What would be the best path?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by asphaltcowboy4x4, Jun 30, 2019.

  1. asphaltcowboy4x4

    asphaltcowboy4x4 Medium Load Member

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    See the whole reason I wanna be an owner op is to choose my loads so I can get a load somewhere and see like Yosemite Yellowstone all that good stuff on my own time. If my truck is paid off I could take a couple weeks off and fly to the ####ing Maldives and chill. No company telling me I can only take a week or two off a year screw that. I wanna choose when I take vacations and for how long. Yes I need to be successful as an owner op but I have a good idea on where flatbed freight pays the most and stuff. And imma run flatbed since loss generally pay more than those door slamming loads.
     
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  3. asphaltcowboy4x4

    asphaltcowboy4x4 Medium Load Member

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    The main thing as long as I can pay myself 75k a year gross take home I’d be great anything more is even better. I’d also want that money back for the truck over time.
     
  4. asphaltcowboy4x4

    asphaltcowboy4x4 Medium Load Member

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    I’m also curious can owner operators deduct hotel expenses while on the road? I can’t as a company guy but what about owner ops? Stay in a hotel every weekend to keep my sanity
     
  5. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Pre def/dpf/egr and a series 60 , n14 or cat is the only way to go given that u can turn wrenches on all the little #### that will break . a c15 will run forever. Or if u have the money get a glider . these new trucks are shop queens , dont buy the hype
     
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  6. asphaltcowboy4x4

    asphaltcowboy4x4 Medium Load Member

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    I seen some truck with the cat 15 engine. They are all older trucks tho with a million or so miles can’t find any new Pete’s with a c15 is that your recommendation? To get a used 1 million miler truck? Will it make it to 2 million? 3 million? Define forever on the c15?
     
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  7. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Yes those engines will keep running as long as they are taken care of and u keep rebuilding them . u have to rebuild them when its time but those engines are made to last . not like engines of today that are destroyed because of the emissions ####. That is going to be the source of alot of your problems on a new truck will be emissions related, which means very high repair bills because none of that stuff is cheap. And with a new truck u may have a problem that nobody knows how to fix. With a old truck everybody and there momma can work on a cummins or series 60 .. The only problem with an old truck is you will spend alot of time replacing all the other parts , suspension , drivetrain, etc. U should do some reasearch to figure out what u want to do , there is alot of threads on here that will help give u some realistic numbers on wat to expect from a new truck vs a old truck and some numbers that will help u make the decision if becoming an owner op is wat u wanna do
     
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  8. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    From this, it seems to me you really don't seem to get that you can do this when you are leased to a carrier.
     
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  9. dieselpowered

    dieselpowered Heavy Load Member

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    true but leased at best for people who don't know if they want to be a true owner all the responsibilities some will even baby you through the process these are few and far between. the fact remains seems you want to vacation more than driving? am I getting this idea more out nowhere or on the mark?

    You want to run a successful business you keep rolling more then stopped. you could also job hop yearly or something take a vacation and might I say less headache pay truck insurance, licenses, tolls, and a crap load more. I have my personal truck retrofitted for camping added in APU outside behind the tailgate might consider this even and do odd jobs instead of trucking itself sounds what you want is just do a lot of camping vs work. You can do both sometimes I would work on peoples RVs repairs at the site for the area and they give me free hookups I mean you don't need be a trucker for the life you want if that's where you want to go.
     
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  10. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    Going to see Yellowstone would be expensive. Somewhat.

    Closest you can get a truck would be the montana wyoming border.

    There's no going through.
     
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  11. RunningAces

    RunningAces Road Train Member

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    Oh man you need one of those small motorcycles with a ramp for your truck. Now that would be a sweet setup for pulling off the vacationing owner op routine.
     
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