Getting Loads While Using own Authority

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by BigGreg, Jun 3, 2009.

  1. BigGreg

    BigGreg Light Load Member

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    Dec 26, 2008
    Fairborn,Ohio
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    I am purely in an info gathering stage,as of now.I haven't made up my mind on anything,except,I know what I want to do.That is work for myself.Other than that,I'm undecided.Undecided on new vs used truck,own authority or leased,etc.I have even looked into broker training,working from home.I appreciatte everyone's assistence.I don't think I'm gonna do anything this year.I currently work for a contractor at Fedex Home Delivery,so I have money coming in.The economy being in such a mess,I may wait till it rebounds,which it will.Even tho I have 13 years transportation experience,mostly local delivery in cargo vans,I still know little of the big picture.The more knowledge I get,from you experienced guys,the better.Thanks
     
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  3. BigGreg

    BigGreg Light Load Member

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    Dec 26, 2008
    Fairborn,Ohio
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    One other thing.I was stranded in Nebraska for 13 days once.My truck broke down,and after waiting four days to get in the shop it was 2 days later when it was fixed,a blizzard hit and I was stranded.My company,Werner,did not re-imburse me for 13 days in a hotel or front me any money,since I wasn't moving.I did not have enough money to pay my bill and eat.Luckily,the hotel agreed to a payment plan,automatically deducted from my checking account over a 4 week period.I know working for myself wouldn't have made that easier,but it shows how companies work.And I won't go to Nebraska in January.lol
     
  4. LDH26

    LDH26 Light Load Member

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    Sep 7, 2008
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    Did they expect you to sleep in the truck (i'm assuming you had a sleeper cab)? Is that why they didn't reimburse you?
     
  5. BigGreg

    BigGreg Light Load Member

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    Dec 26, 2008
    Fairborn,Ohio
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    The truck was at a repair shop,forget the name of the company,and truck had no power or facilities while sitting on their property.Stayed at a hotel about 3 miles away.Werner was just anal about the whole thing,pissed that their truck broke down after supposedly being fixed at their terminal 3 weeks earlier.Tried to say,I damaged it somehow.Just a shady company.
     
  6. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    May 28, 2009
    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
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    :biggrin_25516:LDH26, for 7-10 grand, you won't get much of a truck, a worn out 3 million mile Freightshaker will cost you 15 grand. And, trucking 13, fyi, 3 per cent of $1000 is $30, not $3. :biggrin_25516:
     
  7. LDH26

    LDH26 Light Load Member

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    Sep 7, 2008
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    I respectfully disagree. If you go to "truck paper dot com" you can narrow your search down to fit your make, model, price, etc. I've done so with the International 9400's in the $5,000 to $10,000 price category and they're mainly showing trucks with anywhere from 700,000 to a million miles on them. Nice, clean trucks I might add.
     
    Big John Thanks this.
  8. trucking13

    trucking13 Bobtail Member

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    Apr 19, 2008
    ft myers, fl
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    well thank you for trying to give me a math lesson Allow Me, but i know that it was a typo not the fact that i don't know:biggrin_25510:
     
  9. stocktonhauler

    stocktonhauler Medium Load Member

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    Dec 9, 2007
    Stockton, C
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    I'm just starting out too, having just secured my authority, insurance, and truck. I wouldn't recommend spending less than 30 grand on a truck for two reasons: Any truck over 500,000 is at risk for some kind of breakdown, and any roadside breakdown can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. A new guy starting out can't avoid that sort of problem right up front. Second, and equally important, CARB issues loom starting 2011 for any old truck entering CA. If one is talking refer hauling, CA is the place to make money. A nice clean truck in terms of appearance isn't necessarily a nice clean truck in terms of function.

    For me the trailer issue is the concern. Any suggestions on cost reduction here? I don't see many decent refer trailers for sale, at reasonable cost.
     
  10. LDH26

    LDH26 Light Load Member

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    Sep 7, 2008
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    The only problem with a $30,000 truck is most people (my age) don't have that kind of money to pay cash for one, which means I would have to get a note on it and have a payment. I have a lawn care and landscaping business that brings in 15 to 25 grand a year on it's own. 3 or 4 of that comes from spraying (pre and post emergents/fertilizer) the rest comes from contract mowing. I do alot of that for the city here. Library, museum, senior citizen center, a few lots they own, as well as alot of commercial accounts like Sonic, car dealership, etc. When I buy a used truck for 10 thousand or so, it's not going to run 48 states and Canada year round, b***s to the wall. My truck is going to be a means of income during the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring. Other than that, it will be parked mostly throughout the Summer. During this time I will be taking some of my mowing money and fixing up the truck (appearance wise and mechanical wise) so that it's mechanically sound to hit the road when the grass dies out. My mowing money will help pay my operating authority costs as well (insurance, plates, etc.) This way I will have virtually zero overhead other than repairs on the truck. All my eggs won't be in one basket, ill have my lawn business bringing in money as well as a good used truck with my own authority to haul for brokers pulling their trailer. If things ever go South for me in the trucking industry, I won't have a big note to worry about. I'll just have a used 10K dollar truck on my hands sitting at the house that I could always sell to a local farmer.
     
  11. SKTBRD

    SKTBRD Bobtail Member

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    May 22, 2009
    Merrimack,NH
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    It's all a crap shoot anyways. You can leave the lot with a $50,000 truck and throw a rod, tranny, rear end or turbo in the first hour the same as an $8,000 one.

    Some people are lucky, some are not. There is no formula for success. I started out with no experience 3 years ago. Went from an engineering job to hiring a private instructor to get my CDL, bought a truck, trailer and got my own authority and just went out and did it. I paid cash for everything and had about $15,000 left over to operate on.

    I got into a groove with some good loads going from Chicago to El Paso and back again for a few months. I was really humping it in the beginning doing close to 700 miles per day. I didn't spend any money on anything I didn't need and before long I had over $35,000 on hand. I had no breakdowns on a truck that had 800,000 miles on it.

    If you don't have any bills you can do ok in tough times. It just takes a little luck.
     
    newly crusin and LDH26 Thank this.
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