a truck from. He has a Dyno machine in one of his shop! He said he always wanted one!!!

Same thing with Western Star, again, a bit quircky and expensive on parts. If you are on the road, and need a part, you need something that is readily available, go with Freightliner followed by Pete and KW.

Get a Freightshaker Classic XL, a Pete 378 or 379 or a KW W900L or a T-800. Those trucks hold their value, if you negotiate well, AND maintain them, they will ALWAYS be worth what you paid for them if not more. Not very aerodynamic. As an alternative, look for a FL Century or an Intl...I have a 9200 Eagle now. More so, pay attention to what motor and trans you want. I am a HUGE fan of Detroit 60 Series motors. Reliable, cheap and easy to work on. Get one with no EGR. I prefer a 13 speed. Find a shop who are trans experts, who do their work in-house. They can rebuild WITHOUT paying the thousands you mentioned. Eliminate the middle man, save $.

Last benefit of an older motor (Pre 2K), no emissions, no need for an ELD!

I got some advice for you personally too, but, I don't want to overwhelm you all at once.

I'll give you a chance to respond to this before I say more.

 

There is a good article you can search for in these forums talking about what a new OO can expect to pay, it's very detailed, but, he breaks everything down for you.

Taxes are a good thing to pay...it means you are making money if you are paying them! There were many years I paid nothing, that is because I was LOSING money, at least on paper.

I know you are young...Be more concerned with how much money your going to make than what you are going to lose in taxes...we ALL pay taxes (assuming we make money) in any profession. The upside is, in this country, pound for pound, we pay less than in ANY other place in the world.

Not to make this a political rant, because the boys who run this forum don't like it...if we keep heading in the direction our policies seem to be going, and keep allowing unlimited number of people to come in and get a free ride, it ISN'T going to stay that way.

You are our future. It is up to you to stand up and decide what you want. You will do that with your voice and your vote...when you get to that age

 

I agree with this advice...but I'll say this, since my kids finished school not too long ago...schools are trying to brain-wash our kids and convince every single one of them they need to attend a university and earn a degree. It helps prop up the educational system they have created and ensure that their alma mater stays afloat.

This is well and good for a certain percentage of students. But, it isn't for everyone...and, it creates a false sense that "All I need to do is go to college and then I am golden."

The fact is, we don't have enough kids interested in entering the "trades", so, we are having to scour the earth looking for qualified ones and import them into this country. That is BAD!

In addition, MOST degree programs kids are looking into actually require more years of education than just the 4 year degree that was good enough for my wife and I, 34 years ago.

My daughter, for example, wants to be a Physical Therapist. It used to be, a 4 year degree was good enough to start a career in PT. Then it went to a Masters Degree. Today, to become a PT, she must get her DOCTORATE! There are several more examples of this.

Now, with that said, I know my daughter is smart enough to do it, she is finishing up her Jr year as an undergrad and goes to a Big Ten university. Financially, it will be a stretch for her to finish, but, she has a pretty solid plan on how to make that happen and is a "go-getter".

Ultimately, she will be hundreds of thousands in debt before she get's her degrees finished. But, she stands a good chance of making a real decent living, especially if she goes into business for herself or is a partner in a larger practice. But, how many stories are there of kids who DON'T make the cut?

My son, on the other hand, never performed extremely well in school, not like my daughter did. He had a very difficult time being that he has dyslexia and public schools, at least in IL, DON'T recognize this as a "learning disability". I know, shocked the heck out of me when we found that one out. It was determined though that he also had a "learning disability" and, things got easier for him in school once that determination was made as he progressed through.

We spent a LOT of time and a whole lot of money getting him the help he needed just to make it as far as he did. He couldn't get accepted into the Army because of a previous shoulder surgery, a broken arm and the fact he scored so low on his entrance test...the Army doesn't take into consideration LD either. Not a complaint...I get it. Discouraged that he wouldn't be able to pick the MOS he wanted, he didn't join. He went to Jr College and dropped out after his first semester....but, he got a job as a "mechanics assistant" and went to diesel mechanics school. He graduated, got his CDL, works as a union mechanic at a nearby major truck center and LOVES what he does...he is very good at it, and is an excellent welder too. He has a good future ahead of him, because, public schools don't encourage kids to enter the trades! They are BEGGING for mechanics out there. His long-term plans is to join local 150 and become a heavy equipment operator...when he does, he will be able to prepare the equipment for the job, drive it TO the job site, operate the equipment, fix what breaks, and load it back up and bring it back to the shop. Literally, a 1-man wrecking crew! And, he speaks fluent English.

BUT...this only happened for him in part because his Mom and Dad were patient with him and never pushed him by saying "You must get good grades and go to a 4 year college". We told him his schools were full of BS, and depending on what career he wanted, college is way too expensive and in certain fields, flooding the work place with unemployable grads.

Here are 3 examples...

Example #1...You want to career in the medical field? Go to school. But, you don't have to become a Dr. There are TONS of great paying jobs available that only require a certification program, not a 4 year degree.

Example #2...want to get a job doing ANYTHING in the computer field, cyber security, etc? You don't even NEED a college degree...take a 2 month crash-course, pass a certification test and you are in.

Example #3...become an Air Traffic Controller. I have no clue how...and it is a stressful career, so, make sure you take some classes in psychology and stress management!!!

There are others I can think of too, but, I have already said enough. Electrician, plumber, carpenter, truck driver, sales, SEO and on-line marketing. All jobs in demand that you don't need a 4 year degree to pursue.

That is NOT to say getting a traditional degree in the medical field or computers is wrong. But, for those who don't have the aptitude or the $...

I know this probably isn't common thinking...but....it's time we teach kids to think outside the box.

 

I agree with the macks man they hold up but arent the most comfortable the WS are very comfortable with the correct sleeper i am a huge CAT and Detriot fan i want a 07 and older rig with a Cat ir a pre 02 detriot because i have heard bad things about the turbo recurculation first truck i ever drove was 96 fld 120 classic with a 12.7 and a 13 the boss of the school had told my dad hey you dont you think its about time he drove one. Im not a troll trust me although i am 5 10 lmao my dads 6 2 i love the western stars petes and some freightliners because i can get in with out bashin my head that was my big complaint about the pro stars. As far as trucks go i would buy a truck with a 10 a go trade it for a 13 or 18 that way i have a great trans and only spent 500 or 600 bucks on it.
I have been around cats and detriots and the only thing i trust for 5 years me and my dad ran 05 and 06 379 with acert c15 and never had 1 break down from the engine it was always somethin else. As far as the shop your right a 14 foot tall door would be a wise that way i never have a issue with that. Thank you very much for the help ive been written off because of my age alot lol finally found somebody willin to help me. I have learned from my father and he has learned from 25+ years of drivin and almost 10 years of teachin and also from the diesel tech mechanic there at the same facility. Lol also im still techinacally 12 but in 1 month im gonna be 13 so i figure 5 more years till i can start my plan. I run milk every weekend with my dad so i am constantly learnin askin questions and learnin how to take care of the truck like DRAIN THE #### AIR TANKS lol i crawled under a pete last week pulled the valve and i came out cussin and a fussin there was water pooring out lol

 

I 100% agree i am home schooled so i dont have to deal with the YOU MUST GO TO COLLEGE OR YOUR A FAILER mentality. I have always worked with my hands ive spent hours on a tractor cuttin grass or under a ol chevy changin oil filters

 

OK, that is why you are so #### different! Your parents were smart for doing that, you will need to thank them for taking the time (and patience) to be willing to home school you. Glad you aren't a troll!

You said above that you drove a '96 FL (If I remember right)...I was like "What???"

Did your Dad actually let you drive it....or, you RODE in it?

When my son was 16, I took him over spring break on a road trip, we picked up a trailer, delivered it, picked up another one near where my wife and I went to college in southern IL...I hadn't been back to the campus since my wife graduated in 1987. That was back in 2014??? He graduated HS in 2014, so, maybe my son was 17 at the time. I couldn't believe the changes, additions, new this, new that...at the time I went, my first full time semester of college in 1981 was $450 for tuition...I think in total, for my first year, books, tuition, housing and food, it was right around $3-4K. It was going to cost something like $30K a year to send him there! Holy crap, after I saw all the money they spent there, I see why! But, the old dorms were I stayed were still there. The trailer park I used to rent at my last 2 years was GONE...in it's place, some real fancy looking townhomes. What a racket!

Anyway, we parked out behind the University Arena, which is where I worked all my years as a janitor while I was going to school. All the people were different, but, at least they were cool enough to allow us to park there, and, we used the Rec Center to shower....I was free because I was an alum...I think I had to pay $10 to get him in...oh well.

The parking lot was empty, and we had dropped the trailer, so, I let him drive around the parking lot. He did good for his first time...he managed to slip gears pretty well.

 

I drove on a old gravel rode only on the low side. I had driven in sims before with a wheel and clutch and all that stuff.

 

Sims...too funny...didn't have that growing up.

I have more for you, but, give me a moment. I got some business to attend to.

You sound like a great kid. You haven't been spoiled with the "group think" of public school, or the daft liberal grossings of some hippie socialist teacher. Don't worry about others not giving you credit due to your age...never let opinions from others who haven't a clue how to do much of anything, let alone what you hope to do, dissuade you from pursuing your dreams. Keep your focus on people who have been in your shoes and done the things you wish to accomplish. They will be your best guide along the way. You want to know about trailers? You talk to the guy who has been buying, leasing and selling them for 40 years. You want to know something about tires? You talk to the guy who has been selling them and putting them on trucks for 3 decades. You want to know something about getting into trucking? You don't listen to some wise-### who has never done anything.

 

Your very much right